Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor visits Busselton Airport but remains non-committal on election funding promises

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has remained non-committal on the Federal Opposition making an election funding commitment towards Busselton Margaret River Airport, despite making a visit last week. The man who could be in charge of the country’s purse strings after the next Federal election made a stop at the transport hub on Friday, joined by WA senator Slade Brockman and Liberal candidate for Forrest Ben Small. The trio met with Busselton mayor Phill Cronin, chief executive Tony Nottle and other senior council staff at the airport, but stopped short of a financial commitment from the Coalition heading into the upcoming vote, which will need to be called by May. Despite not making a commitment, Mr Small described the airport as a facility which “desperately” needed more investment. “It’s about time that the South West got its fair share of infrastructure funding and that’s what I’m fighting for,” he said. When asked about a potential election promise, Mr Taylor said the opposition was focused on the regions realising their full potential. “I’ve long been a supporter of the full potential of this area, working closely with Nola (Marino) and now with Ben, of course, and we will do everything we can to make sure we support this wonderful part of Australia,” he said. Mr Taylor made a number of other visits around the region as part of his trip, highlighting cost of living and pressures on business costs as a major issue in the region. “We haven’t seen anything like what we’re seeing for a generation,” he said. “We need a government that is treating fighting inflation as its first, second and third priority, but the Treasurer wants to fight everybody and everything except inflation.” Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers was contacted for comment.