Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh has taken aim at the Labor Government, saying their budget proves they don’t care about Lindsay.
The Treasurer handed down a pre-election budget on Tuesday night, promising the average earner would be $536 better off once all tax cuts are implemented. But the first raft in 2026 will see Australians only about $5 a week better off.
“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis the best that the Albanese Labor Government can do is give someone 70c a day. Not right now, you get it in 15 months’ time. I had a look at what you can buy for 70c in our major supermarkets, and you can’t even buy one banana, one of the supermarkets has a special on apples so you might be able to get one apple and that’s it,” McIntosh said.
“It’s taking Australians for a ride. Yet again, the Government is patting themselves on the back like Australians have never had it so good and everyone should be grateful, but we know from our community in western Sydney that people are struggling so much right now.
“They have not delivered on their promise of $275 off your electricity bill, people in western Sydney are paying $1,300 more than what Labor promised. It’s a budget for the election not for the future of our country.”
Of major concern for McIntosh is the lack of new infrastructure funding for the area.
“Once again, western Sydney and particularly our electorate has been completely abandoned by the Albanese Labor Government,” McIntosh said.
“There’s been no new infrastructure specifically for Lindsay and it looks like we could be the only western Sydney electorate without new funding.
“The government has been political before when they cut Mulgoa Road funding, we will not have that final stretch of Mulgoa Road upgraded despite how congested it is around Glenmore Park, Regentville and Jamisontown. The Metro from the Western Sydney Airport to St Marys is around six months late, its actually not going to be open when the airport opens… and no sod has been turned on Dunheved Road. Labor at the last election promised to fast track that project and it is now more than two years behind schedule.
“I think it would be absolutely correct for people in our community to be completely let down by this government. Every step of the way over the last three years we’ve been either hoodwinked by midnight media releases to do with flight paths and to do with road funding being ripped away or they just don’t care.”
The Coalition will deliver their budget reply tomorrow night.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.