Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak about the 2016 budget delivered last night, which depicted the Turnbull government's economic plan to ensure Australia continues to successfully transition from the mining investment boom to a stronger, more diversified new economy. It is a budget for Australians, securing our future responsibility whilst ensuring there is a safety net for our most vulnerable into the future.

In short, the components of our plan are: an innovation and science program for start-up businesses, a defence plan for local high-tech manufacturing and technology, export trade deals to generate new business and opportunities, tax cuts and incentives for small business and hardworking families, a sustainable budget with crackdowns on tax avoidance and loopholes, and guaranteed funding for health, education and roads.

For our vulnerable, this government will invest over $5.1 million over four years into early intervention and prevention trials to reach the vulnerable and improve their future economic and social outcomes. We are backing our youth. As a mother, as someone who has represented young people for decades, this is so important to me and to this government. We will invest $840 million in an innovative youth employment package to ensure up to 120,000 young people secure jobs over the next four years. In Macquarie, according to ABS statistics, in 2013 there were 19,016 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years; these people are our future. We are creating new Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) program. This three stage program allows job seekers to step into a pathway towards work. They are real jobs for our young people.

In the electorate of Macquarie, tourism is a major contributor to the local economy. In Australia, tourism is our largest export. In this budget our plan is to deliver jobs for the 21st century. With this budget the Turnbull government will deliver record funding of $629 million over four years for Tourism Australia, the government agency marketing Australia to the world. This is a major boost for the people of Macquarie and the small businesses, and those that they employ, in this industry. This funding, along with the Western Sydney airport, will create 39,000 jobs by 2035 and 60,000 jobs in the years that follow. This will have a significant impact for our young people across greater Western Sydney, their families and those young people that I serve and represent in the seat of Macquarie.

The safety and security of the Australian people, the defence of our territory and its interest is the Australian government's first and abiding priority. Over the next two decades we face greater security uncertainty and complexity globally, but we will back our Defence Force and our border protection agencies.

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