The Morrison Government had the opportunity in presenting this Budget to provide our community with the support it so desperately needs, but once again, Macarthur has been left behind.

Suburbs in South-West Sydney are expanding rapidly and are in dire need of infrastructure to meet the population’s requirements. The need for the rail line in South-West Sydney to extend beyond the aerotropolis and into the growing communities of Macarthur is only becoming more urgent.

Dr Freelander said it was unfathomable that the Coalition continued to refuse to connect his community to the new airport.

“The establishment of the South-West Rail Link is a necessary step to create jobs in Macarthur, and support struggling local families and businesses in the process,” Dr Freelander said.

“Our economic recovery depends on a bipartisan response to this crisis – it is not sufficient for the Government to play politics with taxpayers’ money and continue to ignore the needs of South-West Sydney.”

“While the Coalition is spending large amounts of money, this is a Budget of missed opportunities. We have one trillion dollars of debt, and yet real wages are still going backwards. Australians are worried about the cost of living, and this Government consistently fails to do anything about it.”

“The marketing exercise we saw last night can’t negate or re-brand the mismanagement we have come to know over the past eight years of the Coalition in office.”

The Government intends to spend big on aged care, but has ignored some of the most important findings of the Royal Commission into aged care, such as the mandatory presence of a registered nurse during all times in residential aged care establishments.

“The $10 per day for each aged care residents is likely to improve the bottom line for providers, but may do little to improve the standards of care,” said Dr Freelander.

In other healthcare announcements, the Government will increase Medicare payments to regional and rural GPs, but does nothing to help recruit GPs to outer metropolitan areas such as Macarthur.

“The Government has done nothing to address the huge gap costs for specialist care, which have led to major difficulties in accessing high level specialist care in Macarthur,” said Dr Freelander.

“When it comes to providing our region with desperately needed funding for infrastructure, transport, and the future of our communities, the Coalition continues remain completely absent.”