News

| August 07, 2023

Have your say on cost of living

7 August 2023

Have your say on cost of living

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, is launching a survey to gain a better understanding of how the cost-of-living crisis is biting regional Victorian household and business budgets.

The ‘Cost of Living Survey’ is a series of short questions so you can have your voice heard, and to help The Nationals learn more about the plight of hardworking regional Victorians to help us help you.

As families and businesses across Lowan continue to be slugged by the Andrews Labor Government’s growing list of taxes, many are struggling to make ends meet.

The Andrew Labor Government is on the cusp of introducing their 50th tax, despite the Premier telling Victorians he had no intention of raising taxes at all. It’s just another broken promise in a long string of letdowns.

Victoria is a financially broken state, and as fees and charges continue to soar, it is becoming more difficult to put food on the table with the average Victorian family grocery bill now $1565 more than last year.

Regional Victorians continue to pay more in taxes and charges, but are left with poor government services, a crumbling road network and a health system in collapse.

Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy said regional Victorians continue to be punished by Labor’s incompetence and it was time for the impact of their mismanagement to be pushed at State Parliament.

“Life is getting harder under Labor”, Ms Kealy said.

“We’re paying more for our car rego, and yet our roads are an absolute disgrace because Labor have slashed funding to fix our roads and make them safe.

“Everywhere Victorians turn we are getting slugged with higher bills; higher government taxes, fees and charges; higher WorkCover premiums; higher interest rates and higher inflation under Labor.

“It’s all impacting on our ability to make ends meet, and many Victorians are being forced to make decisions to cut back or avoid paying bills so they can keep their car on the road, food on the table, kids at school, medicines in the cupboard and a roof over their head.

“It is extremely powerful to take the stories of local people to Parliament so that the Labor government understands exactly how their waste and mismanagement is hurting Victorians, and to come up with solutions on how The Nationals can ease these cost of living pressures for our local people”, Ms Kealy said.

Families and businesses are encouraged to complete the survey, which will only take a few minutes of your time, at https://vicn.at/costofliving