Nationals candidate for Nicholls Sam Birrell and Liberal candidate Steve Brooks have both backed the federal budget for addressing the immediate needs of people struggling with cost-of-living pressures.
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Independent candidate Rob Priestly focused on the lack of direct spending in the electorate in key projects and described the budget as “bitterly disappointing”.
Disappointed: Independent candidate Rob Priestly.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
The immediate measures to tackle the rising cost of living include a 22-cent cut in fuel excise, although it won’t flow through to regional pumps until the next delivery of fuel.
A one-off cost-of-living tax offset from July 1 will deliver an additional $420 into the pockets of 10 million individuals, taking the total to $1500.
Impressed: Liberal candidate Steve Brooks.
Dual income households will be up to $3000 better off.
Another one-off cost-of-living payment of $250 will be made to six million eligible pensioners, welfare recipients, veterans and eligible concession card holders in April.
“The Nationals in government have delivered on the cost of living and healthcare for Nicholls in the budget,” Mr Birrell said.
“It is a clear demonstration of how the Nationals in government can get it done for regional communities and deliver targeted, important cost-of-living relief, while creating local jobs in Nicholls and delivering better local health services.”
Steve Brooks said the budget had cut through the noise and directly addressed the cost-of-living pressures being felt at dinner tables across the Nicholls electorate.
“A Coalition government will always listen and manage the budget and economy better than the Labor/Greens alternative,” he said.
“In our Nicholls electorate alone, 62,400 taxpayers will benefit from tax relief of up to $1500 this year, as well as a one-off payment of $250 to pensioners, disability support recipients, carers and other vulnerable groups who are most sensitive to cost-of-living pressures.”
Mr Brooks said businesses would also enjoy an extension of the instant asset write-off, as well as a 20 per cent bonus tax deduction for training and up-skilling of staff.
Mr Priestly questioned whether Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce even knew where Victoria was, with $20 billion allocated to regional investment, but the vast majority for infrastructure in mining regions or dams in Queensland and NSW.
“In choosing to prioritise marginal seats in Queensland, the government has let us down on GP funding, let us down on mental health services and let us down on aged care,” he said.
“The major parties have no plan to meet the essential service and infrastructure needs of our growing region, and no plan to seize the opportunities before us in bioenergy and food manufacturing.”
