Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for his question. Jobs, jobs and more jobs is the focus of the Liberals and Nationals government. This is what we're doing; this is what we're delivering. Today it's all about tax cuts—relief for hardworking Australian families, a better deal for workers. Workers are the people that those opposite once purported to represent. I'm afraid they don't anymore. But I welcome back the member for Maribyrnong. When the tax cuts were being passed, he was lurking up the back there with the whip. We didn't see him. He was very red-faced, very embarrassed. But I tell you what: the tax cuts have passed the House of Representatives, passed the parliament thanks to the laws passed today by this government.

Angela Allen, a nurse at the Lismore Base Hospital in the member for Page's electorate will now pay less tax. She will. Registered nurses earning $75,000, just as many in the Page electorate do, will have an extra $530 in their pockets from the budget year onwards, with an extra $3,740 in their pocket over the first seven years of the tax plan. That's certainly a lot of money for them. We know the key to greater economic growth, the key to greater aspiration and the key to stronger regional communities is jobs and tax cuts. It is not mystifying; it's aspirational; it's happening. The member's electorate has seen a jobs bonanza thanks to the member for Page's hard work, and the policies and the infrastructure investment by this Liberal-Nationals government. In his electorate alone, a thousand jobs will be created thanks to the infrastructure rollout, the regional development investment. The member is part of a team which is delivering on our promise to create a million jobs in five years. But do you know what? We've done it five months early—a million jobs and, today, tax cuts, tax relief, for those hard workers, those people that that side of politics once said that they represented.

The member for Page is part of a team which has delivered small business tax cuts to back local farmers, family businesses and locals having a go. There are plenty of people having a go in the Northern Rivers. The member has been a champion of local infrastructure projects such as the $3.44 billion for the Pacific Highway, $2 billion for the Page Bridge upgrade, $2 billion for Page Road and $3.8 million for bridge replacements in the Clarence Valley and Kyogle. As regional people know, when we build a bridge, Labor puts up a roadblock. When we cut taxes for small businesses, Labor plans to jack them up. They do. Don't look too perplexed—that's exactly what you'll do, Member for McMahon. When we back aspiration, Labor says they're mystified—absolutely mystified! They can't work out why we're doing it. It is because we back workers, we back families and we back small businesses, and we'll keep doing it—right now, until the next election and beyond. (Time expired)

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