Maranoa MP David Littleproud has welcomed the Federal Budget which sets out a clear plan to offer cost of living relief, create jobs, invest in essential services and stronger defence and national security.
Easing cost of living pressures
“The tax paid on fuel will be halved where drivers will save 22 cents a litre for the next six months,” Mr Littleproud said.
“To help support pensioners, welfare recipients, veterans and concession card holders will receive a $250 tax-free payment. About six million people will receive the payment in April.”
Small business support
“This Federal Coalition Government will increase tax breaks for small and medium businesses investing in new technology or employee training and skills development.
“From now on, for every $100 a small business spends on training their employees, they will get a $120 tax deduction, helping our small businesses to be more productive and competitive. Investments up to $100,000 per year will be supported by this measure.”
Rural health
“The government will invest $99.3 million for 80 additional medical Commonwealth supported places available at rural campuses. This means more country people will have the opportunity to study medicine on rural campuses and increase the likelihood of staying and practicing medicine in regional, rural and remote communities.
“The Coalition Federal Government will invest $66 million to deregulate and expand access to Medicare funded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services in regional, rural and remote Australia.
“We will also invest $17.2 million with Heart of Australia to enable the continuation of five mobile health clinics to provide clinical services and other health services to regional, rural and remote Queensland. Heart of Australia operates five mobile clinics which provide outreach services to 32 communities, including specialist medical consultations in cardiology, endocrinology, sleep medicine, psychiatry, geriatric medicine, immunology, general medicine, neurology, gastroenterology and gynaecology. In 2022, Heart of Australia will also start providing access to CT and x-ray services.”
Health
“We’re strengthening our commitment to Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan, through important and strategic investments to deliver the world’s best health care system.
“This includes $537 billion over the next four years, including a $7.3 billion increase in Medicare funding, $9.8 billion increase in hospital funding and $10.1 billion increase in aged care funding.
Supporting women and children
“A historic $1.3 billion women’s safety package to more than double the Government’s financial commitment to the implementation of the next National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
“This includes $30 million to provide national leadership on reducing the rate of child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts.”
Agriculture
“We’re investing a further $267.1 million in a whole-of-government, Simplified Trade System that will streamline trade processes, reduce the cost and time of exporting and make it easier for agricultural businesses to compete internationally.
“This includes a further $127.4 million to the Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets initiative, building on our Busting Congestion for Agricultural Exporters package. This will further transform the delivery of government agricultural export systems and services to agricultural exporters, farmers and producers.
“We are committing $15.4 million to deliver a second round of the oversubscribed and in-demand Agricultural Show Development Grants Program.”
Security and defence
“To combat this period of profound uncertainty and disruption, $575 billion will go towards Australia’s Defence Forces by the end of the decade, including $38 billion to boost the workforce by 18,500 personnel, $50 billion for frigates and destroyers, and $10 billion for naval infrastructure.
“Over the next 10 years, $9.9 billion will be injected into cyber warfare to almost double the size of the nation’s leading cyber security agency, the Australian Signals Directorate.”
