Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to update the House on what the government's budget means for the hardworking Australians in my electorate of O'Connor. The 61,173 people in O'Connor will see tax relief in the next 12 months. That's an enormous number, and it's made up of low- and middle-income earners: nurses, teachers, tradesmen and the workers who serve our community. For a family with two working adults on average income, that's an additional $1,060 per annum.

My electorate covers a third of the state of Western Australia, and we've got a huge road network. That network needs to be maintained and upgraded, and that's why this government has created a $3.5 billion fund to upgrade roads of strategic importance.

Back in O'Connor, it's not always easy for students to access university. Our students often need to move to the city, and that's why we're going to improve independent youth allowance to support them. We're investing $50 million to increase the income threshold for families, currently $160,000, by a further $10,000 for every additional child. In simple terms, more regional kids will receive financial support from this government when they enrol in university.

We're investing $200 million in a third round of the Building Better Regions Fund to develop regional communities. My electorate has already received $14.5 million through this program, and I'll be fighting to see that we continue to support these groundbreaking projects in O'Connor.