The cost of living crisis is reaching breaking point for many across Dawson, with local business owners concerned with the unsustainable increase in taxes and levees imposed by Labor on our most important industries.

Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud, and Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox, toured the Whitsunday region last week on an industry listening tour, witnessing first-hand how Labor’s ‘Tax Trifecta’ is impacting rural and regional areas like Dawson.

Regional Australians are set to be negatively impacted by Labor’s poorly thought through and rushed Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) policy, leader of The Nationals David Littleproud and Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox have warned.

Mr Littleproud and Mr Willcox travelled to LiveLife Pharmacy Cannonvale, to speak with local pharmacist Lee McLennan about the impact of Labor’s changes, which allows 60-day dispensing instead of 30.

The Albanese Labor Government has continued its legacy of increasing taxes and red tape through the May 2023 Budget, taking aim at Australia’s agricultural producers.

Numerous measures implemented in the Budget will leave farmers with the “short end of the budget stick”, according to the Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox.

The Albanese Labor Government have released their first full Budget since the federal election in May last year. Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, was holding out hope the Albanese Government would focus on two areas in this Budget; investing in the future of rural and regional Australians including the people of Dawson, and tackling the cost of living crisis. However, the Dawson MP is not convinced.

Federal Member for Dawson is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to help families with the cost-of-living crisis in the upcoming May 2023-2024 budget.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised if he won Government, there would be “no-one held back and no-one left behind.”

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, is frustrated with Labor’s brand new attack on ten million low and middle-income earners in Australia.

The Dawson MP is shining a light on the Treasurer’s decision to cut the Coalition’s 2019 Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO) from the 2023 May Budget.

Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism is the newly announced tax on carbon, and will impact the livelihoods of our resource workers, regional communities, and now our farmers, the Federal Member for Dawson has warned.

The new Safeguard Mechanism, A.K.A Carbon Tax 2.0, is a Labor policy that will penalise the 215 largest emitters in Australia for carbon emissions over a baseline … many of whom employ workers from the Dawson region.

Federal Member for Dawson was shocked to hear the QLD Minister for Transport and Main Roads yesterday re-announce the ‘Bruce Highway – Goorganga Plains Upgrade’ project.

“I am appalled by QLD Labor’s ‘politics-before-people’ tactic, who are “using a 2018 Coalition Government commitment to run an ad hoc political campaign at the expense of the Dawson people.” Andrew Willcox said.

In Question Time last week, Dawson MP Andrew Willcox grilled the Albanese Labor Government for “grossly misunderstanding their own policy”, which targets farmers specifically.

Andrew Willcox MP asked the Assistant Treasurer whether the Superannuation changes would be just “another unfair new tax on family farms and family businesses”. In a video posted by the Federal Member, the Assistant Minister was unable to answer the question directly.

Federal Labor’s proposal to impose a 10 per cent per year increase in fuel taxes and registration charges on the nation’s truckies would cost the sector an additional $2.6 billion over three years and add to inflationary pressures.

Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox said the Albanese Government’s proposed increases to ‘truckie taxes’ would drive up cost-of-living pressures on local families and businesses and accelerate closures for small and family operated transport enterprises.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox is calling on the Federal Government to further extend the Improving Mobile Coverage Round [IMCR] following Dawson completely missing out.

The IMCR will deliver funding to extend and improve mobile phone coverage and competition in regional and remote Australia, by co-funding new or upgraded telecommunications infrastructure in 54 target locations with up to $40 million available.

Federal Member for Dawson is urging Labor to reinstate $35 million in funding cuts to Tourism Australia after the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released new data indicating the return of international tourists to Australia is seriously lagging.

Tourism Australia’s budget under Labor will continue to be slashed by a total of $41 million by 2025, which is a major blow for the industry.

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry, Federal Member for Flynn Colin Boyce, Federal Member for Dawson and Senator for Queensland Matthew Canavan have called out Labor’s stance on the mining industry for pushing two Central Queensland mines to the brink.

Cost of living continues to rise because of agriculture workforce shortages, but the Albanese Government refuses to accept the Ag Visa as part of the solution.

In last week’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Senate estimates hearing Senator Penny Wong revealed that more ASEAN countries were interested in joining the Ag Visa.

The House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources has launched an inquiry into advanced manufacturing to seek solutions to support the Australian manufacturing industry, create jobs and revive manufacturing in Australia.

The Stronger Communities Programme which provides Federal funding of up to $20,000 for small community groups is now open for expressions of interest.

The Stronger Communities Programme has provided much needed funding over the past 7 rounds to local community groups in Dawson to undertake small capital works projects.

Andrew Willcox, Member for Dawson is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to immediately reverse its decision to impose a defacto regional processing penalty on skilled workers in priority sectors hoping to take up one of thousands of jobs that need to be filled in regional communities.

Successful applicants for Round 3 of the Federal Government’s Local Sporting program have been announced.

The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships. Successful applicants will receive $500-$750 towards the cost of attending their championships.

Mackay Christian College has suffered firsthand by the Youth Crime Epidemic this week with students almost being run over by an out of control stolen vehicle. This is becoming all too common with recent figures revealing that a record 2133 cars were stolen in QLD through December 2022.

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox was delighted to see crews finally setting up to recommence works on the deserted roadworks between Proserpine and Bowen this week.

Construction halted on three projects between Emu Creek and Drays Road, and Bowen Connection Road and Champion Street in 2022 following the contractor WBHO Infrastructure Pty Ltd going into voluntary administration.