Taylor on maiden speech: Infrastructure investment and right policy settings will secure regional Australia's future
Tuesday 10 December 2013
Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor says the future prosperity of regional Australia will rely on infrastructure investment and the right policy settings.
Delivering his maiden speech in the House of Representatives (Tuesday) Mr Taylor said the nation needed to find a clever means of attracting the money into infrastructure investment without increasing deficits.
“In time export growth is the hope of the side, but to pick up the slack, we must strongly encourage non-mining investment – particularly infrastructure and housing – finding clever means of attracting investment without drowning ourselves in more red ink. Making the most of every dollar of government expenditure is now more crucial than ever,” he said.
“The pursuit of global opportunities where we can excel, will strengthen us…We need the big licks of capital and the skills others can provide.”
Mr Taylor said small businesses in Hume needed the right policy settings and investment in infrastructure to compete effectively.
“I want the Barton Highway - connecting 12 000 of my constituents to Canberra each day - to be the road it should be.
“I want mobile phone reception and internet connectivity improved quickly, so more of my constituents can better run their small businesses or work from home, creating more local jobs…I want grain, meat and cherry producers in my electorate to be selling without barriers into fast growing Asian markets now.
“I want more rural doctors and hospitals installing new technology and offering new sevices - not cutting them…I want to know we will look after our most vulnerable and elderly, as their numbers continue to grow.”
Mr Taylor attributed his resolve - in leaving a successful private sector career for politics - to the example set by his grandfather Sir William Hudson, commissioner and chief engineer of the Snowy Mountains Scheme .
“My decision to enter public life was not an easy one. In the end though, it was influenced heavily by my grandfather’s record and impact as one of our nation’s great public servants.”
