Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie – Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Leader of the Nationals in the Senate
Andrew Lethlean – The Nationals Candidate For Bendigo
31 March 2025
Today The Nationals are launching Andrew Lethlean’s plan to reduce cost of living pressures for families and businesses across the Bendigo region.
Mr Lethlean’s plan aims to make life easier for families and businesses, by easing cost of living pressures, delivering more affordable energy and making housing more accessible and affordable.
Mr Lethlean said this plan will deliver immediate relief at the petrol pump, cutting the fuel excise in half, saving 25 cents per litre, which is an average saving of $14 each time a tank is filled.
“This announcement can save families and businesses around $1500 each year and will be particularly welcome for our local residents who rely on their cars to get to work, and to get their children to school and other activities,” Mr Lethlean said.
This is part of a plan to deliver:
– A strong economy with low inflation
– Cheaper energy
– Affordable homes
– Safer communities
– Quality healthcare
– A stronger regional Australia
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said people in the Bendigo region are shocked that there is no immediate relief in the budget for families under cost-of-living pressure.
“Labor’s plan means you get 70 cents less tax a day in 15 months’ time,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Once again, Labor is ignoring the needs of the Bendigo communities. Their plan is not going to help families who are being crippled by high costs of groceries, electricity and higher mortgages and rents right now, and have been experiencing cost of living pressures for three years under the Albanese government.”
Mr Lethlean also said he was committed to ensuring the Bendigo community and its industries have access to affordable and reliable energy they need to stay competitive and keep local jobs
secure.
“Our plan will deliver cheaper, more consistent power by backing a balanced energy mix” Mr Lethlean said.
“The plan includes more gas, renewables and introducing zero-emissions nuclear energy at key locations to replace retired coal plants.”
“A balanced energy mix will have cheaper electricity when it’s needed”.
Mr Lethlean said this energy plan will ensure local businesses can keep their doors open, employ locals, and continue serving the community.
“Labor’s policies have made it very challenging for our regional businesses to stay open. Our plan will simplify Labor’s complex industrial relations laws and will also improve competition policies making dealing with supermarkets fairer for suppliers.”
Mr Lethlean also guaranteed 30 per cent of housing infrastructure funding will be for regional Australia – which includes Bendigo.
“We know so many Bendigo residents have realised the dream of home ownership has slipped out of reach under Labor, with rising rental costs and high mortgages, as well as the limited housing
supply available,” Mr Lethlean said.
“We will unlock up to 500,000 new homes by funding critical infrastructure projects in our regions like water, power and sewerage at development sites.
Mr Lethlean’s plan also offers incentives to stop foreign investors from snapping up existing homes for at least two years and the migration system will be rebalanced to ensure housing supply can
keep up with demand.
“I’ll fight for practical solutions to ease financial pressure and secure a better future for our community,” Mr Lethlean said.
“For too long, our community has been taken for granted. We need to change the government to get Bendigo and Australia back on track.”