Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is a great budget for every Australian, every Territorian, and that includes those in regional Australia, obviously. There will be better, fairer tax cuts for every taxpayer from 1 July, including 69,000 taxpayers in Solomon getting an average of $1,700 and a $300 energy rebate for every household in the Territory. We are wiping around $3 billion in HECS debts, including for almost 11,000 people in Darwin and Palmerston.

There have been recent major Defence announcements: over the next 10 years, $14 billion to $18 billion for our northern bases and collective security in the Indo-Pacific. This is great for local jobs across northern Australia, local businesses and local industries, and so is the $128 million investment in local roads infrastructure in Darwin and Palmerston that was announced last night.

We have delivered on long-term calls for the Northern Territory's university, CDU, to operate a standalone medical school. For too long, Territory kids have had to go down south because we didn't have enough Commonwealth funded places, but now, with our investment last night, there will be 40 medical places each year—more doctors from the Territory for the Territory. (Time expired)

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