The Federal election and Maranoa: Opinion piece

April 11, 2022

This election – to be held on May 21 – presents a clear choice.

It has been an absolute honour to represent Maranoa since 2016 and I am proud to have secured more than $6.9 billion for our region.

You know what the Coalition stands for, you can see what we’ve delivered and you can see our plan for the future.

We’re delivering tax relief for workers and small businesses. We’re halving the tax you pay at the petrol pump for six months and our tax plan will put more money in your pocket in the coming weeks and months, on top of our longer-term tax relief for everyone earning up to $200,000 a year.

I’m about better and safer roads to make sure you and your loved ones get home – like the $678 investment million for the Outback Way to unlock the interior from Winton, $508 million to upgrade the Warrego Highway from Miles to Toowoomba, $36.19 million to upgrade the Gore Highway at Wyaga Creek in the Goondiwindi region and $20 million to upgrade Warwick’s Eight Mile Intersection.

We’re making record investments in health and other essential services. The Coalition’s plan is to have record bulk-billing, we’ve made Telehealth permanent to limit the tyranny of distance and listed more than 2800 drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to make medicines more affordable for you and your family.

Investment in tourism to not only diversify economic opportunity and create local jobs but also celebrate and educate about our unique way of life, history, innovation and resilience. Whether it was securing $47 million in funding to stimulate the economy by rebuilding Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre after it was destroyed by fire, upgrades to Longreach’s Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum, a new Charleville Outback Museum of Australia, $5 million to develop Cunnamulla’s Artesian Hot Springs and Warrego River Walk, and $4.5 million to help transform Kingaroy’s CBD.

Maranoa’s agriculture has done the heavy lifting in our economic recovery post COVID-19 and I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers and graziers to boost Australia’s production to $100 billion by 2030.

This government has committed more than $5.5 billion in direct support across the seven themes of Delivering Ag2030 – Trade and Exports, Biosecurity, Stewardship, Supply Chains, Water and Infrastructure, Innovation and Research, and Human Capital – which sets the foundation for industry to not only achieve its goal, but also help primary producers build resilience and access new markets across the world.

Maranoa represents 43% of rural and remote Queensland with thriving communities and vibrant regions and I am fully committed to continue to get our fair share to ease cost of living pressures, more investment for safer and better roads, access to education and better health support and aged care.

David Littleproud