After five Labor Budgets, Australians are working harder, paying more tax, and going backwards.

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster said the Budget brings higher taxes, more debt, more division and no plan to restore Australians’ standard of living or protect our way of life.

“The Budget confirms Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers are the architects of the highest taxing government in Australia’s history,” Dr Webster said.

“The economy will be burdened with over $50 billion of higher taxes including $15 billion in higher personal income taxes.

“The Budget also confirms that government spending will remain at its highest level in 40 years, outside of the pandemic.”

Regional Health and Communications ignored

As Shadow Minister for Regional Health and Regional Communications, Dr Webster lamented the lack of Commonwealth investment in improving regional health outcomes, while regional connectivity programs like the Mobile Blackspot program fade out with no new investment.

“Labor continues to pour money into funding metro-focussed models of health like UCCs, and additional money to the states to fund hospitals, but repeatedly fails to invest into new regional initiatives,” Dr Webster said

“While Labor claims to be investing more in aged care, older people face higher taxes on private health insurance to pay for it.  There are an increasing number of concerning stories of people waiting an inordinately long time for home care after Labor’s November 1st changes were meant to improve the system.  

“Almost 50,000 Australians have died waiting for aged care on Labor’s watch, we don’t have the transparency yet on where that figure now stands. There are over 200,000 people waiting for aged care support.

“Labor has also axed the Regional Tech Hub program which was helping regional Australians every day stay connected in their business, in telehealth, studying online or ensuring Triple Zero connectivity.  Mallee constituents are still coming to me about having no connectivity after Labor’s botched 3G shutdown, and Labor are not investing adequately in improving life-saving and productivity-lifting connectivity.”

Inflation outpaces wages

In another blow to households, the Budget confirms home grown inflation compounded by international factors will hit 5 per cent, well above the RBA’s target band of 2 to 3 per cent, which means interest rates will continue to be higher for longer.

“The Budget confirms that living standards will continue to dive, confirming those with a typical mortgage are $32,000 a year worse off under Labor even after this Budget,” Dr Webster said.

“Mallee families are also feeling the pain of wages not keeping up with Labor’s inflation, with the Budget revealing the buying power of Australians’ wages has declined by 3 per cent under this government.

“Once again Labor have blown their own immigration targets, by the end of their first two terms they will have bought in 2 million migrants including overshooting its target by another 90,000 over the next two years.”

Australians are still staring at a decade of deficits, with debt forecast to hit $1.25 trillion. The yearly interest bill on that debt will hit more than $42 billion or $80,000 per minute.

The Budget also confirms Labor’s housing taxes will reduce the supply of homes by 35,000 over the decade, while also increasing rents.

Poor Budget Management

“Jim Chalmers claims $221 billion in savings, yet this Budget shows the government has also gone on a $324 billion spending spree,” Dr Webster said.

“For the last four years, the Albanese government has failed to get its spending under control, and Tuesday’s budget exposes this.”

On Thursday night, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor will deliver the Budget in Reply and outline the Coalition’s plan for a Better Australia.

• A plan to restore Australians’ standard of living

• A plan to protect our way of life, and

• A plan to back hard work, reward aspiration, grow the economy and get Australia on the right track

Australians cannot afford more broken promises, more taxes, more debt and more division.

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