MEMBER for Mallee Andrew Broad would like to see more money for roads, telecommunications and big ticket regional projects in the federal budget.
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The 2017-18 federal budget will be handed down at about 7.30pm on Tuesday night.
“The nature of a federal budget, as opposed to a state budget, is that they tend to announce funds that we can then tender into rather than individual projects,” Mr Broad said.
“I would like to see a regional growth fund, a fund for sporting communities, I would like to see more money for mobile phone communications.
“Certainly more money for roads. I was pretty happy to see the announcement around looking after veterans.
“Gonski stage two should help our schools. We’ll be digesting the budget and what’s in it for Wimmera Mallee on Tuesday night.”
Education funding
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced last week that the federal government will implement a version of the previous Labor government’s Gonski education reforms.
An extra $19 billion would be spent on schools over the next 10 years but Catholic and independent institutions could be worse off.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott and other Liberal Party members have opposed the plan to shift funding away from private schools.
Mr Broad said the federal government’s needs-based education package should help Wimmera schools.
“The thing that you want is more autonomy for schools in how they allocate their funding and you want more recognition of regional disadvantage.
“My focus has always been to get the best outcome for schools in the Wimmera Mallee not the schools in Toorak.
“Some of the blue blood Liberals are concerned about the private school issue but I suspect that the funding will help areas in need and we are an area in need.”
Mr Broad has welcomed an announcement from Senator Birmingham that early childhood education funding would continue in 2018.
Mr Broad said more than 2100 children across the Wimmera Mallee would continue to access 15 hours of preschool a week thanks an additional $2.6 million.
“It is important for the future of our country, that we give our children the best possible start to their education, no matter where they live” he said.
Rail money standoff
Mr Broad said the standoff between the state and federal government over a public asset recycling bonus worth more than a billion dollars was not a priority for him.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said his government is entitled to the federal money and plans to use it to fund a $1.45 ‘regional rail revival’ plan.
“I’m not so fussed about that because the state government has not announced anything for rail on our patch,” Mr Broad said.
“We had very clear lines of delineation around the asset recycling and its not there forever. I always think it’s pretty poor then the state government says they’re not getting enough.
“The state government has handed down a surplus budget and we will hand down a deficit budget. if the want to do something they can fund it themselves.”
Housing affordability
The federal government has leaked that the budget will contain a mechanism to support first-home buyers to use pre-tax income to build up a house deposit similar to salary sacrifice or superannuation contributions.
Mr Broad has previously called for renters to use their long-term payment history to secure home loans but has labelled a suggestion to let young people raid their super for housing as a lazy policy.
Mr Broad said he would have to see the budget details on the government’s latest proposal to tackle housing affordability.
“I have put a few options forward but i’ll wait and see what they suggest before commenting on it,” he said.
“Salary sacrifice has been tried before and it’s probably alright.
“I’ll have to see the detail before deciding if it’s good or bad.”