Federal Opposition leader visits Wallan

Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton made a visit to Wallan last week, pointing out his criticism of government-managed funding and cost-of-living pressures in the region.

The visit on Tuesday came after Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles visited Wallan on November 8, where he discussed an increase Medicare Bulk Billing Incentive payments and the delivery of the Watson Street diamond interchange.

Mr Dutton, however, made a point of personally addressing Wallan’s ‘salt of the earth’ people over the issue of increasing cost-of-living pressures, which he said had been ‘forgotten’ by the Albanese Government and Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell.

“These are people who are living in outer metropolitan areas like McEwen – but right around the country – where they’ve been forgotten by this Prime Minister,” he said.

“Eighteen months into this Labor government, there are many families who are scratching their heads wondering where the Anthony Albanese they voted for has gone.”

Speaking about Labor’s election promises, Mr Dutton claimed that on 12 occasions interest rates had risen despite a promised mortgage decrease, and energy prices had increased by 18 per cent despite a promised $275 decrease in electricity prices.

Mr Dutton said inflation had also increased, making it harder for residents to afford necessities including groceries and services such as gas.

“Inflation is fuelled by this government’s reckless spending and by the fact that they’ve had two budgets to make it easier for Australians, instead they’ve made it harder for Australians,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s much celebrating going on at the moment for a lot of Australians who are just shaking their head, wondering how this Labor government got it so wrong.”

In response, Mr Mitchell said McEwen – like most of Australia – had been suffering from inflation and an increase in financial pressures because of international circumstances.

“The inflation and interest rate rises we’ve seen started under [the Morrison government’s] watch. In fact, the jump in inflation began in the last quarter of the Morrison government, so we inherited this mess and we’re trying to turn it around,” he said.

“We’ve had the Ukraine-Russia War, which has meant gas prices have gone through the roof … and with the war, two of the top three suppliers in the world are both currently not supplying wheat.

“That means people are having to pay more because it’s a bit scarcer, and it affects everything.”

Mr Mitchell said the situation in McEwen and Australia was no different to the rest of the world and reminded that the Albanese Government was ‘doing everything they can’ to bring the cost of living down.

Mr Dutton was also questioned on the delivery of the Watson Street diamond interchange, which he said was ‘another blow’ for Wallan residents.

“[Labor has] effectively wasted 18 months because the Coalition promised this project – $50 million worth of funding – when we were in government,” he said.

“It’s desperately needed infrastructure within the local community and Rob Mitchell’s been completely missing on the issue.

“The project won’t get off the ground any time soon under this government because they can’t manage money, they can’t manage these big projects, they’re always in the ‘too hard’ basket and locals end up sitting in traffic while they go without necessary infrastructure.”

Mr Mitchell said ‘every single major piece of infrastructure’ in Wallan had been delivered by Labor governments and blamed Mr Dutton for not giving Victoria a ‘fair go’.

“If you wanted to do something, you should have apologised for not delivering [the ramps] in nine years of government,” he said.

“There was no money given to the state, there was no planning, nothing was started, nothing was done and it’s quite obvious things are finally happening now.”