Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is interesting to follow the contribution from the member for Lilley; and it is instructive to note there is no admission, again, of the fact that for six years he presided over accumulated deficits of some $130-odd billion dollars. He makes no recognition of the fact that as a government we are now left to pick up the mess left by that previous government and bring the House back into order. I thank the member for Ryan for bringing this motion to the House and highlighting the investment of the coalition government in my home state of Queensland.

The member for Ryan touched on the fact that the Commonwealth is increasing funding to Queensland by some $5.8 billion over the next four years. Despite the tough budget conditions inherited from the previous Labor government we are increasing funding to hospitals by some 40 per cent and funding to schools by some 47 per cent. I note that schools in Forde, as a result of this funding increase, will receive over the next four years some $4.8 million of additional funding under the government's Great Results Guarantee—funding which schools in my electorate would not have received under the previous Labor government. I would suggest to the member for Rankin, the member for Griffith and the member for Moreton, who are here in the House, and even to the member for Lilley: there would be schools in their electorates which will also receive additional funding which they would not have received if Labor had been re-elected to government. But we do not hear them speak about those matters.

Also, as a result of the repeal of the carbon tax, the Queensland government has some $150 million of additional funds in its budget to allocate for the provision of services to the great state of Queensland. I also commend the government for investing some $13.4 billion to build the infrastructure which is desperately needed in Queensland: $6.7 billion towards fixing the Bruce Highway and almost $1.3 billion towards the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing. I know the Minister for Industry, Mr Macfarlane, has been fighting very hard for that for many years. One billion dollars goes towards the Gateway Motorway North Upgrade. In the electorate of Forde we have received a contribution of $3 million towards the revitalisation of the Beenleigh CBD, which is a joint project with Logan City Council; the Queensland state government is throwing in some funding as well. The whole objective of this project is to turn Beenleigh into a thriving regional hub. This project has been in the making for more than 20 years and it is heartening to see that finally, under this government, we have received the funding necessary for the project to progress. I would also like to thank the Beenleigh Yatala Chamber of Commerce and many other businesses and local community groups for their support for this project. It is part of my bigger vision for the Beenleigh area that the Beenleigh CBD and surrounding region can provide jobs and employment opportunities for those living in the area.

It is promising to see the coalition government's continuing commitment to infrastructure across Forde. Some of the biggest issues we face stem from a failure of infrastructure to keep up with the pace of growth. I recently had the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure in the electorate to discuss issues to do with the M1 from Loganholme to Daisy Hill; we are talking to the state government about further matters in that regard. We will continue to work with the local community to build our infrastructure requirements, but I note we have spent nearly $1 million from proceeds of crime legislation on upgrading our CCTV network around the electorate of Forde as well. There are more projects we are working on in that space.

This is a government that is prepared to invest in our local communities for the benefit of all concerned, and in Queensland particularly. I thank the government for its investment in the future of our great state.

See this speech in context