JODIE BELYEA, MEMBER FOR DUNKLEY: I am here this morning to talk about first of all the new tax changes that we've got through the budget. We're going to see a capacity for more homes to be built with the incentives for investors. In the community of Dunkley housing is an issue. Recently, we've seen 1,837 first home buyers use the 5% deposit scheme, so that's been a great incentive for our community. We have also seen the redevelopment of 19 more social homes for the community. And in the budget we saw a $60 million investment into housing for those struggling with youth homelessness, that's thanks to the work of the Home Time Campaign.
But there's some more exciting news I'm really thrilled about today as the member for Dunkley, for about 10 years I've been advocating strongly for more information for women on menopause and perimenopause. And today Minister Butler and Minister Gallagher have announced a menopause and perimenopause campaign, and this means that more women are going to be able to access the information that they need to be able to understand what menopause is. And I certainly know as a woman transitioning into menopause it was a real struggle.
I'd like to give a shout out to Women's Health in the South East. They have done exceptional work in the community in Victoria, promoting menopause. And today, this one's for you and for all the staff that have worked so tirelessly with the community.
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: I will start by echoing what Jodie just said about the terrific new menopause and perimenopause campaign that will be on our screens, big and small, helping women get the support and information they need.
It is part of our government's broad commitment to make sure we invest more in Medicare and more in healthcare. Just as we have seen with the really encouraging new data showing year on year a 4.6% increase in Medicare bulk billing, all part of our plan that the Australian people endorsed at the election just over a year ago.
And while we'll keep focusing on delivering, we see the other political parties in this place focusing on going back to the future. Now, you have got the Liberal Party going back to the future, putting Tony Abbott in a leadership position. You have got the Greens going back to the future, trying to find new creative ways to block new housing and to block the tax incentives that we know will support so many Australians into their first home.
And then we do have something new today. We have got the Teal Party. Now, some people might say that a party full of Independents is an oxymoron. I am sure for the media and those around this building, it will be a very interesting few days as they jostle it out for the leadership, the deputy leadership, the deputy leader in the house, the deputy leader in the senate, and everything else.
But the biggest problem with this new Teal party is they say the reason that they are forming is to become a force against One Nation, Zali Steggall says that she might be the leader of this new party that wants to fight One Nation. The big problem for the Teals is that their record doesn't match what they're now saying.
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Now, if you look at the so-called leader of this new Teal party, she says she wants to fight One Nation, but she has failed to put One Nation last at recent elections. Now, if the Teals want, if the Teals want to fight One Nation, they should have started at the previous election by putting One Nation last. They did not do that. They ran open tickets, and they have some serious questions to answer about why they pushed the door open wider for One Nation, just as Angus Taylor is doing.
JOURNALIST: Any advice for the Teals?
GORMAN: Well, maybe they could figure out where they stand on One Nation, for a start. Maybe they could tell us who their leader is going to be. Maybe they tell us if that leader is going to still be there at the next election.
It does appear to me that the Teal Party is more about the Teals than it is about the people. It is more about the Teals wanting to hold on to their seats than it is about what they will deliver for the Australian people. Currently, that party has no consistent policy position on anything.
I am increasingly concerned that when it comes to the Teals, they are just big money politicians. That is what we have seen, election on election, and so they're forming a bigger party. I imagine they're going to have even bigger donors.
JOURNALIST: What are you hearing from in your electorate, Minister Gorman, about the capital gains tax? Changes, and for small business, do you think that more work needs to be done? Do you agree with your colleagues, like Andrew Charlton or Jerome Laxale, that more needs to be done, that this isn't perhaps the right setting for them?
GORMAN: I have done two - what I call 'Parliament in the Parks', where I get out there, invite my community down. I was down on the banks of the Swan River in Bayswater. I had people give a range of views.
People were also really encouraged that we've done something important, something strong. Something difficult that needed to be done when it came to housing and making sure that we've got a fair tax system to get the next generation into housing. People will have a range of views on these policies.But I know as we continue the conversation, as Andrew Charlton and others have been doing, we will show that this is the right tax regime.
And as my colleague from Western Australia, Anne Aly, has pointed out many times, all of those existing capital gains tax exemptions for small business and those concessions for small business remain under this package, and that means many, many small businesses won't see any change at all, and there will be some businesses that will be better off, because this is a tax policy that makes sure we've got a fairer deal across our tax system.
And let's remember the reason we came to this, it was about getting Australians into a home of their own, something that I believe is fundamental to the Australian dream.
JOURNALIST: Pardon me, last one. Senator McKenzie's been found to have spent $800 on flights, taxpayers spending $800 on flights, for flights to her son's wedding. So that's not on, is it?
GORMAN: I will just point to that when there have been questions in the media about the use of entitlements, our ministers have referred themselves to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, as it's the appropriate course of action. That is how we deal with these things, how it's dealt with in the leadership of the National Party, I'll leave to them.