Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce has welcomed the Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism, Kevin Hogan to the Flynn electorate ahead of the 2023 Federal Budget.
Mr Boyce and Mr Hogan will be visiting the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (CQLX) in Gracemere then will travel to Yarwun where they’ll have a site tour at the Orica and Cement Australia facilities.
Speaking at the CQLX, one of the major livestock selling centres in Australia and regarded as one of the best stud selling facilities in the country, Mr Boyce said that the diverse industries in the Flynn electorate such as agriculture, resources, manufacturing, and tourism must be supported in the 2023 Budget.
“Nation-building road, rail and infrastructure projects must not be stripped from the Albanese Government’s Budget after $10 billion in cuts and delays in the October 2022 Budget,” Mr Boyce said.
“This infrastructure includes the $100 million that has been on the table since April 3 2019, for improving access and trade to the Port of Gladstone.
“The Labor Government also needs to scrap its proposal to impose a 10 percent increase in fuel taxes and registration charges on the nation’s truckies as this will ultimately mean that every Australian will pay more.”
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism, Kevin Hogan said the Labor Government’s neglect of the regions in the October Budget cannot be repeated in the upcoming May Budget.
“Every state had funding for regional projects cut or delayed including $1.9 billion for road and rail projects in Queensland alone,” Mr Hogan said.
“The rebadged Building Better Regions Fund must be funded and opened, and the guidelines for the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program released so councils can commence their priority local projects.
“Every time a project has its funding deferred and its delivery delayed by Labor, the cost of delivering the project goes up, and Australians are left paying the price through higher taxes.”
