A first-time federal MP whose maiden parliamentary speech included a commitment to fight for more money in the pockets of mums and dads has made a passionate pre-budget plea to the Prime Minister.
Member for Wright Scott Buchholz has spent most of his parliamentary career looking after the interests of the flood-devastated Lockyer Valley which forms part of his electorate, however in the lead up to the federal budget he is focused on the family budget.
The electorate of Wright is very diverse and includes young families in the suburbs, farmers in rural areas and small business people. As such we could be labelled the barometer of the nation and almost everyone I speak to is doing it tough, he said.
Mr Buchholz wants real tax benefits that puts money in pockets to be included in next weeks budget and accuses the government of being rudderless.
All we hear from the government is spin. The Prime Minister is failing when it comes to the management of this nation.
A member of the economics committee, Mr Buchholz said that for the first time in his memory, the only economic reform Australians can look forward to is more taxes. The government talks about carbon taxes and mining taxes while each day the cost of living for ordinary Australians is skyrocketing.
This Labor government, that has taken the surplus of the previous government and turned it into a massive deficit, will be held accountable by every Australian for the decisions it makes in the upcoming budget, he said.
Mr Buchholz said anything less than more money in the pockets of mums and dads to compensate them for the increased living costs brought about by government mismanagement, will be another failure.
