Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (15:44): I am delighted to resume my contribution to the take-note debate on budget estimates and related papers for 2024-25. I could talk all afternoon—and I will. From the outset, I acknowledge the challenges that we face, which are not that inconsistent with the challenges that local families face at the moment. Whether it be in Kempsey, Campbelltown, Shoalhaven, Shellharbour, Penrith, Pittwater, Strathfield or any other part of the Sydney metro area, times are tough. It is tough for our local businesses It is tough for our local families. It is tough for our workers. It is tough for industry. Equally, it is consistently tough for governments.

Mr GREG WARREN: The reality is that we will not be able to do any of that if we do not get the budget right. There will be long-term ramifications if we do not address budget repair.

Mr GREG WARREN: I acknowledge the member for Vaucluse, and I thank her for that commentary. The muppets up the end can joke around all they like, but people are hurting. It is deeply disappointing. On 20 June this year, the Opposition leader stated, "None of the Government's attempts at smoke and mirrors can disguise the Government's failure to address the cost of living." We have been in government for just over 18 months. The fact is that inflation is falling. It has halved since 2022, but it is still elevated. The Sydney consumer price index rose 1 per cent in the June quarter of 2024 to once again be 3.8 per cent higher through the year. Those numbers look numerically low, but members in this place—including those intelligent people on the other side—know that when those percentiles are drawn into monetary figures, they are big numbers. That is why this Government is taking a sensible approach to making sure that we get it right.

As I reflect back on a more macro level, I am proud to be a member of a government that is taking a sensible approach to the economic situation that we are in. With just over 18 months in government, we must not forget that we inherited an enormous debt of over $180 billion—the highest in New South Wales's history. We campaigned on modest yet bold election commitments, which are consistent with the needs, dreams and requirements of communities across New South Wales. This Government has a whole-of-State approach. We represent every man, woman and child, whether they are in the east or west of the great divide, equally and without prejudice. That is what good governments do. They govern for all. They do not just section off little areas for political populism. If there is one lesson those opposite could learn, it is that one. Whether they like it or not, the people of New South Wales are smarter than that and deserve better than that. That is why the Government is giving them better than that.

My electorate of Campbelltown is the heart of south-west Sydney. We must always use the correct language and differentiate between the west and the south‑west of Sydney. Yes, many areas make up greater Western Sydney. Riverstone, Leppington, St Marys, Camden, Campbelltown, Badgerys Creek, Fairfield, Cabramatta, East Hills, Holsworthy, Liverpool, Macquarie Fields and the mighty city of Penrith all make up greater Western Sydney. But the challenges, issues and concerns that we experience in the far and outer south‑west, whilst similar, vary significantly to those experienced in the outer west. They are no more or less important; they are equally important. But we must approach them differently. We must give priority to rapid buses from Campbelltown to Western Sydney airport, which I am delighted to see funded. I was privileged to be the shadow Minister for Western Sydney when the decision was made on the metro and light rail from St Marys to Western Sydney airport.

In my view that was a catastrophic mistake for a number of reasons. I will point out two. First, there is no direct link from Western Sydney airport through St Marys to Kingsford Smith. In cities all around the world, the success, opportunities and full potential of a second airport are only ever achieved when there is a direct connection between the primary and secondary airport—in our case Kingsford Smith to Western Sydney airport or, more specifically, the T8 line that goes from Campbelltown to the airport. Obviously, Western Sydney airport needs to be connected through Leppington to Glenfield so that there is a direct line into the primary airport.

The second reason it was a catastrophic error is that the south‑west is growing. Between the Western Sydney airport and the great city of Campbelltown, there will be a city the size of Adelaide along that Western Sydney belt. We are now looking at enhancing connectivity to the beautiful region of the Illawarra, another important and great part of our State. If we do not have that connectivity, we will not see that economic growth and the regions will not reach their full potential. [Extension of time]

I take the opportunity to thank our health workers, nurses, clinicians, allied health workers, paramedics and our good friend the Minister for Health, who have worked tirelessly throughout an absolutely terrible flu season. In one of the health briefings that I am very privileged to receive from my local health district, I was advised that Campbelltown Hospital was beyond capacity. The reason was outbreaks of RSV, which is a respiratory virus—something I had never heard of—and influenza A, combined with multiple and continuing COVID outbreaks, many cases of which developed into pneumonia. The patients were not just those with weaker immune systems; they were children, babies, older people and middle-aged people, and even really young people like me! We know that the system can cope. It coped on the goodwill and the hard work of those staff and allied health workers, and I thank them for that. But that is just not sustainable. We cannot rely on goodwill. That is why the health Minister and the Government are committed to getting it right when it comes to supporting our health system.

I am delighted to be the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Early Learning, working with and beside my good friend the Deputy Premier. She has been very consistent in her support for our education system, overseeing casual teachers moving back into permanent roles. Teachers were running away from our education system for a number of reasons that the Minister has often outlined. Every minute of every day she turns her attention to repairing that system, which was ignored for too long—and who paid the price? Our students did. If we are not providing our students with the important foundation of a good education and adequate resources to achieve that, they will not have the grounding to allow them to build the best life that they can live. Education is often said to be the greatest equaliser. There are a lot of different terms used when it comes to education. For me, education is the invaluable asset that every human being must have as they navigate their way through the journey of life. If they do not have that and we do not support them then they will simply miss that opportunity.

I have been delighted to see some improvements in transport system. Of course, we debated the Sydney Metro earlier. The Premier and the Minister for Transport credited the previous Government and the relevant Premiers. That project brought with it financial and cost challenges, but it also brought with it great opportunity. I commend the transport Minister for taking a sensible approach. No, it did not open on time, and the reason it did not was because it simply was not safe. That project blew out from $12 billion to over $25 billion. I said in my contribution to the previous debate that I do not blame the previous Government for all of that. Yes, they mismanaged it, in my view. But there were a number of challenges mixed in as well, including the COVID era, which threw many challenges at every community in our society.

Looking through a more local prism, my electorate of Campbelltown finally saw the upgrade of Appin Road. I thank my community for its patience—people who, like me, cherished the conservation and protection of our valued koala colony. I was devastated to see so many trees cut down, but the reality was we had to upgrade that road. There have been in excess of 30 people killed on that notorious road; two of them were friends of mine. I ran coal trucks up and down that road, and I remember getting a bit loose at the bottom end of the road at about 2.00 a.m. while running about 36 tonnes of coal to the port for the steelworks. It had to be upgraded. There have been upgrades at the Illawarra end, and it is now the Campbelltown electorate's turn for upgrades between Campbelltown and Appin.

Whilst I am on Appin, I want that community to know that I am on their side. I cannot do everything. I cannot change the past. I believe Appin was ignored for a very long time. People were disengaged and decisions were made with no consultation and no representation. I note that my good friend and former mayor of Wollondilly, the member for Wollondilly, has entered the Chamber. I thank her for her time on Wollondilly council. I was delighted to work with her when I was the mayor of Camden, and I am delighted to work with her in the Parliament today. She knows how the people of Appin feel, and I know as well. I may not always be able to do everything for them, but I promise this: I will always do what I can, I will always do my best and I will always be honest with them. Constituents may not like what they hear when conversing with members, but they will respect our dignity to be straight-up and honest with them. They might not like what they hear, but they will respect us for respecting them.

The SPEAKER: It being 4.00 p.m., pursuant to standing and sessional orders, debate is interrupted for the petitions take-note debate. I set down resumption of the debate as an order of the day for a future day.