John Cobb (Calare, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With so many examples of Labor wasting taxpayer funds, mishandling programs and backflipping on policies, you can forgive the public and the press for somewhat forgetting about the Home Insulation Program. While the problem might be out of mind for the Prime Minister, regional businesses and regional communities are all too aware that there are still problems with the scheme. Currently there are businesses still owed money by the government—thousands of dollars are on hold whilst the government’s inspections are carried out. The Prime Minister and Minister Garrett, who were responsible for this tragic mess, have not had their payments put on hold, so why should legitimate small business? Why are the small business owners and the insulation contractors paying for the government’s poor planning?

I wish to inform the House this evening about a scenario being faced by a small business in Parkes, in my electorate of Calare. Hay’s Mitre10 was a part of the governments Home Insulation Program. They provided the materials to contractors, who carried out insulation work until the program was dumped by the government. The store is currently owed $26,000 by contractors. The account has been outstanding for six months and the waiting game continues. These contractors are owed by the government and cannot make the payments until they are themselves paid.

It is a cycle that is affecting individuals and businesses. It has and will continue to cause businesses to close. It has and will continue to cause workers to lose their jobs. This is their livelihood. It is how they look after their families, send their kids to school and provide for their future. How long can Hay’s Mitre10 expect to wait for payments? How many other businesses and contractors are being forced into a similar situation and how many jobs are being threatened by the government’s incompetent disaster?

Let me say at this moment that at no time should safety be compromised. This scheme has already had tragic consequences, as we all know, with the loss of four lives and over 170 reported house fires. The checking of roofs is a necessity and a must. Australian taxpayers have been forced to provide an extra $1 billion for the peace of mind they deserve. But you have to wonder about the Rudd government’s priorities when $38 million is going towards advertising their disastrous supertax and not towards making sure more roofs are checked faster—or never. If they wanted a reason to put out advertising it should have been to warn the public at some stage in the last six or 12 months of the dangers to their own homes care of the Rudd government.

Houses remain at risk. Lives remain at risk. The faster these checks can be made the better. The current situation is certainly hurting regional communities, I can assure you. On the central west of New South Wales it is hurting them and their families every day. These contractors and these businesses still have bills to pay. The individuals still have mortgages, their employees still have wages and the electricity and gas companies still send their bills. They have been forced to cover the government debt and the government incompetence. The government should do more to help these businesses and more to help these regional communities. I can only ponder why the minister for small businesses has not been championing this cause in caucus and here in parliament.

The Home Insulation Program, like so many of the government’s schemes, was poorly planned and even more poorly executed. It has cost taxpayers billions and continues to slug regional communities—certainly in my part of the world. Whilst the Prime Minister may have put it out of his mind, we in the coalition and we in regional Australia have not. I urge the Prime Minister and Minister Combet to fix this situation and let businesses like Hay’s Mitre10 in Parkes get on with looking after families in regional communities.