Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I represent a great local community—a diverse community with people from all walks of life. But the one thing they have in common is their will to succeed. The people in my community are survivors—people who, when life knocks them down, get straight back up again. In spite of all these odds, they stand up to the challenges facing them, determined to achieve the best from life rather than letting the struggle of the cost of living get the better of them. They are fighting hard to provide for their families to the best of their capability. It is these individuals in my community, who are standing up for a bright future, who inspire me to be a strong advocate for their needs. The people in my community are fighting for a chance of a better future and for hope, reward and opportunity, and I want to help them to achieve this.

Although we have come a long way in just three short years, I believe there is still much more to be done to make our community a stronger, fairer and more connected community for everyone. I want to build a safer local community in my electorate. Everyone is entitled to feel safe and secure in their own house, in their own street and in their own neighbourhood. No-one should have to experience fear in their own community, which is why I am fighting to make our community safer for everyone. I want children to be able to freely play in local playgrounds and walk home from school safely. This is why I am fighting for upgrades to some of our local parks and recreational areas to make them safer for families to enjoy. I believe families should be able to go away on holidays without the fear of break-ins, and I want families to be able to sleep at night without the ongoing threat of hoons racing up and down their street. This is why I have been holding community safety meetings around my electorate, this is why I have been fighting for a better police presence in key areas, and this is why I have been fighting for better lighting and CCTV cameras for the worst hot spots in my electorate. I believe we can build a local community where people are able to enjoy safety and security in their own neighbourhoods.

I also want to see a more vibrant local business community within my electorate. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed, including local small businesses. I want to see local small businesses thriving with a strong local business community, I want to see residents proudly supporting their local businesses, and I want to see small businesses that have a voice in the future of our region. I want to see consumer and market confidence return so that our small businesses have the security to plan for their future. Only a coalition government will be able to fight for the interests of local small businesses with practical assistance like cutting red tape and regulation. With a stronger local business community comes more jobs. I believe that a more connected local community should be a key priority, which is why I am fighting for the internet black spots in my electorate to receive broadband. Residents of suburbs including Thornlie, Southern River, Huntingdale and Gooseberry Hill should not be missing out on the internet simply because it is not politically convenient for the government. Only the coalition will deliver the NBN to these black spot areas as a matter of priority because we understand the importance of families and local businesses being able to access broadband internet.

I believe in a health system that services the needs of all Australians. I believe that our health resources need to be efficient, which is why I am fighting for a medical school at the new Midland university. It is also why I am fighting for my local community to be in charge of local health services. No-one is better placed to understand the needs of the local community than its own members. The same is true for our education system. After working with local schools for the past three years I have seen the advantage that schools derive from the backing of a strong local community.

It is vital that we build a more sustainable local community, which is why I believe in investing in our future with key infrastructure. It is also why I plan to ensure that future development takes into account the growing pressures on local services. Our community is home to some precious environmental assets. These deserve to be enjoyed by future generations as much as they are by us now. These unique environmental treasures such as the Bibbulmun Track, Mary Carroll Park and the Fishmarket Reserve all deserve strong community support to ensure they are the same tomorrow as they have been in years past. These assets do not need a tax; rather, they need practical support to keep them clean. A coalition government can deliver lower taxes, a stronger and more productive economy, more jobs, and a stronger local community—which is what every member of my electorate deserves.