Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party understands how important jobs are to our society, to the lives of ordinary Australians. The Labor Party understands the important role small business plays in sustaining our communities. Labor also stands for people.

I stand here today having worked as a legal practitioner and having grown and managed a small business. I represented both individuals and corporate clients and many family businesses. I understand the pressures of small business both as an adviser and a partner in a small business that employed local people in both Launceston and Davenport. I know small business does well when everyone does well, when people have disposable cash in their pockets and security of employment. In other words, when people are living week to week or pay to pay our communities suffer. We know the growing inequality and reduction in disposable income is the real enemy of small business.

This government has no comprehensive economic plan for Tasmania, and this has been highlighted recently by the fact that the government has declined to confirm the direction of the Tasmanian Major Projects Approval Agency. The agency was established to act as a single point of contact for those wanting to undertake major projects and navigate their way through federal and state obligations. The authority's funding will run out soon and there has been no word on whether it will be renewed.

I am also concerned that the current government is continually devaluing the worth of Australian workers by exaggerating the cost of labour. Under this government we have seen our lowest paid workers lose their penalty rates. Under this government we are seeing record profits by big business, but real wage growth remains stalled—a key indicator of growing economic inequality—and this government wants to give big business a tax cut. It is significant, in my view, that recently economic commentators have named low wages growth as one of the key risks faced by the Australian economy.

Labor took to the last election its plan for jobs in Northern Tasmania. This included the commitment of $150 million towards the UTAS transformation project and a $75 million commitment towards TasWater's $250 million sewerage infrastructure project. The government belatedly committed to the UTAS project but is yet to provide any commitment to the sewerage infrastructure project other than to make reassuring noises as to its priority status on the major projects list of Infrastructure Australia.

The UTAS project benefits not just people within Bass but also those in the electorate of my good friend the member for Braddon with the relocation of the Cradle Coast campus. There is no doubt that this project—with $150 million worth of federal money, $75 million worth of state money and $75 million worth of university funding—will provide important jobs in construction as an infrastructure project. In the long-term it will also play a significant part in the revitalisation of the CBD of Launceston as well as driving better education and jobs outcomes for young Tasmanians. This project together with the City Heart Project has formed the core of the Launceston City Deal.

The memorandum of understanding between the three levels of government has been signed. The associated fact sheet describes the object of the City Deal as follows:

The City Deal will be focused on improving the lives of Launceston residents by supporting education, employment and investment to build on the region's natural advantages. The City Deal will include the development of a new university campus in the centre of Launceston and revitalisation of the historic CBD.

Each of these objectives is consistent with the commitments Labor made to Bass at the last election, and I will do my best to ensure that our community realises the benefit from infrastructure investment and better education outcomes.

Labor's long-term vision for Bass also provided for the Sewerage Improvement Project. The combined sewerage scheme in Launceston dates back to the 1860s and just 33 per cent of TasWater's waste-water plants met their environmental licence in 2015. Without a modern standard tertiary treatment plant, water quality will not improve, the environment will continue to be degraded and the health and safety of Launceston residents will continue to suffer.

I said at the time it was important to make a start, despite the fact that the capital requirement was very significant and the project would take many years to plan and complete. It has the potential to work in concert with other large infrastructure projects, in particular the UTas project. Labor has the vision to build and invest for the future through infrastructure and better educational outcomes. I am strongly of the view that it would be inequitable for the burden of such a significant capital project to fall purely upon the ratepayers of Tasmania. I know that view is, unsurprisingly, shared by many in local government in Tasmania. These long-term infrastructure projects will ensure that there are well-paid, full-time, highly skilled jobs for our young people. The flow-on effects of these projects, particularly if the sewerage project follows the UTas project, will be substantial. The increase in employment will see a growth of disposable income in the community that will flow to our fabulous local businesses both in construction and in the wider community.

As I said earlier, Labor stands for people and investing in people. Labor recognises that we live in communities and the fact that we are not simply consumers in an economy ruled by overriding individual self-interest. We believe that there is public good in investing in the future, which is why we campaigned on the transformative power of investment in education in driving economic growth, particularly in my state of below-average income and poor education and health outcomes. Labor will always invest in our future by investing in our schools. Labor will back our people by giving them the education they deserve, not the discounted option this government continually offers. The evidence is clear: low socioeconomic communities are further impacted by poor educational outcomes. My electorate of Bass would benefit more than most out of additional funding based upon needs and/or disadvantage. The Gonski education reforms are vital for lifting those communities out of poverty.

Lastly, I would like to say something about some of the amazing people, businesses and local authorities in my electorate. My electorate is blessed by the natural environment of north-east Tasmania and the Tamar Valley. Tourism is obviously a significant contributor to the northern Tasmanian economy, and the quality of food and wine in the region is well reported. Even—or should I say especially—the far-flung areas of the electorate like Flinders Island show a commitment to innovation and excellence in food and tourism, based upon experiences and quality of product. There are new business ventures such as distilleries, restaurants and tourist attractions which show the quality of the northern Tasmanian product and a commitment to innovation.

Dorset Council has received federal funding from successive governments to establish mountain bike trails, which are now of international standard and reputation. An international event will be held at in Derby in north-east Tasmania on 8 and 9 April which will host thousands of international visitors and overseas competitors keen to experience some of the best mountain bike trails in the world in competition. West Tamar Council and George Town Council have shown their commitment to their local communities by supporting local community groups such as the George Town RSL and realising that subregional sport needs facilities at a local level which should be supported by federal, state and local government. That is not to downplay the important leadership role played by the City of Launceston council and the many community projects facilitated by Meander Valley Council and Flinders Council.

I look forward to seeing businesses like Definium Technologies delivering high-technology manufacturing jobs and the University of Tasmania delivering local jobs through the AMC, the Australian Maritime College, particularly having regard to the expertise held by that college in undersea robotics. There is significant potential to facilitate the redevelopment of the University of Tasmania Newnham campus through co-locating defence manufacturing alongside the AMC at Newnham. This potential extends to replicating the expertise in Antarctic Ocean studies for defence related industries, using the expertise held by the AMC in maritime training and undersea robotics to assist the delivery of large defence projects like the submarine project awarded to South Australia.

But it is the goodwill and community spirit of people within my electorate that constantly reinforce to me the privilege of serving in this place. There are other fantastic community groups that are purely volunteer driven and that provide the lifeblood of our communities. These include amateur dramatics societies, church groups, overseas aid groups and even the organisers of a music festival who sought to use the gathering of thousands of young people to raise money for overseas aid.