Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am particularly pleased to be able to join in the debate on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2005-2006 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2005-2006. In preparing for this debate, I looked very closely at the papers before the chamber, and quite frankly I can understand why the member for Barton was somewhat reluctant to second the amendment moved by the honourable member for Melbourne. The member for Barton is, I believe, a person of great ability, great capacity and great understanding, and I am surprised that he would choose to lend his name to such a facile second reading amendment which is so far from the truth. But I suspect that the member for Barton might well be doing so in the interests of socialist solidarity.

Debating appropriation bills provides one of the few opportunities in the chamber when members are able to rise and talk about issues of concern to their local electorates. Sure, there is an opportunity to talk about the important issue of sound economic management, which the Howard-Costello government has conducted in this country since it was elected in 1996. If I have time, I may well return to that particular issue. But I am a member for an area where the population is going to double over the next 15 years, and we do have a major problem of ongoing infrastructure needs. The member for Melbourne mentioned that we have infrastructure needs as a country, and undoubtedly he is correct. But one of the difficulties we have on the Sunshine Coast is that people move from what I like to refer to as the ‘rust belt’ areas of southern Australia to the sun belt in ever-increasing numbers, and unfortunately it takes a long time for the infrastructure which our additional population requires to follow people from the areas where they previously were.

I have been a great campaigner for increasing the size of the Bruce Highway from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast to six lanes. The worst bottleneck between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane—that is, the area from Caboolture to Brisbane—is being removed by upgrading the Bruce Highway to six lanes, at least as far as Caboolture. This government is spending well in excess of $200 million in improving the access of the Sunshine Coast motorway from Caboolture to Brisbane to six lanes from four lanes. That will of course mean that people travelling from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast for holidays, to live and to work will be able to do so much more quickly.

But, unfortunately, often our infrastructure needs tend to lag behind the increase in our population. I have been in touch with the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, asking that the area from Caboolture to the Sunshine Coast proper have the size of the Bruce Highway upgraded from four to six lanes. Basically, I have almost camped at the minister’s door, but I regret to say that so far I have been singularly unsuccessful in getting the minister to agree to commit the additional funding necessary to improve the size of the Bruce Highway from Caboolture to the Sunshine Coast from four to six lanes. My major concern—that is, the amount of time it takes to travel from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast—has been somewhat allayed because, by upgrading the Bruce Highway as far as Caboolture, we have dramatically reduced the worst bottleneck, which occurred when people travelling from Bribie Island, Caboolture and Kilcoy joined the Bruce Highway. But, having said that, particularly on Sundays and particularly at peak hours it is taking people far too long to travel from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast.

So I thought, at this opportunity, I would rise in the chamber and plead with the minister to find the additional funds necessary to give the Sunshine Coast an improved access road from Caboolture to the Sunshine Coast by increasing the size of the Bruce Highway from four to six lanes. Were this to happen, of course, it would mean that the 80 per cent of people who travel to and from the Sunshine Coast by road would be able to do so in a much faster way, many more people would come to the Sunshine Coast, many more people would holiday there, there would be a boost to our local economy, there would be an improving local employment situation and the government would get much benefit, I believe, as a result of the additional financial investment in providing much needed infrastructure.

I know the national highway is the responsibility of the national government. But, increasingly, state governments are receiving a bonanza and a windfall from GST revenue. One of the other local problems we have on the Sunshine Coast is that the Beattie state Labor government, which has so singularly failed the Queensland community in the area of health, is also failing to spend the amount of money it needs to on local roads. So, on the one hand, we have got the difficulty of getting from Caboolture to the Sunshine Coast. That is the responsibility of the Australian government—I will be the first to admit that. I will be camping at the door of the minister for roads to make sure that we do get the additional funding, ultimately, to increase the size of that highway from four to six lanes. On the other hand, once you get to the Sunshine Coast there are so many state roads that provide bottlenecks. Regrettably, our state Labor members do not seem to have the capacity to adequately lobby the Premier of Queensland, Mr Beattie, to get the additional funding we need to improve our own local infrastructure, which is a responsibility of the state government.

As I said at the outset, in a debate of this nature one is able to traverse over a few areas. Recently I called for the abolition of the single-desk marketing of AWB Ltd. The single desk, I believe, is outdated, a relic of agrarian socialism and inappropriate in 2006. The single desk is hampering some alternative grain-marketing firms reaching into new international markets. It is important to keep close watch on export activities in what is clearly a volatile and cutthroat market internationally. But I believe it is quite wrong in 2006 to restrict those alternative companies that have the skills to market our grains to untouched and niche markets in order to maximise returns to growers. After I called publicly for an abolition of the single desk, I must say I was very pleased to receive support from a number of people in the industry. It is important, bearing in mind that this government has been in office for 10 years, that we ought not continue with an outdated socialist situation where we have a single desk. It is important to bring free market sensibilities into what remains a very important Australian export industry.

All of us would be concerned at the revelations in relation to AWB Ltd, but we have also heard that this company—and it is now a private company; the Labor Party would want us all to think that it was still the Australian Wheat Board—has used its monopoly position to charge high prices for its services. Media reports seem to suggest that rival grain traders support the use of legal action to break the monopoly. This sort of internal unrest in the industry is counterproductive. It cannot be good for the industry.

Many people believe that the National Party ought to have a veto on this issue. The Liberal Party holds more rural seats in the Australian parliament than The Nationals. I think that clearly indicates that neither party should have a veto on the issue. It should be a whole-of-government decision. The National Party is 13 per cent of the coalition—a very important 13 per cent, because without that 13 per cent the government would not be able to operate. But in 2006 it is important to look at free market realities. Thirteen per cent of the coalition ought not to have a veto over this issue. We as a government should sit down and think about this. It is important that we put the economic health of the entire nation first and foremost. It is important that we do away with what really is a residue of agrarian socialism.

The current inquiry into alleged kickbacks paid to the Saddam Hussein regime has only helped to suggest shortcomings in the current monopoly system. I just think this is one of the issues that will not go away for the government. I do not believe the government has done anything wrong, but the fact that we read about these revelations concerning AWB Ltd and we hear about them in question time indicates to me that we just do not need a single desk anymore. We are well beyond that. We should be able to compete in the international marketplace. We have got a lot of companies which would like to compete in the international marketplace. AWB Ltd is holding them to ransom, and it is important to put the single desk behind us once and for all.

I would like to turn to a very important part of living on the Sunshine Coast, and that is surfing. I do not know whether you surf, Mr Deputy Speaker Jenkins. You may surf the net. I do not know whether you surf on the wonderful beaches of the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast boasts one of the most liveable natural environments in Australia. I know the honourable member for Wentworth, the parliamentary secretary at the table, is looking at me enviously over the fact that I represent, undoubtedly, what even he would admit is the most beautiful part of Australia. We have got wonderful beaches, glorious mountains ranges and year-round warm weather. This of course makes the Sunshine Coast ideal for one of Australia’s most popular sporting activities, surfing.

Surfing is not only a great activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle for all groups; it also generates local business through surfing schools, tour operators, retail outlets and local clubs. The introduction of surfing as a school sport on the Sunshine Coast has paved the way for some of the nation’s elite professionals. Australians have been consistently rated as the best surfers in the world. I do know, given the generosity the member for Wentworth has expressed in the direction of some of his own local surf clubs, that he is well aware of the importance of this industry, not only to the Sunshine Coast but to other parts of the country where people also like to surf. The Sunshine Coast has many point and beach breaks that provide high-quality, well-shaped waves. The surf breaks, by large, are not as busy as those further south on the Gold Coast, which have seen regular incidents of surf rage due to overcrowding in the water.

The Australian government encourages surfing through the Australian Sports Commission with its Project CONNECT, which stands for Creating Opportunities Nationally through Networks in Education, Classification and Training, and the national sporting organisation Surfing Australia is creating athlete pathways for people with a disability, breaking down the barriers within disability- and non-disability-specific sport structures for people with a disability.

Project CONNECT is an initiative of the Australian Sports Commission. It assists national sporting organisations, including those for the disabled, develop and implement disability action plans specific to their sports. These plans aim to create pathways and break down the barriers in sport for people with a disability, ensuring their inclusion in generic sporting structures. Surfing Australia has been involved in Project CONNECT for over two years and, together with the Australian Sports Commission, it has developed and is well on the path to implementing an inclusion action plan for the sport of surfing.

I think it is important to recognise that Surfing Australia not only supports this wonderful sport but also is a very responsible social citizen. Surfing Australia supports the right of all people, regardless of age, gender, background, ability and/or disability, to be involved in all facets of surfing, including full and equitable participation in grassroots- to elite-level surfing. This includes all individuals involved in the sport—for example, volunteers, coaches, administrators, officials and surfers, both recreational and competitive. Project CONNECT provides an excellent opportunity for Surfing Australia to work closely with its affiliates and the Australian Sports Commission to provide the best possible opportunities for ‘sporters’ with a disability. Numbers of organisations on the Sunshine Coast are part of this organisation, and I want to commend in particular two local clubs—the Alexandra Heads Malibu Club and the Caloundra Malibu Club—which are members of this organisation.

I think most people in the community, regardless of where they stand politically, would want to commend the Liberal government for our ongoing success in maintaining what has been an incredibly successful period of ongoing positive economic activity, which has helped to maintain a stable economy, low interest rates, low unemployment and considerably stronger Australian living standards. I listened very carefully to the contribution made by the member for Melbourne. The member for Melbourne does have bursts of honesty, which at times do not necessarily suit him politically or in the community, but he did recognise publicly that we do have a very sound economy. He did not quite give credit to the current government for our role in ensuring that we guarantee that the country does not spend more than it earns, but he recognised that we have a whole series of economic fundamentals out there that show that Australia is powering along fairly well.

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2005-2006 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2005-2006 initiate modifications to the budget by providing additional financial support to various government programs. There is additional spending of somewhere near $2.63 billion, which is offset by about $603.9 million in savings. This rounds down, when one does the economic calculations, to spending of about $2 billion. Despite this extra spending, which is set out in the two bills, the government remains on track to wipe out totally the general government net debt within six months. Regardless of where you stand politically, you have to admit that this government during the last 10 years has done quite a remarkable job towards eliminating the debt of some $96 billion that was left behind by the Keating government for the Liberal government to clean up. Is it any wonder that the Australian people voted out of office a financially floundering Labor government in 1996? What has been done towards eliminating the $96 billion in the red that was left to us by Labor has been achieved by sensible management by the Liberal led government.

In my previous manifestation as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration, I was very much involved each year in legislation relating to additional appropriations. Appropriation Bill (No. 3) initiates much needed expenditure for various portfolios—from $110 million for employment and workplace initiatives through to primary industry support services and Defence initiatives, which will further build our international reputation as a supporter of peoples in need and so on. This Defence appropriation includes $40 million for a special forces task group to be sent to Afghanistan and $16 million for helicopters and other support initiatives also for that country. Foreign Affairs will receive additional allocations, including $10 million to assist further the Red Cross in ongoing work to relieve the effects of Hurricane Katrina in the United States of America. Allocations under this bill will also go towards the Australian Federal Police—who, I might say, do a wonderful job—to continue to strengthen security at our airports and build counter-terrorism measures. Assistance through Appropriation Bill (No. 3) will go also to environmental areas, including spending to help the Great Barrier Reef and funds for the detention and prosecution of illegal fishermen.

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) facilitates additional spending payments to the states and territories, including $346 million in GST payments, $304 million for farmers suffering from the effects of ongoing drought, and funding for the Tasmanian forest agreement. Expenditure modifications also include $131 million for the Department of Health and Ageing to help with the preparations for a possible pandemic of bird flu—and that has to be a scenario which all of us would have a concern about. Also among the allocations is a further $290 million to assist the Roads to Recovery program. On the Sunshine Coast, we have been extraordinarily successful in attracting funds under this program.

The two additional appropriation bills that are currently before the House continue to build on the government’s record of sound economic management while also providing the appropriate support for those important areas of need. In many respects, Australia is an anomaly in the world in that, under the Liberal government, we have been able to cut taxes while still maintaining important spending priorities, building an impressive surplus and, as I mentioned earlier, reducing debt—and ultimately we will eliminate government debt. On behalf of my constituents, I would congratulate the government for its impressive ability to balance the needs of this ongoing commitment to our spending program while at the same time maintaining a balance sheet that has supported low interest rates and low inflation. Of course, that has to be good news for the Australian people. I am particularly pleased to commend these two bills to the House.

See this speech in context