Repairing the Budget

We must get the budget back under control, return to surplus as soon as possible and pay back the $300 billion debt that this government was left with.

We owe it to our children to ensure that their future is secure and not burdened by an unsustainable, out of control level of debt.

This debt reduction will reduce our interest bill by around $16 billion per year in 10 years time.

By living within our means on a sustainable basis, we will bring back structural integrity back to the economy and confidence to businesses and households.

Abolishing the Carbon Tax

The carbon tax was unequivocally a tax that punished businesses and households for using electricity, and that increases the cost of everyday items.

This toxic, job-destroying tax punished successful and hard-working Australian businesses, particularly trade-exposed businesses.

A carbon tax only causes jobs and emissions to be exported overseas.

Abolishing the carbon tax will lift a $9 billion a year burden on Australian businesses and households.

Boosting Productivity

Over the long term, only stronger productivity growth will deliver better living standards.

Investment, job creation, higher real wage growth and better standards of living all depend on productivity and competitiveness.

The Coalition believes that productivity and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin – it is competition that provides the incentive for greater productivity, while productivity growth is what allows our firms to remain internationally competitive.

Excessive red tape and inefficient public institutions hinder competition, reduce investment, stifle innovation, lower job opportunities and damage overall living standards for all Australians.

The Coalition has developed a comprehensive plan of action that will boost the nation’s productivity performance.

International Trade& Investment

One in five Australian jobs relates to our trade with the world.

Australia’s economic success has always been reliant on inbound foreign investment. If we are to remain competitive globally, we must be an attractive destination for capital investment.

We have an opportunity is to improve engagement with the fast growing Asia Pacific region. However, the degree to which Australia benefits will depend on how effectively we engage with our major trading partners.

Further growth in trade and investment between Australia and the rest of the world will only serve to increase prosperity and living standards in Australia.

Small & Family Business

Small and family business is the engine room of the Australian economy, employing 70% of our workforce.

The Coalition will end the neglect of small and family business that has been the hallmark of Labor’s years in Government.

We understand the challenges and roadblocks that small business confronts on a daily basis, and we are committed to taking off the constraints to investment and employment.

I am committed to making sure that the government gets out of the way of small and family business, cuts red tape, creates the environment for business people to back themselves, take on risk and employ more people.

Reduce Red & Green Tape by $1 Billion Annually

The Coalition will ease the burden imposed on the Australian economy by reducing red tape costs on business by at least $1 billion per year.

Excessive regulation stifles our economic prospects and impedes the work of Australia’s businesses and community organisations.

Reducing regulation will make our economy more competitive, provide greater incentives for job creation and real wage growth and contribute to the higher living standards Australians deserve in the 21^st century.