26 March 2025

Regional communities short-changed in pre-election budget: Chapman

“Nothing more than a pre-election sweetener,” is how Bunbury surgeon turned community independent candidate for Forrest Dr Sue Chapman described the Albanese Government’s fourth federal budget handed down on Tuesday. 

Dr Chapman detailed the tax cuts, energy bill rebate, and bulk billing incentives contained in the budget as little more than a sugar hit from a government delivering a budget it never wanted to have.  

“We’re days away from an election being called. Yet the Government has passed up so many opportunities to demonstrate they have the courage to tackle the big challenges facing Australians right now,” Dr Chapman said.  

“Personal income tax continues to do the heavy lifting in our taxation system while the government continues to avoid grown up conversations about taxation reform. What is most obvious, looking at the forward estimates, is that we need to find new ways to raise budget revenue. We’re spending more than we can raise - it’s time big corporations are taxed appropriately.

“The new income tax cuts will keep a little extra money in the pockets of many, but not until the middle of next year. Energy bill rebates are welcome, but again, won't be delivered until late this year. The people who are struggling most in our communities need financial support now.  

“Energy bill rebates are a short term fix. What we really need is leadership that will help households and businesses electrify. One in three Australian homes have rooftop solar, they need subsidised batteries to help them store the energy they generate. This will bring down their energy costs and keep them down in the long term.”

Dr Chapman has been serving the South West as a urological surgeon for the last 25 years. While she welcomed the healthcare funding and initiatives outlined in the budget, she questioned how effectively they will be delivered in regional and rural areas.

“Investment in women’s health and the inclusion of vital new medicines onto the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme are good outcomes from this budget,” Dr Chapman said.

“My concern is that regional people who need this healthcare will miss out because access to quality healthcare continues to be a challenge in regional and rural Australia. 

“Attracting and retaining skilled healthcare professionals requires long-term planning and investment in the South West. I am heartened to see funding allocated to expand GP training in the budget and I look forward to interrogating how the South West can secure funding for these placements. 

“Pumping $8 billion into Medicare to ensure bulk-billing sounds very impressive. In reality, it incentivises six minute consultations which are not practical to addressing the complex health care needs and writing of mental health plans that form so much of the work in our regional practices. We deserve quality affordable healthcare that meets our needs, and GPs need Medicare rebate reforms that reflect the true cost of the modern healthcare they provide.”

Dr Chapman’s greatest dissatisfaction with the federal budget was the absence of meaningful investment in regional housing. 

“The number one challenge facing South West communities right now is housing - a lack of affordable homes to buy and rent, and too many short-term rentals sitting vacant while local people live in their cars,” Dr Chapman said. 

“The budget had some measures to ease cost of living pressure, but overwhelmingly it is mortgages and rents that are weighing people down the most right now. I want to see more direct investment to increase housing supply in regional areas where homes are needed, and reforms to bring short-term rentals back into the long-term rental market. 

“With billions of dollars in housing funding announced in this term of government, I will work to ensure we get our fair share for housing in the South West. 

“The major parties are missing in action on regional housing. We need big ideas to tackle big problems and we must be prepared to put all options on the table. 

“The budget mentioned freezing foreign investment on existing homes for two years, but we’re going to need to think bigger than that to reverse thirty years of housing supply neglect. 

“If elected, I will meet with the Treasurer ahead of the next federal budget to outline our regional needs and our community’s expectations. Forrest deserves a strong and decisive representative in Canberra who will speak up on the issues that matter most to us.”

ENDS