The Morrison Government will deliver new treatments and medicines for Australians through a $100 million boost for rural, regional and remote clinical trials across the country.

This funding would help put our researchers and doctors at the forefront of global research and give more patients more treatment options regardless of where they live.

Clinical trials open up a world of hope for patients.

The Liberal and National Government’s new initiative is also set to boost rural, regional and remote economies with direct industry investment in jobs and clinical trials supply chain services.

Australia has a reputation for excellence in clinical trial research, internationally recognised researchers and medical experts, quality infrastructure and high standards of health care. However access and participation in clinical trials is often limited for doctors and patients in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia.

This program will enable and complement the $614 million in funding announced in the 10 year Medical Research Future Fund Investment Plan. It also complements the $7 million in funding we’re delivering states and territories to support activities aimed at achieving national consistency of clinical trial systems.

The Liberal National Government would open a competitive grant round for expressions of interest on 1 October 2019 and close the round on 30 November 2019.

A peer review panel selected by Australian Medical Research Advisory Board and the National Health and Medical Research Council would then consider and rank proposals with successful participants to be announced by 31 March 2020 for commencement after 1 July 2020.

The funding will come from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) National Critical Infrastructure initiative and will be delivered over five years from 2020-21.

Today’s announcement builds on the Morrison Government’s $550 million Stronger Rural Health Strategy. This is the most comprehensive rural health package in decades and is improving access to doctors, nurses and other health care services for all Australians, especially those in the regions.

The Morrison Government has also outlined its ‘Plan for Strengthening Australia’s World Class Health System’, which will guarantee Medicare, deliver record bulk billing, an additional $31 billion for hospitals over the next five year agreement, $40 billion for new medicines and research backed by our $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.

The Morrison Government’s ‘Plan for Strengthening Australia’s World Class Health System’ will ensure we continue to deliver:

• Record funding for Medicare with $6 billion extra funding over the next four years, higher than every year under Labor
• Record bulk billing rates with nine out of 10 visit to the doctor for free on average, higher than every year under Labor
• Affordable access to all new medicines on the PBS recommended by the medical experts, with over 2,000 new and amended listings since 2013
• $6 billion a year on cancer services
• Record investment in public hospitals, higher than every year under Labor, with an additional $31 billion from 2020-21 to 2024-25
• Guaranteeing private health insurance and making it simpler and more affordable
• Recording funding for mental health with over $4.8 billion a year for vital services
• The largest single investment in medical research through the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund, including a $500 million Genomics Missions which has the potential find a cure for some of the most devastating conditions.

More information on ‘Our Plan for Strengthening Australia’s World Class Health System’ is available: https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan-strengthening-australias-world-class-health-system

The Morrison Government will invest $65 million to establish the first dedicated Cystic Fibrosis Specialist Unit, offering world-class care for those affected by the condition and new hope of finding a cure.

The Specialist Unit will provide treatment with state-of-the-art equipment, research and diagnostic facilities as a key part of the Westmead Health and Education Precinct in Sydney.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common chronic, life-limiting genetic condition affecting young Australians today. Every four days a baby is born with the disease.

Fortunately, with advancements in treatment and medication, patients are living longer, which is why a specific adult centre is required. The number of adults with cystic fibrosis has increased by 1,000 in the past 15 years.

The Cystic Fibrosis unit will be co-located with the hospital’s respiratory unit and contain:

A 16-bed inpatient unit with single rooms, including four isolation rooms

This latest investment follows the listing of two medications for Cystic Fibrosis on the PBS over the last two years. Orkambi® in 2018, that otherwise would cost patients $250,000 annually and Kalydeco® in 2017, which would cost patients $300,000 a year. These important medications now cost as little as $6.50 a script.

The Morrison Government’s ‘Plan for Strengthening Australia’s World Class Health System’ will guarantee Medicare, deliver record bulk billing, an additional $31 billion for hospitals over the next five year agreement, $40 billion for new medicines and research backed by our $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund. More information is available: https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan-strengthening-...

Keeping all drivers safe on our roads will continue to be a key priority of a re-elected Morrison Government, with a new $12 million package providing extra road safety measures.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said nothing was more important than keeping Australians safe.

“Easter is a busy time on our roads with many Australians taking the opportunity to spend time with loved ones. But I urge everyone to slow down, obey road rules and get to their destination safely,” Mr Morrison said.

“Any life lost on our roads is one too many. Too many of us have had to deal with the loss of a family member or friend at some stage and it is a harrowing experience.

“Our $12 million package will upgrade 175 popular Driver Reviver sites across Australia, increase assistance for learner drivers and their parents and roll out a new programme to educate caravan and campervan drivers.”

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said while the Liberal and Nationals’ record investment in safer roads was seeing dividends, there is more to do at a local level.

“Our record investment into safer roads has saved lives, but there are more blackspots to be fixed, bridges to be upgraded and roads to be sealed,” Mr McCormack said.

“We want to tackle the road toll at a local level, town by town.

“A plan of this magnitude can only be achieved through the Liberal and Nationals’ strong economic management.”

To help with safer driving options and to combat driver fatigue, a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will invest:

Under the Liberal and Nationals Government, record funding will continue to be invested into road infrastructure to support new and upgraded major highways, as well as critical maintenance on local roads.

Complementing these investments will be a range of support measures to address driver fatigue as part of the Coalition’s plan for road safety.

These new initiatives follow recent road safety announcements made in the 2019-20 Budget including:

We can make these critically important investments without raises taxes, because we have a plan for a stronger economy.

In contrast, Labor have a plan for $387 billion in new taxes that will only weaken our economy.

Only the Liberal and Nationals have a plan for a stronger economy, which will create jobs and guarantee the essential infrastructure and services that Australians need and rely on.

The Morrison Government will invest $30 million in Phase 1 of the Tasmanian Defence Innovation and Design Precinct at the University of Tasmania’s Australian Maritime College (AMC) in Launceston.

The new Precinct will help drive defence-related research and development projects, creating more jobs in Launceston and a world-class research precinct.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it is estimated over 150 additional jobs in the region will be created each year, with up to 58 additional jobs in the region during the construction program.

“Our focus is on delivering more jobs for Tasmanians,” Mr Morrison said.

“Our plan for strong economy means we’re backing Tasmania’s defence industries and naval capability with a $30 million investment.

“Only the Liberals and Nationals have a proven track record of building Australia’s defence industry and capabilities.

“By contrast Labor will tax Tasmanians more and not build a single naval ship – that was their record in their six years of government.”

The Morrison Government will require local businesses and tradies undertake work on the projects, as is done for other defence infrastructure projects.

In particular, the Precinct will help the Morrison Government deliver on its massive $200 billion investment in defence capability over the next decade and its $90 billion national Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

The AMC and University of Tasmania are already supporting the Australian Defence Force and defence industry, by providing innovative research and development to support our defence capability.

The AMC’s Cavitation Research Laboratory is a crucial capability enabler for the Royal Australian Navy and the AMC is a key part of our National Shipbuilding College.

By supporting Phase 1 of the Research and Design Precinct, a re-elected Morrison Government will be supporting the high value testing and evaluation needs of the Royal Australian Navy; increasing opportunities for greater collaboration between Defence, academia and industry to deliver cutting-edge defence capability; and build the AMC’s ability to support the National Shipbuilding College as it builds the workforce of the future to deliver on our national Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

Tasmania is home to a growing defence industry, providing niche capabilities for the Australian Defence Force, and exporting world-class technology around the globe.

By creating a Tasmanian Defence Innovation and Design Precinct at the AMC, the Morrison Government will be bringing together Tasmanian industry to create more jobs.

The Coalition’s 2016 Defence White Paper committed $1.6 billion to defence-related innovation over a decade, supporting Australian science, technology and innovation to provide advanced home-grown Defence capabilities.

Only the Coalition can be trusted to deliver on its Defence commitments. Labor’s record when it comes to Defence is one of over $18 billion in cuts and slashing the Defence budget to its lowest level since 1938 as a proportion of GDP. Labor simply cannot be trusted on Defence.

The Coalition Government along with the University of Tasmania and Tasmanian Liberal Government, has been working on since the release of the 2016 Defence White Paper and our joint $500,000 investment in the development of a business case for the precinct in 2017.

Thousands of new jobs will be created as Tasmania’s horticulture industry grows, under the Morrison Government’s plan to invest $100 million to co-fund the Tasmanian Irrigation Scheme Tranche 3 Phase 1: the Pipeline to Prosperity project.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the project would be funded as part of the Government’s record investment to deliver secure water supplies to unlock the agricultural potential of our regions.

“The Liberal Nationals’ Government is determined to unlock the economic potential of our regions and we know often the answer is simply, ‘just add water’,” Mr Morrison said.

“I am proud this Government is backing farmers in Tasmania and this project has the potential when complete to deliver 78,000 megalitres of water, 479km of pipelines, seven dams, 23 pump stations and four power stations.

“This project will unlock thousands of jobs across Tasmania, strengthen our economy and support our farmers.”

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the north, north-west, central and south-east regions of Tasmania are all set to benefit from the scheme.

“Growth in agriculture in Tasmania is limited without large-scale integrated irrigation schemes. Tranche 3 means farmers can invest with certainty into the future and unlock high value horticulture production areas,” Mr McCormack said.

“This investment will see Tasmanian primary producers potentially expand their operations and take advantage of the iconic ‘clean, green’ fresh produce brand that is known the world over.

“By creating greater opportunities in the Tasmanian agriculture sector, we are growing local job opportunities.”

Tranche 3 is expected to deliver $114 million in economic benefit per year and 2,600 full-time jobs.

Phase 1 will focus on five immediate priorities including the Don Irrigation Scheme, the Fingal Irrigation Scheme, the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme, the Tamar Irrigation Scheme and the Sassafras Wesley Vale irrigation Scheme augmentation.

Following the assessment of an Independent Panel – the Australian and Tasmanian Governments will work together to finalise delivery milestones to ensure the projects get under construction as soon as possible.

The National Water Infrastructure Development Fund expansion to more than $1 billion, as well as the existing $2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility programme, means more than $3 billion is now available from the Australian Government to support State and Territory governments and their project partners in building new water infrastructure and provide greater social and economic opportunity for Australians.

The commitment today is built off the $1.78 million we committed in 2017 to the Tasmanian Government to fast-track feasibility studies for the next tranche of Tasmanian irrigation Infrastructure.

Further information on the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund is available at https://infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/water-infrastructure/nwi-development-fund/.

The Morrison Government will invest more than $58 million in 10 Industry Training Hubs in key locations across regional Australia to create more jobs for young people.

The investment will also include 400 Vocational Education and Training (VET) scholarships and is part of our plan to address youth unemployment in key parts of the country.

“Our plan will ensure more young people have the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” the Prime Minister said.

“In the last financial year alone more than 100,000 jobs were created for young Australians under our government.

“These Training Hubs and scholarships are about setting up even more young Australians on a long-term quality career path, and giving them the skills to be more than competitive into the future."

Ten locations of elevated youth unemployment across Australia have been selected to host an Industry Training Hub, which will strengthen partnerships between local schools, employers and industries, and ensure that vocational education programs are tailored to meet local workforce needs and skills demands.

State Location Youth Unemployment Rate

NSW

Grafton 24.3%

Gosford 13.2%

NT

Alice Springs 12.1%

QLD

Maryborough 19.8%

Townsville 17.7%

SA

Port Pirie 17.6%

TAS

Burnie 15.8%

VIC

Shepparton 16.7%

WA

Wanneroo 16.4%

Armadale 15.4%

Australia 11.5%

Young people, aged 15-24, in these 10 areas will also be eligible to apply for a scholarship to undertake an eligible VET Approved Program of Study.

Four hundred scholarships, valued at up to $17,500 each, will be made available from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level

“These Industry Training Hubs and the scholarships will provide a pathway for young Australians, in regions with persistent youth unemployment, to gain the skills they need for a successful and rewarding career” the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education Michaelia Cash said.

“Our youth training plan is part of our plan for a stronger economy and builds on the 1.2 million jobs that have been created since we were elected.

“Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to build our economy and secure your future without increasing taxes.”

Thank you, thank you. Well what a beautiful day here in Brisbane, thank you for that wonderful welcome and thank you for coming out here today with Jenny and I and Abbey and Lily. It’s tremendously exciting to be here, at the start of this tremendously important campaign. I’m joined by my colleagues here and Josh, thanks for the warm up mate. Particularly that Budget, how good was Josh’s Budget?

I want to tell you why we are here today. I want to share a story with you. I want to talk about some important things for our country’s future today. As we set out on the next five weeks and the big decision Australians will make five weeks from now, our economy is stronger. As Josh said in the Budget, unemployment is lower, the Budget is back in black.

Absolutely. There are more people working today of working age than at any time in our history. We have the lowest level of welfare dependency of working age population that our country has seen in generations. This is all important stuff, but let me tell you why it’s important.

A stronger economy is important because people matter. People matter, the economy matters. This is why we are so passionate as a political movement, the Liberals and the Nationals, because we know that for our people to be strong, for our people to have the services they rely on, for our people to have the choices in life to fulfil their great purpose and destiny in life, that they choose - that is not chosen for them - then they need the environment of a strong economy to achieve that.

And if you can’t manage money, you can’t run the country. That’s the lesson of Australia’s political history of this country. It’s the lesson I think, as we have looked at economic policy and policy of all sorts down over the generations.

I want to talk about some very special people today. I grew up in the suburbs of Sydney and my parents John and Marion taught my brother Alan and I something very important. That is; life is not about what you accumulate, life to about what you contribute. I think that is what we believe is the difference. Over the course of their life my parents just didn’t say that to me and Alan as we were growing up. They demonstrated it in the life they live. For forty five years - forty five years - my parents Marion and John, ran the Boys and Girls Brigade at our local church. Every Thursday and Friday night, of every school week for forty five years, my parents were there leading those young lives. They invested themselves in the youth of their community. And as generations past and as each generation came over those forty five years, there are a lot of camps, there are a lot of late nights, there were a lot of fundraisers, there are a lot of calls in the middle of the night from parents, who knew Dad or Mum would be able to go out and help in whatever situation, Dad was a police officer. That’s how they invested their lives over forty five years and what we are doing here today as a Government in my view, is that I am honouring their mission for young people.

Of all the things we have achieved as a Government over the last five and a half years, the one we are most proud of and certainly I am most proud of, is that last year more than 100,000 young Australians got a job.

Jobs change lives. Jobs change communities. Jobs change nations. Inside every single Australian, every single young Australian is a great champion and our country is always stronger when we understand the unique value and contribution that every single Australian has in them. It’s our job to bring it out and that is what our policies are doing. 100,000 young people getting a job. That is 100,000 young people who now are more likely to live a life in employment, than life a life dependant on welfare where their choices are limited. When you’ve got a job you’ve got choices. When you’ve got a job you can look forward and plan for the future. When you’ve got a job you can save and build a family, like Amanda over here and her lovely family. You can do that when you’ve got a job and so, when it comes to creating jobs, there are many things we need to achieve.

We need to ensure when Australians get into work and when they go to find work they have the skills to get them there. Today we are announcing that we are upping the plan Josh announced in the budget. We are spending $530 million and we are spending $50 million specifically on opening ten new jobs hubs in some of the hardest areas of unemployment around the country.

Since we came into Government youth employment has fallen from 12.7 per cent to 11.1 per cent.

When Labor were in power they increased youth unemployment from 10 per cent to 12.7 per cent.

When Labor was in power 800 young people lost a job on average every month.

Since we have been in Government well over 2,000 young people have been getting a job every single month. Now the reason that’s happening is because of the strong economy. The reason that is happening is because we’re investing and enlivening small and family businesses in this country. The reason this is happening is we are investing in the infrastructure that is needed to bust congestion in our cities, to connect our markets to our farmers and our rural and regional areas to allow them to grow and prosper as well.

See, we have had a plan for growing a stronger economy over the last five and a half years. We have been delivering on that plan and that strong economy is bringing with it jobs. More jobs and more jobs for young people. But to ensure that stays the truth in the future, what we have to do is we’ve got to continue to invest in our young people. That’s why as a Government we’ve invested and increased our investment in public schools in this country, by over 60 per cent, 62 per cent in fact. That is why the average per student funding over the decade will increase by 62 per cent. That’s why we have been investing in the skills development of our young people and in that particular programme which we announced in the Budget where we’ve got ten new hubs in difficult places where we’ve high levels of youth unemployment, like in Grafton and Maryborough and places like this or in Gosford on the central coast in NSW and elsewhere, or in Shepparton down in Victoria. This is going to be a place where people can connect up with one of the other success stories of the Government which has been with Youth Jobs PaTH.

You know 43,000 young people have got a job through the youth PaTH programme, by getting in touch with that programme, by being brought through? 70 per cent of those who went through the internship part of the youth PaTH programme found a job within three months. A real full time job, a real job, a real job.

That’s what a strong economy does. Because people matter, a strong economy matters. And because people matter, we want people in jobs and we want young people in jobs. Because I know as the former Social Services Minister, that if a young person isn’t in a job by their early twenties, their risk of living a life on welfare skyrockets. So it’s important we give young people those opportunities to get into jobs.

So you want to ask me what this election is about? It’s about jobs, because people matter. It’s about jobs, because people matter. The other thing as a parent - and there are many parents here today and when we’re talking about young people, we are not just talking to young people, we are talking about the parents of young people here. The aunties and uncles of young people, we’re talking the grandparents of young people, all of us want a better future for young people in this country. And we want them to be able to be resilient, because it is tough today.

We know it is hard for young people today. There are so many more pressures for them to confront these days than was the case previously. So many other different influences, so many other threats and we know we need to invest in our young people to ensure that they can be resilient and face these challenges.

One of the things we did most recently is that we committed $70 million to support young people with eating disorders in this country. $70 million to provide the services and the facilities in particular. But on top of that to make sure eating disorders we recognised as a treatable condition under Medicare, to ensure the GPs and others were able to use the Medicare system to support people with eating disorders in this country. We are recognising it and acknowledging it and in the Budget we said we were going to take on one of the biggest challenges that I think our country faces. That is combating the challenge of youth suicide in this country and youth mental health.

Yesterday, I was with Jenny and we were at a Headspace in Ashfield with Dr Fiona Martin our candidate for Reid. We met with young people there who have been working in the headspace network and we announced our package to confront and combat youth suicide is now $503.1 million. That includes expanding our Headspace centres by 30 across the country, 20 at least of those will be in rural and regional areas across Australia. We will be reaching out to young people to ensure that they know this very important fact; that they are not alone. That Australia loves and cares for its young people combating the difficulties and challenges and anxieties of growing up and the questions and uncertainties and the pressures. We are providing the facilities and services to ensure that our young people can have hope in a beautiful and long life and hope for their future.

Youth suicide … more than 400 young people are taking their own lives each year, 428 in the most recent years of statistics. It's a curse on our country. But it's a curse that we can break. It's a curse we must beat.

The reason we can go and invest over half a billion dollars in combatting youth suicide in this country, is because we are committed to having a strong economy. See that is the key. Unless you have a strong economy, unless you can manage money, then you can say all sorts of things but you can't deliver on the ground. So whether it’s a case of challenging the difficulties of youth suicide and youth mental help around the country or indeed whether its eating disorders. Or indeed whether it's the further challenges they face with online bullying and bullying in schools - and we have established the first e-Safety Commissioner, we have put in place $100 million worth of investment and Peter Dutton knows all about it. He has been a champion against those who seek to be sexual predators on children, Peter has done an extraordinary job in leading the charge in our fight against those who would steal the innocence of our children.

So you know if you care about families, if you care about young people, if they are at the centre of what you’re about, well, you protect them. You throw your arms around them. So whether it's their mental health in issue, or building their resilience from the youngest of ages, protecting them from those who seek to bully and intimidate them and in the worst, the worst of all cases, steal their innocence from them in a violently aggressive way, this is what we are doing as a government to support our young people as they face the challenges of the future. But our young people, you know, they deserve this.

They deserve, of course, not to have the legacy of debt. They deserve not to have our generation spend their future on our standard of living, but intend to do the exact opposite and to set them up for success. To not burden them with higher taxes and not burden them with opportunities being denied them because of an economy which is weighed down.

They deserve to have hope for their future. They deserve to have hope and they deserve to be assured that we’re focusing on the issues that concern them, particularly about their future. I will come more to the economy again in a sec.

But of course we to have to take action on climate change and we are taking action on climate change. I can tell you that it wasn't just a budget deficit that we encountered when we came to government in 2013. We came into government and faced a climate deficit when we came to government. Josh knows all about this, he served as an Environment Minister. When we came to government to meet our Kyoto 2020 targets, we were more than 700 million tons behind the game, when it came to meeting our Kyoto targets. In the space of that last five and a half years, we've turned that around and we will now beat those Kyoto 2020 targets by 369 million tons.

That is a 1.1 billion ton turnaround on meeting our climate commitments and in this Budget Josh, there is $100 million to further strengthen our environment when it comes to local environmental works. Trevor Evans knows all about the great works on the ground with our community environment programme.

So don't let it be said that the Liberal and National Parties aren't investing in the future of our environment. We are. See we don't just talk about it, we get it done. The other thing we know is, we know that to take action on climate change doesn't mean you've got to take the economy out, either at the same time. You don't have to do that.

We need to tell Australians, you don't have to choose between your economy and your environment. You don't have to choose between your job and the environment. You don’t have to choose between your car and the environment.

You can have all of these things and we can't allow Australians to be lulled into that lie, which says you can't. Because you can. Because we are, because that is exactly what we are doing.

That strong economy is the reason why we are investing $3.5 billion, $3.5 billion to ensure we are protecting the future of our environment. Even beyond that when it comes to investing in key areas like the Great Barrier Reef, which is a livelihood as well as a great natural asset for our nation. And we will continue to do that, whether it's on the environment or other areas - in the health care of our young people and the education our young people.

But the other thing I think we want for Australians who are young, for their future, is we want them to be full of aspiration. We are the Party of aspiration. We are the parties with aspiration, I should say, the Liberals and Nationals, we are the parties of aspiration. We understand the reason our economy is strong is because of the hard work and effort of every single Australian. It's why the Budget is back in the black because Australians have worked hard.

You know, you’ve got to set the right conditions for that. One of the keys to that is to ensure that – as we think - Australians should keep more of what they earn.

We think that as Australians, the harder you work the better you do, then you should be able to get on with it. You should be able to get on with it. This is, I think, one of great big fault lines of this election.

As Liberals and Nationals, we believe you don't have to hold anyone down, to lift anyone up. We believe all Australians can be lifted up and the harder all Australians work, then the better they will do. And they won’t be held back under the policies of a Liberal Nationals Government.

This is why we have a plan to reduce taxes on Australians, to reduce taxes on small and family businesses. Particularly if you're a young person - I remember when I came out of University and I entered the decade of Labor's recession. I remember a million people being out of work. One in two people, in fact more than that, will vote at this election never having experienced a recession during their working life.

But I remember the last one. I remember the million people out of work. People in this room know about 18 per cent interest rates and “the recession we had to have” under Labor. God forbid we would ever have another recession. There are some who say, you know; “What people need is a good recession to teach them a few things.” I don't agree. I don't want my children to ever have to live through a recession. But I can tell you, if you stick to the policies of the Liberal and Nationals, then that is the best defense against a recession that you could ever think of.

And the reason for that is because we are continually unleashing the unbridled passion and spirit and hard work and enterprise of the Australian people.

Now Labor wants to put a $387 billion tax bomb on the Australian economy. This will hold Australians back, it will hold these young people back. It will hold their future back. It will weigh them down.

How on Earth anyone can think putting that much debt on an economy as we go into the uncertain times that Josh and Matthias have spoken about so often, how we think that is going to make our economy more resilient? By increasing the taxes on housing? By increasing taxes on retirees who have worked hard all their lives? By increasing the taxes on your investment, on what you invest in your superannuation and the contributions that you make? Increasing the taxes on pretty much everything that moves, when it comes to reckless abatement targets that the Labor Party have put in place. That will cost Australians their wages, some $9,000 a year. Putting on the price of everything, from the car you'd like to buy - which you probably won't be allowed to under Bill Shorten - or from what you put in your kids lunch box and all the rest of it. I mean, their policies are designed to raise prices.

So if you are concerned about cost of living, the answer is not higher taxes.

If you are concerned about cost of living, which I am, then the answer is not in reckless abatement targets just to raise the cost of living.

And it you are concerned about cost of living, what you’re interested in is an economy that is strong.

Now we have the runs on the boards when it comes to that. But more importantly, have the plans to keep it going in that direction. It's the plan for the future of our economy that Australians can rely on.

Today we have announced that of the 1.25 million jobs that we will create over the next five years, one in five of those jobs will be for young Australians. 250,000 jobs for young Australians.

That's what a strong economy does. That's what a strong economy does, 250,000 jobs for young Australians because people matter. That's why a strong economy matters and that's why having the policies that create that stronger economy, that's why that matters.

So as we go forward now, over the next five weeks, there is a big decision that the Australian people will be weighing up. There will be a choice between a Government, a Liberal and Nationals Government that has delivered a strong economy and has a plan to continue to deliver a strong economy, or a Labor government that will deliver a weak economy. Saddled down by policies that will slow the growth of our economy.

There is a choice between a Liberal and Nationals Government that stands for lower taxes, that will reduce the tax burden on the entire economy or a Labor government, a Bill Shorten government, that will result in $387 billion of higher taxes that will weigh down the Australian economy.

There is the choice between the Liberal and Nationals Government that I lead, that has proven we know how to manage money and has got the Budget back in the black. It has taken us some 10 years and more to get back to where we were when the Howard Costello government left office. 10 or 12 years now, to be back where we are in a position where Josh could hand down a Budget surplus the first time since then. So it’s choice between a Liberal and Nationals Government which has demonstrated, proven, has the runs on the board for how to manage money and a Bill Shorten Labor government who all Australians know, Labor doesn't know how to manage money.

And if you can't manage money, you can't run the country.

If you can't manage money, you can't run health system.

If you can't manage money, you can't run an education system.

If you can't manage money, you can't create jobs for young people.

If you can't manage money, you can't combat youth suicide. You can't go out there and change the lives for Australians living with disabilities. You can't go out there and stand with parents while they are working to try and change the life of their kids who are struggling with eating disorder. You can't go out there and actually make the environment the beautiful thing we want it to be for everybody in this country.

If you can't manage money, then you can't run the country.

So friends, that's the choice. It's an important choice and as we launched into this election I made a very simple point; the decisions Australians will make in five weeks, it won't just determine the next three years, it will determine the next decade that Australians live in. It will determine the economy Australians live in for the next decade.

Let's not let happen what happened last time when Labor came in 2007. They lost control the Budget. They lost control of the borders. The lost control of the economy. It has taken us more than a decade to get back.

If you vote Labor once, you'll pay for it for more than a decade.

That's the lesson of Australian political and government history and that is why friends, we have a big fight ahead of us, a very big fight ahead of us. But I can tell you my team all around the country, we are up for this. We are so up to this, because we know what is at stake. Yes, it's the future for all Australians. But the Australians I'm thinking of most, I've got to tell you, are these Australians, young Australians, young Australians. And for these young Australians, I'm making this pledge; that we will build our economy to secure your future, because people matter.

Thank you very much.

The Morrison Government will invest more than $58 million in 10 Industry Training Hubs in key locations across regional Australia to create more jobs for young people.

The investment will also include 400 Vocational Education and Training (VET) scholarships and is part of our plan to address youth unemployment in key parts of the country.

“Our plan will ensure more young people have the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” the Prime Minister said.

“In the last financial year alone more than 100,000 jobs were created for young Australians under our government.

“These Training Hubs and scholarships are about setting up even more young Australians on a long-term quality career path, and giving them the skills to be more than competitive into the future."

Ten locations of elevated youth unemployment across Australia have been selected to host an Industry Training Hub, which will strengthen partnerships between local schools, employers and industries, and ensure that vocational education programs are tailored to meet local workforce needs and skills demands. The selected locations are:

Young people, aged 15-24, in these 10 areas will also be eligible to apply for a scholarship to undertake an eligible VET Approved Program of Study.

Four hundred scholarships, valued at up to $17,500 each, will be made available from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level.

“These Industry Training Hubs and the scholarships will provide a pathway for young Australians, in regions with persistent youth unemployment, to gain the skills they need for a successful and rewarding career” the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education Michaelia Cash said.

“Our youth training plan is part of our plan for a stronger economy and builds on the 1.2 million jobs that have been created since we were elected.

“Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to build our economy and secure your future without increasing taxes.”

The Morrison Government’s plan for a stronger economy will create 250,000 extra jobs for young Australians.

We will back young Australians to secure a great job by giving them the chance to gain the right skills.

With a stronger economy we are headed in the right direction. Last financial year, for the first time in history, more than 100,000 young Australians got a job. Youth unemployment is falling and is lower than it was under Labor, who left office with almost 55,000 fewer young people in work.

Our plan builds on our track record by ensuring more young people get the skills and experience employers need.

A re-elected Morrison Government will pledge to create 250,000 additional jobs for young people over the next five years to get them started in a fulfilling career. This means that one in five of the jobs we pledge to create over the next five years will be jobs for young people, including those living in rural and regional areas.

This will be supported by our $525 million commitment to improving skills training, including through creating up to 80,000 new apprenticeships in areas of skills shortages.

We will also provide additional support to school-leavers and job-seekers in regional areas by establishing 10 industry training hubs in regional areas with high youth employment. The training hubs will provide greater job opportunities for young people and strengthen local economies. This will be supported by 400 VET scholarships in those regions.

We will also help more young people move from welfare to work. We know that if a person gets into a job and off welfare at a young age, the chances of them returning to welfare reduce dramatically.

Already our Youth Jobs PaTH program has helped over 43,000 young people into jobs, and our Transition to Work program has helped over 32,000 young people into a job or training.

We will strengthen Youth Jobs PaTH with up to ten new industry partnerships. From 1 January 2020, industry parties who successfully tender will work with employment services providers to develop and pilot PaTH programs tailored to the particular needs of jobseekers and employers, particularly in industries with high forecast jobs growth.

We will also expand the Transition to Work service eligibility by two years, so that it captures young people up to the age of 24, from 1 January 2020. This will extend access to pre-employment intensive support services for more than 2,000 additional young people each year.

The choice is clear. A re-elected Morrison Government will help create an extra 250,000 more jobs for young Australians.

Labor and Bill Shorten’s $387 billion in higher taxes will weaken our economy, meaning less jobs and opportunity.

Only the Morrison Government has a plan for a stronger economy, an economy that will create jobs and guarantee essential services Australians rely on.

The costs for these measures are accounted for in the 2019-20 Budget.

The Morrison Government is increasing funding for ground-breaking research and new services to prevent Indigenous youth suicide under a $503.1 million Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

The high rates of mental health and suicide amongst young Australians – especially among young Indigenous Australians – are one of the most significant health concerns our nation faces. Almost half of all Australians will experience a common mental health difficulty in their lifetime, and suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 – 44 years. Three quarters of mental illness begins before the age of 25.

Our Government’s historic Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan announced in the 2019-20 Budget is the most significant youth mental health and suicide prevention plan in our country’s history. It will provide the vital support and strong national leadership needed to tackle the challenges of mental illness and suicide.

Today we are further backing that plan with an additional $22.5 million for our country’s best and brightest medical researchers to help find new solutions and better treatments for young and Indigenous Australians facing mental health challenges. We’re also providing $19.6 million for new services through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to prevent Indigenous youth suicide, particularly in the Kimberley.

This new funding brings the Government’s commitment to the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to $503.1 million.

“I want every young person in Australia to know that they are not alone and that we are committed to doing everything we can to support their mental health and wellbeing,” the Prime Minister said.

“Not just as a Prime Minister, but as a parent, I am going to do whatever it takes and whatever we can to break the curse of youth suicide in our country and ensure young people get the support they need.”

Of the funding, $10 million will go to two research projects focussed on child and youth mental health. These projects will deliver digital tools for common issues faced by young people – including anxiety, depression, substance use, sleep problems, suicide and relationship difficulties – and will improve the treatment and experiences of young people presenting to emergency departments with mental health crises.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt said “This work has the potential to accelerate the progress we are making in achieving better mental health outcomes for young Australians. It will help protect the lives of young people, and reduce the impacts of mental illness on individuals, their families and their communities.”

The largest part of the new funding – $12.5 million – will support three projects which aim to provide the knowledge and understanding to make health programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people more effective.

These projects will determine how best to bring social and cultural awareness to mental health services for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They will help support mainstream services to work better for Indigenous Australians and will bring together multidisciplinary teams to integrate mental health, alcohol and drug, and social and cultural supports.

Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM said “Young Indigenous people face many barriers to accessing health care, one of which is finding and engaging services that are safe and tailored to meet their needs. This work will help change the way we deliver general mental health services so that they draw on the value of culture, community, and country to enrich the care provided to our First Nations people.”

The five projects funded through this investment are the first successful initiatives of the Government’s $125 million Million Minds Mission, which aims to enrol a million additional people in new trials and programs focussed on protecting the mental wellbeing of Australians.

Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion said the Morrison Government is also making a new $19.6 million investment through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to prevent Indigenous youth suicide, particularly in the Kimberley.

“Every single suicide is a tragedy that hits tight-knit Indigenous communities particularly hard and as Coroner Fogliani’s inquest into 13 youth suicides in the Kimberley found, these are the result of long-term and often intergenerational factors,” Minister Scullion said.

“This new $19.6 million investment will help build resilience and leadership skills in at-risk communities and provide new pathways for engagement, including some which the Kimberley Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Forum told us are needed to support fellow young people.

The Government is prioritising better mental health for all Australians with an estimated $4.8 billion expected to be spent on mental health in 2018-19 and an additional $736.6 million for mental health announced as part of the 2019-20 Budget.

Our strong economic management means that we can continue to invest record funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare, and hospitals.

For more information, please visit https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan-youth-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone. Earlier this morning, I visited the Governor-General here in Canberra and he accepted my advice for an election to be held on the 18th of May. We live in the best country in the world. But to secure your future, the road ahead depends on a strong economy. And that's why there is so much at stake at this election. Despite global economic headwinds, Australia’s economy is strong. We are delivering the first budget surplus in more than a decade. Unemployment is at decade lows. And last year, for the first time in our history, more than 100,000 young Australians got a job.

With a stronger economy we will create another one and a quarter million jobs over the next five years. We will maintain those budget surpluses without increasing taxes, and pay down the debt. We will deliver tax relief, as we have, for families, for hard working Australians, for small businesses, allowing Australians to keep more of what they earn. We will keep Australians safe as Liberal National governments always do, and we will keep our borders secure, as you know we will. And we will be able to guarantee the increased funding for the essential services that Australians rely on. Schools, hospitals, medicines, roads - all guaranteed by a stronger economy. All of this delivered by that plan that has kept our economy strong, not by increasing taxes. This is how we will make your life easier in the years ahead. This is how we will take the pressure off you and your family. There is more to do and a lot has got done, and we are getting on together with the job.

So at this election there is a clear choice. It is a choice that will determine the economy that Australians live in, not just for the next three years but for the next decade. It's a choice between a government that I lead and the alternative of a Labor government led by Bill Shorten. You will have the choice between a Government that is delivering a strong economy and will continue to do so, or Bill Shorten's Labor Party, whose policies would weaken our economy. You will get to decide between a Government that has fixed the Budget or Bill Shorten's Labor Party that we always know can't manage money. You will have a choice between a Government that is lowering taxes for all Australians, or Bill Shorten's Labor Party that will impose higher taxes that will weigh down our economy. It's taken us more than five years to turn around Labor's Budget mess. Now is not the time to turn back.

Keeping our economy strong is how we secure your future and your family's future. Keeping our economy strong ensures that we can secure your wage, your job, your business and, importantly, the business you are going to work for today. Particularly, those small and family businesses out there employing more than half of the Australians who go to work today. And it's also absolutely essential to guarantee the funding for the services that you rely on - hospitals, schools, roads, medicines, aged care, disability care - all of these now already at record levels of funding that only a strong economy can guarantee into the future, not higher taxes.

Australia is the best country in the world but our future depends on a strong economy. So I'm asking my fellow Australians today that on the 18th of May, you vote Liberal and National around the country. So together all of us as Australians can continue to build our economy to secure your future. Now I'm happy to take a few questions. Over here, Phil.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Labor's key theme is going to be fairness. How do you respond to that, how do you counter that?

PRIME MINISTER: I believe in a fair go for those who have a go. And what that means is part of the promise that we all keep as Australians is that we make a contribution and don't seek to take one. When all Australians do that, that's when we get the fair go mentality and culture that has made our country strong today. So under our policies, if you're having a go you'll get a go. And that involves an obligation on all of us to be able to bring what we have to the table. It doesn't matter what level of ability you have, what your means are, where you live in this country. It matters that we all bring our best. Under my Government, under our Government, under a Liberal Nationals Government, we will always be backing in those Australians who are looking to make a contribution not take one and, together, that's how we make our country stronger.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what would you say to Australians who are thinking, ‘why should I reward an unstable Government?’

PRIME MINISTER: This election is about the future. But it’s a decision people can make about the future because of the record of the economic management that our Government has delivered. The record of national security and strong border protection that our Government has delivered. The record of bringing unemployment down, of getting young people into kids, of delivering record funding for hospitals and schools. Over the last five and a half years we have increased funding for public schools around the country by more than 60 per cent. We've increased funding for hospitals by more than 60 per cent. We've increased funding for Medicare by 27 per cent, and bulk-billing rates today are at their highest level. Our Government has the record of delivering not only a stronger economy, but the dividends of a stronger economy in the essential services that Australians rely on.

And so the choice that is going to be made by Australians on the 18th of May is like it always is at every election, and that is, who do you trust to deliver that strong economy which your essential services rely on? Who do you trust to deliver the strong economy and the Budget management that these services can be funded, that the business that you work for will be there in three years, in five years, in ten years? The strong economy that is the way and the path to higher and sustainable wages in this country. The strong economy which, at the end of the day, enables us all to invest in our communities, where we live and where we work, and where we play. So, make no mistake, elections are all about questions of trust and our record of delivery on the things that Australians rely on, the economy they live in and the services that they rely on is very clear and our plans to continue to deliver that are very clear. Mark?

JOURNALIST: The question is though that the Australian people voted for a government led by Tony Abbott in 2013 and ended up with Malcolm Turnbull. They voted for Malcolm Turnbull in 2016 and ended up with you, via Peter Dutton. What absolute guarantee can you give the Australian people that if they vote for you they'll get you?

PRIME MINISTER: That's why after I became Prime Minister we changed the rules in the Liberal Party, as you know. It was the biggest change to the Liberal Party's rules since Sir Robert Menzies founded our parliamentary party here. Those rules say that at the next election on May 18, if the Liberal National Government is returned, if I'm re-elected as Prime Minister, then I will serve as your Prime Minister because the rules have been changed to prevent the things that have happened in the past. The same is true of the Labor Party - they changed their rules as well. So it’s crystal clear, at this election, it is a choice between me as Prime Minister and Bill Shorten as Prime Minister. You vote for me, you'll get me. You vote for Bill Shorten and you'll get Bill Shorten.

JOURNALIST: On your first day in Question Time as Prime Minister you said, "when placed in command, take charge." How would you describe the battle, the scale of the battle, you're about to lead the Coalition into?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I believe that we must win this election for the interests of our country. The last time Labor was elected to form a Government back in 2007 they inherited a strong economy and they inherited budget surpluses. And in the space of one year they turned a $20 billion surplus into a $27 billion deficit. They turned strong borders into weak borders. And we have spent the last more than ten years getting back to where we were. You vote Labor once, you pay for it for a decade. That's what history has taught us. You know, in the last 18 months we have only just now got back and exceeded, in fact, the share of the working age population that is in work. The last time we hit that record was when the Liberal and National Party left office in 2007, and it has taken us more than a decade to get back to where we were. Australians have worked incredibly hard and over the last five years, they've been supported by a Government that has been backing them in. Against stiff headwinds, indeed in the past, $80 billion taken out of our economy on the downside of the mining investment boom but we continued to grow, and our economy continued to prevail by the hard work of Australians.

See, the Liberal and National Parties believe that the strength of our economy is rooted in the hard work and effort and enterprise and aspiration and the champion in every single Australian. Our job is to release those champions in our economy, to release those champions in the workforce, to release those champions in our health and education sector, to release those champions in our homes. We have a plan to make Australia stronger. And on the 18th May, Australians will have the opportunity to back that plan as we're backing them. Thank you very much.

The Morrison Government is investing almost $92 million to support better health care for all Tasmanians, improving waiting times for elective surgery, boosting mental health and maternity services and increasing cancer diagnosis scans.

The Tasmanian Health Plan also provides greater support for Tasmanians in rural and remote locations while increasing a wide range of vital services, from GPs to hospital care and specialist health services.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this investment would improve the health of all Tasmanians.

“Our strong economic management means we can provide record investment in Medicare, public hospitals and medicines, delivering more doctors, more nurses and more services to Tasmanians.”

“We can deliver this record investment in health without raising taxes for hard-working Tasmanians.

“We will invest $34.7 million to reduce surgical waiting times by providing an additional 6,000 surgeries and endoscopies and for primary care support for Tasmanians in rural and remote locations through TazReach.”

$10 million will support the Menzies Multiple Sclerosis Flagship Program to improve the quality of life for the more than 25,000 Australians living with MS by conducting research into cures and prevention of the disease.

$10 million will be invested in a new residential eating disorder clinic in Hobart, to provide in-patient specialist care for people experiencing eating disorders.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said around one million Australians live with an eating disorder, which is a complex condition with a high mortality rate.

“This treatment option will be an Australian first, providing diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders across the state, through training, education and advocacy,” Minister Hunt said.

“Eating disorder patients will also benefit from our historic decision to provide Medicare benefits for up to 40 psychological and 20 dietetic sessions per person per year.”

$10.5 million will be provided for a new walk-in mental health centre in Launceston, providing an environment where people can receive psychological, counselling or other mental health services without a prior appointment.

The centre will cater for people in crisis as well as those at risk, providing an alternative to the hospital emergency department.

$3 million will fund two new diagnostic mammography units, one in Hobart and one in Launceston.

These new machines will ensure that Tasmanian women do not have to wait to obtain x-rays to check their breasts for cancer. Earlier diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can save lives, especially for women over 40.

A further $400,000 will support upgrades to new birthing suites in Launceston General Hospital to better support women giving birth.

In Tasmania, funding for public hospitals will increase from $425 million a year (2018-19) to $525 million (2024-25) under a new agreement with the Tasmanian Government, which has primary responsibility for public hospitals.

This is in addition to the $730.4 million we provided to support Mersey Community Hospital.

Our Tasmanian Health Plan will result in new health initiatives, new infrastructure and new medical research, with real benefits for the people across Tasmania.

Sporting communities will benefit from an additional $190 million investment in female change rooms, facility upgrades and swimming pools across the country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding will encourage and support more Australians to play sport at a grassroots level.

“Sporting clubs are so important in building stronger communities. They’re not just about keeping active and having fun, they are also bringing people together,” said the Prime Minister.

“It’s important that all Australians get to participate, including women and girls who need equal access to our playing fields and sporting facilities.

“With more and more women playing sport we need to make sure they’re supported from entry level as young girls all the way through to elite level competition, including in once male dominated sports.

“Female change rooms should be standard, they shouldn’t be an exception.

“That’s why in this year’s budget we’re announcing additional funding to build more female change room facilities at sports grounds.

“This is our practical way of backing in women’s sport and building even stronger communities.”

A total of $150 million will be spent supporting the development of female change room facilities at sporting grounds and community swimming facilities across Australia through a new dedicated stream of funding for these activities.

The Government will also provide a further $40 million for a third round of its highly successful Community Sport Infrastructure Program which has funded 458 Local Sporting infrastructure projects nationwide already. The additional funding increases the Government’s commitment to the program to $100 million.

Senator Bridget McKenzie said the first two rounds of the Community Sport Infrastructure Program have been an incredible success.

“The National Sports Plan, Sport 2030, outlined our Government’s vision for Australia to be the most active and healthy sporting nation known for its integrity and sporting success. These two programs help to make this a reality,” Minister McKenzie said.

“Local sporting clubs are often at the heart of our communities which is why it’s so pleasing to be able to fund these infrastructure projects. We’ve seen new netball courts, upgraded playing fields, flood lighting, canteens and disability access paths constructed right across the country.

“Following on from the success of our Australian female athletes and sporting teams there is a tsunami of women taking up sport right across the country. We want to support these women in sport, from the grass roots level up to elite representatives – you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we have created a new fund specifically to help build new female change rooms.

"Women often don't have access to appropriate change room facilities resulting in them having to get changed behind towels on the side of fields or in cars, and having to go home for showers. This is a major deterrent for women wanting to participate and to feel like they are welcome in clubs across many sports."

Further details on the change room and swimming facilities fund will be released later in 2019.

Successful applications to Round 3 of the Community Sport Infrastructure program will be announced soon.

The 2019–20 Federal Budget will lock in an additional $1.6 billion of our Liberal Nationals Government’s investment into critical road and rail infrastructure across Perth and regional Western Australia, busting congestion and driving stronger growth, while enhancing road safety to ensure people across WA get home sooner and safer.

This builds on the $9.81 billion in our Government’s commitments to West Australian road and rail infrastructure since we came into Government in September 2013, including $4.8 billion over the past two Budgets.

The Liberal Nationals Government will boost investment in congestion-busting urban projects including $207.5 million to fund the removal of three level crossings at Oats Street in Carlisle, Welshpool Road in Welshpool and Mint Street in East Victoria Park while also investing $115 million for the Fremantle Swan River Crossing Traffic Bridge.

Those level crossings are some of the worst across Perth. Removing them will deliver significant amenity, productivity and congestion busting benefits.

The 257-metre Fremantle Traffic Bridge will include both a road bridge with a track rail bridge and improve freight productivity and access to freight gateways across Perth.

The Government is also committing an additional $151.5 million towards the Tonkin Highway Stage 3 extension bringing lifting our contribution to $404 million (or from 50 to 80 percent of the total project costs of $505 million) to ensure this project can get underway in earnest as soon as possible.

We will also provide $10 million towards intersection improvements at Thomas Road and Nicholson Road under the Urban Congestion Fund, which comes on top of our announcement in early March of $96 million towards five congestion-busting projects in Perth.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this year’s Budget also locked in further federal support for crucial infrastructure projects across regional WA, including the Albany Ring Road, the Karratha to Tom Price Road sealing, additional funding towards the completion of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and other regional road corridor upgrades such as funding towards the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation.

“The upcoming Budget will continue the Liberal Nationals Government’s firm commitment to ensuring Western Australia gets its fair share of infrastructure funding now and into the future,” the Prime Minister said.

“We are prioritising investment in the major projects needed to better support regional areas, ease congestion in and around Perth and reduce the terrible impact of road trauma by delivering safer roads.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals’ Leader Michael McCormack said the investment from the Liberals and Nationals will make roads safer and boost productivity by investing in freight corridors..

“The Budget will commit $535 million towards key regional road investments across the state under the Government’s Roads of Strategic Importance initiative,” Mr McCormack said.

“This investment is yet another part of the Liberals and Nationals vision to get people home sooner and safer, no matter where they live.

“It will increase efficiency, productivity and improve the supply chain.

“By making the freight system more efficient, local businesses will also have more money to invest in their operations, creating more jobs and providing a vital shot in the arm for WA’s agriculture and mining sectors.”

Minister for Finance and the Public Service and Senator for Western Australia Mathias Cormann said the Budget built on the Government’s strong existing infrastructure investment record in the state.

“The Budget will also include a total of $348.5 million towards three projects on the Tonkin Highway bringing out total commitment to $929 million and a further $122 million for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, bringing our total commitment to $682 million,” Senator Cormann said.

“These are not just numbers. These are commitments to a better quality of life for our commuters who will be able to spend more time with their families, while also delivering a stronger economy through more efficient freight and transport links and less tragedy on our roads on the back of safer road infrastructure.”

The Australian and Western Australian governments are also continuing to work together to negotiate the Perth City Deal, which will focus on securing the wider benefits of METRONET and to ensure there is a shared long-term vision to effectively address the future growth of Perth.

Funding for key WA infrastructure projects in the upcoming Budget includes:

LEVEL CROSSING REMOVALS

• Oats Street/Welshpool Road/Mint Street Level Crossing Removal (Federal Government investment: $207.5 million)

ROADS

• Albany Ring Road (Federal Government investment: $140 million)
• Fremantle Traffic Bridge (Swan River Crossing) (Federal Government investment: $115 million)
• Tonkin Highway projects (Stage 3 extension; Great Eastern Highway to Collier Road; Kelvin Road, Hale Road and Welshpool Road East intersection upgrades) (Federal Government investment: $348.5 million of additional funding bringing our overall commitment to those three projects to $929 million)
• Bunbury Outer Ring Road – Stages 2 and 3 (Federal Government investment: $122 million of additional funding taking our overall commitment to $682 million)

ROADS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE INITIATIVE

• Western Australian section of the Newman to Katherine Corridor (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
• Western Australian section of the Alice Springs to Halls Creek Corridor (Federal Government investment: $75 million)
• Karratha to Tom Price Corridor (Federal Government investment: $248 million)
• Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
• Western Australian section of the Port Augusta to Perth (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
• Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation – Stage 1 (Federal Government investment: $22 million)

URBAN CONGESTION FUND

• Thomas Road and Nicholson Road in Oakford (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
• Transforming Freeways - widening and introduction of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) (Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways) (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
• Lloyd Street Extension (Federal Government investment: $20 million)
• Abernethy Road Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $13.25 million)
• Lakelands Station (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
• Shorehaven Boulevard / Marmion Avenue Intersection Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $2.5 million)
• More Parking Bays at Mandurah Station (Federal Government investment: $16 million)

MAJOR PROJECT BUSINESS CASE FUND

• Future Road and Rail Connections for Perth (Federal Government investment: $25 million) – to investigate future road and rail links to support the growth of the transport network in Perth
• Westport project (Federal Government investment: $10 million) – development of business cases and corridor preservation to support the Westport: Port and Environs Strategy, which is currently being developed by the WA Government.

I will travel to Christchurch with my wife Jenny to attend New Zealand’s National Remembrance Service for the victims of the 15 March terrorist attack.

The Christchurch attack was the most shocking and horrific of events.

The National Remembrance Service is an opportunity for Australia to stand in unity and solidarity with New Zealand as the global community comes together to honour the victims and their loved ones.

The Governor-General and the Leader of the Opposition will also attend the National Remembrance Service.

On behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian community, our delegation will represent Australia in offering every support we can provide our New Zealand brothers and sisters, and the Muslim community around the world.

Motorists across Sydney and the Central Coast will be spending less time in traffic and more time doing what’s important to them after a $253.5 million congestion-busting funding boost.

The package includes upgrading King Georges Road and Blaxland Road at Balaclava Road in Eastwood, the Princes Highway at Waratah Street in Kirrawee, The Horsley Drive and Homebush Bay Drive in Sydney Olympic Park, while also investing $50 million into commuter car parking.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the investment would mean Sydney-siders and people on the Central Coast would be getting home sooner and safer.

“Our investment means people can spend more time with friends and family and tradies can be earning more on site rather than being stuck in traffic,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is a significant investment in tackling the congestion hotspots that are costing people precious time and losing businesses money.”

“People living in Sydney know better than anyone the very real impacts road congestion has on people’s lives and we are doing something about the pinch points and bottlenecks that lie at the heart of the problem.”

Funded through the Government’s $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund, projects include:

• $95 million to upgrade The Horsley Drive in the city’s south-west;
• $50 million toward widening King Georges Road in the city’s south;
• $50 million to upgrade Homebush Bay Drive, including investigating options to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Australia Avenue and Underwood Road;
• $4.5 million to upgrade Blaxland Road at the Balaclava Road intersection in Eastwood;
• $4 million to upgrade the Princes Highway at Waratah Street in Kirrawee;
• $7.5 million for commuter car park upgrades at Panania;
• $7.5 million for commuter car park upgrades at Hurstville; and
• $35 million for commuter car parking at Gosford Station and Woy Woy Station on the Central Coast.

Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the Urban Congestion Fund was designed to eliminate congestion issues where they are hurting the most.

“This is not only the major freeways but the local pinch points which cause daily headaches to commuters,” Minister Tudge said.

“This package shows we are not slowing down in NSW, and builds on the $26 billion we already have invested in game-changing infrastructure in Sydney and across the State since coming into power.”

The Morrison Government’s existing investment across urban New South Wales includes WestConnex, NorthConnex, the M1 Productivity Package, the Northern Road Upgrade and the transformational Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport, which will support tens of thousands of jobs and connect western Sydney to the world.