It’s coming to the end of the final sitting week of the year in Canberra.
My job as the Member for Flynn and as a member of the opposition is to hold the Federal Government to account.
This week I spoke on four important issues. These were the cost-of-living crisis, the loss and damage fund, franking credits, and nuclear energy. All issues are directly relevant to the Flynn electorate.
Cost-of-living Crisis
The number one issue that I hear when travelling around the electorate of Flynn is how people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. I introduced a Motion into the House of Representatives on Monday as more must be done to support families through this extremely difficult time.
I have been inundated by emails and calls from retirees, families and working people that are hurting every time they go to the supermarket, every time they open their electricity bill, every time they get a letter from their bank announcing an interest rate rise and every time they fill up at the bowser.
This Government needs to focus on the issues that matter to Australians and deliver a real and comprehensive plan to ease inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
Loss and Damage Fund
Despite ruling out support for Australian households and businesses struggling with skyrocketing power prices, as forecast in the Federal Budget, the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions
Reduction, Chris Bowen, has happily handed over a blank cheque to other nations through a compensation scheme called the “Loss and Damage” Fund, for which there is no detail.
The fund is to compensate developing and climate-vulnerable countries hit hardest by worsening weather extremes.
A report supported by the United Nations suggests that a loss and damage fund will cost upwards of 1 trillion dollars per year. If Australia produces 1.6% of global carbon emissions, then presumably, Australia’s contribution to the loss and damage fund will be 16 billion per annum. This is economic insanity.
It is time to put Australia first.
Franking Credits
Before the election both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer promised Australian retirees and investors that there would be no changes to franking credits.
Despite ruling out this policy back in March 2022, Labor has broken a key election promise and hit retirees and investors with a new $555 million tax – depriving investors of franking credits that they have previously relied on, especially for retirement security.
Every Australian benefits from the franking credit system – whether through their own investments or their super fund.
Australians deserve certainty when planning their investments and their retirement, and Australians do not deserve to be taxed twice.
Nuclear Energy
My last speech of the week was centred around nuclear energy. I spoke about the overwhelming benefits of Australia utilising this form of energy.
Nuclear power is safe and has resulted in far fewer deaths than that from dam failures, oil rig explosions and even, on some measures, the number of people that fall when installing solar panels.
Nuclear does less damage to the natural environment than other energy options. Wind energy takes up 250 times more land than nuclear power and solar takes up 150 times more land.
Between 1965 and 2018 the world spent $2 trillion on nuclear compared to $2.3 trillion for solar and wind, yet nuclear today produces around double the amount of electricity than that of solar and
wind and is 95% reliable while solar and wind are 25 per cent and 35 per cent respectively.
Support for nuclear power is growing. A Lowy Institute poll last year found a majority would support removing the ban on nuclear power for the first time. In 2011, only 35% were in favour of nuclear power.
It’s important that Australia plans for the future, and I believe nuclear power is the answer to our energy needs.
