Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Because both of those issues are things that they have an absolute blind spot about. What we get instead from the opposition are a variety of proposals, but we usually find they speak a different language here in Canberra to what they speak when they go back to their electorates. It is very difficult to understand where the opposition are coming from.

This debt-and-deficit scare campaign they are running simply does not stand up to scrutiny. If we take the shadow Treasurer’s position then they would be looking at a debt about $25 billion less than Labor’s, but of course they oppose all the savings, the $22 billion worth of savings, so they would be in about the same situation as we are. If you take the member for Warringah’s position, then it is about a $21 billion difference from us, so again you are talking about a very substantial debt situation.

The reason the opposition are conducting this scare campaign is that they know that what the Rudd Labor government have done through the budget and through the stimulus packages is make sure that we can protect Australian jobs as best we can in the face of a global financial crisis, a global recession, that is impacting upon the whole world. Of course, in Australia we have done better than most countries, and again that is something that those on the other side simply fail to concede; they do not want to talk about it to any extent. We also find that, in their own electorates, those on the other side are happy to cherry-pick the positive contributions in terms of local infrastructure issues, but here in Canberra they speak a very different language.

I had the pleasure recently of visiting a public school in my electorate of Dobell on the New South Wales Central Coast to congratulate the principal, the P&C and the students on their approval of a new school hall under the government’s Building the Education Revolution program. On arrival, I could not help but notice a huge sign at the front of the schoolyard which said, in big, bold letters, ‘Great news: new hall for Tacoma Public School.’ Those words summed up not just how the school felt about the new hall but also the reaction of the wider community in Tacoma. The school is getting a new hall, but the hall will be used by the whole community in Tacoma, which currently has no such facility.

Under the normal criteria, this small school with only 154 students would not have a chance to have a new hall funded. It would have remained a pipedream. The faces of the year 6 students who stood in front of the sign for a photograph were faces of genuine delight and happiness, even though those kids will have all moved on to high school before the new hall is built. They know that their younger brothers and sisters in the school community, and the general community of Tacoma, will be able to enjoy this structure for many years to come.

It is infrastructure projects such as these that this government is delivering to communities across Australia, helping to stimulate local economies and helping to protect local jobs. Across the Central Coast region, $16 million is being spent by the Rudd government under the National School Pride Program, which features small- to medium-sized projects to give schools a much-needed facelift. Over the two rounds this project will deliver more than $7.37 million, made up of 54 projects in total, to 46 primary and secondary schools in my electorate of Dobell alone, to help stimulate jobs in our local community. Under the program which is delivering Tacoma Public School’s hall—Primary Schools for the 21st Century—a further $7.1 million is being injected into the Central Coast region under round 1, with more on the way in round 2.

I have spoken often in this place about the high unemployment rate in Dobell. It is substantially higher than the Australian average, and every local job that we can retain is vital. In addition to the high unemployment rate that we have on the Central Coast, and in Dobell in particular, 30 per cent of people who are employed commute to Sydney every day—a four-hour round trip. So local jobs are vital for the community and they help to build a stronger community. Each one of these schools will become mini job centres, and there has been a strong focus on employing local people, local tradesmen, on these projects. I held a two-hour forum with the Central Coast division of the New South Wales Chamber of Commerce, where we went through the types of projects that are available for local tradesmen and builders. We had close to 200 people turn up—people who were interested in making sure their local companies get part of this action. This is why I am speaking in favour of Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2009-2010 and Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2009-2010 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2009-2010.

Under the Rudd government’s economic stimulus plan, my electorate of Dobell will receive more than 600 projects, worth more than $22 million, to help boost the economy and protect local jobs. I have mentioned the school projects, the total of which in Dobell alone is $11.6 million under the Building the Education Revolution. But there are many others, including $4.3 million under the government’s social housing program on 16 housing units. These have been approved and the construction is due to start this year, with dwellings to be completed by 30 June 2010. A further $2.5 million will be spent in Dobell on repairs and maintenance of no less than 545 social housing units. All this translates to local tradesmen conducting work locally.

The other issue that I have spoken considerably about in the House is the number of tradesmen that we have on the Central Coast. We have a much higher proportion of tradesmen working on the Central Coast than most electorates. We also have a higher proportion of people working in retail, which is the biggest employer in my electorate. Both of these areas are front and centre of the budget and the stimulus package, and that is why they are so important for the seat of Dobell.

The type of work across these projects is wide ranging. Typical school refurbishment projects, for example, will include painting, floor coverings, repairs to walls, fittings, roofs, stormwater components and paved areas. One of the large high schools I visited, The Entrance Campus of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, is having a new covered way built which will extend along a fair distance of the total school compound. This is replacing something that was built in the early 1950s, some 50-odd years ago. It has not been able to be replaced ever since. You can see both the jobs and the social infrastructure that are being built.

There will be new school halls and covered outdoor learning areas built. Student amenities will be fixed and classrooms will be spruced up. New pathways will be constructed in the school communities. New basketball courts and sporting fields are also part of this program. Some schools will have their security systems upgraded while others will have their car parks renovated.

Wyong Grove Public School is another school in much need. It is one of the most disadvantaged schools in New South Wales and it is in my electorate. Every day many children depend on charity and the local community to make sure they get breakfast when they come to school. They come from backgrounds where breakfast does not come from their own home. Wyong Grove is also gaining a brand-new hall and a covered outside learning area, which will be put to good use for many years to come. This is important infrastructure for the whole community.

There are other important infrastructure programs which these appropriation bills will fund, including four black spot road projects in my electorate. Just over $1 million will be spent on a black spot project in Tuggerah at the intersection of Wyong Road and Reliance Drive, on new traffic lights at the intersection of the F3 freeway and Sparks Road at Warnervale, on a new raised concrete safety area at Long Jetty and on wire rope safety barriers for both the southbound and northbound onramps of the F3 at Ourimbah.

New infrastructure is also being built under the auspices of the two councils in my electorate to the tune of more than $2.8 million. These projects are part of the single largest investment in local infrastructure in Australia’s history. They include more than $1½ million worth of priority projects in Wyong shire alone. There is $520,000 being spent to upgrade the Canton Beach playground, a popular spot on the north side of Tuggerah Lake, where families love to picnic and take in water activities such as sailing. There is $400,000 being handed to the Wyong Shire Council towards the major upgrade of the Baker Park netball courts in Wyong, which will bring the courts up to a standard which will allow them to host state events and other major tournaments. This in turn will provide further economic boosts for this area. The Saltwater Creek playground at Long Jetty on Tuggerah Lake, another popular park, will have over $100,000 to build toilets for the disabled. They recently raised money and built a special-purpose disability park there. This $100,000 means that they will have the amenities required to go with that park.

All of these projects are providing important infrastructure that the communities in these areas need and they are resulting in economic boosts for the area as well. I was delighted to be passing on the news of these projects to the local community. I was genuine in doing so, unlike those opposite, who say one thing in their electorates, put false grins on their faces for the local newspaper and then vote against these nation-building projects when they are back in Canberra.

The Rudd government understands that our community in Wyong is feeling the effects of the global financial crisis. I have made many representations in Canberra about the importance of local projects that generate construction activity and deliver much-needed infrastructure to improve the quality of life in local communities. The jobless rate in Dobell is, as I have said, well above the average. That is why it is so important that the local people are given work on as many projects under the government’s economic stimulus package as possible.

In Australia the forecast unemployment rate of 8½ per cent is well below the previous peaks of 10.3 per cent in the September quarter of 1983 and 10.8 per cent in the December quarter of 1992. The number of unemployed is expected to peak at just under one million people. One can only reflect on how bad these figures may have been if it were not for the Rudd government introducing the stimulus packages that it has.

The alternatives being proposed by those opposite are so open and transparent—and they are: leave it to the market; let the market rip and don’t worry about the government playing a role that will help cushion our economy from the worst of the global recession. That is why we have acted decisively. That is why we have acted to make sure that jobs are such a priority.

The government has committed $1.5 billion over five years to its job and training compacts with retrenched workers, young Australians and local communities, with $300 million allocated to give retrenched workers immediate access to intensive employment support. The government has increased the number of places across a range of training programs to help people upskill and reskill. We have put in place measures to keep young people at school or engaged in further education and training to prevent many from experiencing long-term unemployment. Regions and communities hardest hit by the economic downturn will receive priority assistance through a $650 million job fund to build community capacity and to support local jobs.

Talking about helping support local jobs, the Rudd government is also getting on with the major projects in my electorate of Dobell, projects that were promised before the 2007 election and that are being delivered. Work has already started on the jewel in the crown in my area, the Tuggerah Lakes system. With the help of $20 million of federal funding, we will clean up the lakes. This is creating green jobs but also cleaning up the environment, something that is long overdue and something that the Rudd Labor government committed to and is getting on with and making sure happens. What was once an eyesore, with household junk scattered across the edge of the lake and noxious weed growing wild, is now being turned into a picture-postcard and picturesque area. This not only makes it better to look at but encourages the tourism industry that is so vital for many jobs in my area.

The program has had spectacular success in its first part at the north entrance, where noxious weeds have been removed and native vegetation planted, allowing the restoration of sensitive habitat for animals, including many sea birds. The project reflects a real working partnership between the government, the local council and local Coastcare groups.

In the very near future—probably within weeks—tenders will be put out for one of the largest civil works ever undertaken on the New South Wales Central Coast, and that is the piece of infrastructure known as the missing link water pipeline. The Rudd government is providing more than $80 million in funding for this pipeline, which will allow the region’s biggest dam to be stocked up with vital water supplies for the long term. This project is expected to support hundreds of jobs during construction and further permanent employment both directly and indirectly. Most important, it will secure the Central Coast’s water supply, helping to drought-proof the region. This is an area that has experienced the worst of the drought, falling to 13 per cent water capacity. Even with the heavy rain that the Central Coast has experienced in the last six to seven months, our dams are still only at 32 per cent. Until this pipeline is built, our water supply is at risk.

The wonderful Central Coast of New South Wales, where my electorate is located, is an attractive place for first home buyers, because homes are still cheaper than those in Sydney and they are considered to be of good value, given the lifestyle that comes with the investment. The median wage earned by Dobell residents is among the country’s lowest, so any government help that young families can get in buying the largest investment of their lives is appreciated. This will still be available for some time to come. The first home buyer’s grant has been very successful, particular in my electorate. It has allowed people who would probably struggle to ever get into the market to do so—and on a sustainable basis—and has made sure that they can realise the Australian dream.

At the same time, it has stimulated the local economy and provided local jobs through the building of new houses in the rapidly expanding suburbs on the Central Coast. Most of the businesses in my electorate are small businesses. They will benefit from this extended measure in the toughest global economic circumstances that we have seen in three-quarters of a century. The measure will help the cash flow of businesses, cash that is needed even more when the financial climate is tight.

My electorate contains a high proportion of residents who are pensioners. The pension reforms in this budget will have positive effects in terms of targeting pension payments to those most in need, encouraging labour force participation—which will increase the living standards and retirement savings of senior Australians—and contribute to growth in the Australian economy. Maximum rate pensioners will receive $32.49 per week for singles and $10.14 per week for couples combined. This is reform that has long been called for, but it has been a Labor government, a Rudd government, that has delivered.

The opposition are engaging in a simple yet deeply cynical political exercise in the face of the challenges that we are facing with the global recession. They take their title of ‘opposition’ far too literally. Reasonable and responsible oppositions realise that on occasions the greater good of the nation is served by not engaging in an automatic default position of opposing anything that the government says or does. Strong democracies require an effective opposition that keeps government accountable. I hear in my electorate all the time that this opposition is going beyond this ideal. I have heard many times from voters of all persuasions that the opposition and the opposition leader simply oppose everything, no matter what the merits of the government agenda are. The born-to-rule mentality is alive and well in the conservative parties in this parliament. Instead of coming on board and supporting the government in protecting jobs and minimising the harm of the global recession that is taking place, the opposition is instead engaged in the cynical Crosby Textor politics of negativity and division.

The contributions that we have heard from opposition people in this place have all been about talking down the economy and putting a negative perspective on everything. They are happiest when the economy is going bad, because they see that as in some way helping their short-term political agenda. The Australian people want more; they deserve more. They deserve an opposition that will support the government’s initiatives in relation to making sure that jobs are supported as best they can be and that will support a budget that has measures that puts the Australian economy in a better position than most other economies around the world.

However, it seems that the sad truth is that the opposition do not care what damage they do to this economy by talking it down so long as they think that they can get some political opportunity out of this that supports their political position. Rather than calling them the opposition, we should call them the opportunists. They are not about what is in the best interests of this country; they are only about the short-term political advantage that they think that they can get. This is a global financial crisis, one that you will not hear the opposition talk about. You also will not hear them talking about constructive alternatives. They are about negativity. I commend these bills to the House.

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