Values and Achievements
The Nationals Values
Our Values
Our organisation is based on three principles: security, individual achievement and strong representation for local communities.
Security:
We believe in security for the nation, local communities and families.
Individual achievement:
We believe in private enterprise, a fair go and a balanced role for Government.
Strong Representation:
We believe in Members of Parliament who are strong local advocates, champions for their regions and come together to act as a team.
The Nationals is a private enterprise organisation. It provides a vital balance, ensuring the interests of people living beyond the capital cities have a voice in Parliament. Without The Nationals, government policy would be determined by a substantial majority of city-based parliamentarians.
It upholds traditional values and fights for a better quality of service, opportunity and life for all people, from remote inland communities to major regional and coastal centres.
The Party has a major influence on policy and is responsible for many landmark initiatives for Australia, ranging from hospital and medical benefits schemes, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian Institute of Sport and the abolition of Federal death and gift duties, to the Regional Australia Summit, the Natural Heritage Trust, the Roads to Recovery Program , the Agriculture - Advancing Australia package, the Supermarket to Asia and major increases in funding for country and regional health, education and communications.
Achievements by The Nationals in Government
A Strong Economy
In the eleven years since 1996, The Nationals have helped make Australia's economy strong. Since we took office as part of the Coalition:
- the net wealth of Australian households has doubled;
- real wages have increased by 21.5 per cent; and
- we have created nearly 2.2 million new jobs, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.2 per cent.
The Nationals recognise that some parts of Australia feel left out of our strong economy.
We are the party that is working hard to spread Australia's prosperity and deliver results for those communities.
Transport
The Nationals have secured $38.1 billion in funding for Australia's land transport system over ten years under our national transport plans, AusLink 1 and 2.
AusLink 2 will start in June 2009. It will deliver more money for Australia's major road and rail links, as well as more money for local roads under Roads to Recovery and Strategic Regional programmes.
Under AusLink 2, we will also extend the Black Spot Programme until 2014 and increase its funding.
The Nationals are taking action to restore Australia's rail system, with $1.8 billion for rail upgrades over five years.
We have been able to start detailed planning for the Melbourne to Brisbane inland railway.
Land acquisition for the railway could begin as early as 2010, with construction starting in 2014.
We have also won $3.5 million in funding to examine dual gauging the planned Surat Basin railway line in Queensland. Dual gauging the
line would enable the state to boost its coal exports and create jobs by using huge standard gauge coal wagons.
Health
Over the last eleven years, The Nationals have pressed for better health care across Australia's local communities.
The Nationals are encouraging more health professionals into rural and regional areas through bonded places, rural scholarships, HECS waivers, and relocation and retention payments. There will be 500 new medical school places in 2007, rising to 600 by 2011.
We are funding new health facilities in rural communities through the Rural Medical Infrastructure Fund, and are now campaigning for the appointment of local hospital boards to improve Australia's public hospitals, which are run by the states.
Telecommunications
The Nationals have secured $958 million to deliver high speed broadband to 99 per cent of Australians under the Australia Connected package.
Its centrepiece is the rollout of a new broadband network based on fibre-optic, ADSL2+ and wireless technology.
Australians in remote or difficult to reach areas will have access to subsidised broadband services under the Australian Broadband Guarantee.
The Nationals have also delivered the $2 billion Communications Fund, which will provide a stream of money to make sure that rural telecommunications are always up to date.
Supporting small business
The Nationals led the campaign to protect Australia's small businesses from unfair competition, because part of our job is to get results for every Australian who owns a small business.
We secured amendments to the Trade Practices Act that make it easier for small businesses to bargain collectively with their suppliers to get a better deal.
This year, we won more amendments to the Act. These amendments will help defend small businesses from companies that misuse their market power to ruin their competitors.
The Nationals also helped deliver the new workplace relations system, which enables small businesses and their workers to reach employment agreements that suit their own circumstances.
Education and training
The Nationals are working to overcome the skills shortage; our strong Coalition Government has brought in programmes to help more Australians get better trade qualifications.
These programmes are supporting more people who want to change careers and take up a trade, as well as making a substantial investment in engineering skills.
The Nationals have also helped deliver 28 Australian Technical Colleges, many in regional areas such as Gladstone, Bairnsdale/Sale and Dubbo.
Supporting Australia's farmers
The Nationals have won the allocation of $3.5 billion in drought assistance since the start of the current drought. Our assistance is now helping more than 40,000 farm families. We will continue to provide drought support for as long as it is needed.
We recently delivered $205 million over four years to extend the Agriculture-Advancing Australia package, which helps farmers manage their changing circumstances.
And it was, importantly, The Nationals who saved the single desk for Australian wheat growers.
Environment
The Nationals have secured an extra $2 billion for the Natural Heritage Trust.
The money will extend the trust until June 2013, and will help improve water quality, reduce land degradation and improve vegetation management.
The Nationals have also delivered an extra $112 million for the National Landcare Programme over three years, and $50 million to establish an Environmental Stewardship Programme in partnership with Australia's farmers.
Water
It was The Nationals who led the negotiation of the National Water Initiative and the creation of the $2 billion Australian Government Water Fund.
Now we have helped deliver $10 billion in funding over ten years for our comprehensive plan to safeguard Australia's water resources.
Better services and more opportunities
The Nationals have delivered better services and more jobs across Australia through our grants programmes.
Under the Sustainable Regions Programme, we have approved more than $123 million for 280 projects in ten regions struggling with the impact of economic, social or environmental change.
Meanwhile, the Regional Partnerships Programme is investing in projects across Australia that create jobs and improve access to services in small communities.
Every dollar of Government investment under the programme attracts more than three dollars of funding from other sources.
The Nationals know that some parts of Australia are growing rapidly, with all the stresses and issues that rapid growth creates.
We have secured a new investment programme, Growing Regions, which will provide funds to support major business investments and key infrastructure projects in these areas.
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