Steve Gibbons (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

After being in opposition for more than a decade, the first year of the Rudd Labor government was an exciting change. We came into government committed to building a modern Australia for the 21st century and we are delivering on that promise. In our first budget we cut taxes for working families and low-income earners and we are well on the way to abolishing the Howard government’s extreme workplace laws. Our education revolution is underway with the building of trade training centres in high schools and the installation of thousands of new computers in schools across the country. We ratified the Kyoto protocol and, among a range of measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we are well advanced on the introduction of our Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The government is now starting to receive reports of several studies into options for improving healthcare services, and we have started to address medical workforce shortages with measures such as the establishment of more than 1,000 new training places for nurses. Of course, we also said sorry to the Indigenous Australians on behalf of the Australian parliament.

Late last year we unexpectedly had to respond to the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. The government took early, strong and decisive action, writ large, to protect the Australian economy and jobs and have continued to act as the crisis has developed. We injected $10.4 billion into the economy last year to stimulate economic activity and support jobs, followed by the recently announced $42 billion economic stimulus package. We protected the savings of working Australians by guaranteeing deposits in Australian banks, building societies and credit unions for the next three years.

Finally, the Rudd government has responded decisively to the tragedy of Victoria’s worst ever bushfires with practical measures to help victims in the immediate aftermath of the fires and during the long recovery and reconstruction process that lies ahead. This is a record of considerable achievement during the first year or so of the Rudd Labor government and one that all members of the Australian community can be proud of.

I now go to the stimulus package and Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2008-2009 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2008-2009. I am extremely proud that the Rudd government has taken more decisive action to strengthen the Australian economy. The direct investment by the government in long-term nation building will boost economic growth and productivity and support jobs in both the long and short terms. The targeted bonuses for low- and middle-income households will provide an immediate economic stimulus and help those most in need to deal with the flow-on effects of the looming global recession. Australia is fortunate it has a federal Labor government to deal with today’s unprecedented economic circumstances. Had the Liberal Party been in power, all that we would have seen would be more of the extreme neoconservative policies that got the world into this mess in the first place: tax cuts for the well off, unfettered free markets and the voodoo economics espoused by the former shadow Treasurer in recent times. Only Labor has the vision and determination to take actions that will help Australia weather the economic crisis while at the same time making keen investments in our future prosperity.

I particularly welcome the proposed investment in house construction and note that this has already been applauded by the Housing Industry Association. The $6 billion for new public and community housing will not only help more central Victorians find a home but also create jobs for local builders and contractors. Those earning less than $100,000 a year, single income families, farmers and students will all benefit under the package.

I also welcome the additional funding for regional roads, including black spot funding and additional level crossing boom gates. These initiatives will help make central Victoria’s roads safer and save lives. Businesses large and small throughout the Bendigo electorate will benefit from the tax breaks announced. These will help increase productivity through increased tax deductions for investments in plants and equipment. Improving the energy efficiency of existing homes will support jobs and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Free ceiling insulation and increased rebates for solar hot water systems will help make our residential houses more energy efficient and cut Australia’s carbon pollution.

The global recession is hitting the budgets of all countries. The Rudd government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining budget surpluses over the course of the economic cycle. As the economy recovers and grows more above trend, the government will return to a budget surplus by banking any increase in tax receipts associated with the economic recovery and hold real growth in government spending to two per cent a year. The Rudd government is taking the necessary and responsible action to help Australia through this global economic crisis.

Improving Australia’s education system was a key policy initiative in Labor’s 2007 election campaign. Now every primary school in the Bendigo electorate will benefit from the announcement of an investment of $14 billion in schools’ infrastructure. This will not only create local jobs in the short term but will benefit our economy for decades to come. Facilities such as libraries and halls will be built or upgraded in every primary school. Funding is available for new science and language labs in secondary schools, and every school will benefit from up to $200,000 for essential building maintenance. While improving the quality of education of every Australian child, this program will help deliver an economic stimulus today and underwrite higher productivity tomorrow.

The coalition continues to peddle the myth that the Rudd Labor government cancelled the popular Investing in Our Schools Program. Nothing could be further from the truth. This program had a limited shelf life. John Howard extended the program himself when he announced a final extension to the funding scheme. In fact on 19 February 2007 the former Prime Minister announced a $181 million extension to the program as a pre-2011 election sweetener to his 2004 election promise. In his media release he said:

To ensure that every school community has an opportunity to benefit from this program, we are providing an extra $127 million to Government schools and an additional $54 million to non Government schools in 2007 for a final round of funding.

Clearly, the Howard government had decided to end the program after the final extension of funding for 2007 was completed. In fact, on 28 August 2007 the member for Curtin, who was then education minister, announced that the Howard government would continue support for the Investing in Our Schools Program. The member for Curtin, now deputy opposition leader said that details of the continued support for the Investing in Our Schools Program would be announced in due course. The election campaign came and went, and it seems that due course never arrived, with no additional funding committed to by the Liberals.

Despite the failure of the previous Liberal government to come good on their promise of continued support, Liberal Party members continue to run around claiming that the new Rudd government had abolished the $1.2 billion program. What the opposition does not mention is the fact that, after the fourth and final round of funding for public schools in August 2007, $26.1 million remained unallocated by the previous Liberal government. At the direction of the previous Liberal government, this unallocated funding of $26.1 million was returned to consolidated revenue, ending the Investing in Our Schools Program prematurely. So not only was there no funding for the program beyond the 2008 round provided by the previous Liberal government but they failed to allocate all of the money announced and clearly did not plan to spend the money in any extension of the program.

The Liberals’ Investing in Our Schools Program was a hit-and-miss affair. Schools had to prepare a submission and hope it would receive funding in an extremely competitive environment, with some schools missing out. Labor’s $14.7 billion schools infrastructure and maintenance program announced by the Prime Minister will benefit every school in Australia—public, private and Catholic sector. Fourteen local secondary schools in my electorate will have $1.6 million to invest in the latest computer technology through a second round of funding from the National Secondary School Computer Fund. This fund is a key component of the Australian government’s $2.2 billion Digital Education Revolution initiative. I congratulate all central Victorian secondary schools that were successful in obtaining funding under round 2. This very important program was announced by the Prime Minister during the 2007 federal election campaign and has committed $1.9 billion in funding for new computer equipment in secondary schools. So far the Rudd government has invested more than $258 million in two rounds of funding, including more than $300,000 in flexible funding for students with a disability. The fund will give students greater access to and teach more sophisticated use of information and communications technology to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.

The National Secondary School Computer Fund is a partnership between the federal government and all education jurisdictions. The government has agreed to fund a further $807 million for on-costs to install and maintain the computers and costs associated with the subsequent funding rounds. A further supplementary round opened on 10 September 2008 for schools that have not reached the target ratio of one computer to every two students and have so far not applied for funding under the first two rounds. When this supplementary funding round is completed, all secondary schools in Australia will have been offered the opportunity to obtain funds to bring them up to the one computer to two students ratio, including funding for costs of installing additional equipment.

I am very proud that Elmore’s primary health service has received $506,000 from the National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program towards demolition works and the construction of a new allied health unit. I am pleased that this important program is funding projects in rural and remote communities where a lack of infrastructure is a barrier to new health services or the enhancement of existing services. This investment in Elmore will improve access to and the quality of allied health services in the area. The NRRHIP fund was founded in the 2008-09 federal budget and is providing $46 million over the next four years for rural and remote communities, including strategic planning for small rural private hospitals. The fund is a competitive grants program and is a result of the government’s election commitment to reform the former Rural Medical Infrastructure Fund. There will be further funding rounds under this program and I invite interested parties to contact my office for more information. This program is one of the Rudd government’s initiatives to improve health care in rural and regional communities. The government is committed to important investments in rural health, including an initiative to address workforce shortages across the country. In November the government announced an investment of $1.1 billion to train more doctors, nurses and other health professionals. This is the single biggest investment in the health workforce ever made by an Australian government.

We are also assisting farmers in the challenges of climate change. The Rudd government is continuing to help our primary industries prepare for climate change, with applications now open for Farm Ready grants to reimburse the cost of training courses. Those in the farming, fisheries and forestry sectors can now apply to reclaim up to $1,500 per year for attending approved training courses. The Farm Ready funding is available under the Climate Change Adjustment Program, which aims to help primary producers with professional advice, training and re-establishment grants. It is part of Australia’s Farming Future, the Rudd government’s key initiative to invest in research and training to help the farming sector boost local productivity and adapt to climate change.

Labor will continue to deliver on our commitment to work with our primary industry sectors to meet the challenges of the future. In particular, the farming sector has the most to lose from climate change. In the last few weeks, southern Australia has experienced prolonged and extreme high temperatures which will impact on our dairy industry, pasture crops, horticulture and vegetable crops and intensive livestock production. While we do not know whether individual events are directly related to climate change, we know that extreme weather events will be more severe and will occur more often in the future. The initiative will help producers who want to learn about the impacts of reduced rainfall on their properties or to develop a long-term business plan. We must also continue to invest in technology, research and development and training to ensure our farming sector is resilient and remains globally competitive. The scheme will take the best science and technology and transfer it from the lab to the farm. Reimbursement grants are not means tested and are available nationally to those in the farming, fishing and forestry sectors and their immediate family members, management staff and Indigenous land managers.

We are also helping farmers by extending drought assistance. The Rudd Labor government has extended exceptional circumstances drought assistance to 31 March 2010 for the Central Victoria North regions including Bendigo and Redesdale. The government’s decision will ensure that eligible farmers suffering under drought will receive ongoing support. Drought continues to place immense pressure on farmers in the region of Bendigo, and I know this decision will be met with great relief. I am sure eligible farmers and small businesses will value the certainty of knowing that EC assistance will continue as the drought and its effects drag on. Exceptional circumstances drought assistance includes income support subsidies and interest rate subsidies for eligible individuals and small businesses. The declaration follows the government’s acceptance of the advice of the independent National Rural Advisory Council. Exceptional circumstances in the Bendigo area was due to expire on 31 March 2009. It will now be extended until 31 March 2010.

Orchestra Victoria delivers around 200 performances to more than 230,000 people throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria each year. Orchestra Victoria is one of Australia’s busiest orchestras. Orchestra Victoria is the performance partner for Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and the Victorian Opera. In addition, the orchestra delivers free concerts and education workshops throughout Victoria via its community program. The community program is based on a unique model of partnerships in which the Orchestra works closely with local councils, charitable organisations and community representatives to develop concert and workshop programs that meet the needs of communities. I am delighted to say that the program currently reaches communities in Melbourne and in Bendigo, Shepparton, Horsham, Hamilton, Warrnambool, Mildura, Morwell and Moe. Orchestra Victoria has been awarded a grant of $1 million over three years to present a series of large-scale outdoor events.

The attached articles provide further context for the Myer 2009 Commemorative Grants Program, a special initiative of the Myer family to mark two significant anniversaries in the family’s philanthropic history. The Orchestra Victoria concert series titled ‘On Air—One Concert, Two Places’ will initially span three years, from 2009 to 2011, and will involve a free open-air concert in an iconic regional location each year. The live concerts will each be simultaneously broadcast to another ‘live site’ location in regional Victoria utilising state of the art audio and video technology. It is planned to build further support and sponsorship for the concert series to give it life beyond 2011. The inaugural On Air concert will take place in the idyllic surroundings of Bendigo’s Rosalind Park on Saturday, 28 February 2009. This free outdoor community event will be surrounded by other activities for young and old, including a late-afternoon street party in View Street and pre-concert entertainment. Under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Marko Letonja, Orchestra Victoria will perform a thrilling program including works by Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Strauss, and will be joined by renowned German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. All the orchestral action will be visible on a giant video screen, and the entire concert will be transmitted by satellite to a big screen in the centre of Shepparton, joining the two cities in an evening of musical celebration.

I am looking forward to this particular concert because it is quite timely that it is going to be staged in Bendigo next Saturday. That follows on from the horrific events of Black Saturday, when Bendigo faced the worst disaster in its history. Those firestorms ravaged the whole community, resulting in about 72 homes being demolished. I am sure that a lot of people will take the opportunity to go to Rosalind Park next Saturday, listen to the superb entertainment provided by Orchestra Victoria and enjoy some much needed relief from the horrific events of the last couple of weeks.

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