Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to make some comments on an issue that I think is top of mind at the moment for people right across the country, and that is paid parental leave. There are varying views on this issue but, when it comes to bringing up children, it is incredibly important because Australia’s future will be shaped by how we nurture and grow our next generation. Parents, mums and dads, in the workplace who need to take time off to have children before re-entering the workforce need to be assisted in doing that. I think it is quite right and quite appropriate that measures are put in place to do exactly that. We have seen a lot of discussion around the announcement from Tony Abbott on paid parental leave. It is good to see such focus being placed on the needs of our parents in the community who, as I said, need to take time off from work to stay home and look after their children.

An extremely important point I would like to raise tonight is that we need to also make sure that those mums and dads who choose to stay at home and look after their young children are equally supported and equally valued. It is absolutely vital that parents, regardless of whether they choose to return to the workplace after they have had their babies or choose to stay at home, are provided with choice in bringing up their families. It is vitally important that the contributions of parents in each situation are equally valued. While we have seen a lot of discussion over the last couple of days around paid parental leave, I want to make sure that there is the same level of respect for parents who choose to stay at home with their young children rather than return to the workplace.

It is an issue of choice. It is about families being able to make the decision that they see as the best fit for their family. It is very important that they have the opportunity to do that, and government has a responsibility to ensure that in either instance families get the support they need to bring their children up in the best possible way. As I said, that generation is the future of this country. We have to make sure that we get it right and that the responsibility of government is met to the full to ensure that they have the assistance they need.

It is interesting to note that when we look at regional areas it is often much more difficult for families bringing up children. As a Nationals senator I would certainly say that the Nationals understand those difficulties far more than any other party across the country. We know it is more difficult to get jobs out in the regions. We know when it comes to having children it is much more difficult to get those support networks. The tyranny of distance is there. I remember having to do a 70-kilometre round trip to get to the nurse after I had had my children to go for those checkups, whereas in cities it is often just down the road. So sometimes it is simple things like that that actually make it more difficult for mums or dads in regional areas to be able to cope with new babies and be able to deal with that very big change in their lifestyle that occurs. Child care in the regions is again much more difficult for families compared to the cities, where they often have a childcare centre on their doorstep and certainly a choice of childcare centres around their region. In the country areas and regional areas often families and parents do not have that luxury.

One of the most important issues for our regional families is the issue of health. It does not matter where I go, the issue of health is absolutely the key issue for families right across this state. Which brings me to the recent announcement from the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, of his plan for health. I find it absolutely astounding to see this vacuous policy from the Prime Minister being put forward to the Australian people. Let us go back for a moment to the election campaign in 2007. We are now in early 2010. At the end of 2007 Kevin Rudd very proudly campaigned on the slogan ‘Kevin Rudd will fix our hospitals’. He was going to do that by 2009, and I quote from one of his advertisements: ‘If state governments have not improved services by 2009, a Rudd Labor government will seek to take control of all Australia’s 750 public hospitals.’ Well, didn’t he go squibbing off that promise. It is simply another broken promise from Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister. ‘Kevin Rudd will fix our hospitals’ was the quote. He neglected to tell the people of Australia that it was not going to be for a very, very long time, if ever. At the moment we have got this plan in front of us that is long on spin and short on detail. There is no two ways about that. We are looking at a plan that is bowled up now to the Australian people that is not going to deliver a single thing until after 2012. Here is a promise he made before the end of 2007 and we are not looking at anything even potentially being delivered until 2012. I know my very good colleagues here in the chamber, Senator Parry and Senator Colbeck, understand the absolute spin that the Prime Minister is putting on this announcement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am dizzy with it.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Parry says he is dizzy from the spin that the government has put on this announcement from the Prime Minister. There is hardly any detail in this. We can only assume the area health boards are going to stay. What is this going to lead to? More bureaucracy? The last thing the health system in this country needs is more bureaucracy. Every dollar we spend on the bureaucracy means a dollar that is not going to primary health care, and it is primary health care where we need the dollars to go, not more bureaucracy.

There is no more money from the Prime Minister. I think it is another four years before any more money, other than what is currently going into the system, is going to be spent on our hospitals and on our health system. Isn’t that ridiculous? This is from a Prime Minister who promised to fix our hospitals, and if there is not a more glaring, obvious example of a broken promise from the Prime Minister than this then I do not know what it is. If you cannot trust Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister, to keep his promise to fix our hospitals, how on earth can you trust him on any of his other promises? This is absolutely key to the future of this nation. This Prime Minister is all talk and no action. He is delivering absolutely nothing.

In relation to this so-called plan that the Prime Minister has put forward—guess what—I am sure people are starting to realise that for this plan to actually go ahead he needs the agreement of all the states. Let us look at what the states have said along the way. They have been up in arms. The minute this has come out they have jumped up and down and said how much they do not want to go near it, by the sound of it. So how on earth is the Prime Minister going to convince his state colleagues that this is a good idea when they so obviously are against it? If he cannot get the agreement of state colleagues, the Prime Minister then of course has to go to a referendum. What are his chances of that?

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Buckley’s.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Parry. Senator Parry has used the highly technological terms Buckley’s. I would say that that is absolutely right. So here we have got the Prime Minister talking about a plan that is off in the never-never and is probably never going to happen, and he is expecting the Australian people to believe that he can fix health. It is absolutely rubbish. The Australian people are wising up to this Prime Minister very quickly. This plan does nothing to address the shortage of doctors out in the regions, absolutely nothing. It does nothing to address regional health. We have seen the disastrous state, particularly across New South Wales, of the hospitals and it is appalling.

We have heard over recent times the Prime Minister threaten to have a double dissolution on health. All I can say is bring it on, because this coalition will absolutely go toe to toe with the Prime Minister if he decides he wants to have a double dissolution on health. Bring it on. We know the Australian people do not trust him, we know the Australian people are starting to realise the amount of spin that is coming from this Prime Minister. It is all talk, no action. There is no plan for delivery on health and the Australian people know this, and they will tell the Prime Minister absolutely when we go to the next election what they think of his broken promises. (Time expired)

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight, following last week’s very positive reports regarding the state of the Australian economy, to discuss in particular the economy of my home state of South Australia. Australia has an economy which continues to set the benchmark for advanced economies around the world, with the national accounts showing a better than expected 0.9 per cent growth rate for the December quarter. As Treasurer Wayne Swan said last week, Australia has produced an economic outcome ‘which is the envy of the developed world’. While Australia may indeed be the envy of the world, it is with a great sense of pride that I take this opportunity to discuss the state which, without doubt, is the envy of Australia—that is, my home state of South Australia. South Australia, led by the Rann Labor government, continues to lead the nation in a number of key economic areas and is likely to continue to do so.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you are embarrassed about this and I know you do not want to hear it. Recently released statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics outline the excellent shape the South Australian economy is in. State final demand grew by 4.1 per cent through the year to the December quarter 2009, well above the 2.8 per cent growth recorded nationally. Figures from the Housing Industry Association also show that the South Australian housing market is heading in the right direction with a 22.2 per cent increase in building approvals for January over December. In comparison there was a seven per cent fall in building approvals nationally. South Australia can also boast the lowest unemployment rate in the country with South Australian unemployment falling to 4.4 per cent seasonally adjusted in January 2010, the lowest figure ever recorded in South Australia.

South Australia has worked hard to maintain strong economic conditions within the state. Once again South Australia has retained its prized AAA credit rating, which reflects the sound position of the state’s finances. Additionally, Adelaide continues to offer one of the most cost-competitive locations to set up and do business within Australia and consistently ranks among the world’s most liveable cities, according to a number of annual surveys and reports. It is little surprise that business investment is at near record highs with over $10.9 billion invested in the year to September quarter 2009. This represents a 47.8 per cent increase, compared with figures in 2000.

The mining industry in South Australia continues to expand at unprecedented levels, with significant increases in mining exploration and the expectation that production levels will increase in the future. Since 2002 South Australia has gone from having four mines to 11 and it is estimated that there will be at least 16 mines in operation by the end of this year. The potential for the South Australian mining industry is enormous, with Access Economics suggesting that the state could become the world’s next energy export powerhouse due to its uranium reserves. The mining industry in South Australia already supports around 30,000 jobs within the state and the Rann Labor government has pledged $18.2 million in further investments to assist in the growth of the industry.

South Australia continues to build on its reputation as Australia’s defence state with the recent opening of the Techport Australia facility, which will be used in the production and launching of the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer project. Over the next decade, this project alone will deliver some 3,000 jobs and an estimated $1.4 billion to the South Australian economy. South Australia has also managed to secure an additional $44 billion worth of defence projects which will be implemented over the next two decades, and other measures which will ensure the prosperity of the state long into the future.

In addition to a strong foundation provided by the state’s mining and defence industries, a number of major events are securing important tourism dollars for the state economy. Large crowd numbers at the Tour Down Under Project Tour cycling event in January brought in a record $41.5 million for the state economy and the event shows no signs of slowing down. The Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Adelaide Fringe are currently under way and always draw big crowds from interstate and overseas. In 2009 the Adelaide Fringe injected some $27.2 million and attracted over 29,000 visitors to the state, while the 2008 Adelaide Festival of Arts helped bring in over $14 million to the state economy. The two giant pandas, on loan from China to the Adelaide Zoo, are also expected to generate $632 million for the state during the next decade. In addition to providing an attraction no other Australian state can offer, the pandas are likely to provide a unique selling proposition to the Chinese when it comes to future investment opportunities in the state’s mining sector.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You haven’t got any Tasmanian devils.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No Tasmanian devils, but we have plenty of pandas. And we have plenty of wine and food. It is quite interesting that tonight we have one of Australia’s greatest chefs in Parliament House, Mr Cheong Liu, and his wife Mary. Last night, Cheong was recognised for his great contribution to the food industry with the lifetime achievement award by—

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a good night.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it was a very good night. Restaurant and Catering Australia acknowledged Cheong’s great contribution to the food industry, particularly as it relates to South Australia. He is not only one of Australia’s greatest chefs but, I think it would be fair to say, one of the world’s greatest chefs. I am sure he has been recognised in that capacity by other countries.

We have the tourism and we have the mining, but it does not end there. South Australia currently has over $71.5 billion worth of major projects either under way or in the pipeline, many of which are supported by the Rudd government. These projects consist of a number of green initiatives, including wind power farms which will ensure South Australia continues to set the benchmark for wind power generation in Australia. It is also worth mentioning that South Australia leads the way on other renewable energy initiatives including geothermal and solar. We had the geothermal industry here last night. Other projects announced by the Rann Labor government include the transformation of the former Mitsubishi site at Tonsley Park into a clean, green technology and manufacturing hub which will create huge employment opportunities within the state.

The Rudd and Rann Labor governments, working together as they always do, will continue to invest strongly in the state’s transportation infrastructure, including the soon-to-be-completed tramline extension to the newly upgraded Adelaide Entertainment Centre and a number of other transportation infrastructure initiatives. The Adelaide Oval redevelopment project is also a significant investment in South Australia’s future, with a 50,000-seat stadium planned that will enable it to host AFL and cricket matches at the one site, which it cannot do at the moment.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the same time?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, not at the same time; one after the other. When completed, the redeveloped oval is expected to inject significant funds into Adelaide’s businesses due to the increased number of patrons in the CBD. These projects, in addition to the many others currently underway or planned for the future, target a wide range of areas and reflect the Rann Labor government’s dedication to the targets outlined in the state’s strategic plan—a plan that will ensure that the state continues to flourish well into the future.

This, as it had to be, was a very brief overview of the excellent position of the South Australian economy and evidence of the hard work of South Australians. South Australia may not be the largest state, but under the Rann Labor government it will continue to be the envy of Australia with its ability to offer the perfect location to live, work and do business.