Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I refer to His Excellency's address on opening day, in which he said:

… a new parliament marks a new chapter in our country's history.

It marks an opportunity for our nation's elected members and senators to come together to tackle important new issues, and to view existing challenges with fresh eyes.

That is best achieved when members and senators focus on the lives, welfare and opportunities of the people of Australia. I commence by thanking the electors of Moore for entrusting me with being their representative for a third term. I pledge to keep doing my very best to ensure that our community continues to have access to the infrastructure, facilities and services required to develop as a regional city, the second CBD to Perth. My vision for Moore is to see the greater City of Joondalup continue to grow, prosper and develop into a safe, vibrant regional city that will provide locals with essential services and employment opportunities close to home for generations to come. I'm committed to ensuring continued access to world-class health care, a wide variety of professional services available in our community and higher education opportunities within our innovative Joondalup Learning Precinct. To achieve this, I will continue to advocate for the necessary infrastructure, including improved roads, community facilities and high-speed internet to connect Moore both physically and digitally to other metropolitan activity centres.

For the past six years I have been proud to serve as a member of the Liberal-National coalition government, achieving many key milestones which have benefited our community. We have a strong track record of delivering key projects, including: the six-kilometre extension of the Mitchell Freeway from Burns Beach Road to Hester Avenue, costing $209 million; a new $50 million cybersecurity research centre at Edith Cowan University; and the opening up of the Neerabup Industrial Area, located in close proximity to Joondalup's CBD. Joondalup will benefit as more businesses relocate to Neerabup, with up to 20,000 workers based within five kilometres, making Joondalup their closest centre for professional services, banking, supplies and hospitality. The freeway extension, the widening of Wanneroo Road, and the grade separation bridge over the intersection of Joondalup Drive and Wanneroo Road are all intended to better connect Joondalup with Neerabup.

There is still much more work to be done to benefit local residents and business people in our northern suburbs community by delivering essential services and investing in community infrastructure. Over the next term of government I will be a strong advocate for a number of priority projects, including: extending the Mitchell Freeway for a further six kilometres northwards, from Hester Avenue to Romeo Road; widening the Mitchell Freeway between Hodges Drive and Hepburn Avenue; extending the northern suburbs railway to Yanchep, providing a continuous link from Yanchep to Perth via Joondalup; and expanding the Joondalup hospital, with a $360 million construction program to reduce emergency department waiting times and alleviate the need for local patients to travel long distances into Perth for medical treatment. It should be noted that the federal government has already delivered $158 million in funding towards the expansion of Joondalup hospital; however, the WA state Labor government has reneged on a 2017 election commitment to extend the hospital. To date, no provision has been made in the McGowan government's state budgets for its share of the Joondalup hospital expansion. This is an unfulfilled election commitment which is forcing local residents to drive long distances into Perth for medical treatment—in most cases a two-hour round trip for each medical appointment.

In terms of priority community facilities, there is the construction of a new clubhouse for the Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club; new club rooms at Heathridge Park for the Ocean Ridge Amateur Football Club, Ocean Ridge Tennis Club and Ocean Ridge Cricket Club; and the upgrade of the facilities at MacDonald Reserve in Padbury for the Whitford Junior Football Club. These are projects worthy of federal funding support. In addition, a strong case can be made for federal funding going towards the master plan upgrades at Percy Doyle Reserve for the Sorrento Bowling Club and facility upgrades at HBF Arena in Joondalup, which is utilised by a number of sporting clubs, including: the Joondalup Brothers Rugby Union Football Club, Joondalup Netball Association, Joondalup Little Athletics, Team XTR Triathlon Club and the Joondalup Lakers Hockey Club.

My vision is to develop Joondalup CBD into a vibrant hub through the government's City Deals initiative. In April this year the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, the Hon. Alan Tudge, visited the City of Joondalup to discuss plans for the redevelopment of Boas Place and the potential for the relocation of a federal government department to Joondalup. This would add substantial commercial floor space to Joondalup and act as a catalyst for construction, generating local employment and the economic activity necessary to activate the city centre. The long-awaited Ocean Reef Marina redevelopment is anticipated to commence next year, with support from the Western Australian state government. This project represents over 55 hectares of developable area, with a gross development value in excess of $1 billion.

I'm a strong advocate for the expansion of the Joondalup Learning Precinct, including a $200 million building program at the Edith Cowan University over the next five years. Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman recently led me on a tour of the new $48 million science building under construction, which is due to open next year. In addition, further investment in North Metropolitan TAFE will transform the Joondalup Learning Precinct with state-of-the-art vocational education and training facilities to develop the skilled workforce of the future. I'm a strong advocate of increased investment in research and development and the commercialisation of Australian inventions and intellectual property. The City of Joondalup has a strategic advantage in the fields of higher education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

International education is Australia's third largest source of export income. We welcome students from all nations in our colleges and universities. Their presence strengthens international cooperation and understanding, establishing important business links and networks in the future. I was pleased to have visited the campus of the China Australia Business College of Shanxi, which plans to establish a campus in Perth's northern suburbs, around Yanchep, which will facilitate international education exchanges between Australia and China, further strengthening our bilateral relationship.

The northern suburbs of Moore are home to a large number of mortgage holders, for whom maintaining a lower taxing, low inflation and low interest rate environment through responsible economic management is a priority to ensure housing affordability. Local employment self-sufficiency is a key priority to avoid the creation of dormitory suburbs from which residents commute long distances to work each day. A key strategy has been to improve the connectivity of Moore in all directions to promote economic development and growth, as greater visitor numbers provide for consumers and market demand essential to grow our local market. This can be achieved by adopting a regional approach to infrastructure. We are joining the cities of Joondalup, Stirling and Wanneroo, which have a combined population in excess of 500,000 residents, and we have developed a cooperative working relationship in interacting with government. Infrastructure projects such as NorthLink connect multiple electorates, promoting regional and outer metropolitan economic development.

One of the local priorities is the revitalisation of Hillarys Marina, which, although it is a major tourist attraction, is experiencing a downturn in business activity. Through tourism development and marketing, this precinct can be activated as a thriving economic centre. I held preliminary discussions with Greg Poland, Mike Holtham and Michael Tilaka from the Strzelecki Group about initiatives to revitalise Sorrento Quay and boost visitor numbers to assist local traders. Suggestions included providing bicycle facilities, outdoor fitness equipment, a children's playground and destination marketing to draw crowds. I recently held a business forum with all stakeholders, including the shadow minister for tourism, Alyssa Hayden MLA, the state member for Hillarys, Peter Katsambanis MLA, the Wyllie Group, the Strzelecki Group, the Department of Transport and the City of Joondalup to boost the precinct.

Western Australians represent 10.4 per cent of the national population, yet we will receive 12.6 per cent of infrastructure spending in 2019-20, amounting to $911 million. In the forward estimates this rises to 14.7 per cent, or $5.7 billion. Consider our track record. Since being elected to government in 2013, the coalition has committed more than $13.5 billion in transport infrastructure investment in Western Australia. This includes $1.6 billion in the current budget and $2.8 billion in last year's budget. It was the Liberal-National coalition government that reformed the inequitable distribution of the goods and services tax prior to the election. The reform package will leave Western Australia $4.7 billion better off over the next decade. A GST floor of 70c will be implemented in 2022-23, and in 2024-25 the GST floor will increase to 75c.

A strong approach to law and order remains a priority for my constituents, particularly in the area of the misuse of illicit drugs. The Liberal coalition government has invested in increased border security and upgraded Customs screening in a concerted effort to detect and intercept drugs and illegal contraband at our borders before they cause harm on our streets. More than 4,000 criminals who are noncitizens have had their visas cancelled and been deported. Our national security policies will ensure that foreign fighters and terrorists will be denied entry into Australia.

It has been a priority to increase defence spending to two per cent of gross domestic product. Australia is located in a geopolitical region where emerging nations are spending as much as six per cent of their national GDPs on defence. In order to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of the Australian Defence Force, we must invest in the facilities, infrastructure, equipment, weapons, technology and personnel to protect and defend our nation and its national interests. It is reassuring to see continued investment in our domestic defence industry, which ensures that local expertise is maintained.

As our population ages, there is the need to provide more aged-care and respite care facilities to meet the growing need in Moore. It is encouraging to see additional aged-care facilities planned at Burns Beach, Currambine, Edgewater and Joondalup. The federal government must ensure that an adequate number of places are funded each year for our elderly residents. In addition, the federal government should be cognisant of the needs of self-funded retirees—in particular, the increasing cost-of-living pressures and healthcare costs. Deeming rates ought to be reviewed more regularly in light of the current low-interest rate environment, which affects our retirees' interest-bearing investments.

Our nation benefits from increased international trade and investment. One of my key priorities since being elected has been the development of export markets for Australian produced goods and services. My work has focused on building relationships with the Association of South-East Asian Nations. It's a region with which I am most familiar and where I have developed a network of connections. There are tremendous opportunities to supply the emerging economies of South-East Asia and beyond with premium Australian agricultural products, professional services, technology, resources and energy. We must implement strategies to further develop our economy through value adding and downstream processing.

In terms of environmental initiatives, I am involved in furthering the work of the LNG Marine Fuel Institute, which aims to convert the maritime shipping industry to the use of low-emission and environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas as a mainstream marine fuel in place of the existing heavy fuel oils used in global shipping, which emit significant amounts of toxic sulphur and nitrous oxide pollutants into the atmosphere. The objective is to replace the use of heavy fuel oil as the primary fuel for maritime shipping with more environmentally friendly LNG, which is produced abundantly in Western Australia's north-west.

By promoting and facilitating the use of LNG as a marine transportation fuel, the federal government can partner with industry to help grow Australia's economy and create jobs whilst reducing pollution and emissions on a large scale. The barriers preventing the transmission from heavy fuel oils to LNG include a lack of appropriate infrastructure, such as bunkering facilities, and the lack of an appropriate policy framework. It should be a priority for the Commonwealth to implement an emissions control area covering all Australian ports, as has already been done in the USA, Canada, China, the North Sea and the Baltic.

As a lifelong Christian, I'm a supporter of traditional family values, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, multiculturalism and reconciliation. In the current debate on religious freedom, it is important that we're respectful and tolerant of the religious beliefs of all Australians. Governments should not restrict the rights of Australians to worship freely according to their faiths, beliefs, values and conscience, except in instances where hate, violence or illegal acts are incited. Simply disagreeing with the religious views of another person should not be grounds for government intervention. Religious freedom extends into the realm of cultural freedom, which is important in our multicultural society. Individuals must be free to live their lives according to deeply held values and beliefs, which are not only religious but cultural in nature, without impinging on the rights of others to exercise their rights and freedoms.

Looking to the future, I believe that all Australians should become more united through reconciliation and multiculturalism. Australians should all be united as one people under one flag, regardless of our origins or history. Indigenous Australians, new migrants from different ethnic backgrounds and persons born in Australia should all be treated equally, with access to opportunity and advancement based on merit. Having emigrated from a country which had a policy of recording a citizen's race on official documents, I can appreciate the benefits of not having one's racial background recorded on Australian official documents. Our Constitution should promote harmony, unity and the principle of a single national identity, rather than differentiation based on race or ethnicity. In any debate surrounding a referendum to change the Constitution, the principle of national unity should be promoted: one people united under one flag.

I thank the many volunteers and supporters who assisted me during the federal election, working on prepoll early voting, putting up signs, delivering leaflets, attending functions and at the polling booths on election day. It was a massive team effort. The positive election result in Moore, which saw me re-elected with an increased margin, could not have been achieved without all the support.

In particular, I thank the members of the Moore division of the Liberal Party who supported my campaign. There are too many volunteers to mention individually, for fear of excluding some. However, special mention goes to President Colleen Borger, Sheldon Ingham, Eve Currie, David Anson, Tony Brooks, Sherryl Paternoster, Kate Taylor, Wayne Carroll, Marcus Henriques, Jan Norberger, and David and Cindy Harding. I would also like to thank my team of dedicated staff who work long hours to ensure that my office operates smoothly.

To conclude, this term of parliament provides the opportunity to deliver improved services, community facilities and infrastructure for the people of Moore. I pledge to do my very best to ensure that our community continues to have access to the infrastructure, facilities and services required to develop as an outer metropolitan regional city.

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