Council
23 May, 2024
Tehan: Federal Budget offers nothing to Wannon
MEMBER for Wannon Dan Tehan has slammed the Federal Budget, released last Tuesday, as leaving Australians poorer.
The 2024-2024 Budget will be the first in nearly two decades to record back-to-back surplus, but Mr Tehan said Albanese Government’s third Budget “does nothing to help people across Wannon get ahead and to restore their standard of living”.
He said he believed the budget did nothing to combat inflation and cost of living pressures, failed to support small businesses, help young Australians in to housing or restore budget discipline and honesty.
“In this Budget, Labor has added $315 billion of new spending, at a time when we need restraint,” Mr Tehan said.
“That’s $30,000 of extra spending for every Australian household.
“After two years in office, the Government is no closer to dealing with its homegrown inflation crisis – which means more pressure on cost of living and interest rates higher for longer.
“Under Labor’s Budgets to date, the typical household in Wannon with a mortgage is more than $35,000 worse off.”
Mr Tehan also said migration to Australia was “out of control” with 1.67 million new migrants coming to Australia over five years, which he believed would place unprecedented pressure on the housing and rental market at a time when housing approvals had reached an 11-year-low.
“At a time when the Budget forecasts unemployment to rise, the Albanese Government is increasing the size of the public service by an astonishing 36,000 additional bureaucrats in Canberra,” he said.
“The government has shown it is focussed on the wrong priorities at a time when people across our community are doing it tough.
“Under Labor, Australians are worse off.
“Prices have increased by nearly 10 per cent, housing is up 12 per cent, rents are up 12 per cent, insurance up 26 per cent, electricity is up 18 per cent, and gas is up 25 per cent.”
Mr Tehan said the only positives on offer for Wannon in the Budget was $150 million to upgrade the Maroona to Portland rail line and $12 million for the Bridgewater Road and Portland Ring Road intersection, however no additional funding was provided for roads.
“Sadly, there’s no extra funding for our roads, especially the Princes, Henty, Hamilton and Western Highways,” he said.
“And there’s no extra funding for our hospitals.
“Until we see a real economic plan from Labor to sustainably tame inflation in a credible way, and grow the economy, then Australians will continue to go backwards under Labor.
“Australians deserve better.”