Bell: Albo will send Coast off the rails
HE’S a former Transport Minister with a well-known interest in fast rail, but Moncrieff MP Angie Bell says a government led by Anthony Albanese would be a “train wreck” for small businesses on the Gold Coast.
Ms Bell, who launched her campaign for re-election at the Demons AFL Club in Surfers Paradise last night, claimed Labor had “no plan” to help smaller firms.
“That (an Albanese government) would be a very big train wreck for Gold Coast business,” Ms Bell said.
“Taxes would go up. We’ve taken company tax from 30 per cent down to 25 per cent.
“... I don’t see the Labor party say anything about incentives for small business.”
The sitting MP’S comments were last night rejected by Labor challenger Glen Palmer.
“Small businesses on the Gold Coast felt the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic with small business owners impacted by lockdowns,” Mr Palmer said.
“It was the Morrison government’s inaction during the pandemic and the LNP’S failure to secure enough vaccines and establish quarantine facilities that saw Gold Coast small businesses fall further behind.
“As a former small business owner for over 20 years, I know how tough it can be.
“That’s why Labor’s plan for a better deal for small business is something I am so proud of.”
Ms Bell defended her government’s record in delivering transport infrastructure for the Gold Coast, rejecting suggestions not enough was being done to keep the city moving.
“We have delivered record funding for the Gold Coast – $1.06bn for the Coomera Connector; approximately $1bn for the southern upgrades of the M1; $395m for light rail Stage 3; $30m for Roads to Recovery funding; and a total of over $53m to Gold Coast City Council for infrastructure for roads and investments that we see fit,” she said.
Asked about the rapidly rising rental costs which have contributed to a rising number of people sleeping in their cars in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Ms Bell pointed to the federal government’s assistance for first-home buyers and funding provided to the state government for social housing.
“It (homelessness) is an awful problem to have in the city,” Ms Bell said.
“... In terms of what the federal government is doing to help, Homebuilder has put 100,000 extra Australians into homes and 30,000 of those have been in Queensland.
“There is the 5 per cent deposit loan scheme, then there is the 2 per cent savings scheme where the government underwrites mortgage insurance for those people. So we’re doing what we can to help people get into their first homes.”
Ms Bell also rejected suggestions from Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’ath that Queensland was not getting its “fair share” of federal funding for health amid an ambulance crisis that last week saw an 89-year-old left waiting in agony for hours.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Ms Bell said.
“Since 2013 the public hospitals section of the budget for health has increased by 130 per cent from the federal government.
“I would suggest it’s the Queensland government which is not putting enough money into health.”
Ms Bell will face eight challengers in the election on May 21. In addition to Mr Palmer they are April Broadbent (Queensland Greens), Leeanne Schultz (One Nation), Diane Demetre (Liberal Democrats), Diane Happ (United Australia Party), James Tayler, Sonia Berry-law and Timothy Cudmore (Informed Medical Options Party).