Labor Senator for Victoria Jana Stewart said the Budget was ‘responsible’ and helped with the cost-of-living through a new tax-cut for every taxpayer, energy bill relief for every household, cheaper medicines and backing higher wages.
Ms Stewart said the Budget outlined funding to strengthen Medicare – with more bulk billing and urgent care clinics; made it easier to buy and rent a home through an expansion of the Help to Buy scheme and training more construction workers; and invested in every stage of education – including a 20 per cent cut to student debt and putting all public schools in Australia on a path to full and fair funding
She said the Budget aimed to create a stronger economy through $3-billion for green metals, competition reforms, support for small businesses and infrastructure investments.
“Under Labor, inflation is down, incomes are strengthening, unemployment is very low, interest rates are coming down and now growth is rebounding solidly as well,” she said.
Regional Cities Victoria, RCV, chair Shane Sali cautiously welcomed the cost-of-living relief for taxpayers outlined in the 2025-26 Federal Budget but said broader investment was needed to help regional Victoria.
He welcomed budget initiatives for regional areas to deliver more homes, boost health, education and childcare, and complete the NBN rollout, but noted Victoria’s share of big-ticket infrastructure investment included $2-billion for a suburban railway station and $1-billion for a suburban roads blitz.
“Regional Victorians rely on our cities as ‘hubs’ for access to education, health, financial, transport and social services, as well as retail, sport and recreation, and cultural amenities,” he said.
“The Australian and Victorian governments must work with our regional cities in a genuine partnership to ease the strains of population growth on our capital cities and reset government investment priorities to capitalise on the economic opportunities the regions offer.”
Victorian Farmers Federation president and Quambatook farmer Brett Hosking said while investments into rural childcare facilities and the commitment to develop a National Food Security Strategy was welcome, overall it was an ‘underwhelming Budget for Victorian farmers’.
“In this election year, we must see major investments into fixing our crumbling rural road network and ensuring there’s adequate resources to manage the renewable energy transition,” he said. National Farmers’ Federation president and Murra Warra farmer David Jochinke acknowledged there was some new funding targeting the agricultural sector – like the $3.5-million for a National Food Security Strategy – the budget fell short of the investment needed to unlock agriculture’s full potential.
“Farmers are grappling with major geopolitical, environmental and societal shifts. We need a sharper focus from government to ensure we keep farmers farming, and keep food affordable for Aussie families,” he said.
Missed opportunity
But industry body GrainGrowers was more damning in its assessment – describing the Budget ‘like a single, small scoop of vanilla ice cream for the bush – predictable and lacking the flavour to truly satisfy regional Australia’.
GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said while the government had pitched the Budget as a responsible platform for prosperity, it had missed the opportunity to deliver on a range of regional investment opportunities that would strengthen grain-growing regions and bridge the gap between urban centres and the bush.
“There are positive small steps in this Budget in areas including regional housing, low carbon liquid fuels and childcare, but they fall short of the meaningful investments the grains industry would like to see,” she said.
“We welcome the additional funding to support greater economic engagement with India and the provision of technical market access services. However, given the current global trade dynamics, further investment and focus in this area is essential.”
Ms Gawel said GrainGrowers was disappointed in the lack of additional funding for regional freight routes.
“Regional roads are the backbone of Australia’s supply chains. Targeted investment in road infrastructure is essential to support growing freight demands and to keep regional communities connected,” she said.
Member for Mallee Anne Webster said the Budget wouldn’t deliver cost-of-living assistance for another 425 days, but Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced in his budget reply the Coalition would provide a 50 per cent cut per-litre to fuel excise for 12 months, if elected.
Under a Coalition government, petrol and diesel excise rates would reduce from 50.8 cents to 25.4 cents per litre for one year, with potential to save $14 each time people filled their tanks.
Member for Wannon Dan Tehan said Labor had no new funding for key programs that built community infrastructure in Wannon, such as the Stronger Communities, Local Roads and Community Infrastructure, Growing Regions and Regional Precincts and Partnership programs.
“There’s nothing for roads around Warrnambool, Hamilton, Colac, Ararat, Portland, and Port Fairy,” he said.
“Meanwhile there are 41,000 new public servants under Labor in Canberra, at a time when services have not improved. And Labor’s Big Australia keeps getting bigger with 1.8-million new migrants in our country, as Australians endure a housing and rental crisis.”
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