By Matthew Sims
Liberal La Trobe MP Jason Wood has hit out at the 2024-25 Federal Budget, describing it as a “big-spending, big-taxing con job” with too few benefits for the South East.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers released the 2024-25 budget on Tuesday 14 May, with the main features including a tax cut and an energy bonus.
From Monday 1 July, all households will see a $300 credit automatically applied to their electricity bills and around one million small businesses will receive $325 off their bills over the 2024-25 financial year.
From the Monday 1 July, all 13.6 million taxpayers will receive an average annual tax cut of $1888, or $36 a week.
Other benefits outlined in the budget included $3.4 billion to list new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, $2.2 billion for aged care, $361 million to boost the mental health system, $3 billion worth of the HECS debt wiped for more than three million Australians and a boost to childcare workers’ wages.
Mr Wood said despite the government’s announcements of a tax cut and the $300 energy bonus, the budget contained little relief for the average La Trobe resident.
“There’s not very much to do with the cost of living,” he said.
Mr Wood said the number of infrastructure projects left out within La Trobe was “absolutely disappointing”.
“The Federal Labor Budget confirms that Victorians are not a priority for Labor, so much so that they’ve short-changed us by $14 billion in infrastructure funding despite making up a quarter of the population – receiving less funding than both NSW and QLD,” he said.
“There’s no infrastructure coming in at all.
“We have missed out on vital projects, locally the duplication of Wellington Road, the sealing of roads in the Hills and a new car park at Officer Station.”
Mr Wood said he believed the mood within the Labor Government compared to recent budget announcements had worsened.
“The reality is hitting them,” he said.
“They didn’t deliver what they promised at the last election.
“There’s a lot of spending but not much cutting.”
However, Mr Wood said he welcomed the allocation of $925 million to support people fleeing abusive relationships.
“The good news is there is more funding for domestic violence programs,” he said.
“They need to also put more money into prevention programs to stop men getting into violence.”
