State Budget

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-106126

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

State Budget

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (15:29:27):

Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER:

It is becoming an unfortunate practice for members to belittle other members based on stature. I am being serious. It is just getting a little bit tired and it is inappropriate. Irrespective of whether or not the member takes exception, I do not want to hear it anymore.

Mr MARK COURE:

My question is directed to the Treasurer. How does the State budget deliver for the people of New South Wales and are there any alternatives?

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (EppingTreasurer) (15:29:42):The Australian

— I love little Ryan. I loved his reply speech today. Budget reply day was my favourite day in this Parliament because it was the member for Keira's last speech as the interim acting temporary Leader of the Opposition. Maybe it was his last speech as shadow Treasurer. In fact, it is the first time in the Parliament's history that a budget reply speech has doubled as a valedictory speech. It is out—my favourite newspaper, , has just put up this headline: "Judgment delivered: NSW budget is 'envy of the world'." I thought the budget two years ago was the envy of the Western world. We have gone all the way and we have now taken over the eastern world as well. What do you think about that, member for Liverpool? We have taken over the east. The article says:

... the budget further enhances NSW's reputation as the best-run and most dynamic State economy in the country. This is a smart budget, making NSW the envy of the world ... The NSW government has been very strategic about its asset recycling program.

It goes on and on. I want to give a speech in a similar vein to the budget reply speech, because I think it was the best budget reply speech in the nine years that I have been in this place, by a long way—and that is because there were no Labor policies in it. In fact, there were no policies at all. It was hard for Ryan, given the circumstances that put him through all this. For the past three months he has been in here day in, day out.

Mr Paul Lynch:

Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 75. The use of the word "Ryan" is in breach of standing orders.

The SPEAKER:

Technically, I uphold that point of order.

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET:

It is hard for him to come up against such a strong Government with a strong budget that is strongly in surplus with negative net debt, record infrastructure investment, $5 billion in tax cuts, $2 billion dollars in cost-of-living measures, the lowest unemployment rate in the country and the greatest jobs growth in the country. Everywhere you look, this budget backs in everything that is great about the leadership on this side of the House. But there are a few things the member for Keira got wrong. As we know, he said he stands with farmers. We respect that he has backed in our policy, our $1.8 investment to help those in regional and remote communities. We know those opposite never would be able to fund it, but at least they support it. This was coming from a man who wanted to put taxes up on farmers in the middle of the drought. He complained about the Emergency Services Levy [ESL] in the budget reply, but failed to mention that Labor's proposal would have cost five times as much.

Extension of time

He raised the topic of homelessness—and fair enough—but he opposed the sale of the Sirius building, which will fund even more social housing across New South Wales. He talked about climate change and renewables, but Labor's solar policy in the election campaign did not contain batteries. What I am most proud about in this budget is that it helps people get ahead. As Treasurer, in government you can be focused on the big numbers and the major infrastructure projects, but behind every single one of those numbers are people who will get ahead as a result of our budget. These are real people with real stories, like Ryan from Keira. Every morning, Ryan wakes up and puts a nuisance call into 2SM and he drives up the main road in his luxury Audi—which, under this budget, will not have a luxury car tax—and he will qualify in this budget for half price rego. Thanks to our stamp duty cuts in this year's budget, Ryan has been able to buy five properties, including one in Potts Point, using negative gearing, which he opposes in public. He has become a bit of a property mogul. Despite all of this, Ryan finds time to advocate for homelessness, which we all support. []

Then there is Jo from Summer Hill, a working mum of three children, including twins. While just missing out on the baby bundle, she will soon be able to take advantage of our before and after school care. Jo is also very concerned about the growing drug use in our community. She feels a lot safer with our 1,500 new police, the use of sniffer dogs and our opposition to pill testing. Then we have Jodi from Strathfield. Jodi aspires to great things but her poor temperament lets her down. A transport enthusiast, she is looking forward to the opening of WestConnex and, having previously referred many of her colleagues to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, she supports new budget funding for a new public prosecutions unit and is looking forward to referring her colleagues there once again.

Chris from Kogarah is a lover of yum cha. Chris is looking for a party with bold ideas that stands for something, and he has found that new leadership with the Coalition. Chris is backing budgets focused on educational exports because, unlike Trish from the Blue Mountains, he knows the true value of Asians with PhDs. Then there is Michael from Maroubra. Thanks to our new digital driver licence he will never lose his licence again. If he does, he can get the light rail to the Allianz Stadium and try to put it back together again. Then there is Penny from Newtown, a quiet Australian but a loud Trump supporter. She is backing our sensible climate change policies and our new no interest loans for solar, and now backs our $1.4 billion climate change policy. Finally, I turn to outsider Walt from Toronto. He is soon to be unemployed, but he is in the right State. We have Paul from Liverpool, a devoutly religious man and daily mass goer, who now backs our approach on religious freedom. He knows that he can always back the Berejiklian-Barilaro Government to keep his freedoms alive.

Mr Paul Lynch:

Point of order: The Treasurer's answer breaches the standing orders, which state that this place is a parliament, not a circus.