SUBJECT: Federal Budget
DAN GLOVER:
Federal budget was released last night but what does it mean for the North West? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Bernie Ripoll MP is here to tell you.
Good morning.
BERNIE RIPOLL:
G'day, Dan. How are you going?
DAN GLOVER:
Good. So what is in the budget for someone in the North West?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, the first thing that's in the budget is jobs and growth. It's very much focused on those two core principals. It's about making responsible savings, $42 billion worth of savings. But very importantly it's about maintaining a strong economy, making sure we've got growth, and that just means people have got jobs in the North as they do in other parts of the country.
DAN GLOVER:
So what kind of specific projects in the budget should someone in the North West be excited about today?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Certainly infrastructure. One of the key things that Labor has done since coming to power in 2007 is invest heavily in infrastructure. Roads, rail, and port. And everyone in Queensland in particular, particularly in the North, understands that infrastructure is a key driver of jobs and growth and we're continuing to do that. We've invested specifically in areas through the whole Kennedy electorate and other parts to make sure that we can do our part.
If one thing's for certain though in terms of what Tony Abbott has promised, and that's they're going to get back to their knitting, which is not to invest in infrastructure and they've already told Campbell Newman that fact.
DAN GLOVER:
Although when you say you've been supporting infrastructure, the Member for Maranoa, Bruce Scott, is quite upset with the fact that the regional Infrastructure Fund has been cut. What about that though?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, that's what the Liberal Party would be saying. The fact is that we've had record investment in the North and in particular in Queensland, specifically in the area of roads, the Bruce Highway, other areas. We're putting money on the table today. We're putting money on the table now. We have done in past budgets and we'll continue to do that.
DAN GLOVER:
Now, I also heard the changes to farm financing, some schemes for that in the budget. Can you explain to me what that actually means? What will a farmer get out of these farm financing changes?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, once the Queensland Government agree and approve, we'll be working through state mechanisms. But what it means is $60 million in low interest loans to each and every state and Northern Territory specifically for farmers. That'll be delivered through the current existing mechanisms, for example, like the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority.
As I said, we're waiting on approval from Campbell Newman, which I suspect we'll get, of course. But that finance - that farm finance will provide also extra financial counsellors and specifically, we have an officer now allocated to Queensland Gulf region and we've also announced new farm household allowance which will be an extra $100 million particularly to assist farmers in hardship.
We understand farmers do it tough, particularly when there's droughts, particularly when there's high Australian dollar. Good news, I just heard on your program before though, that the Australian dollar is coming down and I'm very pleased about that because it means more opportunity for Australians and particularly farmers.
DAN GLOVER:
Now, we spoke to Bob Katter, our Federal Member, a little bit earlier, and he was a bit angry about the baby bonus being cut. Why has that been cut?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, look, we've always supported supporting families and the baby bonus has been an integral part of that. The reality is that it's a very expensive program and we've cut it because that's in line with our budget savings. It's fiscally responsible.
And honestly, look, people can't have it both ways. You can't say to us stop spending. We have to find savings, areas to do that and we believe that's the most efficient way to do it. It's effective. It's not a complete cut. It's been a reduction. And I think that's the appropriate way to do it.
DAN GLOVER:
Well, here's a little gnaw of what Bob Katter told me this morning.
[Excerpt from interview]
BOB KATTER:
We, the people of North Queensland, are being skinned to the tune of $4-5000 million a year. Now, what we're taking about here is $100,000 off every family in North Queensland. That's what we've been cheated out of. Four to five thousand million dollars a year because just a dollar went to where it should be when it was allowed to free-float under Keating went to 46. When it was allowed to free-float under Costello, it went to 52. And then both of them drove it up.
Costello drove it up from 52 cents up to 90 cents and he skited about how it was a reflection and a vote of confidence by commercial interests throughout the world in the Australian economy.
Listen, you jackrabbit. It's a vote of - that you're an imbecile and you know as much about economics as I know about outer space.
[End of excerpt]
DAN GLOVER:
So Bernie Ripoll, Bob Katter's got some pretty alarming figures and he says you're stripping away from families. Is that right?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, I can't answer everything that Bob puts forward. I mean, there's a lot there. Look, all I can tell you is that there's lots of numbers there. I won't particularly debate any of those. But the reality of the fact is that we've increased and have been the proponents of family assistance, which goes to all Australians and just as much equally in the North.
We've not cut any of the spending in terms of small business in particular. It's a great advantage and I agree with Bob in terms of him pointing to the high Australian dollar as a problem. The good news is that upon announcing yesterday, the Australian dollar fell and has fallen significantly in the last few weeks and that's a really good story. That's good news for Australia. And that's reflective of the work that we've been doing as a Government.
It's also reflected by the fact Australia has an economy and it's a good economy, although it's tough. It's tough for individual people, but the measure of anything in an economy is whether you've got a job or not. In Australia, people have got jobs. They're working hard. We understand it is a tough environment, but compared to any other economy in the world, you pick it, the US, Germany, France, Europe, anywhere else, we are doing better and we need to continue to do that.
But it's done through really good sound fiscal responsibility, savings where they need to be made, $42 billion worth of them in this budget. It's spending where it needs to be made, whether it's infrastructure, roads, rail, and port, whether it's NBN, whether it's in education. And I'd say to you or your listeners, you know, next time you go to a school or drive past one, have a look at the money we've spent on science labs, school halls, and other infrastructure, as well as extra teachers, because this is how we'll drive the Australian economy into the future. It's about jobs and growth.
DAN GLOVER:
It's 24 to 11 on ABC North West Queensland and you're hearing from Bernie Ripoll MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, about what was in last night's budget for you in the North West.
Now, Bernie Ripoll, last night there wasn't any mention of the cattle industry and I think a lot of graziers in our region were hoping that that would be mentioned because the cattle industry in North West is really on its knees and they're hoping there'd be some support. Why was that not discussed?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Well, it has been discussed and it's been discussed at very high levels and within Cabinet. Minister Ludwig attended the graziers crisis summit in Richmond. That was a gathering of local graziers in the Queensland Gulf region to specifically talk about these issues. There's an opportunity for all those concerns to be aired.
We acknowledge - we have no doubt that some people are doing it very tough. There's a whole range of pressures facing producers at this current moment and we're responding to that. We've done that through our farm finance package, as you already know and we've talked about. That's now on the table and we expect that to flow very soon.
And we're also looking at everything that's available to us to work with farmers. But don't forget there's a whole range of other things that come into support primary producers. There's a number of tax offsets that are available. The Government co-invests around $40 million annually, matching funding for research development and other things.
There are tax deductions that are available specifically for that particular area and tax concessions as well. So we're doing all we can. Some of the best news that we'll get though is with the lowering of the Australian dollar. You know, obviously some of the low interest loans, making sure that people can survive in some tough drought conditions and current economic conditions as well.
DAN GLOVER:
Before we let you go, another big issue that's very important to people in our region, particularly to those in the Gulf Country is subsidies for satellite phones. Will that subsidy continue under this budget?
BERNIE RIPOLL:
Look, I don't have the specifics on that. That's something that's very specific but I'm happy to get an answer for you. Look, I'm unaware whether that's changed or not but happy to find out.
DAN GLOVER:
No worries. Well, Bernie Ripoll, thanks for your time this morning and hopefully we'll be able to check in with you again soon.
BERNIE RIPOLL:
My pleasure. Thanks very much.
DAN GLOVER:
Bernie Ripoll, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, speaking about what was in last night's budget for you in the North West.