Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—One of the most damaging examples is Labor's decision to slash NDIS provider travel reimbursements by half. Under these changes, providers' capacities to travel to clients in regional and remote areas have been severely reduced, regardless of distance. For communities spread across vast geographic areas, like my electorate of Capricornia, this is not a minor budget adjustment. It is a direct threat to access to essential care. In Central Queensland, people with disability often rely on visiting allied health professionals. These changes make it harder, not easier, for providers to service regional communities. It can mean the difference between accessing care like those who live in cities or going without altogether.

Changes to the NDIS under the Albanese Labor government are having serious and deeply concerning consequences, particularly because of the government's failure to properly understand, anticipate or manage the unintended impacts of its poor decisions. Calls to my office include NDIS cases where participants have had their funding reduced by more than 50 per cent. Essential therapies have been removed, support hours have been slashed and assistive technology has been delayed or denied. Families are being forced to fight simply to maintain the level of care that was previously assessed as reasonable and necessary. Bureaucrats in Canberra are redefining eligibility and supports while participants on the ground are left scrambling to appeal decisions that directly affect their health, safety and quality of life. In some cases, we are advocating for participants whose medical status means that a loss of support is not merely inconvenient; it is potentially life-threatening. No family should have to go into battle with the system to secure the basic supports that keep their loved ones safe.

Sustainable reform of the NDIS is essential. The coalition has always supported measures to ensure the long-term viability of the scheme. Reform must be careful, transparent and guided by genuine consultation, not rushed adjustments that leave vulnerable Australians bearing the risk of unintended consequences. When the NDIS was created, it was built on a promise that Australians living with disability would have certainty, dignity and choice. Under this government, that certainty is eroding. Participants deserve clarity, and families deserve stability. The government must urgently address the very real harm being caused by its poorly executed changes to the NDIS.

In regional towns like Clermont, the significant shortfall of aged-care housing marks a critical failure of the Albanese Labor government to support rural Queenslanders. Clermont is far more than a small rural town of 3,000 people. It's a powerhouse for agriculture, mining and tourism. It helps build this nation's prosperity. Clermont is facing a worsening aged-care shortfall, while the Queensland Health-run Montcler facility provides high-care beds, the closure of intermediate- and low-care residential options, including the former Clermont Nursing Home, has created a systematic gap in the provision of aged-care services. Seniors who have worked their entire lives in this community are now being forced to move away from family, friends and support networks simply because appropriate facilities do not exist locally.

Community projections indicate the region will require more than 180 additional aged-care places by 2030 to meet demand. Yet, despite repeated representations, clear evidence of need and a rollout-ready solution, this government has failed to act. Labor even rejected funding for a much-needed seniors' living facility under the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program. At a time when Clermont is crying out for aged-care accommodation and independent living options, this government said no. The Clermont Monash Lodge revitalisation initiative is ready to go. It would deliver seniors' accommodation, ease housing pressure for younger families and support the town's recovery following recent floods. It would strengthen the community's long-term sustainability. It is exactly the kind of practical regional project that should be prioritised.

I have written to the Prime Minister and I have met with the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors. I have put forward the case clearly and constructively. The response has been silence. This government is quick to announce billions in metropolitan infrastructure and inner city projects. But when it comes to core services in regional Queensland—doctors, aged care or housing for seniors—the cupboard is bare.

Seniors who built a life in Clermont should not have to leave in their final years because the Albanese Labor government failed to provide funding for essential infrastructure so they could remain in their community. The coalition fought hard during the Senate inquiry into aged-care reforms to secure hardship provisions, grandfathering arrangements and caps on contributions to protect older Australians. We stood up to ensure dignity and fairness remained at the centre of the system. The wealth of this nation is built from towns like Clermont. The Albanese government must stop taking regional communities for granted. Towns like Clermont deserve better than this government's indifference.

Central Queensland has also been dealt another blow with Labor's decision to axe $23 million in funding for the Rocky Sports Club project, funding that was approved by the former coalition government in 2020. This project supports 129 sports clubs and community groups and would have delivered jobs, vital community infrastructure and long-term economic benefits for Rockhampton and the wider region—especially with Rockhampton being a potential Olympic city. Instead, after years of delay and false hopes, Labor walked away from the project entirely. This decision speaks volumes about Labor's priorities. A project that required a simple variation to proceed—a project that would have created jobs and strengthened community participation—was simply discarded.

It does not stop there. Labor's war on agriculture, its attacks on the resources sector and its anti-small-business agenda have made it harder for industries in Capricornia to thrive. Farmers tell me they are struggling with rising costs, with fuel and fertiliser prices at record highs. This is not just a problem for farmers; it's a problem for every Australian who relies on affordable food, secure supply chains and a strong regional economy.

Vital roads in my electorate, like the Bruce Highway and the Peak Downs Highway, have been left to crumble due to funding cuts. While lives continue to be lost, Labor continues to claim that regional Australians are better off. While all of this regional and rural neglect is happening, the Albanese Labor government would win a winter Olympic gold medal for spending; it's the highest spending government outside of a pandemic in 40 years.

After nearly four years of Labor, Australians are paying more for everything. Insurance is up 39 per cent, energy is up 38 per cent, rent is up 22 per cent, health costs are up 18 per cent, education is up 17 per cent and food is up 16 per cent. These are not luxuries; these are essentials. What makes this even more concerning is that Australia's inflation rate is now higher than many comparable economies. Government spending is now growing at four times the rate of the growth of the economy. Debt is projected to reach $1.2 trillion. Since coming into office, Labor has added $100 billion to the national debt. Spending is now $160 billion higher than when Labor came to power, equivalent to around $16,000 for every Australian household. All of this is occurring while the Commonwealth is collecting extraordinary levels of revenue. In 2024-25 alone, the government raised $717 billion in receipts—25.9 per cent of GDP, the highest level in 25 years. Revenue is not the problem; spending is.

The consequences are being felt through higher interest rates. In February the Reserve Bank raised rates by 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent. Every rate rise hits mortgage holders, renters and small businesses. Young Australians have been locked out of the housing market, families have been forced to delay major life decisions and future generations are being saddled with debt they did not choose.

These appropriation bills may be technical in nature, but they reflect a deeper and more troubling pattern. This is a government that believes more spending is always the answer, regardless of the economic or regional consequences. The opposition will not oppose these bills, but we will continue to hold the government to account. Australians deserve fiscal responsibility, measured budgeting and leadership that understands that proper fiscal management, focused on the most important priorities, is not optional in an inflationary environment; it is essential. When Labor spends, Australians pay. It's time for leadership that puts Australians first.

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