He says it is cutting regional infrastructure projects and failing to provide new money for crucial programs, while refusing to fix the cost-of-living crisis.
“The prime minister said when he was elected two years ago, ‘no-one would be held back, no-one would be left behind’, but that’s only if you live in a capital city,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This year’s budget has demonstrated again that not only has regional Australia had critical infrastructure ripped away, but will also bear the cost of higher mortgages, higher energy bills and higher food prices.”
According to Mr Littleproud, the Federal Government has spent $1.6 billion less on road and rail projects this year than it promised just five months ago in its Mid-Year Economic Fiscal Outlook.
Mr Littleproud said the government could find money for 36,000 Canberra bureaucrats but couldn’t spend money to even fill in a few potholes, let alone build new roads for the regions.
The issue of regional roads is a hot topic, especially in northern Victoria, which has seen a deterioration of road surfaces.
Mr Littleproud said the $300 energy rebate in the recent budget was an admission that Labor’s energy policy had failed, and it was covering over the cracks with taxpayers’ money, to politically defer the impact of higher energy prices until after the election.
He also said the rebate came after Labor’s plans for 28,000km of electricity transmission lines and billions of dollars in tax incentives for ‘green energy’ projects, ripping up agricultural land and remnant vegetation in the name of renewables.
The Nationals leader has also taken issue with water buybacks, which are front of mind in many Murray River communities, including Moira Shire.
“Labor is also remaining secretive about water buybacks in its budget and when new road projects will actually be delivered, given most of the funding is pushed off into the never-never,” Mr Littleproud said.
According to Mr Littleproud, food costs will continue to climb because Labor is refusing to reinstate the ag visa, instead introducing just $1 million in its budget for a ‘skilled agricultural work liaison pilot’ to attract graduates to work in agriculture
“Regional Australia has been betrayed in Labor’s budget,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Sadly, it is clear Labor has no plan to fix its cost-of-living crisis, and regional families will feel the pain in their wallets. Under Labor, regional Australians are poorer and being hit with higher taxes, higher mortgage repayments and higher grocery and energy bills.”
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