Cheaper beer and petrol, discounts to student loans and nationalising Rex Airlines are on the table as Nationals members tussle out a path forward.
Leader David Littleproud will fire up party faithful by spruiking the Nationals as agenda setters from opposition, saying it was their policies that led the federal debate from the voice campaign to nuclear energy to vaping reform.
While specific policies won’t be announced at Saturday’s federal council meeting in Canberra, Mr Littleproud and senior party members will “lean into making it easier for people during a cost-of-living crisis”.
“Particularly around childcare and regional health, people can’t fight the cost of living if they can’t get back to work,” Mr Littleproud told AAP ahead of the conference.
“In our part, it’s getting a place in childcare, not so much the affordability of it.”
The usually chaotic Nationals conferences allow anyone to move a motion and bring on debate if seconded before a popular vote is taken.
The federal party is not bound by any passed motions.
The primary focus is on tackling the cost of living and scrapping red tape for farmers.
The regional party is spearheading the fight against Labor phasing out the live sheep export trade, with the coalition pledging to overturn the legislated ban if they take office.
The council will also consider motions relating to tax concessions for businesses that provide childcare for their employees, creating a pathway for veterans to train to become teachers in schools facing shortages and student loan discounts.
The latter includes a 30 per cent discount for students older than 25 and parents on family tax benefits.
There will also be a push to have a 20 per cent discount on lump sum payments to student debt.
Ways to bring down flight prices and increase airline competition will be explored, including through a push to nationalise Rex Airlines and offer tax breaks and incentives for new airlines entering the market.
Other members will move to halve the fuel excise and scrap its indexation to make petrol cheaper.
Some want negative gearing capped at three properties, while others are pushing for the removal of “inequitable and cumbersome taxing regimes on small and micro-breweries and distillers”.
Making political donations from unions and public super funds illegal, as well as reintroducing the definition of sex to be man and woman and removing “gender identity” from the Sex Discrimination Act, will also be discussed.
