Labor’s candidate for the Federal Electorate of Robertson, Ms Anne Charlton, labelled the 2017 Federal Budget as unfair towards Medicare, education, and TAFE and training on the Central Coast.
“Lucy Wicks and Malcolm Turnbull say that their budget is fair enough for the Central Coast, but they wouldn’t know what fairness was if they tripped over it,” Ms Charlton said.
“This budget shows the Central Coast that this Liberal Government is determined to give big business and high income earners a tax cut while everyone else pays for it with a tax hike, and cuts to health and local schools,” she said.
“There’s nothing fair about cutting millions from Central Coast schools, forcing local GP fees to rise, giving millionaires a $16,400 tax cut and slogging everyone else with a tax hike to pay for it,” Ms Charlton said.
Federal Member for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks, said she disagreed and commended the 2017-18 budget as a plan that delivered fairness, opportunity and security for all Australians, and a major boost to Robertson.
“In this budget we have a further $12.5m for the new Central Coast Medical School and Medical Research Institute so it can attract and retain world-leading health professionals in Gosford”, Ms Wicks said.
“This budget will also see funding committed to a range of other important projects, including more than $7.2m for Central Coast Council to upgrade local roads, including: Oceano St Copacabana; and the intersection of Langford Dve and Woy Woy Rd, Kariong.
“This goes hand in hand with other major projects we are delivering, including: $10m for the Regional Performing Arts Centre in Gosford; upgrades to Somersby Industrial Park, Banjo’s Skate park and Terrigal Trojans’ clubhouse; $12m towards delivering continuous mobile coverage on trains; better mobile coverage in Spencer and Wendoree Park; and $7m towards a new community learning hub and library in Gosford.
“It is a budget that will help to grow the economy, secure more and better-paying jobs and guarantee the services that people in my electorate will rely on,” Ms Wicks said.
Source:
Speech, May 11
Lucy Wicks, Federal Member for Robertson
Media release, May 12
Anne Charlton, Federal Labor Candidate for Robertson
Jarrod Melmeth, Journalist