The new year of parliamentary sittings is well and truly under way, with some big developments this month in taxation, workplace relations and on the climate front.
Following relentless community advocacy, the Government has finally moved to introduce a binding New Vehicle Efficiency Standard by 1 January 2025. The standard will bring Australia in line with international markets, giving us a greater range of car models that use less fuel, and produce less noxious gases and carbon emissions. This is a win for the family budget, a win for the climate, and a win for our community, which has been lobbying for a strong fuel efficiency standard for some time.
I’ve continued to lobby for North Sydney’s priorities by asking for funding for our area in the 2024-25 Federal Budget. Based on conversations that my team and I have had with local councils, community groups and residents, I have asked the Government to fund the maintenance and improvement of local reserves and vantage points; invest in local research institutes and performing arts venues; and develop much-needed sporting facilities to meet demand as our population grows.
I have also pushed for more support for the programs and organisations that provide help to those who need it, including the Mary’s House domestic violence shelter and youth mentoring organisation Streetwork. And I’ve called more to be spent on cutting both Australia’s carbon emissions and household costs, for example through clean energy incentives and the Fuel Efficiency Standards that we’ve worked so hard to secure.
The Albanese Government’s proposed changes to the Stage 3 Tax Cuts have been hotly debated across the country and as always, my position has been shaped by your feedback. Ultimately, North Sydney supports the changes, with just over two-thirds, or 68%, of residents supporting the changes and 18% opposing them. The changes will mean that 7 out of 10 of North Sydney taxpayers will now receive an equal or bigger tax cut than they otherwise would have. At the same time, our electorate as a whole will ultimately receive $77 million less, because those who pay the highest taxes will receive less of a discount.
Understandably, many in our community feel let down by a government that promised as recently as December that the cuts would go ahead unchanged. I have raised these concerns in Parliament and will continue to demand more transparency and community consultation as we move forward.
I look forward to engaging with you further on these and other issues in the weeks to come.
