Coalition policy announcements for the 2019 federal election.
The following provides more detail on selected election promises.
The Coalition will lift the Medicare rebate freeze by July 1, 2019, matching the ALP's promise. This would end the hold on increasing payments to GPs and medical specialists, which haven't been raised since 2013.
The Coalition has promised $453 million to guarantee another year's funding of preschool for four-year-olds.
The Coalition has promised a $4.6 billion package for Catholic and independent schools, on top of the $23.5 billion committed to schools over ten years by the Turnbull government, under Gonski 2.0 in 2017. There will be $3.2 billion from 2020 to 2029 for the proposed transition to the new measure for assessing a school’s funding entitlement based on parental income.
The Coalition has pledged a $525 million skills package to fund up to 80,000 apprenticeships and assist the vocational education and training sector.
The Coalition will commit $1.38 billion in an equity investment for Snowy 2.0, which would support Snowy Hydro Limited's plans to expand generation capacity and storage at the Snowy Dam. The Coalition claims Snowy 2.0 will increase generation capacity by 2,000 megawatts and provide 175 hours of energy storage.
The Coalition has promised $2 billion ($50m to 2023) for a fast rail from Melbourne to Geelong, which would cut travel time to about 32 minutes.
The Coalition will provide a total of $7.1 billion for infrastructure projects in Western Sydney. $3.6 billion will go to the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan for road and transport connections to the new airport at Badgerys Creek. $3.5 billion (including $900 million to 2023) will go to the north-south rail link, a new train line from St Marys to the Badgerys Creek airport.
The Coalition will provide a total of $6.7 billion towards programs to upgrade regional road corridors and new road safety packages. Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) program will receive $4.5 billion to upgrade regional road corridors, and $2.2 billion will be allocated for new road safety packages, including $800 million over next four years for programs like Black Spot Program, Roads to Recovery, and Bridges Renewal.
The Coalition will provide $1.6 billion over the next four years (for a projected total of $4 billion) to the Urban Congestion Fund, which aims to reduce congestion in urban areas.
The Coalition have committed $9.3 billion to Inland Rail Project, a 1,700km freight rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane.
The Coalition will provide $4 billion in funding for Melbourne's East West Link. The project will connect Eastern Freeway to Citylink in Parkville via a road tunnel. The Andrews government scrapped the project after the 2014 state election.
The Coalition will provide $1.75 billion in funding to Northeast Link Melbourne, which will connect the M80 with an upgraded Eastern Freeway. Labor have committed $2 billion to the project.
The Coalition plan to continue the current rollout of the $50 billion network.
The Coalition will provide first home buyers, who have saved at least a 5% deposit, a guarantee to help them bridge the deposit gap for their first home loan. The plan, which would start on January 1, would be directed to first home buyers earning up to A$125,000 a year, or $200,000 for couples. Labor immediately matched the initiative.
The Coalition have committed to introducing criminal sanctions for employers who seriously exploit workers, as well as a national registry scheme to crack down on unscrupulous labour hire firms.
The Morrison government has maintained its predecessors' opposition to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, referring to it as a 'third chamber of parliament'. Despite this, the Coalition has included $7.3 million in this year's budget to determine a model for an Indigenous Voice to then be put to the public in a referendum.