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

I am pleased to support the latest appropriation bills—Appropriation Bill (No. 3) and Appropriation (No. 4) Bill—which seek authority from parliament to provide for additional expenditure on activities which require further funding or on new initiatives agreed to by the government since the 2019-20 budget appropriation bills No. 1 and No. 2.

In the time since I addressed parliament on 11 September on the first two appropriation bills, a number of significant events have occurred such as the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the bushfire emergency and the coronavirus outbreak in China, hence the need for these appropriation bills to accommodate new measures. By maintaining strong fiscal discipline and spending restraint, our government is able to strengthen the nation's finances to be able to respond to natural disasters, domestic emergencies and international shocks. Our government must strive to keep taxes low and inflation under control. A low inflation environment helps keep interest rates low, maintaining housing affordability for millions of Australian households and families paying off mortgages on their homes and paying interest on small-business loans. We must be cognisant of the increasing cost-of-living pressures faced by Australian families, our key constituency, who are experiencing a reduction in their disposable income with reduced spending power. Recognising the financial pressure on households, our government must pursue policies which minimise increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, gas and utilities.

Labor's net zero emission target by 2050 is unrealistic and will drive up costs and make our industry less competitive. In particular, Australian industry is competing with emerging Asian economies in our region that have become mechanised, automated and technologically advanced with access to affordable labour and cheap energy supplies. Our government must adopt policies which make Australia more productive and increasingly competitive in the context of a global economy.

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) provides for additional funding of $3.3 billion to fund the ordinary annual services of the government, which includes the departmental costs of Australian government agencies and funding within administrative outcomes that have been previously endorsed by parliament. In particular, there are a number of key appropriations worthy of note. The Department of Home Affairs has been allocated $948.4 million to continue implementing the government's border protection policies and support people impacted by the recent bushfires. By continuing to provide an appropriate level of resourcing to the Department of Home Affairs, the Morrison government is ensuring our national security, in particular by intercepting the smuggling of illicit drugs, weapons, contraband and prohibited weapons at the border before they enter our country to be distributed through organised criminal networks and cause harm on our streets. I am pleased to note the recent success stories of the Australian Border Force and the Royal Australian Navy in intercepting shipments of illegal drugs destined for our communities. Similarly, strict enforcement of visas by persons entering Australia ensures the integrity of our immigration system and preserves our national security.

The appropriation bill allocates an additional $592.6 million in funding to the Department of Social Services due to the Disability Employment Services program supporting a higher than expected number of participant clients. Increasing workforce participation by making workplaces more accessible to people with disability is a positive initiative which allows people to achieve their full potential by contributing to society. In addition, an extra $50 million in funding has been provided under the recent bushfire response package for additional emergency relief and financial counselling for affected communities to assist the recovery effort in communities affected by the recent bushfire emergency.

The Department of Defence has been allocated an additional $488.8 million, including $87.9 million for the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the bushfire response through Operation Bushfire Assist. I take this opportunity to formally acknowledge all Australian Defence Force personnel and reservists who assisted with the bushfire recovery efforts across our nation. Although there were no bushfires in Moore, our neighbouring communities of Yanchep, Two Rocks and Gingin were affected. Our response must be measured in the areas of fire management logistics, fuel load management, increasing water security, and apprehending arsonists who deliberately light fires. It was reported in the media that approximately 183 individuals were charged with lighting fires across Australia over a two-month period this summer. It is a national disgrace. Simply attributing bushfires to climate change and emissions reduction is irresponsible and shows a lack of understanding.

It is important to ensure that defence spending is increased to beyond two per cent of gross domestic product to ensure that the Australian Defence Force has the necessary resources and operational capability to protect Australia's national interest within our geopolitical region at a time when many of the emerging nations in our region are expending a significantly greater proportion of their gross domestic product on expanding their military. We need to invest more in upgrading our defence bases across Australia and in the acquisition of vessels, equipment, armaments, technology and the training of our military personnel. Australia has a greater role to play in maintaining the security of our region by protecting key freight, trading and energy routes.

Additional funding of $287.5 million has been allocated to Services Australia to support individuals, families and communities to achieve greater self-sufficiency. Access to aged-care services continues to be a key priority within my electorate, which currently has a high level of unmet demand and long waiting times for elderly residents. An increase in aged-care funding for additional places is one of the most important considerations in the upcoming budget. As of 30 June 2019, there were 434 residential aged-care places funded in my electorate, with a further 16 short-term restorative care and 121 transitional care places, bringing the total number to 581 places. However, this is still insufficient to meet demand. Local families require improved access to aged-care services and facilities to meet their individual care needs and financial circumstances. Forward planning is required in order to have sufficient resources available to meet the future aged-care requirements of our community.

The Department of Health is receiving $170.6 million in additional funding, including $70.3 million to support greater access to medicines and medical treatments; $68.2 million in departmental funding to support the delivery of government programs; and a further $30.2 million towards mental, Indigenous and preventative health activities. On behalf of my constituents, I am pleased to see subsidised access expanded to include new medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; and subsidised access to a wider range of imaging and diagnostics services, pharmaceutical benefits and professional consultations. For instance, this year, subsidised access to medical services such as continuous glucose monitors for diabetics has been expanded to cover a wider range of eligible patients.

In terms of medical services, the federal government has delivered on its funding commitment of $158 million towards the Joondalup Hospital expansion, due to commence later this year. However, the Western Australian state Labor government has failed to keep its 2017 election commitment to match federal funding, falling $62 million short of its commitment in the current state budget. Electors in the northern suburbs will hold the McGowan government to account for this $62 million shortfall, as demand for medical services in Joondalup continues to grow, as our regional city services the wider northern coastal corridor, and as waiting times get longer.

Recurrent funding of Medicare services continues to be a growing area of expenditure in the budget. A number of constituents have contacted me in relation to expanding federal subsidies to cover reimbursement for a greater range of out-of-pocket medical expenses. I forwarded these proposals to the Minister for Health for evaluation and consideration as part of the budget process.

This appropriation bill provides an additional $66.2 million in funding for the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment for initiatives including wildlife and habitat recovery in response to the recent bushfire emergency, busting congestion in the environmental assessment process, responding to African swine fever and strengthening the Australian Antarctic Program.

Water security and agriculture are two very important issues in our region. Expanding the water supply to include non-rainfall-dependent sources to provide water security to Perth's northern corridor is one of my main priorities. In the environmental context of a drier climate and the growing urban population over the past 20 years, increased groundwater abstraction has resulted in a fall in the watertable, with local lakes and wetlands drying up. Our horticultural industry, our businesses, our local governments and our households have all been impacted by water licensing, reduced allocations and sprinkler bans. Australia's first full-scale groundwater replenishment scheme is operating within the Moore electorate. Annually, 28 gigalitres of treated water from the Water Corporation's wastewater treatment plants in Craigie and Neerabup are being recharged into our groundwater supply, the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. New bores are being drilled—in Beldon, Heathridge and Neerabup—which are being connected to the plants via pipelines being constructed in Joondalup, Currambine and Neerabup. To secure the future water supply for our growing population, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment must allocate the necessary funding to expand water recycling to other wastewater treatment plants to our north, such as Alkimos.

Moving on to Appropriation Bill (No. 4), an appropriation of approximately $2.2 billion is provided to fund the non-ordinary annual services of government, including capital works; services; payments to the states and territories, and local government authorities; and funding for new administered outcomes not previously endorsed by parliament. Significant appropriations include additional loan drawdowns in 2019-20 arising from a revised drawdown schedule for NBN Co of $1.2 billion; additional equity injections of $176.9 million in 2019-20 due to revised schedules for the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the Western Sydney Airport; and a further $166.9 million for the Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan.

The rollout of the National Broadband Network in the Moore electorate is largely completed. For the majority of residents, access to high-speed internet is now adequate to meet their needs. However, particularly in the older suburbs, in certain locations, there is still remedial work to be done to improve the level of service. As with any large technology rollout, there have been instances in which problems have been encountered and technical issues which required resolution.

My office has been working with NBN Co to resolve a number of concerns on behalf of residents. In my electorate the City of Joondalup receives financial assistance grant from the federal government for the purpose of road construction and also in the form of general-purpose financial grants. In the 2019-20 budget, the grant to the City of Joondalup totalled $5,595,749, which greatly assists the City of Joondalup in providing essential services to ratepayers without significant increases in rates. It is essential that this level of funding continues to be maintained. (Time expired)

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