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

I rise today to speak on the appropriation bills before the House and to put on record what people in Capricornia and across regional Australia are telling me plainly. They are doing it tough, and they've been asked to pay more while getting less in return. Appropriation bills are not just paperwork; they are a statement of a government's priorities—what it funds, what it cuts and who it chooses to back. On the evidence of this budget and what flows from it, the message to the regions is, once again, 'You are not a priority.'

In Capricornia, families are still dealing with power bills, groceries, fuel and insurance that keep climbing. Small businesses are juggling overheads that rise faster than turnover, and primary producers are facing higher input costs and uncertainty. For many small and family businesses, there is another layer of uncertainty in this budget: the proposed changes to discretionary family trusts. These are not abstract arrangements for accountants in the city, they are structures used by many family run businesses—farms and local operators—to manage risk, plan for succession and keep cash flowing through the business.

A proposed 30 per cent minimum tax on trust income from 1 July 2028 would reduce flexibility, hit those who legitimately use trusts to support family members in the business and force many small operators to spend time and money restructuring instead of employing staff, investing in equipment or growing their enterprise. For regional Australia, where so many businesses are family businesses, this is not just a tax change, it is another pressure on the people who are already carrying so much of the load.

The capital gains tax changes announced in this budget also raise real concerns for younger Australians trying to break into the housing market because they do not just affect property, they also affect shares and ETFs that many first home buyers use to build a deposit. At a time when saving for a first home is already hard enough, people who are doing the right thing by investing carefully and trying to get ahead should not be hit with another barrier on the path to homeownership. And that's the test we should apply to these appropriation bills: Do they provide real relief? Do they invest in the fundamentals that grow regional economies—roads, freight, water security, reliable energy and a fair go? The regions don't ask for special treatment; we ask for fair treatment. We ask for the government to recognise that regional Australia generates the wealth and exports that keep this country going.

Cost-of-living pressures are real, and they are hitting hard in Capricornia. Australians don't need to be told the economy is under strain; they feel it every day. When their fuel bills jump, when their weekly groceries cost more or when their insurance renewals are unaffordable, they don't need Labor to hold a press conference to explain it. Regional communities feel these pressures even more because we rely on transport and freight and because we have fewer alternatives, fewer services nearby, longer driving distances and industries that depend on fuel and logistics.

When budgets tighten, the pain is not theoretical. It shows up in delayed medical appointments, cancelled apprenticeships, postponed upgrades, reduced operating hours and small businesses deciding not to take on extra staff. That is why the budget and the appropriations that implement it must be judged on whether they help families keep more of what they earn and whether they strengthen the productive capacity of the economy, especially outside the capitals.

If there is one thing that consistently holds Capricornia back, it's not a lack of potential; it's a lack of infrastructure investment and the habit of treating regional projects as optional extras. Ahead of this budget, I said clearly that Capricornia's roads remain a top priority, including major freight and commuter routes that need ongoing federal support to improve safety, resilience and efficiency. We need more investment in the Bruce Highway, the beef roads, Peak Downs Highway and the local road links that our communities rely on every day. These roads are not luxuries; they are arteries of the regional economy, moving produce, supplies, workers, tourists and freight. When road funding is delayed, regional communities feel it immediately.

That is why decisions like pushing back major beef corridor upgrades are so damaging. In Capricornia, that means communities are left waiting longer for safer roads, better freight efficiency and stronger supply chains, even though these roads carry high-value commodities and support some of the nation's most productive industries. I've also said that the Rockhampton Ring Road will make a real difference, but it must be matched with proper investment in the surrounding connections so that the whole region benefits.

Yet regional Australia is again being told to accept cuts and delay, while multibillion-dollar city projects surge ahead. This imbalance is not just unfair; it's economically reckless, because regional infrastructure is what lifts national productivity. The Nationals leader, Queensland senator Matthew Canavan, has pointed to the scale of the impact on the regions, including by claimed cuts such as $6.15 billion from Inland Rail, $4.7 billion from infrastructure spending and $103 million from the National Water Grid alongside other reductions affecting regional communities. Whether you live in Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Sarina, the Pioneer Valley, Clermont or Moranbah, you can see the consequences—projects that take longer, corridors that remain dangerous, freight that costs more and communities that are expected to do with less.

Central Queensland is powered by industries that feed the nation and drive exports—agriculture, resources, manufacturing and tourism. Capricornia is one of Australia's powerhouse electorates, and the scale of its contribution should never be underestimated. From our mining communities to our agriculture sector, from our manufacturing base to our tourism operators, this region generates enormous economic value for Queensland and the nation. If we are serious about resilience, we must back the people and industries that provide it.

That's why it is so concerning to see that the agriculture budget has been reduced and the key programs for pest and disease preparedness and drought support have been cut back. The shadow minister for agriculture has claimed that the 2026-27 budget includes more than $190 million in cuts to agriculture programs, a $52 million cut to the Future Drought Fund and reductions affecting pest and disease preparedness and invasive species management. Now, whatever side of politics you are on, the principle should be straightforward: you don't strengthen food security by reducing preparedness and you don't build resilience by walking away from coordinated biosecurity and pest programs. In Capricornia and across regional Queensland, producers are already managing feral animals, weeds, seasonal pressures and global volatility. If government wants to talk about resilience, the appropriations should match that rhetoric.

One of the most frustrating patterns we see is the removal or winding back of programs that deliver outcomes locally. In Capricornia, we've seen exactly what these programs can achieve. Through regional funding, projects such as Multicap's Rockhampton service were able to move forward with specialist, affordable and accessible housing for people living with disability, something our region had been crying out for. We have seen investment help deliver the Fitzroy Community Hospice in Rockhampton, a vital end-of-life care service for Central Queensland families. We have also seen support for projects like the Rockhampton Museum of Art, upgrade to Collinsville's telecommunications and water security investment through Yeppoon's recycled water augmentation. These are not abstract line items in a budget. They are real projects that improve lives, strengthen communities and create local jobs. That is why I called for the budget to restore confidence in regional Australia by backing local councils and community organisations with strong, targeted funding programs.

Capricornia's future depends on investment that strengthens our capacity to build, move and export. That means backing projects that expand our industrial and logistics capability—not just announcing them and walking away. I specifically called for support for projects like the Rockhampton Airport bay 7 expansion and freight hub because it backs local jobs, strengthens exports and opens up opportunities for Central Queensland. With growth in domestic and military aircraft movements and the prospect of increased defence activity in the region, infrastructure at Rockhampton Airport needs to keep up with the pace.

The same is true for the broader opportunity in our region. Coalition investment in Rookwood Weir has opened the door to agriculture growth and future private investment, but that growth must be matched by the freight, storage and enabling infrastructure needed to turn potential into long-term economic opportunity. I make the broader point that Capricornia contributes so much to the national economy. We deserve to see that recognised with strong investment in the regions. Appropriation bills should reflect that. Funding should follow economic contribution and national interests, not postcode politics.

I want to be constructive about what should happen from here. First, if the government is serious about cost-of-living relief, it should prioritise measures that make a tangible difference for families and small businesses in the regions, because pressures are still rising; second, we need genuine, sustained investment in regional road safety and freight corridors, including the Bruce Highway and key regional connectors, not stop-start spending; third, we must treat water and agriculture resilience as core national priorities, because food security and biosecurity are not optional; fourth, energy and fuel security must be approached with practicality and realism, because regional industries rely on reliability, not slogans; and, fifth, we need to restore and strengthen programs that empower local councils and community groups to deliver the infrastructure and services that communities actually need. These are not radical requests. These are the basics of governing well for a country as large and diverse as Australia.

I will always back Capricornia—the workers, the small businesses, the farmers, the volunteers, the manufacturers, the tourism operators, the resource communities and the families who keep our regions moving. I will back the communities that have fought for better roads, stronger local services, community infrastructure, water security and the investment needed to keep regional economies growing, and I will continue to stand up for the principle that regions like Capricornia, which contribute so much to the national economy, deserve more than promises. They deserve practical support and their fair share of investment. Before the budget, I made it clear what Capricornia needed: real cost-of-living relief and targeted investment in the roads, infrastructure and industries that keep Central Queensland strong. My message to the government is simple: if you want the regions to keep powering the nation, then fund the regions like they deserve.

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