Federal Budget

Mr GEE (Napier) (15:31): Today, I want to raise my concerns about the recent federal budget and the impact it will have on families, young people and workers who live in my electorate. This budget provides very limited benefit to those in my electorate; however, this budget does give all South Australians a clear choice in the July 2016 federal election.

It is a choice between a plan for the wealthy, big business and big polluters, or a plan supporting education, health, jobs, the environment, and equality for women and the LGBTIQ community—a choice where school funding is based on the needs of our young people and those with autism, dyslexia and other learning difficulties that will require extra support, or schools that are funded based on performance with no reversal of the previous Liberal cuts, a choice where universities provide a chance for young people to attend based on their intelligence, or $100,000 degrees—an opportunity, again, only for the wealthy.

It is a choice where our hospitals are funded based on people's needs and no GP tax, or a system where your credit card gets a better workout than your Medicare card, and for ever-increasing out-of-pocket costs for hospital, doctor and specialist visits. An unaffordable $48 billion tax cut for all businesses including multinationals, or a small business tax cut which benefits the majority of businesses in Australia and a majority of businesses in my electorate of Napier. A personal tax cut for the wealthy, while family assistance is cut. I believe that an independent umpire should decide penalty rates, not the federal Liberal government. Those families who hoped that a change in prime minister would reverse the cuts to family payments have been left disappointed with this government, as it continues its attacks on families through reduced education funding, increased health costs and less support for families.

Young people should be offered real opportunities, not internships that have no ongoing prospect of future employment. We need a federal government that will fund quality education and training, with support for the wellbeing of young people. It is disgraceful that the federal Liberal government is cutting funding to mental health services in general, and specifically the headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program. It is essential that we provide good mental health care for our young people, with almost one-quarter of our young people now experiencing a mental health condition.

It is also disgraceful that the federal Liberal government is cutting funding to community legal service centres, as well as the Working Women's Centre. These services are essential to my constituents who may not be able to access legal representation. Only one side is investing in jobs and transition in the north, while the other is exporting jobs to Spain, and would have exported jobs to Japan as well if not for our strong state Labor government, the campaign by unions, and the public outrage towards the federal government for selling out South Australia in such a disgraceful way.

I thank Nick Champion, the member for Wakefield, and his federal colleagues for their advocacy and commitment to South Australia. I also thank John Camillo and the AMWU officials and members for protecting and delivering jobs for workers in South Australia. After promising to build 12 submarines in South Australia and then doing everything they could to get out of it, the federal government was forced to back down, but the public will not forget come July.

I support the long overdue electrification of the Gawler rail line and the ADLINK train network being delivered to create jobs and get more cars off our roads. I support real and direct action on climate change, a world-class NBN, and more support for women and children. This federal government and this Prime Minister have shown they have no compassion for those people in the LGBTIQ community, with the staged axing of the Safe Schools program and the promise to put the community through a very expensive and divisive debate over same-sex marriage.

The majority of Australians support marriage equality and robust antibullying programs. Bill Shorten and his team understand this and support all Australians. Voters have a choice between the future and the past, a choice between the rich and the poor, a choice between supporting families and young people or abandoning them, and a choice between a Medicare card and a credit card. The choice has never been clearer. I support a bright, united future for Australia, delivered by a united Shorten team.