The test for this year’s federal budget was for the Government to build on the strong position it inherited from the Coalition to address the cost of living crisis bearing down on families and businesses in Petrie.

Labor has failed this test.

This budget does nothing to assist your family budget.

This budget fails families in Petrie at a time when they really need a plan to address cost of living pressures.

This budget confirms that families in Petrie.

·         Your cost of living is going up.

·         Your power prices are going up (by more than 50%).

·         Your gas prices are going up (by 40%).

·         Taxes are going up (with $142 billion more receipts to be collected).

·         Unemployment is forecast to go up.

·         Real wages are forecast to go down.

·         Interest rates are continuing to go up.

It’s a high-taxing and high-spending budget that does nothing to help you or your family get ahead.

Just before the election, the Prime Minister told Australians that they “will be better off under a Labor government.”

In fact, by Christmas, the average Australian family will be at least $2,000 worse off.

The Coalition wants Australia to do well, but we are being hampered by a new government with no economic plan for the future.

Australians deserve better from a government that promised so much, but in its first economic test, has delivered very little.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Danielle Rossetto – danielle.rossetto@aph.gov.au – 07 3284 8008

Australia’s reality is Ukraine today could be East Asia Tomorrow

When a Chinese military fighter jet intercepted a RAAF plane in international airspace over the South China Sea last month setting off flares and releasing a load of aluminium chaff, threatening the safety of its Australian crew, they defied international law and conventions.

And we should heed Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s warning that what we are seeing play out in Europe today in Ukraine, upsetting the balance of world order, could be East Asia tomorrow.

Authoritarian governments around the world are destabilising our longest-ever period of relative global peace.

Most of us have not lived through a more treacherous period in history and as such, I am honoured to be appointed as Shadow Minister for Defence Industries.

I partner with my colleagues Andrew Hastie as Minister for Defence, Phillip Thompson OAM as Assistant Minister for Defence, and Barnaby Joyce as Minister for Veterans Affairs to uphold the strategic vision laid out by the Coalition government led by Peter Dutton for Australia’s national security.

I am proud to have been a part of the Coalition government that addressed the biggest issues impacting our national security and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel as part of that strategic vision:

• Commissioning the Afghanistan Inquiry Report to preserve Defence’s proud and respected reputation earned by professional and ethical personnel over decades
• Lifting ADF funding to 2% GDP addressing the budgetary cuts by previous Labor governments
• And making the difficult, but economically and militarily responsible decision to replace the French submarine deal with the nuclear submarine capability that comes with the trilateral security pact with the United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS).

We must accept the reality we have entered a dangerous new era in foreign relations, and I will challenge the current Labor government to have realistic conversations on how to best secure the peace going forward for Australia with an acceptance that Beijing will never recede and will not back off.

With Beijing’s increased militarisation, aggression in the South China Sea, economic coercion with Pacific Island neighbours and $20 billion in Australian trade sanctions, there has never been a more crucial time for liberal democracies around the world to deepen and strengthen ties to counteract the aggression.

A strong Australia is only possible with responsible government and our Shadow Defence Ministers will be closely monitoring this Labor government to ensure it acts in the interests of Australia.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Kimberley Washington – Kimberley.washington@aph.gov.au – 07 32848008

THE HON JOSH FRYDENBERG MP – Treasurer

THE HON CAMERON DICK – Treasurer

The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments have reached a 50/50 funding agreement that will see the value of the Queensland COVID-19 Business Support Grants rise from $260 million to $600 million.

As part of the package additional support for businesses that have had a decline in turnover of more than 30 per cent will include:

• A $1,000 one-off grant to non-employing sole traders across Queensland that have had a decline in turnover of more than 30 per cent.
• Payroll-based support for all businesses across Queensland, that have had a decline in turnover of more than 30 per cent.
  • A $5,000 one-off, top-up grant to small business with payroll of less than $1.3 million
  • A $10,000 one-off, top-up grant to medium sized business with payroll between $1.3 million and $10 million
  • A $25,000 one-off, top-up grant to large sized tourism and hospitality focused businesses only with payroll of greater than $10 million.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this new business support package recognises that the impact of lockdowns is felt right across Australia.

“The Morrison Government recognises the impact that lockdowns across the country are having on businesses in Queensland,” Treasurer Frydenberg said.

“This package will help to keep businesses in business and Queenslanders in jobs and builds on the almost $30 billion in economic support the Morrison Government has provided Queensland households and businesses during the pandemic.”

“As we have done so throughout this crisis, we will continue to work with the Palaszczuk Government to ensure the Queensland economy continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19.”

Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said the agreement would boost support, not just for businesses that have been affected by recent lockdowns, but by those that continue to suffer because of lockdowns in other jurisdictions.

“We know that across Queensland, the lack of international and interstate visitors is affecting businesses every day, especially those in tourism and hospitality,” Treasurer Dick said.

“This dollar-for-dollar agreement with the Federal Government will see Queensland’s contribution rise to $300 million and vastly increase the scope of support available to businesses right across the state.”

“From Monday 16 August, our $5000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants program will be open to businesses across Queensland, but this agreement with the Federal Government is in addition to that and means that we will be able to extend our support even further.”

“It comes on top of the nearly $70 million in additional support and benefits for Queensland tourism and hospitality businesses that I announced earlier this week.”

“I want to thank Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg for his rapid response to the evolving impact that COVID-19 is having on businesses right across Queensland.”

Full details about the program can be accessed at www.business.qld.gov.au/supportgrants

Social media and tech companies will be expected to protect their users from online harms such as
bullying and cyber abuse under a new set of Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) released for
public consultation today by the Morrison Government.

Following the passage in June of the tough new Online Safety Act 2021, Australians are now
encouraged to have their say on the BOSE, which sets out a series of demands to big tech that reflect
how the community expects to be kept safe online.

Under the BOSE, online providers will be subject to core expectations, additional expectation and
reasonable steps to ensure the safety of users on their platforms. While core expectations include
taking actions to deal with longstanding harms such as cyberbullying or kids accessing violent
material, reasonable steps could include actions against such emerging risks such as ‘volumetric
attacks’ where ‘digital lynch mobs’ seek to overwhelm a victim with abuse; or that products for
children have the highest privacy and safety settings set as default.

Other expectations include:

• That providers take steps to prevent children accessing class 2 material such as R18+ content;
• That services do more to prevent unlawful or harmful material on anonymous accounts;
• That providers take steps against cyber-bullying, non-consensual intimate images of a person
  and promotion, incitement or instruction in abhorrent violent conduct; and
• That users have clear ways to make reports or complaints to services.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner will have the power to order tech companies to report on how they
are responding to these harms and issue hefty fines of up to $555,000 if they don’t respond.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP,
said online safety was a priority of the Government: “We we will always fight to protect all Australians, but
especially children, from online harm and we expect big tech to step up and deliver on these expectations.”

Consultation is now open for all Australians to have your say on the proposed BOSE. After
considering feedback, the Minister will make the final BOSE in early 2022. Submissions are open until
Friday 15 October 2021.

More information, including how to participate, is available at
www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say/draft-online-safety-basic-online-safety-expectations-determination-2021-consultation
Media contact:
Imre Salusinszky | 0432 535 737 | Imre.Salusinszky@communications.gov.au
Erin Forster | 0448 207 414 | Erin.Forster@communications.gov.au