Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] It's a pleasure to join you virtually today. I want to say that I wholeheartedly reject the statement by the opposition which is before the House. I wish to speak on the coalition government's outstanding track record of investment and public administration. Australia is fighting through a once-in-a-century global pandemic. This government led the country through the worst of the impacts on our economy. In fact, Australia was the first advanced economy in the world to return to pre-COVID employment and activity levels. In July 2021 Australia recorded an unemployment rate of 4.6 per cent, which is the lowest level in over a decade. This demonstrates that our government's economic recovery plan is working. We are supporting jobs across the country and have done so throughout the pandemic.

The JobKeeper program was a vital economic lifeline for millions of Australians. It supported more than 3.8 million Australians in one million businesses. In my electorate of Mallee 5,200 businesses and over 20,000 employees were supported throughout the life of the JobKeeper payment. The support has put our nation in a strong position for recovery. Small to medium businesses represent 98 per cent of all JobKeeper recipients across the nation. According to the RBA JobKeeper saved at least 700,000 jobs over the period of April to July last year. But JobKeeper is not the only way this government has supported businesses in my electorate throughout the pandemic. In Mallee the tax-free cash flow boosts helped around 6,400 small and medium businesses with cash payments totalling $236 million. These payments helped small businesses keep up with the bills and in some cases reinvest in their business.

On this side of the House we believe that every individual knows how to spend their money best. That's why we are putting money back into people's pockets, through the extension of the low- and middle-income tax offset. Around 59,500 taxpayers in Mallee will benefit from tax relief of up to $2,745 this year. If those opposite wish to claim that putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Australians is a misuse of taxpayers' money then they have a lot to answer for. These are questions that should rightly be asked of them at the election.

When it comes to the vital infrastructure investments that are driving our economy forward the coalition government's track record is world class. The Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, originally announced at the height of the pandemic last year, has injected billions of dollars into local communities across the country. In Mallee our 12 council shires have shared in $73.5 million over the last 12 months. This money has already delivered fantastic projects across Mallee, including: town hall refurbishments in the Central Goldfields shire; essential drainage works in the township of Murrabit, which Tom O'Reilly, the CEO of the Gannawarra shire, was very excited about; reconstruction and widening of the Echuca-Serpentine Road in Loddon shire; reconstruction of Wargan Road near Merbein in the state electorate of Mallee; streetscape improvements for Napier Street in St Arnaud in the Northern Grampians shire; and Horsham council is getting through their backlog of over 800 footpath repairs. Safer roads foster economic activity and recovery, and our government is committed to making country roads safer for families.

In Mallee the most important road that runs from the top to the bottom of the vast electorate is the Calder Highway. The Liberal-Nationals government has invested $75 million in this road through the Roads of Strategic Importance program. This money is leading to much-needed upgrades of this vital highway, including new overtaking lanes between Ouyen and Mildura, which have been desperately needed on this dangerous stretch of road, as well as the redevelopment of the Bailey Road intersection leading to the iconic Lake Tyrrell, at Sea Lake.

Our government has recently committed a further $10.2 million to safer roads throughout Mallee, thanks to the Road Safety Program. We have recently announced $4.28 million for one of the most notorious roads in Mallee, the Robinvale-Sea Lake Road. Locals and transport drivers alike have been very happy about this investment. If you speak to the people of Mallee they will tell you they want safe roads to get to work and take their kids to school safely.

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