Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am honoured to speak in the Australian parliament yet again as the member for Ryan. In the election in November last year I had the great privilege of having the endorsement and support of the people of Ryan. I take this opportunity to once again express my deep gratitude to them for their confidence. We all know it was a very tough election. For those of us who believe in democracy very strongly, whilst we might disagree with the result and the judgement of the Australian people, we respect it very much because the Australian people have the ultimate say about who comes into the parliaments of this country to make decisions on their behalf. I am particularly pleased to speak tonight on the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 and related bills because this legislation is very important and relevant to the people I represent. The seat of Ryan is based around the western suburbs of Brisbane. It is essentially residential. It is very much a family electorate. We also have a significant number of students because the very famous and very highly regarded University of Queensland is located in the Ryan electorate.

It is really important for me to speak on this budget tonight. I want to let the people of Ryan know that the budget the Labor government has delivered does absolutely nothing for them. The Labor government said it was going to be delivering a budget for working families to ease the cost-of-living pressures, the cost of groceries and the cost of petrol. Labor said this budget would help put a lid on inflation and put downward pressure on interest rates. The people of Ryan are of course very keen to have the pressure of grocery and petrol prices eased and to have downward pressure on interest rates, and they were anticipating that the government would deliver a budget that would have an impact on those issues. Alas, they were very disappointed. I have had much feedback that they were anticipating a budget of some significance. In fact, it turned out to be a complete fraud. This was a fraudulent budget.

During the election campaign last year and throughout this year we have heard the government talk about, amongst other things, an education revolution as one of its cornerstones. But this budget did not say anything about an education revolution. It did not touch on education in a meaningful sense at all. As I said, it was really a fraud on the Australian people. The new Prime Minister and the new Labor government have really let down the Australian people and the people of Ryan. There was so much expectation, yet they delivered a non-event.

The budget is really an old-fashioned Labor government budget—a high tax and high spending budget. It is also a very flawed budget. What a shame for the people of Australia. What a shame for the constituents whom I represent. This is a wasted opportunity, given the massive budget surplus left to the Labor government by the former Howard-Costello government as a result of its management skills and stewardship over the previous 11½ years. The coalition government left this new government a $22 billion surplus. I know that the people of Ryan will continue to be interested in this point: quite often in parliament during question time, the Labor government talk about the massive $22 billion surplus they have very proudly created. Of course, that is nonsense. The $22 billion budget surplus was left to them as a result of the stewardship and skill of the former Treasurer, Peter Costello, and the leadership of John Howard. The Labor government are wrapped more in political spin and style than in substance and real policy solutions. Such is their spin that they would make Shane Warne very happy; he would be very proud of them. This government would be good competition for Shane Warne and the Sri Lankan spinner, Mr Murali.

Something of deep interest to the people of Ryan, whom I have the great honour of representing in this place, is petrol. The budget makes some observations about funding the introduction of a national Fuelwatch scheme. Of course, this is going to be another of Labor’s spin policies. At the last election, Mr Rudd pretty much guaranteed the Australian people that, if he were elected, his government would have significant capacity to bring down petrol prices, yet we all know that the price of petrol has gone up some 13c since November 2007, when the last election was held. At the end of the day, we all know that spin will go only so far. And the truth about this issue finally came out last week, at a press conference in Adelaide—Mr Rudd’s famous ‘Adelaide declaration’. It is so famous that even the people of Ryan are aware of it.

The Prime Minister’s comments were about his capacity to represent the people of Australia and his ability to bring down petrol prices. The residents of Chapel Hill know all about the Adelaide declaration. My residents in Kenmore know all about the Adelaide declaration. The students who go to the University of Queensland and who rely very much on petrol to get around know all about the Adelaide declaration. So what is this? This is the Prime Minister of Australia hauling up the white flag. The Prime Minister of Australia is saying to the people of Australia: ‘I don’t really have any thoughts about how to do this. I don’t really have any meaningful thoughts or policy suggestions to address increasing petrol prices.’ As a resident of an electorate, as a constituent of this country and as an Australian, I certainly do not want my Prime Minister hauling up the white flag. I certainly do not want the head of my government running up the white flag, shrugging his shoulders in the face of adversity and saying, ‘I’ll just watch the problem along with you. We’ll just sit by and watch it.’ I certainly do not think that any Prime Minister should do that. But, unfortunately, our current Prime Minister is very much in the business of hauling up the white flag. I will quote the Prime Minister’s comments at this Adelaide press conference for the benefit of the people of Ryan. The Prime Minister said:

We have done as much as we physically can to provide additional help to the family budget.

This is a disgrace. It is an absolute disgrace for the Prime Minister of Australia to say: ‘We’ve done all we can and now we’ll just watch. Pensioners of Ryan, sorry about that, we’ll just watch. Students of Ryan, sorry about the petrol prices going up, we’ll just watch. Working families of Ryan, sorry, but today’s petrol prices in Ryan, in the western suburbs in Brisbane, are $1.40. That doesn’t matter, we’ll just watch.’

The opposition, led by Dr Brendan Nelson, has come up with a significant measure whereby petrol would be 5c cheaper at the bowser—it is as simple as that: whatever the market rate it would be 5c cheaper. The Labor Prime Minister cares so much that he has run up the white flag. He has let down the people of Ryan and he has let down people throughout the country.

It is unfortunate that the people of my electorate of Ryan are paying the price for the new government’s inability to address this very important issue. The Labor Party surfed into office on lies, deceit and misrepresentation, and guess who now pays the price: the hardworking men and women and the struggling families of the Ryan electorate. It is a disgrace and I will be absolutely vigilant and proactive in informing the constituents whom I have the great honour of representing in the parliament as their Liberal member that the new government is not up to the task of representing them or of delivering meaningful solutions to the great challenges that this country might face.

The Labor government’s solution is to appoint a petrol commissioner, who will oversee the national Fuelwatch scheme. He will have the magic wand. He will bring down prices, by all accounts. He will bring transparency to petrol prices and give Australians and the residents of Ryan cheaper fuel. I am all for a petrol commissioner if he is able to deliver the goods, but I just do not believe he is. If this petrol commissioner can make an impact on family budgets, that is great, but I am not sure that a petrol commissioner who is being paid a salary of some $304,000 is really going to be able to make a difference. To the families of Ryan, someone being paid $304,000 to watch petrol prices is a travesty of justice. That is some $25,000 a month, or $5,861 a week, just to watch petrol prices. Petrol prices will not go down by just watching them. We need meaningful solutions. As the Minister for Resources and Energy said in the parliament today when representing the view of the Labor government and the Prime Minister: ‘Well, this is just a little problem.’ That is a quote. They are the exact words that the Minister for Resources and Energy said in the federal parliament of Australia today. In reference to this issue, he said, ‘It’s a little problem.’

Let me say to the government, to the Prime Minister, to the minister for energy and to Labor members: petrol prices going up is no little problem. It is no little problem to the families of Ryan, it is no little problem to the students of Ryan, it is no little problem to the self-funded retirees of Ryan, it is no little problem to those struggling individuals seeking to make their way in the city of Brisbane as they look for employment or go about their daily lives. When prices are increasing it is not a little problem, and I think the minister’s comment reflects the arrogance of the new government. They have been in office for six months and they are already showing incredible arrogance.

Let me go to another point that reflects the arrogance of this new Labor government. The budget that was delivered on 13 May reflects so many broken promises that it is astonishing. One key measure in the budget that really upset the families of Ryan was the solar panel rebate means test, which now means that households with a taxable income of $100,000 will not receive the solar panel rebate. That is an absolute disgrace. We all know that during the election campaign the Labor Party made it very clear what their position was. This was their position in November—and I quote from the Labor Party website:

A Rudd Labor Government will implement a Clean Energy Plan to help Australian consumers and Australian businesses work together to tackle climate change.

Federal Labor’s Clean Energy Plan will help ensure all Australians reap the benefits of the latest clean energy supplies and energy saving technologies.

They are fine words, but when it comes to action we see the true colour of the Labor Party and this Labor government. All the rhetoric and chest beating that it would only be Labor that could actually deliver meaningful measures for Australians to address climate change, to bring cleaner and greener energy to this country—all that was just complete rhetoric. Now we have action in the form of a budget measure that says, ‘If you receive over $100,000 combined taxable income you will not be eligible to receive rebates for the installation of solar panels.’ I know that the people in the western suburbs are hopping mad about this. The installation of solar panels is very popular, but this announcement will stifle any progress made to deliver a cleaner and greener Australia.

I think the people of Ryan will agree with me that the government’s green credentials have been totally ripped to pieces after this budget. Whilst I do not want to proffer any counsel to the Labor government, I am sure that the wiser heads amongst them will not underestimate the impact of this measure. It really has been felt far and wide in the community, and of course the solar power industry in particular is predicting sharp declines in sales, with businesses and households cancelling orders after the budget announcement.

I want to refer to a gentleman by the name of Mr Phil May, whom I had the pleasure of having a conversation with today. I phoned Phil May today because previously he was filmed with the then opposition leader, Mr Rudd,  and the then shadow spokesman for the environment, Mr Garrett. I think Mr Phillip May has become quite well known. He was happy to pose with Mr Rudd and Mr Garrett because he believed that they were genuine about the rebates and about encouraging cleaner and greener energy solutions, and especially—given that he ran a solar panel installation business—about solar energy. This is what he had to say following the budget announcement:

‘I am absolutely heartbroken that they could bite the hand that helped them promote their policies.’

So this really is a government that is all about hypocrisy and misrepresentation. As I said, I took the liberty of phoning Mr Phillip May today. He lives out at Queanbeyan. He said to me that he has certainly made it his business to let everybody that he knows—former clients, friends and family, neighbours—know about the hypocrisy and misrepresentation of the new government. He is bitterly disappointed. This is someone who was happy to have his photograph taken with Mr Rudd and Mr Garrett to promote solar energy and to promote companies that were in the business of being clean and green and helping Australians to address climate change in their own individual way, yet he is bitterly disappointed. I am sure the wiser heads in the Labor Party, the wiser heads in the government, will look back on this announcement by the Treasurer of means testing solar panel rebates as a very, very flawed decision—a very poor error of judgement that will come back to bite them very severely.

I want to end my remarks in relation to solar panels by reading a letter from a constituent of mine who lives out at Karana Downs in the western suburbs of Brisbane in the Ryan electorate, because I think his email to me of 16 May 2008 really does embrace the entire issue. I do not know Mr Harris. I look forward to meeting him sometime in the weeks ahead; we are going to meet up and he is going to, I think, deliver in person the thoughts which he delivered to me in an email. He says:

Dear Sir,

I’d like you, as my Ryan representative, and your party to very seriously consider blocking the discriminatory measure of means testing the solar rebate in the senate. The $100,000 mean test is ridiculous policy. It simply is an attempt to minimise expense in this area—an area which the labour government contested the election arguing they had more progressive principles and would invest more heavily, than your government. Obviously not so! It is purely discriminatory to those that are modestly financially successful—not even well off—just not completely struggling.

These sort of moves, which introduce huge marginal tax rates, simply encourage people to ensure they don’t earn too much. It is bad destructive negative policy against the innovative end of society and needs to be really enthusiastically fought.

I will not be installing solar on my roof now, and as an electrical engineer will not be pursuing a business plan I had to enter this area. My feeling is this is exactly what this government hoped to achieve in making this change. I just can’t imagine why they don’t like solar electricity!

I want to thank this gentleman from Karana Downs for very eloquently expressing his position on the budget measure. I share that view with him, I know that all of my colleagues share that view, and we will certainly do all within our power to oppose that measure.

As I keep saying, I know that the people of Ryan will be bitterly disappointed. They are very much a community that looks to make their individual contribution to issues of climate change and solar panel installation is one of them. My constituents who earn over $100,000 are certainly not rich residents of the suburbs in Ryan. They are bitterly disappointed and hope that this new government will see the light. As I say, I am sure that some of the wiser heads will ask for smarter policy implementation to make a difference to this important issue. (Time expired)

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