Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Sunshine Coast is a big winner in this year's budget. Our region's average income is below the national median, which means the tax cuts will help thousands of hardworking locals and their families. Given that the region has one of Australia's oldest demographics, additional pension payments and home-care packages will improve the daily lives of so many seniors. Our biggest employer is the construction industry, and so the extended First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and other measures will support jobs in the thousands. Our tourism sector relies on the drive market, while hundreds of businesses transport their products down to Brisbane, and so the extra $95 million for local stretches of the Bruce Highway is great news. Youth unemployment is one of those perennial issues on the Sunshine Coast, and so the JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme will be fantastic news, giving young locals the start they need. And nowhere in Australia is there a higher proportion of people who own their own businesses, so the instant asset write-offs, the loss carry-back scheme, will provide an enormous advantage in maintaining our entrepreneurial zeal. This is on top of JobKeeper, JobSeeker and JobMaker. This is indeed to rebuild our economy and to secure our future.