Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My constituents, particularly older constituents, often talk to me about government no longer governing with long-term vision or for nation-building projects. Last night's budget was one of the worst examples of a 'sugar hit' budget in living memory. By sugar hit, I mean small, meaningless examples of instant gratification rather than long-term health of our country. Labor are focused solely on the next five weeks, not the next five years and certainly not the next 50 years. They continue to ignore the regions, instead pouring their focus into marginal seats in metropolitan suburbs around the country. We've heard the saying, 'NSW does not stand for Newcastle, Sydney and Western Sydney.' The Nationals in government are the only champion of the regions and what we actually need right now.

In the past three years, we've seen nothing but cuts to funding streams that the Nationals introduced to protect regional interests and to ensure their growth—projects like the Building Better Regions Fund, which was unceremoniously axed and replaced with a program that promised less than one-tenth of the coalition's funding. I meet with my mayors every month, and I've heard from every single one of them, from the councils, that, during the last three years, their applications for funding have again been rejected. Projects that I'm talking about include the Bellingen Shire Council's Sewering Coastal Villages project, which would not only maintain the current system and ensure that it meets the EPA and environmental standards but set the shire on a course to be able to build new homes that our region desperately needs. Without sewer, you can't build it. It's as simple as that. Similarly, applications for the Valla Urban Growth Area in the Nambucca Valley were again rejected despite funding setting up the shire to be able to build new homes. This funding could have opened up up to 7,700 lots. That would make a world of difference for my electorate and those people living there to get a roof over their heads. There was the recent rejection of ShoreTrack's application, which would have enabled their amazing youth training program to continue for another two years. This inspirational community minded organisation has a 93 per cent success rate of training youth who have disengaged with traditional schooling and who are at risk. You have to ask, 'How could a program aimed at setting troubled youth up for a prosperous future not be considered valuable by this government?' Our communities are rife with youth crime and desperately need more gold standards like ShoreTrack.

Essentially, every one of Labor's funding promises around housing, sustainability and safer communities has been solely aimed at their own metropolitan seats. This budget solidifies the fact no-one will be left behind—that is, of course, if you don't live in the regions. The Stronger Communities Programme, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnership Program are all critical to building community infrastructure in regional Australia, and there has been absolutely no acknowledgement to this. Instead of recognising all of this and reducing red tape, stripping away barriers to growth and providing the right incentives for small business to thrive, Labor have doubled down on their administrative and input-cost pain. This is not only pushing already fragile businesses to the brink of closure; it is ensuring that costs continue to be passed on to the consumer and adding to inflation. It's time to cut the waste, cut the tokenism and focus on getting the budget and our country back on track.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight, I want to highlight the ongoing commitment the Albanese Labor government has made to our communities in McEwen. For too long, under successive LNP governments, our communities were starved of funding. This meant our country roads fell to ruin, making travel across the electorate slow at best, treacherous at worst. Under those opposite, the state of Victoria only received less than eight per cent of the national infrastructure funding, leaving fast-growing areas like ours ignored. This Labor government, from our very first budget to the one delivered last night, shows that it knows where Victoria is and is here to help. Only a federal Labor government is delivering for our communities and is set on building a stronger, more resilient Australia so that every Australian has a fair go.

As we saw last night, this Labor government is standing up and building a stronger Australia. Under the Albanese Labor government, the average Aussie will be able to keep more of the money they earn. Every worker will receive a tax cut. I have fought for this publicly and behind closed doors, and I'm very happy to see it delivered for our community. Additional energy bill relief will be rolled out to every household and small business in our towns and in the suburbs. Only a Labor government will invest to protect Medicare. We are delivering more bulk-billed GP visits, 50 more Medicare urgent care clinics, bringing the total to 137 nationwide, including one in Diamond Creek. We're cutting student debt. We are helping more people into a home of our own.

The budget is about people. The economy is turning a corner with lower inflation, rising wages and low unemployment. We have achieved all of this the Australian way, by looking after each other and working together. The budget builds on the ongoing commitment of our government to the communities of McEwen. The Liberals and Nationals, who believed that roads could be fixed by press releases, have never put their money where their mouths are. Labor has been committed to delivering for our community.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of welcoming the Prime Minister and the minister for infrastructure out to Kalkallo to announce some pretty significant news. As part of two Labor governments $1.2 billion road blitz package, the Prime Minister announced a huge $125 million investment for an upgrade to the Donnybrook Road and Mitchell Street intersection, delivering extra lanes, a fully signalised intersection, a new bridge over Kalkallo Creek and barriers for pedestrian safety. This investment follows on from our $7 million investment rail plan for the northern suburbs, with things like extending lines, electrification to Wallan and new stations including Beveridge. This will make sure that communities can get to work, school or home faster and safer than before. Only in this last month we announced $45 million to upgrade old Sydney Road Beveridge to Mickleham under the new suburban roads blitz, fully sealing Old Sydney Road from Camerons Lane Beveridge south to Mickleham, providing alternative access other than to the Hume Freeway. It is a direct investment into our community, giving desperately needed alternative routes for locals, not just for the Hume.

Of course the Albanese Labor government is the first federal government to invest in the Yan Yean stage 2 road under the $437 million suburban roads funding package. Our community has waited far too long for this essential piece of road to be fixed. Now, through us, it is time to get it done. With the preferred contractor being announced this week, we look forward to get seeing this new project getting under way quickly.

Our government promised to put $90 million towards the Watson Street and Diamond interchange for the Hume. This was a project that the Liberals and Nationals have refused to commit to at every single election I have been to. Like the rest of the community, I feel a sense of urgency to get this done and get shovels in the ground ASAP to see the benefit of this massive investment. As I said, only Labor committed to and funded to see this done. All this scratches the surface of what the Albanese Labor government has invested into local roads, with more than a billion dollars invested into McEwen roads under this government to make them safer and to make travel times quicker, which is a real difference to what the Liberal government has ever done for our communities.

I challenge people: tell me, what did you get under 10 years of Liberal government? They spent nothing and they did nothing. I've made sure all our communities in McEwen actually see the funding we need, whether it be Diamond Creek, Darraweit Guim, Wallan, Beveridge, Mernda, Doreen, Kalkallo and across the Macedon Ranges. The choice at this election is clear. Only an Albanese Labor government will invest in our community and it is the only federal Labor government that will get the job done.

House adjourned at 20:00