Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to commend the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2014 to the House, because it is an important part of how the coalition government is helping to keep Australia safe. The Attorney-General, the Hon. George Brandis QC, has been a tireless advocate in this important policy area, and I thank the Attorney sincerely, and also the Prime Minister, for their leadership in this very important area.

One of the central commitments that this coalition government made to the people of Australia in the lead-up to the last election was to deliver a strong, prosperous economy and a safe and secure Australia. This is the commitment that we took to the people of Australia at the last election, and it is certainly what I promised the people of Robertson in my electorate on the Central Coast. I know that they also identified national security and the need to feel safe in their homes and in their community as some of their primary key concerns that they shared with me.

We are determined to keep those commitments that we made. This bill is part of our delivery of those commitments, and I note that even the opposition recognises how crucial this bill is for our country. Sadly, the member for Melbourne in his contribution clearly does not understand this so much, and I join with the member for Berowra and others on this side of the House in rejecting some of his remarks. In saying this, I also wish that the member for Melbourne, the Greens and indeed the Labor opposition would actually recognise how important our national security priorities are. This government is carrying out its responsibility to keep Australia safe but also to make our nation a place with a strong, prosperous economy that enables us to deliver the sort of hope, reward and opportunity that Australians voted for.

These objectives are all part of the coalition's economic action strategy, and we are working to deliver all of our commitments because we know that only a stronger economy will generate more jobs, lift living standards and give our country a better future.

It is worth going briefly through some of the steps that we have taken in this strategy in 2014, because this year has genuinely been one of achievement. To start with, Labor's jobs-destroying carbon tax is gone, saving the average household around $550 a year—particularly the average household on the Central Coast. We have delivered the biggest cut in electricity prices on record. For a family saving for Christmas on the Central Coast, this is good news.

The mining tax is gone, so this vital sector can help create more jobs. We also took on the responsibility of fixing Labor's budget mess and we are getting spending under control. We have passed our Direct Action Plan which will make a practical difference to the environment without slugging families with a carbon tax. Our $12 billion infrastructure program is already underway to save people time and money, including on major projects like NorthConnex, which will benefit people in my electorate on the Central Coast. The M1-M2 missing link will save around 15 minutes each way for the 40,000 commuters who leave early in the morning and return home late at night to their families, because their job opportunities are in Sydney. The missing link will generate around 8,700 full-time equivalent jobs every year during construction, scheduled to start next year.

We are cutting red tape, with $2 billion in red tape savings already identified. We are turbocharging trade with our neighbours by delivering free trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China, which means more exports, more jobs and lower prices for families. And we are working with businesses to ensure we are taking advantage of these opportunities. In fact, just last week—

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