My Government’s first budget will be a foundation for a better and more secure future for NSW.
I understand that people are doing it tough right now with the cost of living rising sharply all over Australia, making it increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet.
NSW faces rampant inflation, rising interest rates and record debt, but we are committed to ensuring that our State is prepared to tackle these challenges.
I recognise that Governments needed to borrow more during the pandemic to keep people safe; however, the former Government fell into a bad habit of wasteful spending and making large spending commitments.
In addition to record debt, the previous Liberal Government had more than $7 billion worth of promises they could not pay.
This includes not funding 1,200 nurses working after June 30 2024, a school repair backlog of $1.2 billion and a funding shortfall of $700 million for children living in and out of home care.
We need to reprioritise spending to fund these critical measures.
Focusing on what people need is helping us to make better choices as we try to balance the budget and plan for the future.
My Government is now making the careful and necessary decisions to address the holes left in the budget by the Liberals and ensure that we fund the essential services that people rely on.
As your State Member of Parliament, I am focused on fixing wait times in our local hospitals, retaining the best teachers in our schools and supporting the people who are struggling to afford the basic costs of living.
In just three months, we have made strong progress towards achieving this.
As of today, more than 12,000 teachers and support staff have already been transferred onto permanent contracts, including 79 accepted offers in the State seat of Kogarah.
On top of this, I recently abolished the wages cap for frontline workers and delivered a 4.5% pay rise for our nurses and midwives.
I want to send a message to the people of Kogarah that this is just the start and I will continue working to deliver for you and your families.
Yours sincerely,
The Hon. Chris Minns MP
Premier of New South Wales
Member for Kogarah
