Australians want to get ahead. Here’s our plan to help them.

For many Gold Coast families, small businesses and young people, the biggest questions are not theoretical. They are practical.

Can I afford my mortgage this month? Can my business keep its doors open? Will my electricity bill come down? And will our kids have the same opportunities we once took for granted?

These are the everyday pressures behind the big economic questions we face – and they sit at the very heart of our plan to help Australians get ahead.

Our plan is built around four pillars: lower taxes, cheaper power, less migration and more homes, and putting Australians first.

For the Gold Coast, each of these areas has a direct local dimension.

On tax, we’ll start by reversing Labor’s toxic taxes on capital gains, trusts, small business, and housing.

We’ll also deliver a Tax Back Guarantee – ending bracket creep and keeping more money in the pockets of Australians.

By indexing tax brackets to inflation, we will ensure Australians aren’t pushed into higher tax brackets simply because their wages have increased with inflation.

We believe in lower taxes because we believe in Gold Coasters. You work hard for your money, you deserve to spend, invest, or save it how you want – not how the government wants.

Of course, government support must always be there for those with genuine need – but with government spending and dependence reaching record levels, it’s vital we create the conditions that empower Australians to work, invest, innovate, and build something for themselves.

That brings me to our engine room of small business.

As one of the largest and most diverse business communities in Australia, Gold Coasters know the importance of small business and encouraging private enterprise.

Small businesses employ locals, support families and contribute so much to the character of our community.

Our plan includes a permanent $50,000 instant asset write-off for businesses with turnover below $10 million, expanded access to capital gains tax concessions and a new Small Business Act developed in consultation with the sector.

We will also cut red tape and make it easier to start, operate and grow a business.

Energy is another major component in our plan to fix the economy.

Our lack of energy supply is putting upward pressure on prices – having already risen almost 40% under Labor.

Australia’s energy system needs more supply, more choice, and more competition if we are to deliver power that is reliable and affordable.

Rather than picking winners, and restricting Australia’s energy technology, our approach is to pursue energy abundance.

We will jump-start the sector and encourage investment across all technologies, wherever they can meet our energy needs.

Because when power costs rise, they don’t stop at household bills. They flow through to almost everything we buy – from groceries to building materials and services.

Then there is housing.

On the Gold Coast, I hear regularly from young people, families and renters struggling to find a home they can afford.

We know that when you tax something, you get less of it.

Labor’s increased taxes on negative gearing are already pushing up rents – which is why we will reverse them.

Our approach is to align migration with housing supply. Each year, we will cap net overseas migration with the number of new homes built. That’s practical.

We will also establish a $5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund, allowing us to deliver up to 400,000 new homes as we build the infrastructure needed to build them – including water, sewerage, power, and access roads.

We will simplify the National Construction Code, which will reduce the cost of building a new home by up to $70,000.

Our final pillar is putting Australians first to protect our way of life.

We will establish a Future Generations Fund so that 80 cents of every dollar from company and resource tax windfalls can be directed towards paying down debt and investing in long-term nation-building infrastructure.

This matters because the decisions we make today do not stop with us.

Australia’s $1 trillion debt bill cannot be left for the next generation to pick up.

As a proud Gold Coaster, I want to see our city continue to be a place where people can work hard, start a business, raise a family and build a future to thrive and prosper.

Our plan is intended to start the conversation on how we make Australia stronger, more affordable, more aspirational, and ensure the next generation inherits greater opportunity – not simply more debt.

The challenges facing Australians are real.

The choices about how we respond to them are now on the table.