Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King has criticised the Abbott Government for a budget of broken promises that will force damaging cuts on local families and deliver no new funding for Ballarat.
“For a budget that claims to invest heavily in infrastructure across Australia, Ballarat misses out on any new investment,” Ms King said.
“While I’m pleased Labor’s funding for the Ballarat Freight Hub will now be honoured, a series of damaging cuts to local community infrastructure projects still remain, including: $7 million for the Bacchus Marsh Indoor Swimming Centre; $1.25 million for the Multi-Purpose Centre at Victoria Park, Daylesford; and $891,000 for an All Inclusive Playground in Ballarat.
“By ignoring these critical job-creating local projects the Abbott Government will expose our region to further reductions in services and investment, causing long-term damage to our community that will take years to recover from.
“People have every right to feel outraged by what we now know to be Tony Abbott’s pre-election hoax that there would be no cuts to health, education, changes to pensions or any new taxes.
“Every single one of these promises has been broken by a Prime Minister and Treasurer that just can’t be trusted.”
Tony Abbott’s cruel cuts include:
• A new GP Tax will cost local families $7 when they see a doctor, denying those that can’t afford it access medical care when they need it
• Medicare Locals are also gone, costing our community 38 frontline health workers that deliver responsive primary health care when it’s needed
• 25,000 people in Ballarat receiving age, disability and carer pensions will fall behind cost of living increases through unfair indexation
• An increase to the fuel excise will add costs for freight, farmers and families at the petrol pump
• The new deceit tax and changes to family tax benefits will add cost of living pressures for local families
• Broken promises on Gonski funding – will mean that each and every school and student in our community will lose support
• Higher university fees will make it harder for regional students to pursue tertiary study.
“This is a budget that makes it harder to raise a family, retire, stay healthy, get an education or a job – Tony Abbott is clearly delusional if he thinks our community will thank him for the damage he has done tonight.”