Peter O’Neil says 2026 budget is not people focused

Former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says the 2026 National Budget is not people focused.

O'Neill says the 2026 National Budget is not a national plan but a carefully designed money plan to support the ruling Government to the 2027 national elections.

The Ialibu Pangia MP made these remark after a short assessment of the budget presented by Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey yesterday.

O'Neill believes the budget's purpose is to suck public funds for political ambitions with little spent on infrastructure and services like medicine.

The former Prime Minister says the 2026 Budget is recklessly optimistic on revenues and shamefully dependent on massive debt and foreign handouts.

O'Neill added that in the last six years this government has budgeted big and failed to improve lives of people.

"The true test is the life of the average citizen: Our country is more violent, our people cannot access essential medicines, and life is tougher for the majority than it was in 2018.

"I implore this government to immediately refocus the 2026 Budget on our people. After six years of lost opportunity and devastating decline, they deserve real attention and real action", Mr O'Neil said.

MP O'Neill highlighted that UN statistics indicates poor performance in basic areas of health, education and opportunities for people to help grow the economy.

The Ialibu Pangia MP says 6 years of record budgets has never delivered tangible outcomes

The former Prime Minister called on the Marape-Rosso Government to immediately refocus the 2026 Budget on people and address the social and economic pressures felt by citizens.