WITH just a few days to go to the federal election, Jimboomba Times asked the Wright candidates what they view as the greatest hindrance to economic growth and job creation in the electorate, and how they plan to address it.
In order of their ballot paper appearance, here are their answers.
Pietro Agnoletto – Greens
We need to transition to a job-rich new economy of high tech manufacturing and clean energy, backed up by a highly skilled workforce. The Greens have fully costed policies to drive the transition to the new economy, including investment in research, innovation, skills, infrastructure and small business. We also have measures to ensure no one gets left behind during the transition to a cleaner 21st century economy.
Through initiatives like the Greens’ “No upfront fees to install your own solar system”, we can transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future. You have a meter on your house, so each month, you pay your bill as normal, but instead of it going to the generators of coal powered energy, it goes towards paying off your very own system. Once you have paid it off, it is yours and you’ll never have to pay another power bill. And when everyone has electric cars, you charge your cars with your own power, and never have another fuel bill to pay for your everyday use. Imagine even more savings.
I see this as a wonderful opportunity to get investment and production of solar panels back here in Australia. Not only in Australia but here in our own back yard at Bromelton. Imagine if Bromelton became a centre for innovation and mass production of solar panels, inverters, batteries etc which could be sold throughout Australia. I see this as an amazing opportunity to create stimulating local high tech and clean energy employment opportunities.
Rod Smith – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
The greatest hindrance to growth in our electorate is the costs of government itself and the concomitant taxes, fees, service charges, levies, rates and charges.
Moreover, there are other costs which include endless changes to the laws which makes planning difficult: plus delays in approvals and decision making and the lack of cost effective means of resolving difficulties with government authorities.
Governments always get captured by their own employees who run government for their own benefit and see the public and small business as an ATM.
Scott Buchholz – LNP
As part of a re-elected Coalition Government, I will address the need for economic growth and job creation in Wright through tax cuts and incentives for small businesses and hard working families. Under the Coalition’s plan, I will support hardworking small businesses by cutting the small business company tax rate to 27.5 per cent for small businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million.
We will increase the tax discount for unincorporated small businesses from 5 per cent to 8 per cent, capped at $1000, for businesses with a turnover less than $5 million. Additionally, we will extend access to the instant asset write off so that small businesses with a turnover less than $10 million can instantly deduct every asset under $20,000.
Allistair Smith – Labor
Education is vital to ensure job creation and economic growth.
As a school teacher I fully understand the value of education. I also understand the need for funding reforms in the education sector. Labor's Your Child.
Our Future plan will fully fund and implement the Gonski reforms in-full and on-time. This is a huge investment in the future of Australia. I will ensure that children form Withcott to Worongary, and everywhere across the electorate get the quality education they deserve.
John Cox
The number 1 issue is the tax. The Australian tax system is the single biggest drawback to economic growth in our region, if every single person and every single company paid a 2% tax on every monetary transaction, it would create a lot more confidence in the economy, it would create many more jobs, we want the government to do a full study on this.
Barry Austin
Response not received.
Mark Stone
The greatest hindrance to economic growth and job creation in my electorate is the endless red tape and paperwork forced upon business and the excessive amount of taxes that we all pay. All business whether large or small is confronted with endless regulations and compliance requirements from the thousands of government bodies now in place in Australia. The Liberal Democrats are committed to reducing taxes and reducing red tape and other regulations. Not just in business but also in our everyday lives. The government has its hands in the pockets of every person in Australia and we would take them out. We believe the electorate are sick of being the milking cow for the government's latest thought bubble.
To assist small business, governments need to reduce the red tape and taxes so that individuals can create their own wealth.
Our own inventors and creators are being hamstrung and we're seeing our best and brightest and their ideas being taken up by overseas companies and financiers because it is simply too hard and too regulated to do business. I hear the other parties say that they would claw back some of the taxes from these major companies who aren't paying their fair share of tax. But if, we try to overtax them like we do our own companies and individuals, they will simply cease doing business in Australia and no tax revenue will be obtained. If we encourage business into the country through lower taxes employment and wealth is created.
