Bittersweet Emotions Two Years In

First published in the Logan Reporter on September 11, 2015.

It’s with mixed emotions for me that we marked the second anniversary of the last Federal Election this week.

I remain incredibly thankful for the opportunity you’ve given me to represent you in the federal parliament, and continue to appreciate the countless conversations I’ve had with great people and the constructive way that we’ve engaged on some important issues.

But I’m also sincerely concerned by the chaotic first two years of the Abbott Government and the impact that impact their decisions have had on communities like ours.

The past two years have been characterised by their lies and broken promises; chaos and confusion; disunity and disappointment.

We’ve seen cuts to schools and hospitals, pensions and payments, the ABC and SBS.

Unemployment is up, they’ve doubled the deficit from one Budget to the next and taxes are higher than at any point under the last Labor Government.

Australia’s remarkable quarter-century of continuous economic growth is in serious jeopardy if we continue down this wrong path.

As Labor Leader Bill Shorten has said, Australia's choice is to get smarter, or poorer.

We’ve got to invest in science and technology; teach and train our people for the jobs of the future; and grow our economy so that there's more prosperity and opportunity to go around.

In the lead-up to the next election, I will continue to advocate for policies that make our community smarter and fairer, and stand up for the views of local people in the national political conversation.

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