Ms COLLINS (Franklin) (10:17): I rise to speak on this motion, moved by the member for Bass. I agree with previous speakers that Tasmania does indeed have some challenges. But we need to be working together on those challenges not bagging the state of Tasmania, not talking down the state, not talking about all the problems in Tasmania, but actually looking at the opportunities that Tasmania has as a unique place, which other members from Tasmania would know. We have some great industries in which we can invest. It was interesting that the first eight minutes of the 10-minute speech from the member for Bass were all about the state government and not about what his new federal Liberal government was going to do for Tasmania. He got to that in the last two minutes. But the reason that he cannot talk about that is that they are ripping hundreds of millions of dollars out of our state. They are ripping it out in infrastructure funding. They are ripping it out in rail funding. They are ripping it out in freight funding. We know that. Road funding to Tasmania almost doubled under the previous government, the federal Labor government. It went from around $400 million over the five years of the funding cycle to $810 million. That created jobs and constructed roads to increase our productivity. We also had a package to deal with the freight situation in Tasmania. That was worth $40 million, $25 million to be delivered before Christmas, to allow some of those bigger and expanding industries to become more productive and get stuff across Bass Strait, because we know what an impediment that is. But the new government's solution, as we have heard, is a Productivity Commission inquiry. The last Productivity Commission inquiry said to scrap the trade equalisation scheme— Mr Nikolic: Madam Speaker, I ask the member to yield and explain which industries are expanding in Tasmania. The SPEAKER: Do you accept the question, member for Franklin? Ms COLLINS: No, I do not. But I am happy to talk about expanding industries: industries like the salmon industry and agriculture, which are expanding in our state. We have been investing in the salmon industry and it is expanding. It will grow to be a billion-dollar industry for Tasmania. Does your laughter indicate that you do not support the salmon industry in Tasmania? Is that what it means? We do support the salmon industry in Tasmania. We invested in it and it is creating jobs in Tasmania now. Because of the jobs situation in Tasmania, we announced a $100 million jobs and growth package to support 2,500 jobs in 31 projects right across the state. What have we seen from the new government? They will not say if they are going to put that money in—$25 million a year over four years—like we said we would. There has been no indication of when or how that money will be delivered. Two and a half thousand Tasmanian jobs are relying on that money. It is very important to Tasmanians and they want to know when that money will be delivered, and they should be told when it is going to be delivered, because those jobs are so important for Tasmanians. We did not hear from them any discussion about the NBN in Tasmania—the National Broadband Network. The National Broadband Network has been rolling out in Tasmania, and Tasmania was going to be the first state to have the NBN connected to the majority of premises in the state—200,000 premises were to have the NBN connected. It was, of course, slowed down due to asbestos, and we needed to be safe. But for the last three months under this government we have seen it almost halt. There has been virtually no construction at all, and we know what is coming next. Next, the NBN will not be going to people's premises; it will only be going to nodes in the street. You will not deliver on your commitment to deliver fibre to the premises in Tasmania. I hope I am wrong, but I certainly do not think that is the case. We also saw other investments in Tasmania by the previous government, like the Midland Highway. We made a commitment of $500 million over 10 years. What have we had from those opposite? Only $400 million. There is $100 million missing from the Midland Highway funding. I will now turn to two projects in my electorate, both of which are very important for safety. One in particular is the Summerleas Road/Huon Highway intersection—$17 million. It is very important for my community. It was promised by the Liberal candidate in the 2010 campaign, but now it looks like it will not be delivered. We cannot get an answer on whether or not it is happening, because I do not think the government knows. They have also announced ripping out the SchoolKids Bonus to Tasmanians. It is very important for the Tasmanian economy. Next year 34,000 Tasmanian families will have children going to school and they do not know whether they are going to be getting that funding. They do not know whether they are going to be able to afford to pay for their kids' uniforms, because the new government wants to rip out the SchoolKids Bonus—34,000 families at an average of $15,000 per family over the life of their schooling. It is very important for the Tasmanian economy, and here the new government is ripping it away. In recent days we have also seen confusion over Gonski funding—the funding for our schools. It is very important to have a good education. If you want good jobs, a good economy, and productivity in the state, you need children to be educated, and educated well. It is important money going into our state and the new government wants to take it away from Tasmanian schools and Tasmanian students. Are the new members for Bass, Braddon and Lyons going to stand up and tell Tasmanian families that they are going to rip money out from schools, as well as the SchoolKids Bonus? That's right, some of the government schools in Tasmania really rely on this funding. Students in low socioeconomic areas who rely on this funding want to know what is happening with their education funding—kids who are going to school in February next year. Some of the schools do not know what is going to be happening. They have been told, 'Yes, just 12 months, not four years.' How on earth are families supposed to plan for their children's schooling. Then there is crime-prevention funding—some of the diversionary programs for kids at risk of not being in the workforce and kids at risk of not going to school. The crime-prevention funds are there. They were announced—a program that happens regularly. Community organisations, including in the electorate of Bass, are relying on that funding for diversionary projects for kids who are really struggling and need that support. Mr Nikolic: Shameful. Ms COLLINS: Yes, it is shameful, member for Bass. It is shameful that you are ripping that money out. It is shameful that you are ripping hundreds of millions of dollars out of the state of Tasmania and you are not being honest with the Tasmanian people about what you are doing. Government members interjecting— Ms COLLINS: They keep talking about the state government. Yes, the state government and the state have some challenges. But they are the new federal government and instead of investing in Tasmania they are ripping money out. Regarding this economic development plan, I have had a look at the funding for this. They are putting in $2 million in the current financial year. They are ripping out hundreds of millions of dollars and putting in $2 million. That is it: $2 million in the current financial year from their economic development plan. What else have we heard about their economic development plan? The one-stop shop: I hate to tell them but it already exists. The state government already has one. It is called the Economic Diversification Task. It already works with major projects and proponents to actually invest in Tasmania. It already exits. Your wage subsidy? It already exists—$5,900. It is called Wage Connect. It is already there. We have had no comment from the other side about how many Tasmanians they expect to employ with their wage subsidy or whether it is in addition to the former government's subsidy or is instead of it—because, of course, it is much lower. Who would know what is going to happen? Who would know the new government is not being honest with the Tasmanian people about its plans? The economic diversification plan does not actually detail what it is going to do—as I said, only $2 million is committed in the current financial year, ripping out hundreds of millions of dollars in road funding, freight funding, rail funding, crime prevention funding, school funding and the SchoolKids Bonus. Mr Nikolic: You're just making it up. Ms COLLINS: I am not making this up, Member for Bass. This is real. This is what you are ripping out of our state of Tasmania. This is money coming out of the state of Tasmania, along with the NBN not being delivered. Tasmanians deserve better. I will hold you to account on your commitments to increase funding in Tasmania, and I really hope that happens. We have had some interesting comments from our state government recently, which has announced some stimulus to turn the Tasmanian economy around, which already is showing some green shoots coming through. There are great opportunities, as I said at the beginning of my speech, and we should be talking together about what we can do for our state. We should be talking about how we can improve the state of Tasmania, not talking about how dire it is or the problems that exist. Rather than talking about all the issues that Tasmania has we should be looking at the opportunities of those industries that are growing, such as the salmon industry and the aquaculture industry. I have plenty of them in my electorate and I visit them regularly. There are great plans for expansion underway in Macquarie Harbour, in the member for Braddon's electorate. Industry does continue to grow in Tasmania and there are industries that are thriving. What we need to do is work together to invest in them. We need to be investing in the state of Tasmania, not ripping money out or being dishonest with the Tasmanian people, as we have seen from the new government, about what is going on in Tasmania and what will happen to the Tasmanian people under the current government.