Making the right choices to secure better days ahead

12 May 2017 Media release

This parliamentary sitting week demonstrated the Turnbull Government’s continuing commitment to our National Economic Plan for Jobs and Growth, underpinned by charting a fair and responsible path back to budget balance.

The centrepiece of the week was the introduction of the of the Budget bills and the passage of these bills in coming months will secure essential services for all Australians. The government will establish the Medicare Guarantee Fund that will be used to pay the expenses of the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme into the future. The government will also fully fund the Commonwealth’s contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) through the NDIS Savings Fund.

Leader of the House, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, said that the Budget contained the right choices to secure better days ahead for Australians.

“This week marks another week of delivery from the Turnbull government, in stark contrast to Labor who failed to properly fund policies such as the NDIS when last in government,” Mr Pyne said.

“We have given budget certainty where Labor left a black hole of debt to be repaid by future generations,” he said

Minister Pyne said that the budget was great news for all Australians, particularly in South Australia where the Turnbull Government is delivering on it’s historic commitment to naval shipbuilding.

“The Budget includes $10.6 billion in total payments to South Australia, in addition to the largest single investment in any one state or territory in the history of the Commonwealth – the $89 billion naval shipbuilding program which will directly benefit SA by creating more than 5000 jobs and thousands more jobs across the supply chain,” Mr Pyne said.

“The South Australian Government is so dysfunctional that they can’t keep the lights on, provide essential services like caring for the elderly and mentally ill, or manage the economy. In fact, they can’t even be bothered to submit business cases to Infrastructure Australia for projects they have issued hundreds of press releases about,” he said.

In the Turnbull Government’s Budget, there is $3.1 billion in infrastructure spending for SA. The Budget includes the reinstatement of supplementary road funding for local councils ($40 million over four years). This funding reverses a decision to take it out in the 2014 budget and it is a credit to Tony Pasin MP, Rowan Ramsey MP, and Nicolle Flint MP along with the SA Liberal Team that their strong advocacy for their state will result in real outcomes for South Australians.

A summary of the parliamentary week:

Bills introduced in the House

  • Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018 Bill 2017
    Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2017-2018 Bill 2017
    Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan No. 2) Bill 2017
  • Comcare and Seacare Legislation Amendment (Pension Age and Catastrophic Injury) Bill 2017
  • Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017
  • Higher Education Support Legislation Amendment (A More Sustainable, Responsive and Transparent Higher Education System) Bill 2017

Bills passed in the House (and available for debate in the Senate)

  • Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017

Senate amendments passed in the House

  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Bill 2016
  • Social Security Legislation Amendment (Youth Jobs Path: Prepare, Trial, Hire) Bill 2016

Bills passed in the Senate without amendments

  • Biosecurity Amendment (Ballast Water and Other Measures) Bill 2017
  • Disability Services Amendment (Linking Upper Age Limits for Disability Employment Services to the Pension Age) Bill 2017
  • Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017
  • Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017

Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017

  • Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Polar Code) Bill 2017
  • Personal Property Securities Amendment (PPS Leases) Bill 2017