John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to say that this budget concentrates on people who need or want to work and businesses that need surety and want to expand to take advantage of a lull in the world economy. At the moment there is quite a lot of money slushing around the world, but it is not being lent—either because those who have it do not have confidence in those might want to use it or because the businesses themselves do not have confidence in the world situation to take advantage of it. Our government has said to small business in particular: 'We want to go with you, if you want to try your hand.' It has said to families who want to work or have to work as a couple: 'We'll make sure you have the means and the time to get out there and fill those positions.' Those positions will appear as small business hits its stride, whether it is on the North Coast or in western New South Wales. They are measures to stimulate and to give confidence to small business. The government understands their problems with the cost of production and in finding suitable employees. If they do expand there will be more mature people to fill the need.

In Calare we are very appreciative that from the Stronger Regions program $8.7 million is going to a recycling and filtration plant in Parkes, which is quite a long way from the Lachlan River. Every gallon does count—perhaps I should say every litre or megalitre counts, whichever you want. We will send a bit down to the Riverina occasionally when the rain falls that way.

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