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

I must say that it is somewhat hard to rise to the challenge after the somewhat erudite contribution that we heard from the member for McEwen, but I will try, because I have to say that the fairness of this government's budget was seen by all on Tuesday night. It is a budget that will help to grow the economy, secure more and better-paying jobs and guarantee the services that people in my electorate of Robertson, on the Central Coast, will rely on. It is also something that families and businesses in my electorate demand so that our region and the region of the member for Dobell is able to thrive, grow and succeed as it deserves.

Let us talk about what really is unfair. When I first became the member for Robertson, in 2013, people across my electorate had experienced the impact of several unfair Labor budgets and six years of chaos under local Labor members Belinda Neal, Deborah O'Neill and Craig Thomson. It was a government that many opposite were a part of. They were dark, dark days for the Central Coast. As a candidate running for election at the time, I was told by local people all the time how unfair Labor's policies were. They told me that the Labor Party was not providing fairness and opportunity for our region, but they did note the many press releases that had little action and little substance and that left cities like Gosford desperate for the rejuvenation of jobs and infrastructure, jobs and infrastructure that the coalition government is now delivering in spades.

Just how unfair were those Labor budgets and just how fair is this year's budget? Let us start with the National Disability Insurance Scheme, something of which I personally am very supportive. It is estimated that the NDIS will support a better life for almost 2,900 people in the Robertson electorate when it is fully rolled out, and it is already underway, including a local NDIA office in Gosford. Yes, the NDIS was announced by the previous Labor government, but, despite its promises, Labor left a massive annual funding gap of almost $4 billion from 2019 to 2020. How fair is that? It failed to fully fund the NDIS and that, I would say, is desperately unfair.

In contrast, this budget, announced by the Turnbull government, will guarantee that the NDIS is fully funded, by legislating a 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy. This will provide certainty for NDIS participants and their families and carers, to ensure their needs will be met. This is absolutely fair. It is the same for another health issue of critical importance in my electorate: the lack of access to GPs, particularly on the peninsula. We were confronted with this crisis left by members opposite when we first came to government, and we acted quickly by securing the additional 26 suburbs across the Central Coast to become a district of workforce shortage, opening up new opportunities for more doctors to get on the front line. Despite six years of talking about health care in my region, the peninsula was let down badly by Labor, so today we announced a vital injection of funding to help the local primary health network engage with local health professionals, recruiters and the community to get more GPs in surgeries on the peninsula as soon as possible, plus a long-term strategy that has never been in place before.

In this year's budget we are also boosting schools funding to record levels; delivering on our local election commitments, such as roads funding and the Gosford regional performing arts centre; backing small business; guaranteeing health funding through the Medicare guarantee fund; and delivering affordable, accessible child care for families with a simplified childcare package.

When the question comes back to my electorate on whether this is a fair budget, can I just say that I think it is only fair that people on the Central Coast be given the same opportunities in employment and education as those elsewhere in Australia. It is this government that has delivered $45 million towards a world-class, new Central Coast Medical School, including an extra $12½ million in this year's budget. This will help to attract and retain world-class health professionals in Gosford and create hundreds of new jobs and new opportunities for our young people and commuters. In contrast, Labor failed the people of the Central Coast in this area, as they did in many other areas. They have been near silent on this issue since the budget, despite the fact that this is such a major investment. So, with this deafening silence from Labor, let me just say that the people of Robertson are speaking up very loudly about the impact of our package to ensure more local jobs, better infrastructure, world-class health care and education for people on the Central Coast.

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