One hundred days ago, you elected a new government.
The Australian people voted for a government that would build a stronger economy so that everyone can get ahead. You voted to scrap the carbon tax, end the waste, stop the boats and build the roads of the 21st century.
These commitments were outlined in the Coalition’s Real Solutions Plan to build a strong and prosperous economy and a safe and secure Australia.
Notwithstanding the difficulties we inherited, the Government is purposefully, carefully and methodically putting in place policies that will help families get ahead secure jobs.
As part of this Plan, the Coalition promised to take a number of specific actions within our first 100 days. In the first 100 days, the Government committed to:
- Introduce legislation to scrap Labor’s carbon and mining taxes.
- Notify the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) that is should suspend its operations and introduce legislation to shut-down the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
- Establish Operation Sovereign Borders, a military-led response to combat people-smuggling.
- Appoint a three-star military commander to lead Operation Sovereign Borders.
- Appoint Major General Jim Molan as the Operation Sovereign Borders Special Envoy.
- Expand offshore processing capacity at Nauru and Manus Island.
- Conduct Ministerial visits to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nauru and Papua New Guinea to discuss operational matters.
- Scrap Labor’s $1.8 billion Fringe Benefits Tax hit on the car industry.
- Provide the Australian Victims of Terrorism Overseas Payment to those Australians and their families who have been harmed by acts of terror since 10 September 2001.
- Establish a full judicial inquiry into the Rudd Government’s home insulation programme.
- Established the National Commission of Audit to identify waste and bring government back to a manageable size.
- Appoint a Minister for Trade and Investment.
- Establish the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Panel, chaired by Mr Warren Mundine.
- Establish the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council, chaired by Dr Maurice Newman AC.
- Task the Productivity Commission with an inquiry into how the child care system can be made more flexible, affordable and accessible for Australian families.
- Establish a rapid but rigorous strategic review of NBN Co’s progress and costs.
We said we would do these things and we have delivered on those promises. The report I release today details that progress.
We are doing what we said we would do.
The Government is also getting on with delivering is longer term agenda. We have:
- Successfully concluded negotiations with the Republic of Korea for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will be worth $5 billion to the Australian economy between 2015 and 2030.
- Progressed work with the states to build the roads of the 21st century, including WestConnex in Sydney, the East West Link in Melbourne, the Gateway Motorway upgrade in Brisbane, the North-South Road Corridor in Adelaide, the Midland Highway upgrade in Tasmania, the Swan Valley bypass in Perth, completion of the Pacific Highway in New South Wales and upgrades to the Bruce Highway in Queensland.
- Signed Memoranda of Understanding to establish one-stop-shops for environmental approvals with all states and territories.
- Scrapped Labor’s cap on self-education expenses, making life easier for teachers, nurses and tradies.
- Scrapped most of the nearly 100 announced, but not enacted, tax changes that were inherited from Labor – meaning lower taxes, less paperwork and more certainty.
- Launched the first stage of the New Colombo Plan, with over 700 Australian students set to benefit from the programme in 2014.
- Provided environmental approvals for major projects worth $180 billion, meaning more investment and more jobs.
I am proud of what the new Government has delivered in the first 100 days.
Since the commencement of Operation Sovereign Borders, illegal arrivals by boat have reduced by around 80 per cent. The legislation to scrap the carbon tax makes it clear that average families will benefit by $550 a year when that toxic tax is removed.
My pledge is that we will not let up in 2014; every day we will keep building the stronger, more prosperous country that you want and deserve.
Above all else, we will build a stronger economy so that everyone can get ahead. That means scrapping the carbon tax, ending the waste, stopping the boats and building the roads of the 21st century.
16 December 2013