Telecommunications, and in particular the National Broadband Network (NBN), are at the front of Calare voters’ minds as they go to the federal election this Saturday, according to Labor candidate for Calare Jess Jennings.
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Campaigning in Mudgee this week, Mr Jennings said voters feel that the NBN originally proposed by Labor has been downgraded by the Turnbull government.
The fibre-to-the-node system being implemented will need to be rebuilt in the future, costing billions of dollars and another decade of work, he said.
“The real solution is fibre to the premises and Labor’s policy is to deliver as much fibre as possible.
“I think NBN is an icon issue that represents the Turnbull.Abbot government’s approach to policy in that in most cases they have taken excellent Labor initiatives and trashed them.”
Mr Jennings said Calare voters will also lose if they vote for Nationals candidate Andrew Gee, as a result of cuts to Medicare, Gonski education funding and childcare support for working families.
“Ten per cent of people claim 60 per cent of the benefits that are paid out and that is grossly unfair.”
The Turnbull Government’s $54 billion in tax cuts for corporations would come at the expense of Medicare and education.
“Ninety per cent of Calare workers, just like most workers in Mudgee, totally missed out on the Coalition’s income tax cut for people on over $80,000, which at the same time gave millionaires an incredibly unfair tax break of $16,715,” he said.
“And for the 1253 people people with a severe disability in the Mid-Western Region – which is 17 per cent above the national average – only Labor’s NDIS will be good enough – not the Liberals down-graded version like they did to the NBN.”
Mr Jennings said Labor’s proposed spending on rural roads, health and education would equate to only 0.2 per cent of GDP difference to the Coalition promises over 10 years, with both parties arriving at a budget surplus at the same time.
Savings would come from Labor’s proposed changes to negative gearing, he said.
“Negative gearing has next to no impact in rural areas,” he said. “Ten per cent of people claim 60 per cent of the benefits that are paid out and that is grossly unfair.”
