Council
15 May, 2026
Tehan slams federal budget
FEDERAL Member for Wannon Dan Tehan has slammed the Federal Budget as a budget of “broken promises and cuts” for residents in the Wannon electorate.
Mr Tehan said the Prime Minister’s “lies” would increase taxes, lower living standards and cut funding to rural and regional Australia.
“Regional Australians are the innocent victims of Labor’s all-out assault on aspiration,” he said.
“There is no new funding in the budget for the Princes Highway, Henty Highway, Hamilton Highway or Glenelg Highway.
“There is funding in the budget for the Suburban Rail Loop in Melbourne but nothing for the Ararat and Warrnambool lines.
“Labor’s broken promises on tax betrays the trust of Australians and will see regional Australians pay more.
“Even on Labor’s own figures, disposable income per capita will fall and real wages will decline – Labor knows that their budget cheats Australians.”
Mr Tehan said regional Australia faced close to $11 billion in cuts, including $21.4 million cut from regional communications funding, $4.7 billion cut from infrastructure spending, $103 million cut from the National Water Grid, $191.6 million cut from pest and disease, regional trade and drought funding for farmers and $6.15 billion cut from the Inland Rail project.
“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.
“Despite cutting funding to essential services in the regions, Labor continues to blow a small fortune on its net zero obsession.
“This budget reveals that Labor will spend another $18.2 billion on net zero.
“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, and then only to repeat the myth that the world is moving to net zero?
“The Treasurer even failed to mention climate change once, which is apparently the whole point.”
Mr Tehan said the Coalition will pledge to stop net zero funding at the next election.
“Labor’s dodgy and disastrous net zero ambition is unravelling, but rather than admit defeat, Labor continues to waste taxpayer funds in a desperate attempt to keep net zero on life support,” he said.
“Net zero is dead and the sooner Labor recognises that, the more money Australians will save.
“All Labor’s extra net zero spending does is fuel inflation and see interest rates climb higher.
“Labor’s broken promises budget adds another $12 billion in extra spending over the next two years from its policy decisions.”
Mr Tehan said mass migration is also contributing to inflation pressures, with 300,000 expected to migrate to Australia in the next financial year.
“Labor is ignoring the will of the Australian people who want to see lower migration so that the pressure on housing, hospitals and other services is reduced,” he said.
“This Budget sees Labor overshoot its migration target by 90,000 people over the next two years.
“Labor has flown the white flag on trying to increase the wealth of Australians.
“This Budget does not invest in new roads, new dams and new mines to increase Australia’s economy.
“The Coalition 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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