Celia Hammond: Gridlock and chaos will ensue if there is an unstable hung Parliament

Australia has been through very challenging times over the past two years and most voters clearly want to get on with their lives and put the pandemic behind them. What has become very clear to me as I’ve spoken with thousands of voters in Curtin during this election campaign is that they want to elect a government that can make decisions, work to a plan and deliver results for them. To achieve the results the voters want, the government they choose on Saturday must be stable and have a plan to grow our economy as we recover from the pandemic. The last thing Australia needs is the gridlock and chaos that will ensue if there is an unstable hung Parliament. A government subject to the whims and competing demands of a rabble of “independents” and Greens would be a disaster for Australia. I ask the voters of Curtin to think very carefully about the consequences for you and your family before voting for an “independent”, especially when they are largely funded by anti-WA Eastern States interests. Last time, the “independents” did a deal with Labor and the Greens, the results were a disaster for WA. There is nothing surer than this being a recipe for chaos and gridlock in Parliament again. A weak leader like Labor’s Anthony Albanese would be pulled in different directions by competing demands every day, leading to a government that can’t act decisively or get things done. It would be a repeat of the Gillard years. There would be harmful policies that would hurt West Australians, with reckless spending and higher taxes that would weaken our economy. The independents may refuse to reveal their policies or what they’ll cost, but we know what the Greens want: an inheritance tax; abolition of the private healthcare rebate, slashing of private school funding and cutting defence spending in half. Anytime higher taxes are on the table, West Australians know that Labor is likely to come after the mining industry which drives the economic success of this State and the nation. What fewer of us have heard is that the independent candidate in Curtin has been on the record as recently as May 13 saying she is open to looking at a mining tax in the context of broader tax reform. This should send a shiver down the spine of all West Australians who rely on the mining industry for their livelihood. Only a re-elected Morrison Government will keep its hands off the mining and resources sector in WA. We have never endorsed anti-WA mining and carbon taxes like Labor, the Greens and the independents. Our Government understands Western Australia and what drives it. It was Scott Morrison as Treasurer who devised and delivered the GST deal that returns $5.9 billion to this State this year. That is $4.6b more than what WA would have received this year if the old, unfair system had not been fixed. I’m also heartened as I meet with Curtin voters to hear the stories, from business owners in particular, about how JobKeeper enabled them to keep their businesses going and keep workers employed during the pandemic. We know that more than 700,000 jobs were saved by JobKeeper across Australia. In Curtin, JobKeeper supported 9400 businesses and 24,200 employees through the pandemic. That kept them connected to their place of work, setting the groundwork for the recovery. The Government also supported business in Curtin through the pandemic with the tax-free cash flow boost which helped around 6600 small and medium businesses providing $328 million in payments. That support helped drive Australia’s comeback from the pandemic which now JUmeans our recovery leads the world, faster and stronger than the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Unemployment is at 4 per cent — the equal lowest in 48 years and is predicted to go as low as 3.5 per cent and our Budget delivered the biggest improvement to the Budget bottom line in more than 70 years. Australia is one of just nine countries to hold a AAA credit rating from the three leading credit agencies. And we are the party of lower taxes and we have delivered on this promise and continue to deliver. About 54,700 taxpayers in Curtin will benefit from tax relief of up to $1500 this year, made up of the $1080 low and middle income tax offset and a $420 cost of living tax offset. The Government’s Tax Plan has already benefited 76,400 people in Curtin. And the Government remains committed to reducing emissions to net zero by 2050 and doing it through technology, not new taxes. Supported by the Government’s policies, 15,700 rooftop solar panels have been installed in Curtin. Since coming to office, the Government has also supported 2369 clean energy projects in WA through the Government’s green bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. I’ve learnt throughout my career and now during my term in Parliament that the way to get things done is by working as part of a team. As the member for Curtin I’ve listened to the voters and I care passionately about this community. I’m a local member who has a record of local delivery and plan for the future of the Curtin electorate. And I’m a local member with a strong voice inside a Government that is getting things done, is managing a strong economy and can provide stability in uncertain times. Celia Hammond is the Liberal Federal Member for Curtin.