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Community facilities Health Education | May 03, 2017

Budget delivers more to rorting MP than to Hamilton

Hamilton has received less from the 2017-18 State Budget than the $76,000 leave pass handed to rorting Labor MP Don Nardella.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP said Daniel Andrews had forgiven the Labor MP’s debt, allowing him to repay just half of the money he rorted after he listed an address in a caravan park as his primary residence and claimed $174,000 of taxpayers money.

“With 60 job losses looming with the closure of Iluka later this year, the only funding delivered by Daniel Andrews’ city-centric budget was a boat for Hamilton SES, which will obviously not create a single new job,” Ms Kealy said.

“Rather than investing in Baimbridge College or Western District Health Services which would support local jobs, the Premier invested $76,000 into Labor MP Don Nardella.

“This is a Melbourne budget, not a Victorian budget. While Daniel Andrews hikes our taxes, we are getting less in return.

“Not one dollar has been allocated for infrastructure developments or additional police resources despite the statewide crime crisis.

“The Country Roads and Bridges Program still hasn’t been restored despite the appalling state of our country roads and many of our country schools again miss out on desperately needed upgrade funding.

“Spending on schools across rural and regional Victoria has been slashed by $87 million.

“Labor has poured $10.5 billion into Melbourne Metro and are bragging about a surplus, but refuse to spend a single dollar on rail in the Western Districts.

“Daniel Andrews is no stranger to broken promises and Labor have now introduced ten new taxes, despite Daniel Andrews’ promise he wouldn’t add any new taxes.

“While Don Nardella pockets $76,000 in taxpayer’s money, we will pay more for stamp duty, motor vehicle registration and council rates.

“Country Victorians are sick of being treated like second-class citizens and it’s time for this Daniel Andrew's city-centric Labor government to go so that Western Victoria can start to move forward and we can build a better future for our region.

“For a Government flush with cash after the sale of the Port of Melbourne lease, the lack of new State-funded initiatives for regional Victoria is truly disappointing,” she said.