Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Chisholm has worked all of her life for manufacturing companies that employ thousands of Australians. Now, she is here as the member for Chisholm working for the constituents of Chisholm to ensure that they can have the jobs, the growth in wages and the investment that goes into those businesses so they can support the many people who work in those businesses that she has been involved with for so long.

The budget in 2016 was a national economic plan for jobs and growth that was positioning Australia for future prosperity. The 2017 budget will continue this task when we come back here in May. Every element of that plan is designed to support our economy to grow through the substantial changes that are taking place in our economy. While there are many regions in this country that are doing extremely well—outside of our capital cities rural and regional Australia has seen some tremendous growth—we know that there are other parts of the country with an old industrial base which are struggling. The sorts of places that we reflect and stand with, in particular, are those around the Hazelwood plant. And there are other major changes that are taking place. It is a plant whose closure the Labor Party cheered on. We understand that there is a disparate experience when it comes to this growth.

Our mission is to support Australians to earn more. We want to see Australians earn more—people who are working for a living. We want to see the businesses that employ them do better so that the people who work in those companies can earn more. This requires our economy to grow. That growth cannot be taken for granted. It does not fall from the sky, as the Labor Party seem to think it does. You have to fight for every inch of growth. Our budget is already delivering: record investment in infrastructure; a defence industry plan that is ramping up. Finally, after six years of neglect by the Labor Party, there is real defence investment that supports our defence industries. The budget is delivering investment in innovation and science and technology.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

Mr Robert interjecting—

It is delivering a trade agenda that is ensuring more money in the pockets of people, particularly in rural and regional Australia, as result of those trade agreements. It is taking the tax burden off middle-income earners so they do not go into the second highest tax bracket. Affordable childcare has been delivered by this government by ensuring the government lives within its means in the budget that we handed down. The funding for schools and hospitals is supported by the same approach.

Now, today, we have the opportunity to support businesses with lower taxes so that they can remain competitive and invest and support the jobs and wages that are there to be had. But you need to grow your economy, and our plan delivers on just that. (Time expired)

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