House debates
Monday, 2 June 2008
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009; Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009; Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009; Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2007-2008; Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2007-2008
Second Reading
5:00 pm
Jon Sullivan (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
Let me keep going. Among the programs that missed out on getting a guernsey as a consequence of the discontinuation was a lift for the Deception Bay Sports Club, in the electorate of Longman, which would have allowed people with mobility disabilities to access the club. It is regrettable that this could not go forward, and I can say today to the people of Deception Bay that I will be working hard to make sure that that project gets up when the program’s replacement is implemented.
Also—and I say this with a little more of a smile—I regret that, despite the former Prime Minister’s sneak visit to Bribie Island to promise $1 million for the local hospice association and $1.1 million for respite care on Bribie Island, that was not carried through in our budget. Clearly, these were election commitments of the side that did not win the election and, just as Labor’s election commitments in 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004 did not get up in Costello budgets, these had little chance. However, both of these projects are worthy of consideration in the context of the Bribie Island community, and I will be seeking to progress these.
In conclusion, there are a couple of national initiatives in the budget that have ramifications for what I consider to be my program locally. The first of these is the health and hospital fund, which is relevant to my concern that we start now to plan for a new hospital in our area so that it can come online when the existing hospitals are no longer able to cater for the growth that is occurring there quite rapidly. The second is the Education Investment Fund, which has relevance given that I am concerned to see that we develop within that part of south-east Queensland a comprehensive university to serve the young people. Finally, this budget delivers on Labor’s election commitments, and it also points towards the future—a better future for all Australians and particularly for those dependent on the government for their income.
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