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Labor's budget cuts funding for regional Australia, ignoring infrastructure, energy, and cost-of-living pressures

Labor's Budget cuts funding for regional Australia, deferring key projects and infrastructure while increasing cost-of-living pressures. The Nationals warn regional communities are being neglected to fund public service expansion in Canberra.

By news@gippsland - 26th March 2025 - Back to News

In the Albanese government's last Budget, Labor has once again cut funding to regional, rural and remote Australians. Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said there is absolutely nothing in this Budget for regional Australia, other than more cuts.

David Littleproud says Labor's Budget delivers only cuts, with no new funding for vital regional infrastructure and community programs

Regional funding cuts

Mr Littleproud said, "Labor has no new funding for the Stronger Communities program, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, Growing Regions program and the Regional Precincts and Partnership program, critical to building community infrastructure in regional Australia. Labor has again deferred $190 million in funding for Paradise Dam, Hughenden Irrigation Scheme and Big Rocks Weir, while hiding the cost of its Murray-Darling Basin Plan."

Mr Littleproud said Labor is obviously raiding what was left of regional community programs to pay for 41,000 new Canberra public servants. The Budget has no money for extra childcare places or anything to fix a few roads or even a pothole in regional Australia.

"Even after being in government for three years, the Albanese government will spend less than one per cent of Labor's infrastructure announcements in 2025-26. Regional Australians will not only bear the brunt of more infrastructure cuts, but have the extra burden of Labor's cost-of-living crisis," he said.

Energy policy debate

Mr Littleproud also said, "Labor's $150 energy rebate is a fraction of the cost of energy bills that have increased by up to $1300 since Labor came to government. The proposed 70 cents a day election bribe doesn't come in until next year, while Labor continues to run away from fixing the fundamentals of what is driving cost-of-living pressures, that regional Australia can be the solution to.

"Key to this is a sensible energy policy, which in the short-term is flooding the market with Australian gas and in the long-term transitioning to nuclear energy, which is $263 billion cheaper than Labor's all-renewables approach. Under a future Coalition government, regional Australia won't just get its fair share of funding, it will also be the solution to solving the nation's cost-of-living crisis," he said.

Pictures from David Littleproud MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com