Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to my electorate: I believe in you and your aspiration. Mitchell has always been an aspirational electorate—hardworking, working families, parents looking after their kids, young people getting ahead, all in work, all producing or creating businesses and all innovating. That's why I'm against this budget from a Labor government which has decided to have a war on capital and a war on aspiration. We already have a war on productivity going on in this country by the Labor Party. We have the worst and most onerous industrial relations regime in the world, mitigating against all productivity that we know of in our economy.

In this budget, the government has decided to declare war on capital—your capital. A budget which claims $50 billion to $70 billion more for the government is in no way making your life easier. We see in this budget a war on shares and equities, a war on ETFs and a war of increased taxes. Remember, this is the socialist government that told you that, by keeping a tax bracket, they would be making you better off. In fact, that bracket means the government gets more revenue and you are poorer, and you struggle against the income—and they have the hide to tell you they are arguing for intergenerational fairness. The only take-out of the $70 billion of increased revenue that you get is $250. You would have to be a barking moron to believe that $250, as a return of the government claiming $70 billion of revenue, is somehow intergenerational fairness or equity.

We have the highest income tax rates in the world. We have the most regulated labour market. We have the lowest productivity. And the government has decided, in this war on capital, that the movement of capital in our economy is the problem. Capital is vital. It's not piles of wealth or gold; it is hard-earned capital that belongs to individuals and households that they have the right to invest and reinvest, to have more productive assets in our economy. That makes everybody wealthier. The only people getting wealthier out of this budget are the government. The government is getting the money. If anyone in this economy thinks that the government having $70 billion more is going to make them better off, make their small business easier or make their income better, they've got rocks in their head. I believe Australians aren't buying it. I know my electorate aren't buying it because they are hardworking people. They do the sums.

By not abolishing that income tax bracket, Labor have absolutely locked in more revenue permanently. By taxing all the capital vehicles people have had access to for their own money, to invest in the economy and to make sure that that is used productively—in claiming it for the government, everyone will get poorer. To say to young people today that, when rents will go up because of these changes, when housing will go down, they will somehow have easier access to a house because the government will give them 250 bucks is a direct insult to every young person in this country. I can tell you, they will not buy it when they look closely at this.

Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the great privileges of representing Griffith is seeing how deeply our community cares for the natural places around us. When I join with the Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee or the Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee, when I attend our community forums and meet with our local ACF and WWF members, when I see their practical work that's happening to restore our natural habitats—in particular, the care of the koala populations we have in my area and all the work to keep our waterways healthy—I see that care in action. That's why I'm proud that this budget continues our work to protect Australia's natural environment.

Last year, this government passed historic laws through the parliament—landmark reforms that marked a major step forward in the way Australia protects nature. For the first time, Australia will have national environmental standards, providing clear and consistent rules to guide decision-making and better protect our environment. This budget now delivers the funding to put those reforms into action, with $250 million to establish Australia's first national environmental protection agency. This is a massive step forward for our country. In just 48 days, Australia will have a strong independent national environmental regulator with the power to enforce our environmental laws, conduct audits, improve accountability and make sure that the rules designed to protect nature are properly upheld.

This budget also provides $110.8 million to continue protecting native species and biodiversity and $21.1 million to continue water reform activities, including support for First Nations people to access and manage water; transparency and integrity in water markets; and the Goyder Institute for Water Research.

Queensland is home to six of the world's seven marine turtle species, all of which are considered threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and predation. That is why the Albanese government is continuing to deliver $820,000 for the Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program in partnership with the Queensland government. Since 2014, this program has helped an estimated 2.5 million hatchlings begin their journey to the sea, with 90 per cent of eggs now hatched through predator control and direct nest protection measures.

After passing the required legislation in March to support Australia's participation in the high-seas biodiversity treaty, this government is now turning that commitment into action through targeted investment and practical project delivery. We're investing $11.5 million to improve the management of Australia's marine parks, support sea country partnerships with traditional owners and strengthen Australia's ocean leadership.

Protecting the environment means protecting the places that sustain us and giving the next generation a country where nature is cared for, threatened species have a future and the restoration of nature is backed in. This budget keeps us moving in that direction with care, ambition and the continued national leadership needed to protect nature and the places that Australians love.