Opposition slams budget

The State Opposition says the government’s 2017-2018 budget has cut funds to many services and programs, reannounced previous commitments and has pushed taxes up by 20 per cent.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said the Andrews government had introduced 10 new taxes since it was elected.

The Opposition’s response to the budget claims there are cuts to spending on agriculture, mental health and training and the regions have only been dished out scraps.

Mr Walsh described the $1.1 billion announced for regional rail and bus service upgrades including $435 for the Gippsland rail corridor as a “hoax” with the government not providing any of the money.

Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood said the regional rail works were solely reliant on Federal funding which the Premier has been told he is not entitled to.

He said the State Treasurer had confirmed the upgrades would not proceed if the Federal Government does not meet the cost.

Mr Blackwood said the budget lacked detail about funding for road maintenance in Gippsland and didn’t allocate any money for a new West Gippsland Hospital.

There was also no additional funding for local early learning, kindergarten or primary schools in the Narracan electorate but Trafalgar High School will finally get funds announced by the government last November, and promised by the Coalition in 2014, for a long overdue upgrade, he claimed.

There would be added pressure on already struggling households, Mr Blackwood said, referring to increased land taxes, yearly property valuations that will see council rates and the fire services levy rise faster than ever and new taxes on car purchases.

He queried where the $10 billion the government received from the Port of Melbourne sale had gone.

We are not seeing the 10 per cent of that money allocated to regional projects that is required by legislation, Mr Blackwood added.