Federal Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey has launched a fierce attack on the Federal Budget, accusing Labor of abandoning regional Australia through infrastructure cuts, higher taxes and what he described as an “all-out assault on aspiration”.
Mr Chaffey said the Budget would hit regional communities particularly hard, pointing to cuts to Inland Rail, regional infrastructure and agricultural programs while the government continued spending heavily on renewable energy and net zero policies.
“Regional Australians in the Parkes electorate are the innocent victims of Labor’s all-out assault on aspiration,” Mr Chaffey said.
“Labor’s broken promises on tax betrays the trust of families in the Parkes electorate and will see regional Australians pay more.”
The Nationals MP claimed disposable incomes and real wages would continue to decline under the Budget, while regional areas would also lose productivity-enhancing infrastructure investment.
“In the regions, not only does Labor’s Budget make people poorer, they also suffer cuts to the productivity-enhancing infrastructure that could make all Australians richer,” he said.
Mr Chaffey highlighted a series of cuts he said would disproportionately impact regional Australia, including $6.15 billion removed from Inland Rail, $4.7 billion in infrastructure reductions, more than $100 million cut from the National Water Grid and reductions to drought, biosecurity and regional communications funding.
“Labor’s short-sighted cut to the Inland Rail will see more trucks on our roads and higher costs of goods for all Australians,” he said.
“The Inland Rail would have reduced 200,000 truck movements and saved 280 million litres of diesel every year.”
The comments come amid mounting backlash across northern NSW over the Federal Government’s decision to halt Inland Rail at Parkes, despite major sections north of Parkes already receiving approvals and progressing toward construction.
Mr Chaffey also criticised the government’s decision to commit $3.8 billion toward Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop while scaling back the national freight rail project.
“Labor has then rubbed salt into the Inland Rail cut wounds, with a $3.8 billion bailout to the Victorian Labor’s pet project, the Suburban Rail Loop in Melbourne,” he said.
“Labor’s infrastructure spending is determined by the political priorities of its mates in other states, not the economic needs of Australia.”
A major focus of Mr Chaffey’s criticism centred on Labor’s net zero and renewable energy policies, which he argued were driving inflation and increasing pressure on households.
“Despite cutting funding to essential services in the regions, Labor continues to blow a small fortune on its net zero obsession,” he said.
“This Budget reveals that Labor will spend another $18.2 billion on net zero. Labor’s net zero spending now equals at least $80 billion.”
Mr Chaffey claimed the government itself was retreating from publicly championing net zero targets.
“If Labor is so proud of its net zero spending spree, why did the Treasurer say the phrase ‘net zero’ just once in his Budget speech?” he said.
“Net zero is dead and the sooner Labor recognises that, the more money Australians will save.”
The MP also criticised migration settings and accused the government of failing to invest in industries that underpin regional economies.
“This Budget does not invest in new roads, new dams and new mines to increase Australia’s economy,” he said.
“The Nationals believe that Australia can deliver higher living standards, but only if we unleash our nation’s latent potential by using all of our resources and talent.”
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