Sunshine Coast MPs Andrew Wallace, Ted O’Brien slam federal budget

Sunshine Coast MPs have slammed the federal government’s ‘out of touch’ budget for leaving the region out of infrastructure and project announcements.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - MARCH 24 2025: Minister for Finance of Australia, Katy Gallagher and Treasurer of Australia, Jim Chalmers with the 2024-25 Budget papers at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

A Sunshine Coast MP has slammed the federal government’s “out of touch” budget for leaving the region out of infrastructure and project announcements.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers brought down his fourth budget on Tuesday night, highlighting everything from surprise tax cuts to the already announced $7.2bn Bruce Highway upgrade.

However, Sunshine Coast MP for Fisher, Andrew Wallace, was quick to slam the budget for being “out of touch” with Australians.

“The budget charade showed just how delusional, deceptive and damn right ‘out of touch’ the Labor government is,” Mr Wallace said.

Mr Wallace criticised the federal government for spending more on “giant pandas in Adelaide” than in the Sunshine Coast region.

“The Sunshine Coast once again misses out on the crucial infrastructure we need. Small businesses once again miss out on red-tape and tax relief. Young people and retirees alike will see their hard work squandered in a crass attempt at buying election votes in marginal seats,” Mr Wallace said.

Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien described the budget as lacking substance for the local community.

“Labor’s so-called “grand plan” is handing Australians back 70 cents a day in 15 months’ time. It has to be the most unimaginative and ineffective tax policy ever seen,” Mr O’Brien said.

Fisher MP Andrew Wallace MP slammed Labor’s federal budget, claiming the Sunshine Coast was left out. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The federal government's $160m funding contribution for the Mooloolah River Interchange, which was pulled in 2023, was once again snubbed.

This was after Premier David Crisafulli pledged the project was back on the table as part of “The Wave” plan, the direct rail line from Beerwah to Birtinya, with a direct metro hub to the Sunshine Coast Airport, through the Maroochydore CBD.

Metro infrastructure will be constructed from the Birtinya station to Maroochydore station, delivering the long-awaited Mooloolah River Interchange.

Speaking before the budget was handed down on Tuesday night, Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli, once again called on the federal government to put the project back on the table after it was snubbed in the 2024-25 budget.

State MP Fiona Simpson also promised voters in the Queensland election last year she would put pressure on the federal government to help get the development over the line.

In the budget papers, Regional Development Minister Catherine King said the government was “reaffirming” its “commitment to taking the needs of our regions seriously”.

“Regional investment needs to be much more than grants programs, it should make life better for people, with access to the services they need and targeted help with cost of living,” she said.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – MARCH 24 2025: Minister for Finance of Australia, Katy Gallagher and Treasurer of Australia, Jim Chalmers with the 2024-25 Budget papers at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

There was no funding committed for any Olympic Games infrastructure, including the projects announced across the state.

However it did note spending on “recreation and culture” is expected to increase by 8.7 per cent by the 2028-20 financial year, in part due to federal funding for Olympic Games infrastructure across the state.

The budget was largely bare of infrastructure announcements, in light of the looming federal election.

There is more than $1.5bn sitting in the government’s funding war chest, set aside across the forward estimates for “decisions taken but not yet announced and not for publication”.

Dr Chalmers instead used the budget to set the scene of Labor’s re-election pitch, announcing surprise tax cuts, $150 energy rebates, as well as funding to ramp up housing supply in both cities and regions to deal with the accommodation crunch.

Housing measures include:

* Banning foreign investors from buying existing houses.

* $54m to “accelerate the uptake of modern methods of construction to build more homes faster” and,

* An incentive scheme to train more construction workers.

Rosanna Natoli’s plea for funding for the Mooloolah River Interchange fell on deaf ears in the federal budget for the second straight year.

Dr Chalmers characterised the budget as a “plan for a new generation of prosperity in a new world of uncertainty”, saying the Australian economy was “turning a corner”.

“Inflation is down, incomes are rising, unemployment is low, interest rates are coming down, debt is down, and growth is picking up momentum,” he said.

“On all these fronts, our economy and our budget are in better shape than they were three years ago.”

Dr Chalmers said Labor’s budget would “take the first tax rate down to its lowest level in more than half a century”.

“Every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut next year and the year after, to top up the tax cuts which began last July,” he said.

“These additional tax cuts are modest but will make a difference.

The average earner will have an extra $536 in their pocket each year when they’re fully implemented.

“Combined with our first round of tax cuts, this rises to $2190 and the average total tax cut will be $2548, or about $50 a week.”

Dr Chalmers also announced a $42bn deficit after two years of back-to-back surpluses but argued it was lower than what had been forecast, both in last year’s budget and the mid-year update.

“In a tight budget, we’ve made room to boost our defences, strengthen Medicare, help people doing it tough, build more homes and invest in the future,” he said.

“We’ve done all this at the same time as we’ve overseen the biggest ever fiscal improvement in a single term of Government.

“(The) budget is $207bn better than we inherited.”

Originally published as Sunshine Coast MPs Andrew Wallace, Ted O’Brien slam federal budget