Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that the fundamentals of our economy are strong thanks to the economic management of the Government; and

(2) commends the Government for its plan to continue to grow the economy through:

(a) delivering on a $100 billion infrastructure plan;

(b) pursuing free trade deals, with the European Union and through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership;

(c) creating 1 million more jobs over the next five years;

(d) maintaining budget surpluses and paying down debt; and

(e) locking in record funding for schools and hospitals.

The fundamentals of our economy are strong thanks to the management of the Morrison government. At the 2019 election, the Australian people made it clear they wanted to back our plan to deliver economic prosperity for Australia's future. As part of our economic plan, we promised the Australian people tax cuts, and on 4 July we delivered on this promise. This tax package not only ensures immediate tax relief for 10 million low- and middle-income earners who are now receiving up to $1,080 for the 2018-19 financial year; it also delivers confidence to 94 per cent of Australians that they'll only be taxed at 30 cents in the dollar from 2024-25. Our government is not only concerned with the present but with the confidence that Australians can have so they can plan for the future. This tax relief will improve the tax system and reward hardworking Australians. In Berowra, 70,492 taxpayers will benefit from tax relief this year, with 24,694 receiving the full tax offset of $1,080.

By contrast, those opposite had a plan for $387 billion of taxes on the Australian economy. Taxes on retirees, taxes on housing, taxes on super, taxes on small business, taxes on energy—Labor's never seen a tax hike they didn't like. Australians listened closely to the Labor Party and, in particular, the member for McMahon, who said, 'If you don't like Labor's tax policy, don't vote for it.' Indeed, Australians voted against Labor in near record numbers, with Labor's primary vote dropping to its lowest level since the Great Depression. Labor continues to support higher taxes. It failed to support the government's tax cuts properly. Despite the Leader of the Opposition's listening tour, Labor remains deaf to the needs of Australians.

I commend the government for its ongoing plan to grow the economy and create jobs. The economy is not just about numbers on spreadsheets; it's about the lives of the people we are here to represent. One of the indicators of good economic management is a low unemployment rate. Unemployment is at the lowest level in almost seven years, at 5.2 per cent—in Berowra, it's as low as 3.7 per cent—and 1.4 million new jobs have been created since we were first elected to government in 2013. We are committed to creating an additional 1.25 million jobs over the next five years, with 40,000 new jobs created just last month. Under our government, the level of welfare dependency is at its lowest level in 30 years.

One of the ways we're keeping unemployment low is by backing small business. Small business is absolutely key to creating jobs in our communities. In the Berowra electorate, we have over 15,000 small businesses that provide thousands of jobs to people in our community. From budget night, the instant asset write-off was increased and expanded from $25,000 to $30,000. The instant asset write-off was also expanded to businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million. This will cover an extra 22,000 businesses across Australia, employing 1.7 million Australians. Already more than 350,000 businesses—businesses like CoHo or Harvest Coffee in my electorate—have taken up the instant asset write-off.

The government continues to deliver on its record $100 billion infrastructure plan. Families in Berowra are benefitting directly from this investment. If we want a strong economy, we must ensure Australians are spending less time stuck in traffic and less time waiting for public transport. In my community, some key initiatives will give people back more productivity in their day. More time for work and more time for family is more fulfilling than more time for traffic. New Line Road is a massive headache for families in our area, and on budget night the government announced that $10 billion is being invested for the thorough planning of New Line Road to get it shovel-ready for state government investment. It's because of our strong economic management that our government is the first to inject government funds into New Line Road.

NorthConnex is one of the biggest infrastructure projects currently undertaken in New South Wales. Pennant Hills Road, as you know, Deputy Speaker, is one of the worst roads in Australia. The road carries around 80,000 vehicles per day, including more than 10,000 trucks. This project will deliver twin nine-kilometre tunnels that will enable motorists to drive from Newcastle to Melbourne without a single set of traffic lights. This project will take 5,000 trucks off Pennant Hills Road every single day. It will return the road to our community, improving transport times, reducing commuter travel and improving the overall safety of our roads. This project has also created 8,700 jobs and is a $412 million investment from the federal government.

Our government's good economic plans have enabled us to lock in funding for hospitals and schools. There is $1 billion in federal government funding going into Berowra's schools—government, Catholic and independent—over the next decade. The good fiscal policy doesn't stop there. We're delivering budget surpluses. We're back in the black and back on track, as the Treasurer likes to say. I'm proud to be part of a government delivering for our country.

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