Opened the debate
McCormack argued that the government had broken numerous promises, particularly regarding the Inland Rail project, which was reduced from a Melbourne-to-Brisbane corridor to a Melbourne-to-Parkes line. McCormack claimed this decision caused significant distress to businesses and communities that had invested in the project's completion. McCormack also criticised the government's handling of housing targets, energy relief, and private health insurance rebates for pensioners, asserting that the budget would fail to provide necessary relief to regional Australians. McCormack attributed the Inland Rail delays to a past error in engaging the Australian Rail Track Corporation rather than the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union.