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representatives vote 2020-02-27#7
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2020-04-03 11:01:06
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Title
Bills — Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2019-2020, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2019-2020; Second Reading- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2019-2020 and another - Second Reading - Stop Mr Pearce from speaking
Description
<p class="speaker">Gladys Liu</p><p>I will just quote some examples. Avila College in Mount Waverley is able to upgrade its classroom technology. The $20,000 spent on this upgrade will make a real difference to the quality of education there. Laburnum Primary School in Blackburn and St Francis Xavier Primary School were both able to invest $20,000 to upgrade their STEM facilities. The Old Orchard Primary School in Blackburn North is able to offer a dynamic learning hub to its students. Education is one of this government's highest priorities and we will continue to invest in future generations.</p><p>Australians work extremely hard and should be entitled to keep more of what they earn. This government legislated tax relief for low- and middle-income earners of up to $1,080 for single-income earners and $2,160 for dual-income families. This immediately eases the cost of living. The ALP went to the last election promising $387 billion of higher taxes, and these are only the planned tax increases we know of. The Labor Party promised to raise taxes on retirees, on renters, on home owners, on family businesses and, sadly, on hardworking Australians. I simply do not know how the Labor Party can face the 71,469 taxpayers in my electorate of Chisholm currently benefitting from tax relief and say they would have been better off under Labor.</p>- The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-02-27.28.11) to stop Braddon MP [Gavin Pearce](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/braddon/gavin_pearce) (Liberal) from speaking, which means Mr Pearce can continue. This type of motion is known as a 'gagging order' and was introduced by Fowler MP [Chris Hayes](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/fowler/chris_hayes) (Labor).
<p>When our budget is strong our communities are strong because we are able to fund activities like the Stronger Communities Program. Helping local communities in the good work that they do is important, and something this government is proud of. Helping groups like the Blackburn Vikings basketball association replace their backboards and rings, or providing $600,000 to the Laburnum Cricket Club to upgrade their awning is important. The money this government is able to provide can make a real difference. We are able to do the small things that sometimes can go unnoticed.</p><p>The government has delivered the first balanced budget in 11 years, and our economy is predicted to grow faster than similar developed nations—the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and the UK—both this year and next. This is no accident. The economic leadership shown by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer means that our nation's finances are in a better place. The community I represent in this place is better off for it. Thank you.</p> <p class="speaker">Gavin Pearce</p><p>I appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2019-2020 and cognate bill. Today I want to talk about Tasmania and the fact that Tasmania is now known as the turnaround state. For a long time, we were the nation's cellar-dwellers against almost every economic measure. The latest CommSec <i>State of the s</i><i>tates </i>report proves this is no longer the case. In fact, today we have the fastest-growing economy in the nation. Tasmania's revival started in 2013 and 2014 with the election of the coalition government federally and a majority of Liberal governments at the state level. Our state growth has been around 3.3 per cent in the last 12 months and that was the highest rate of growth in almost a decade. On a per capita basis we have the fastest-growing economy in the country, almost double the national average. Importantly, though, our economy is broad-based, with almost every sector growing. Retail trade has grown in 50 consecutive months. Exports are particularly strong. And there's been a positive momentum in our strong economy which has resulted in increases in tourism, business confidence, population growth and infrastructure investment throughout our state.</p><p>I congratulate the former Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman. We will miss Will. He's done a fantastic job, but we look forward to Peter Gutwein's leadership. Although Tasmania only occupies two per cent of the landmass of Australia, it receives nine per cent of the rainfall within Australia. But we also have 25 per cent of Australia's fresh water in storage, and this storage is important to my story today in support of these appropriation bills. Through our Tranche 3 irrigation, our irrigation systems have proved immensely positive for the state's growth. In this time of drought, and as it hits home, access to water is priority No. 1. We in Tasmania, and I as a farmer, recognise that irrigation water is liquid gold for all Tasmanian farmers. Access to water right across our irrigation schemes is allowing farmers to diversify, to value-add and to expand their existing farming operations.</p><p>The Hodgman and Morrison governments are jointly investing $170 million into our Pipeline to Prosperity Tranche 3 irrigation system, with the Don, Sassafras and Wesley Vale projects in the electorate of Braddon progressing through the planning and approval processes which will provide liquid gold to our farmers. Feedback has been extremely positive with the Don scheme near Devonport on track for likely approvals early in 2020, with construction likely to start late next year. Local farmers have also expressed interest in exceeding 5,000 megalitres, more than triple the 1,300 meg originally proposed for the Sassafras and Wesley Vale schemes. Our Pipeline to Prosperity is providing farmers in each district with the confidence to invest in growing their businesses even further. It is estimated that, when fully implemented, Tranche 3 irrigation projects could deliver 78,000 megs of water to farmer, create 2½ thousand jobs, and increase annual on-farm production by $114 million.</p><p>To date, Tasmanian irrigation has delivered 14 projects under Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, which had the capacity to deliver approximately 100,000 megalitres of highly reliable irrigation water to Tasmanian farmers—liquid gold! And we've put the infrastructure in place to ensure this is captured. The Morrison and Gutwein governments are in lock step with our plan to grow the farmgate value of Tasmania's agricultural sector. <i>(Quorum formed)</i></p><p>I will continue with how irrigation and our liquid gold capture is improving the GDP of Tasmania and pushing it forward to being the industry leader in agriculture throughout the nation. I'm now going to talk about how we're going to get this agricultural produce to market, and that's important.</p><p>We're investing in roads too. The Morrison government's $100 billion transport infrastructure investment across Australia is important and moving Australia forward. My constituents, who are driving around Braddon, are not belting along a freeway. We don't spend much time in traffic jams, but this investment and what it will do is to ensure that everyone in my area can get home safely to their loved ones. As an investment in our area, it will also improve travel times and reliability. It will also make our national highway, the Bass Highway, safe for all road users.</p><p>The Cooee to Wynyard Planning Study is a great example of how the federal Liberal government keeps its promises in Tasmania, particularly in my electorate of Braddon. We said we'd pay for a study to be undertaken identifying the stress on this highway, and that study's been completed and it's thorough and it will move Tasmania forward, as it will our vehicles along that system.</p><p>During the election campaign the Prime Minister visited Braddon on many occasions, and further committed to a $40 million increase in delivering a recommended—</p> <p class="speaker">Sharon Bird</p><p>I'll interrupt the member for Braddon. The member seeks the call?</p> <p class="speaker">Chris Hayes</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That the Member be no longer heard.</p> <p class="speaker">Tony Smith</p><p>The question is that the member for Braddon be no further heard.</p>
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