Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has been a lot of talk in this building over the first few sitting weeks of the year about broken promises. Earlier in the month, we saw the Prime Minister break a promise he made over 100 times to proceed with the final stage of legislated tax cuts. Sadly this important structural reform has been sacrificed for political expediency. The cost of this decision will be felt for decades as bracket creep silently takes more and more money out of Australians' pockets. This is only the latest in a series of broken promises from Labor. Who can forget the broken promise of a $175 reduction in energy prices? No changes to super taxes was another promise that's been forgotten about. There was the promise of an increase in real wages, the promise of no changes to franking credits and of course the promise of cheaper mortgages. That hasn't happened for any Australian out there.

At a local level, I'm faced with the fallout of another election commitment made to the Redlands community that the Labor Party is now refusing to honour. A handful of local sporting organisations within my electorate were promised funding within this term of parliament to fund a range of projects. Now the Labor government is saying that the funding may not be available until later in the next term of parliament. Inadequate research and sloppy implementation of the funding process have led to significant alterations in many of the chosen projects. As a result, several clubs will not receive the originally promised outcomes.

Redlands Rays Baseball Club were promised new lighting; instead they get modified seating. Capalaba Warriors Rugby League Football Club were promised new lighting as well; instead they get some seating, a bin and kitchen upgrades. Redlands Touch Association were promised a fit-out of their clubhouse and food area; instead they get new poles and LED lights. But the worst victim of the government's failure to deliver is the Victoria Point Sharks AFL club, a wonderful football and community club that has served the Redlands well for over 60 years. The Sharks have been dudded. They were promised $250,000 to deliver new change rooms. Instead, they will receive $108,000 for new lights that they didn't want or need and other equipment.

Labor's flawed approach has failed to grasp the genuine requirements and expenses of the project and they have attempted to pass the buck on to council to resolve their oversight. When you boil it all down, the Victoria Point Sharks were promised $141,000 more than they will receive. Unfortunately the government has broken their promise and they have short-changed this club. It's a wonderful club that's been serving the community so well. It's been an incredibly active club. It's played at the top level in the NEAFL competition. I'll be working over the coming weeks to pressure the federal government to keep their word to my community on this important promise.

I'll also be working to ensure that the requirements of our local clubs are met through a new coalition commitment of $250 million in funding over four years for community sporting infrastructure. This package has a particular focus on delivering new upgrades in outer metropolitan areas like the Redlands, where population growth is driving demand for new facilities. This club has experienced significant growth and demand, and it has also been able to benefit from an investment in change room facilities that was delivered by the previous coalition government.

I'm very disappointed that the government has failed to deliver the funding they promised to this club. It was supposed to be $250,000 for new change rooms. Instead, they're only going to get $108,000 for new lights. As always, I'll be keeping an eagle eye on the government's actions and I'll be blowing the whistle when their words don't match their deeds for my local community. This is a government led by a prime minister who claimed that his word is his bond. Well, I expect the Labor government to keep their word to the Victoria Point Sharks AFL club. Give the club the $141,000 that was promised.