Mallee residents will struggle with the cost-of-living for longer under Labor’s fourth budget,  potholes will grow larger in regional roads, and the regional health workforce crisis will persist, Member for Mallee and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster said this evening.

“This is a tricky budget from a tricky government that seeks to deflect blame for rivers of red ink while delivering nothing for regional Australia,” Dr Webster said.

“The Albanese Labor government pretends it never said 97 times before the last election that power prices would permanently come down by $275. Tonight's budget provides $75 relief payments for two quarters, a band-aid for a gaping wound. Australians are smarter than that. They know their power prices have gone up $1,300 under Labor due to mismanagement of energy policy and a reckless railroading of renewables across Mallee and other regional electorates.

“This is a budget with cheap, election eve tricks of a $5 a week tax cut and two $75 quarterly energy bill relief payments.  Meanwhile, Labor’s government spending-driven home-grown inflation crisis will continue.”

“Today the Treasurer sought to blame Labor’s debt and deficits on ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, President Trump, wars in Ukraine and Israel or the former Coalition Government and voters are seeing right through that.  As I told the House earlier today, these have been hard years under Labor and Mallee voters are hanging out for the upcoming election.”

“Labor has squandered the rivers of gold of resources and income tax revenue while delivering no meaningful productivity reform.  Regional Australia has missed out tonight with no new funding for the Stronger Communities program, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, Growing Regions program or the Regional Precincts and Partnership program, critical to building community infrastructure in regional Australia.”

“Federal debt will cripple our economy, with a shock jump from the previously projected 2025/26 $15.8 billion surplus, with a $44 billion leap into the red - a $27.6 billion deficit. The deficit is projected to grow to $42.1 billion over forward estimates.  Interest payments on all that debt will rise from $23.9 billion this year to $41.7 billion in the 2029 financial year, at that point exceeding the annual funding Canberra gives to states and territories for hospitals, even exceeding at that point the annual outlay on Medicare.”

“I look forward to the Leader of the Opposition’s Budget in Reply speech on Thursday evening where a truly responsible Coalition will demonstrate how we will deliver lasting cost-of-living relief and economic reform to get Australia back on track.”

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