Budget delivers tax relief and more funding for aged care

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt has welcomed the 2018 Budget which will provide tax relief for low and middle income earners, and more funding for aged care.

The Coalition Government’s plan will:

• Deliver lower, fairer and simpler taxes to encourage and reward working Australians;

  Back businesses to invest and create more jobs, building on our legislated tax cuts for small and medium enterprise, supporting businesses to compete globally, delivering infrastructure that industry and workers rely on; and targeting incentives to promote research, development and new technology;

• Guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on including record funding for hospitals and schools, a comprehensive approach to aged care so older Australians can live life to the full, and guaranteed funding for disability services;

• Keep Australians safe by strengthening security at airports and investing more in our intelligence and security service so they can respond to new and challenging threats.  We will also protect our unique environment with smarter biosecurity systems and continue to safeguard our borders.

• Ensure the Government lives within its means with a forecast return to modest budget balance in 2019-20, increasing to a projected surplus of $11 billion in 2020-21; no longer borrowing to pay for essential services; and the lowest average real growth in payments of any Government in the last 50 years.

“The Coalition Government’s tax relief plan will encourage and reward hard working Australians, with almost 49,000 taxpayers in Hinkler set to benefit from the low and middle income tax relief,” Mr Pitt said.

“Under our plan to reduce cost pressures on household budgets, a hairdresser on $50,000 will have an extra $530 in their pocket, for a family with two working parents, that’s over $1,000 for their budget.” 

The More Choices for a Longer Life plan will help older Hinkler residents stay at home longer if they want to, with more high-level home care packages, as well as additional residential aged care places.

“The Hinkler electorate is home to around 36,000 people aged over 65 and their families, and we must ensure they receive the care they need, whether that is in their home or in an aged care facility.”

The Government will invest $550 million in the Stronger Rural Health Strategy which will strengthen local health services and deliver more Australian doctors in rural Australia.

This Strategy will deliver around 3,000 additional doctors for rural Australia, more than 3,000 additional nurses in rural general practice and hundreds of additional allied health professionals in the regions over 10 years.

The Coalition Government’s $75 billion rolling infrastructure plan will continue building the roads, rail and airport networks Australia needs to strengthen the economy, bust congestion in our cities and make rural roads safer.

“In addition to the Cooroy to Curra Section D funding, the Government is allocating $200 million to further safety works on the Bruce Highway.”

Mr Pitt said the Coalition Government’s plan for a stronger economy benefits all Australians.

“We are also continuing to boost welfare compliance and targeting to help get welfare spending under control while ensuring everyone pays their fair share of tax.”