Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's been interesting listening to the last two speakers from those opposite. As usual, they have nothing positive or constructive to offer and their contributions are based on a litany of mistruths. But we're used to that from those opposite, as we proceed through this electoral term.

Just for the record, for those opposite in case they haven't been listening—which wouldn't surprise me the least bit—we have in fact delivered record amounts of funding to education and to health. I can tell you from going around the schools across my electorate of Forde, both non-government and government schools, that they are more than happy with the funding that they are receiving because it's allowing them to provide a wide range of additional services to students in those schools. Some of those schools are in very low socio-economic areas, and the schools have used those funds extraordinarily wisely for a range of programs to help students be the best that they can be.

Importantly, we're bringing the budget back into balance, if not into surplus, sooner than was expected. If you saw the recent budget update, the figures are substantially better than what was initially projected in the budget six months ago. Importantly, we've delivered for our small and medium businesses in this country; those with a turnover of less than $50 million. We've delivered the first tranche of income tax cuts for those businesses that employ the majority of Australians—hardworking mums and dads who put their lives on the line and their family assets on the line every single day to employ Australians in a wide range of businesses.

Across my electorate, some 15,000 small-to-medium businesses have benefited from those tax cuts. Not only have they benefited from those tax cuts but they've also benefited from the instant asset write-off. I was at Beaurepaires in Beenleigh last week with the minister for small and family business, Michaelia Cash, and Ronnie was explaining to me that, through the instant asset write-off, he was able to purchase a new air compressor for his business. That new air compressor takes up a quarter of the space the old air compressor did but, most importantly, that new air compressor has reduced his electricity bills by 25 per cent. The practical steps that this government is taking demonstrate the practical assistance that we are providing to our small-to-medium business sector. That gives Ronnie the opportunity to continue to build and grow his business. Not only is the instant asset write-off helping him employ local people but it's making his business more efficient, and it's one of the leading Beaurepaires franchises in the country.

Equally, and most importantly, with a strong economy, we've seen record jobs growth over the past few years. There is nothing more important for Australians than having a job. The best form of welfare is for Australians to have a job that is meaningful and purposeful so that they want to get up in the morning and go and work. It gives them the opportunity to provide for their family, create wealth and contribute to our communities in a far more positive manner than they otherwise could. We know that the studies show that the benefits of a rewarding, fulfilling job are enormous. And when they're involved in work, people tend to get more involved in community activities and service clubs because they have the opportunity and financial resources to do so. Importantly, they demonstrate to their children the value of working. As we see in some of my communities where we do have multigenerational welfare, if we can get people off welfare and into a meaningful, productive job that will set up the next generations of our community for the future. But all we've heard about from those opposite—and we know what they're going to do—is $200 million of new taxes to strangle our economy and destroy those jobs. (Time expired)

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