Labor’s plan to stack the Parliament will silence regional Queensland
The Coalition will strongly oppose any move by the Albanese Government to increase the size of the Australian Parliament, warning it would come at significant cost to taxpayers at a time Australians are already under severe financial pressure.
Analysis from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that expanding the Parliament could cost taxpayers more than $620 million, including salaries, staff, travel, and office costs. Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, said the proposal is a direct threat to the representation of regional Queensland.
Leader of the Opposition, Angus Taylor, said the Government had its priorities completely wrong.
“At a time when Australian families are tightening their belts, the last thing they should be asked to fund is more politicians,” Mr Taylor said.
“This is a Government that cannot manage the economy, cannot control spending, and now wants to make Australians pay for a bigger Parliament. This is more spending, more bureaucracy, and more pressure on the budget at exactly the wrong time.”
Leader of The Nationals, Matt Canavan, said the proposal showed how out of touch the Government had become.
“People in regional Australia are doing it tough. They are paying more for fuel, groceries, and power,” Senator Canavan said.
“They do not want more politicians in Canberra; they want practical help with the cost of living.
“This Government is focused on itself; the Coalition is focused on Australians.”
Mr Willcox said that increasing the number of seats would further diminish the voices of regions like Dawson by shifting the balance of power toward the major cities.
“This is a calculated Labor tactic to stack the deck in their favour.
“By adding more seats to urban areas with high levels of immigration and a heavy reliance on government services, they are effectively diluting the voting power of our regions,” Mr Willcox said.
“More seats in the cities means more voting power for urban centres, and that diminishes the voices of our farmers, miners, and regional small business owners.
“This city-centric ideology is already strangling the country, it will be detrimental to an Australian-made future.”
As the Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, Mr Willcox warned that the move would erode the national identity.
“Our sovereign capability relies on a strong, independent regional Australia.
“The more we pander to imported ideologies and urban-focused agendas, the more we lose our national identity.
“The Coalition will always back our regions and fight to ensure that Dawson is not left behind by Labor’s bureaucratic expansion.”
ENDS
Caption: Andrew Willcox MP says making room for 28 additional politicians in Parliament won’t be as easy as simply dismantling and rebuilding this impressive LEGO model of Parliament House, which is on display inside Canberra’s Parliament House.
Contact: Amanda Wright | Media & Communications Adviser
P | 07 4944 0662 M | 0455 456 705 E | Amanda.Wright@aph.gov.au