NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman pledges to establish AI minister in budget reply

News.com.au

4 hours ago

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has pledged to establish a minister for artificial intelligence and slammed the Labor government's budget as a 'Band-Aid' written in 'red ink' amid soaring cost of living.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey delivered Labor's third budget on Tuesday, with a new housing developer guarantee scheme and funding for vulnerable children.
In his budget reply speech, Mr Speakman pledged to address low productivity growth in the state, which the budget said would continue 'without meaningful technological breakthrough', by embracing 'responsible artificial intelligence across public service processes'.
Mr Speakman said the controversial technology would improve services and free up teachers, healthcare professionals and public servants to 'engage directly with people in problems, instead of being tied up with unnecessary administrative burdens'.
'This work would be preceded by the development of an AI opportunities action plan, as in the UK, overseen by a dedicated minister for artificial intelligence,' he said.
'For small and medium business owners looking to get ahead using AI, a Coalition government would set 'AI for biz' – a zero, low-interest loan scheme for small and medium businesses looking to introduce responsible AI into their business operations.'
Mr Speakman used his address on Thursday to make his pitch on what a future Coalition government would look like, more details of which would emerge in the many months to come before the next state election.
Among his pledges were to advocate for the restoration of the First Home Buyer Choice Program, 'removing the burden of stamp duty for young people trying to get into the market', and exempting stamp duty for eligible older Australians looking to downsize.
On cost of living, Mr Speakman said he would call on the state government to reinstate the Full Active Kids Program as well as introduce a 'fairer' payroll tax scheme for small and medium-sized businesses, establish preventive health hubs, expand telehealth, and prioritise emergency care.
Mr Speakman earlier praised the former Coalition government as the state's 'most successful' and accused Labor of failing to deliver more infrastructure.
'Labor has no plan to replace the pipeline of projects that have underpinned job creation, economic growth, and service delivery across the state,' he said on Thursday.
'Instead, under Labor, there's a whopping cut of public infrastructure investment as a share of the economy.'
Mr Speakman described the budget as being 'written in red ink'.
'A budget of debt, not discipline, a budget of vagaries, not vision, a budget that's about papering over the cracks rather than building for the long term.
'A budget putting Band-Aids on the major problems faced by the state, like housing, cost of living, infrastructure and health.
'A budget that will be forgotten, even if the costs, the waste, and the missed opportunities that it presents linger long afterwards.
'Past this parliament and a budget which, after two years in office, shows the mettle of this government.
'A government sleepwalking through its term already out of steam.
'A government more focused on spin and soft congratulations than results, while everyday people see this state go backwards.'
Mr Speakman said Labor had failed to deliver any additional cost-of-living support and was 'investing less in the future while letting debt spiral'.
'It's ordinary families who are paying the price while the government is building less, it's borrowing more on its own,' he said.
He went on to describe Labor's projected 2028 budgetary surplus as a 'fairytale'.
He noted there was also no provision in the budget for potential public service wage rises above the government's current offer.