ALABANESE MUST STEP UP: AUSTRALIA NEEDS RESULTS, NOT RHETORIC

Dear Liberal friends,

I’m looking forward to the opening of the 48th Parliament this week, when we will welcome new colleagues into the fold, and also a few old ones.

Welcome (back) to the new Member for Forrest, our very own Ben Small!

Ben’s first speech will be on Wednesday – I encourage everyone to tune in to the House of Representatives livestream on YouTube. 

As we begin this new parliamentary term, the Coalition will continue to hold the terrible Albanese Labor Government to account.

We have seen the Prime Minister’s continued weakness and ineffectiveness over the course of his holiday in China.

I think the Communist Party Leaders in Beijing will think it has been a very successful trip from their perspective.

For Australia, it really is up to Mr Albanese to explain any tangible benefits that have come from his single longest visit to any country since he’s been Prime Minister. There appears there has been no substance in this trip. He's got nothing out of it other than being directly told by President Xi Jinping that China will conduct exercises whenever they want in international waters with no notice. 

Any achievements need to be more substantial than an agreement to review the Free Trade Agreement – the review was built into the Agreement, which was negotiated by the Coalition 10 years ago.

And it has to be better than a re-announcement of apples from mainland Australia being allowed into China – we’ve known about that for months.

Mr Albanese would have us believe it’s a triumph to have been serenaded by a band playing versions of Aussie rock songs – he should be telling Australians about tangible outcomes that affect Australia’s economic well-being and our security.

The Coalition wants Australia to have a good relationship with China.

We are acutely aware of the importance of the trading relationship particularly in a Western Australian context.

We will always be supportive of the Australian Government doing everything possible to enhance that trading relationship.

Mr Albanese should also have made it clear that Australia strongly supports the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and the contribution the US makes to stability of the region. 

The Prime Minister has now had an extended visit to our largest trading partner – he now needs to secure a priority a face-to-face meeting with the President of our strongest ally, the United States. He needs to focus his international attention on securing the AUKUS alliance and gaining exemptions from US tariffs.

At a time of global uncertainty, growing conflict and a growing list of issues in the Australia-United States relationship, now is a time to build our influence in Washington, not diminish it. The US Australia Alliance in 2025 needs to be stronger than ever, not put on the back burner as Mr Albanese has done.

The Prime Minister needs to meet with the President so he can speak for Australia. 

It’s now been more than 255 days since the US election, and there is still no scheduled meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese.  It is time the government treated this relationship with the urgency and seriousness it demands.

At home, the Albanese Government has been caught out misleading Australians on tax, spending, and their reckless approach to the economy. Before the election, there was no talk of higher taxes - just more spending, and now we know a bogus housing target. 

Treasury has made it clear - Labor cannot fix the budget without raising taxes and cutting spending. Yet the only tax measure Labor has put forward is their unfair superannuation tax on unrealised gains.

Anyone who thinks Labor’s super tax on unrealised gains is the end of their campaign to tax family savings is kidding themselves. 

Since coming to government, Labor has racked up an extraordinary $144 billion in new spending decisions – now they’re coming after your nest egg to pay for it.

Australians deserve to know what’s next. Will Labor extend these taxes to family homes? Family trusts? Small businesses?

Is WA’s fair share of the GST in jeopardy?

The Albanese Government talks about transparency but hides the truth. Behind closed doors, Treasury is telling Labor what the Coalition has been saying all along – they have a spending problem, they lack fiscal discipline, and they are preparing to slug Australians with higher taxes.

When it comes to this Government, don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do.

Housing is no different. Treasury has told the Government their promise to build 1.2 million homes cannot be met. Industry agrees, warning Australia is already 460,000 homes short. Yet Labor continues to pretend otherwise.

Australians deserve honesty, not spin. Whether it’s housing, tax or the budget, Labor is failing to come clean.

The Coalition will always stand for lower, simpler and fairer taxes. Labor will always look for ways to tax more and spend more.