Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) over the next four years, total annual Commonwealth funding to Queensland is increasing by around $5.8 billion (including GST);

(b) despite the tight budget conditions, the Commonwealth is increasing annual funding for Queensland hospitals by 40 per cent, and schools by 47 per cent, over the next four years; and

(c) this represents a combined increase in funding to Queensland schools and hospitals of over 40 per cent by 2017-18, on 2013-14 funding levels;

(2) commends the Government for investing $13.4 billion to build the infrastructure of the 21st century for Queensland, including:

(a) $6.7 billion towards fixing the Bruce Highway; and

(b) almost:

  (i) $1.3 billion towards the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing; and

  (ii) $1 billion towards the upgrade of the Gateway Motorway North; and

(3) notes that the Queensland Government estimated the impact of the carbon tax to be $148 million in its 2013-14 state budget and its repeal will help support jobs and investment.

I am delighted to move this motion and I am pleased to see my Queensland colleagues, the member for Herbert, Mr Jones, who is in the chamber, and I note the member for Forde and the member for Capricornia are both listed to speak. The facts are that this coalition government is dealing with the legacy of debt, deficit and fiscal disaster left to us by the former Labor-Greens alliance, who thought it was fine to borrow vast amounts of money with absolutely no plans for paying it back. But, worse than that, they locked their borrowing plan in the years, hanging a millstone around the neck of future governments and generations of Australian children.

In Queensland, the Newman government is also saddled with massive debt from nearly 20 years of Labor fiscal ineptitude, and now they face the prospect of a Palmer United Party inspired Senate witch hunt backed by Labor and the Greens that will cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, continuing and demonstrating the fiscal irresponsibility of those three parties.

Yet, against this background and contrary to the misinformation spread by the Labor opposition, the coalition is still able to provide $5.8 billion in funding to Queensland for various key projects. The coalition is the highest education funding government in history as well as spending record amounts on infrastructure and giving my home state of Queensland funding for key projects.

One of those, of course, is the massive $6.7 billion that is being committed to fix the Bruce Highway, to floodproof it so that in the cyclone season towns, cities and producers are not cut off for days and weeks at a time. This is the government that sees problems an acts to fix them. The much-needed second range crossing in Toowoomba will receive $1.3 billion. This is much-needed driver to improve access to drive productivity increases in the agricultural sector in the rich farmlands west of Brisbane. The Gateway Motorway is also being funded, with $1 billion for this neglected area of traffic congestion.

Neglect and debt—a familiar tale in every state and territory which has had Labor leadership. And not just funding for infrastructure—over the next four years federal funding in health for Queenslanders will rise by 40 per cent on 2013-14 levels. That is right: not a cut but an increase of 40 per cent. So much for the false Chicken Little complaints that we hear from the opposition and Queensland Labor. This coalition government is actually increasing spending. The truth that our government does more for health than they ever did is indeed a bitter pill for Labor to swallow.

Education in Queensland will also get an extra 47 per cent over the next four years, yet somehow we hear constantly how the coalition has cut funding to education. It is not just direct funding that has made a difference to Queensland. The axing of the carbon tax has saved Queensland taxpayers another $148 million. This ill-conceived and badly executed economy-wide tax on families and businesses is well gone. It is better to have an empty house than a bad tenant, as they say, and not one family in this country should be sad to see this bad tax repealed.

The Abbott coalition government is the best friend Queenslanders had in at least seven years. Just imagine what we could have done if we had followed a competent government like the Howard government to see how much more we could have achieved. The fact is that the Abbott coalition government is delivering for the people of Australia and is delivering for my own home state of Queensland. I am delighted that my colleagues will be elaborating on those details. I commend this motion to the house.

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