Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I proudly rise to support Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2022-2023, with Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2022-2023 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2022-2023, representing a sensible and realistic path for Australia's economic future. The bill delivers on the key promises that Labor took to the election—important commitments like cheaper child care, cheaper medications and investment in infrastructure.

We are moving quickly; we have done more in office over the last five months than the other mob could have ever dreamed of. Maybe that's why the Australian people turned to us in May. They wanted change, and they wanted the Albanese Labor government to do that. While delivering some of the key election promises that provide large social impact, this budget puts the health of the economy at the centre of, at the heart of, what we're doing. After years of cuts and pork barrelling from those on the other side of the chamber, it fixes many of their failings and responds to the global and national challenges that we face today.

I also proudly rise to support the appropriations bill as it gives the electorate of McEwen much-needed funding after being neglected for nearly a decade, a fact that was noted by the Liberal candidate at the last election, who openly said that they hadn't been delivering in the area for nine years. The Albanese government has shown its commitment to regional infrastructure and development in this budget, which is going to make a huge impact for our communities. We are delivering on all of the promises that I made to the people of McEwen throughout the campaign. We have listened and are responding to the conversations that we had throughout the electorate during the campaign, and we are delivering on those promises.

Overall, nearly $200 million will be invested in the electorate of McEwen. This includes investments like $15 million to build the much-needed stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct, something that was sorely overlooked for so long, making way for the coalition's pet projects in their own seats. This funding will invest in our local sporting community and have a huge impact on opportunities for members of our community. For nine years the coalition neglected to do that. In fact, they made an announcement literally only 10 minutes before the Prime Minister called the election. It makes you wonder about their genuineness, doesn't it?

There is $11 million allocated to fixing our roads, making our region safer and more accessible. Most people in the region will tell you the importance of this investment as we see the potholes and road degradation every day, particularly from the weather events that have started. People should recognise that the potholes we face on our roads are caused a lot by weather. The shortage of infrastructure spending in Victoria has meant that the Victorian government has had to stretch its dollars further. Our government is committed to getting regional roads in better condition for us to have safer travel. The Camerons Lane Interchange will get $150 million to ease pressure on the roads, particularly in and around Beveridge, and allow people to get to and from work more quickly every day. It also opens up huge opportunities for our suburbs in terms of business and jobs.

Furthermore, the investment in other infrastructure projects, including the over $2 billion in the suburban rail loop will be a huge economic investment and productivity booster for the economy, including for the people of McEwen. This massive project will provide job opportunities for our tradies during the building of the loop and easier access to services and institutions, including hospitals, when it's complete. After years of neglect from the previous government, we are finally getting the investment that our community deserves. The Albanese government is providing what matters to the people of McEwen.

The appropriation bill provides for regional Australia. It includes 760 initiatives to boost regional communities and industries across our nation. That is $9.6 billion committed to delivering the infrastructure promises we made, with local government and communities being at the forefront of the investments. We are focusing on sustainable growth in the regions and ensuring that essential services are up to scratch to provide for a growing regional population. These essential services include investing in providing $22.6 million for 29,000 additional in-training support places for apprentices in regional, rural and remote areas on top of our already promised fee-free TAFE places. We are looking at huge programs that will upskill our regions and allow us to have more capacity for infrastructure projects that will develop regional Australia in the future and support our communities.

The Albanese government is investing in regional infrastructure because we know the hard work of the people in our regions translates directly to the health of the Australian economy. With regional industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining making up an extraordinary 72 per cent of Australia's merchandise exports, we must invest in the regions. You can see our commitment to the regions in the passing of legislation to establish the High Speed Rail Authority. Our government is looking past politics and, instead, making sure all regional communities are accounted for and getting the support that they need.

I commend the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government for her commitment to investing in jobs and projects that can help Australia transition to net zero through the $1.9 billion to the Powering the Regions Fund. The fund will create jobs and cut emissions and, through the National Reconstruction Fund, will provide the support to ensure that regional Australia can harness the economic opportunities from clean energy manufacturing. But we won't stop there. We are investing in huge manufacturing projects to boost regional economies. Unlike those on that side of the chamber, we are making sure regional Australia is not getting left behind. In fact, the National Reconstruction Fund will help support regional committees to expand and transform Australia's industries.

This budget shows we are here for regional Australians. Not only that, but Labor is delivering on our promises to improve the connectivity and communications infrastructure across our great nation. Communications are critical in McEwen. Through this budget we are fixing the holes that the last mob left in the national coverage where people need it—in areas affected by floods, fires and storms. We are fixing the connectivity issues we had Gisborne south and Woodend in our $1.5 million Mobile Black Spot Program. This has been a huge concern for our communities. It was brought up multiple times during our campaign, which is why I am delighted to stand and speak on what we are doing in this budget. We are delivering and fixing the holes left by the previous government.

We know that the Black Spot Program had three major concerns—major transport, rural and regional, and areas of high possibility for natural disasters. We ticked all those boxes but, for political reasons, we could not get support from the previous government. In our first budget, this government has delivered more than the previous government delivered in nine years. We are committed to increasing connectivity, bridging the digital divide and improving mobile coverage.

The Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia will see $1.1 billion dollars delivered to rural and regional communications infrastructure. I am very happy to acknowledge the hard work of the Minister for Communications in making sure regional Australians are looked after in this allocation of funding. Another $400 million will go to expanding regional mobile coverage. Improving the resilience of communications systems will help not only the average Australian but also the businesses in rural Australia, and will help communications infrastructure to work in times of high pressure such as in emergencies.

This budget is future proofing and making sure communications programs are disaster resilient. Some 660,000 premises in regional Australia will receive additional fibre-to-the-node, allowing more workers and more businesses, small and large, to base themselves in the regions. We are committed to making sure every Australian, like our constituents in McEwen, is on an equal footing and has the services they need to go about their daily lives.

But funding in regional Australia doesn't stop there. I am pleased to see the passing of the emergency response bill. With the support for the appropriations bill, the Albanese Labor government is not only committing to responding to recent flooding events across Australia but—importantly—is also looking at ways to mitigate damage in the future. We will be distributing from our resilience fund billions of dollars over the course of the next 10 years to ensure that we are improving infrastructure to be more natural disaster resilient. This means $200 million a year in infrastructure funding going to natural disaster resilience alone. It will make our community of McEwen safer. This is not a bandaid fix but rather a plan to ensure the future of all of our communities.

Once again, it is our government showing up for Australians. As I have said many times in this place, the positive effects will be felt through our electorate. Whether it is the immediate effects of this work being felt in places like Darraweit Guim, where they have gone through the recent floods, or programs like the one in Nillumbik shire that is future proofing our communities, we are acting quickly and responding to the increasing needs of emergency disaster management that the other lot failed to deliver in almost a decade. Despite witnessing the rising frequency and intensity of these disasters, the former government did nothing apart from have a big fund that did nothing but accrue interest. Sure, they made promises and allocated funding but, like everything else, there was a vast difference between announcement and delivery. They were too busy grandstanding and trying to get handshakes from doing the bare minimum. This Labor government will change that and will invest in local communities to make them more disaster resilient and safer to be in. This government is doing more than just delivering for regional Australians. A big part of our budget is implementing the cost-of-living measures in a time of economic hardship. Good examples are that through our legislation that's passed there will be cheaper child care and a reduction in the cost of medicines. Through cheaper child care we are supporting 1.26 million more families by making it cheaper for them to access early childhood education services. For our community that translates to over 6,000 families getting the relief they need. Our other cost-of-living measures include our work reducing the cost of essential medicines on the PBS. After years of neglect to our health system, our government is working hard to fill the gaps left behind by the Liberal and National parties, with over $104 billion being spent on health. The maximum co-payment for medicines will drop from $42.50 to $30 from 1 January 2023, as we promised at the last election. This is just another way that Labor is responsibly cutting in order to support the cost of living.

The last thing I want to talk about regarding these appropriation bills is the support to veterans they provide. I'm proud to be supporting a budget that finally looks after the servicewomen and men who have given so much to our country. I'm passionate about the support for veterans. It is something that is incredibly close and important to me and our community. This budget measure and upcoming legislation are built from the recommendations of the royal commission.

The appropriation bills provide the funding for additional staff to go through the backlog of over 40,000 compensation claims that the last government left hanging. It's not a good act to have this neglect and to have left so many veterans and families without the support they needed, which is why our government is moving quickly to amend this. We are providing the funding for 500 additional staff to go through these claims and support DVA, after years of the last government saying they care about ex-servicemen but actually doing nothing to support them.

I spoke earlier today in this place of one simple case where Len had his claim in for a thousand days—not to actually be processed but just to get assessed. Through talking to Minister Keogh and making that change that we have with the new minister, not only was his claim assessed but it was delivered in 24 hours using the same information that he'd provided three years ago.

So this is a budget that is actually providing relief that is needed, not only to those who work in the sector but also to the very people who have honourably served our country. With that said, I'm proud to support the appropriation bills. It is delivering on our election commitments and is finally, after nine long years, a budget that serves the people of McEwen.

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