‘We need to get our country back on track’ Nationals

SAMANTHA ELLEY

The ‘games’ have begun and the frst local politician to prepare for this year’s federal election is sitting member for Page, Kevin Hogan pictured

Mr Hogan announced his endorsement by the Nationals party, early last week in the village of Clunes.

“I am humbled to have recently been endorsed as the Nationals candidate for this year’s federal election,” he said.

“It is an honour to serve our community and with their support I hope to continue to do so.”

Mr Hogan sees this federal election as signifcantly important due to the need to get the country back on track.

“I frmly believe our country isn’t heading in the right direction,” he said.

“We have a cost of living crisis and we also have a housing and rental crisis and part of that is the 1.2 million people that have come in over the last fve year period and we aren’t building the housing for them.”

Mr Hogan has blamed the cost of rising grocery prices squarely in the government’s court.

“There’s a lot of costs and charges we believe Labor has added,” he said.

“One is the trucking tax, they made freight movement charges. The price of utes and SUVs has just gone up by January 1st.

“Water buyback that was instituted 12 months ago (means) they will be taking water out of the system from the farmers, that means we’re going to produce less food in Australia which I also believe will show we’ll have food increases as well.”

Mr Hogan said infation is still high and stayed that way for longer, not helped by Labor’s policies.

“Labor promised a $275 cut to power bills,” he said.

“This didn’t happen.

“Instead, prices have increased, hurting our families and businesses.”

Mr Hogan said the Nationals have announced the frst of many policies if they are elected back into government.

“Our housing policy is a fve-billion-dollar infrastructure fund that we will give to local government,” he said.

“One of the constraints local governments face is specifc engineering costs, roads, getting the sewerage, getting the electricity.”

Regional Australia will receive 30 per cent of this Housing Infrastructure Programme unlocking up to 500,000 homes across Australia.