Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

Capricornians are doing it tough. Three years ago the Prime Minister promised Australians they would be better off under his leadership, but that could not be further from the truth. Under Labor's economic mismanagement, regional Australia has been plundered to keep this government afloat. Nowhere is this more evident than in my electorate of Capricornia.

Not since the 1980s have Australians endured sustained inflation for this long, all due to Labor's reckless handling of the economy. Families are struggling just to put food on the table and keep up with mortgage repayments. They even have to make the impossible choice about whether to turn on the air conditioning this summer as power prices soar.

Small businesses are barely staying afloat. It is a fact that, under a Labor government, doing business in Australia is harder. Capricornia's manufacturers are being strangled by legislation. One such business, SMW, has told me firsthand how Labor policies are drowning them in red tape, making it nearly impossible to stay viable. Rising electricity costs, skyrocketing fuel prices and excessive regulation are forcing hardworking Australian businesses to the brink.

Labor is robbing Peter to pay Paul and slashing critical regional infrastructure funding that has delivered enormous economic benefits. Programs like the Building Better Regions Fund created jobs, built much-needed infrastructure and supported local communities. But this government sees no value in regional Australia. Instead, Labor is stripping the regions of investment, to bankroll pet projects in the capital cities. This is despite the fact that it is the people in the regions—the farmers, the miners, the manufacturers and the small-business owners—who generate the wealth that our nation relies on.

Since day one I have fought to protect my constituents from a Labor government that sees the regions as little more than a cash cow for its wasteful spending. Take the Bruce Highway, a lifeline for our communities. In Labor's first year in government, funding for this critical road was slashed. The $10 billion in projects inherited from the coalition were put under the knife, with $488 million cut from the forward estimates. While in government, the coalition invested over $415 million into the Bruce Highway between Rockhampton and Mackay to make it safer. Projects like providing more overtaking lanes, providing more rest areas and widening centre strips save lives, but, under Labor, additional crucial upgrades were put on hold, leaving the road more dangerous than ever.

The consequences have been devastating. Last year, over 40 lives were lost on the Bruce Highway. A report from the RACQ identified the stretch between Rockhampton and Mackay as one of deadliest in Queensland. While families grieved and communities mourned, Labor stayed silent. I have sat with families who lost loved ones. I have listened to the heartbreak. Leyland Barnett, who lost his niece, bravely shared his family's pain with the media, but even this was not enough to spur Labor into action. Week after week lives were lost, but the government did nothing. But suddenly, in an election year, the Prime Minister miraculously found $7.2 billion for the Bruce Highway. This was not a genuine commitment to road safety; it was a desperate election stunt. History is repeating itself. Labor has never taken regional road safety seriously. If not for the tireless efforts of locals, the Rockhampton ring road would have been axed in Labor's first budget. If not for my fight to protect regional projects, vital upgrades to Phillips Creek Bridge, a notoriously dangerous crossing in a resource-rich part of Capricornia, would have been lost to Labor's infrastructure review.

Labor's neglect extends beyond roads. Community groups that rely on government support to improve local facilities and are being left in limbo. The Sarina Brewers Park upgrade committee has been waiting endlessly for a response to its application for a feasibility study just to improve sporting grounds that have produced some of Australia's best athletes.

This government does not care about regional Australia. It does not care about the people who work hard to build this country's prosperity. Labor has failed regional Australians. Only a coalition government will get Australia back on track. Easing cost-of-living pressures is a priority. Strengthening the economy, backing small businesses and ensuring affordable and reliable energy will provide stability for families and businesses alike. Addressing the housing crisis, rebalancing the migration program and keeping Australians safe are essential commitments. Quality health care, a stronger regional Australia, practical action for Indigenous Australians and sustainable community development remain at the forefront. Cutting government waste will ensure resources are directed where they are most needed. This is our promise to the people of Capricornia, this is our promise to regional Australia and this is our commitment to getting our country back on track.

See this speech in context