The Member for Macarthur has criticised the Coalition Government’s Budget, calling it a “political ploy to buy votes ahead of an election”.
Responding to the Budget, which was handed down last night in federal parliament, Dr Mike Freelander said it was clear that the Coalition Government was amassing one trillion dollars in debt – however projects in our community remain ignored.
“If the Coalition was serious about addressing the rising cost of living, they wouldn’t have been keeping wages deliberately low for years now,” Dr Freelander said.
“Macarthur residents deserve a pay rise, and the rhetoric coming from the Coalition is insulting to local families who have been doing it tough.’’
Citing data obtained from the Parliamentary Library, Dr Freelander said that the “cost of living has soared under the Coalition.”
He said the data showed that from March 2013 to now, under the Coalition’s tenure:
• the cost of electricity has gone up by 7.1 percent;
• the cost of childcare has gone up by 49.5 percent;
• the cost of housing has gone up by 19.2 percent;
• the cost of medical and hospital care has gone up by 52.1 percent;
• the cost of beef has gone up by 59.8 percent;
• the cost of fruit and veg has gone up by 20.9 percent.
“After almost a decade in office, it is nice to see that the Coalition recognises that the rising cost of living is a real issue,” said Dr Freelander.
“If they truly cared about our future prosperity, they would fund the projects our community desperately needs such as a rail line to the airport, instead of pork barrelling taxpayers’ money to shore up votes in marginal seats.”
