Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Around 11,200 local families are expected to receive this new cash payment just in my electorate, and that will assist them greatly. A number of other family payments have been announced in this budget, and I am very pleased that 15,000 families in my local community of southern Adelaide will receive assistance of at least $300 and up to $600. In addition there is the supplementary allowance that was announced to help young people, single parents and unemployed people who are currently receiving allowances to manage unexpected living expenses. Once again, we are helping those who are doing it tough.

While this has been a difficult budget because we are bringing it back to surplus and are doing the responsible thing, a couple of things we have done mean a great deal to people in my electorate. The first is the injection of funds into the dental health care scheme. After the Liberal government was elected in 1996, the first thing they did was cut the Commonwealth dental scheme. This made it difficult for many people on low incomes, on payments and on pensions, to access dental health care. I am proud of this budget because it provides a boost to funding to ensure that we can reduce the waiting list for people on low incomes.

In Noarlunga, in my electorate, as a result of federal government investment we have done a lot to improve dental services. As a result of having the GP superclinic at Noarlunga we have been able to triple the number of dentist chairs at the Noarlunga dental service. This injection of funds will affect the lives of so many people. When the opposition cut the Commonwealth dental scheme they failed to understand that dental health is really important to general health. They completely ignored that and said that the Commonwealth would cut its funding. I have seen some awful situations of people with significant dental problems who, because they did not have a chronic disease, were not considered worthy of adequate dental treatment under the coalition government's scheme. This is an issue that is raised with me on a very regular basis, and I am pleased that this measure is in the budget.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is another budget initiative that is about fairness. Of course the Leader of the Opposition said he was in favour of it, but he then sent the shadow Treasurer out to backtrack significantly on their commitment. So on this issue the Leader of the Opposition says yes but the shadow Treasurer says, 'Well, we'll see'—and, of course, the shadow finance minister said it was just an aspiration. While they might deliberate on what they want to do, this side of the parliament is delivering. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is beginning with trials in four locations and will ensure that, no matter how you got your disability, you will be provided with adequate services to ensure that you can live a fulfilling life and achieve your potential. That is critically important, and it makes me proud to stand here as part of the Labor government.

This is a very important budget—it delivers to families, i t shares the wealth of the mining boom, i t deliver s not just to vested interests and it help s those who are doing it tough —and I commend it to the House .

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