New data from the Mission Australia Youth Survey Report 2025 has highlighted the growing toll the cost-of-living crisis is taking on young Victorians and their families.

The survey, which gathered responses from almost 4,500 Victorians aged 14 to 19, found cost of living is now the most important issue facing young people. Concern has surged to 64 per cent, more than double the 31 per cent recorded in 2023, demonstrating the rapid escalation of financial stress being felt across households.

The findings show young people are acutely aware of the pressures facing their families, from struggling to pay everyday bills to juggling rising food, electricity and housing costs.

Many are witnessing parents under strain, working longer hours while trying to manage childcare, school commitments and household budgets.

The Nationals’ State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said the results should be a wake-up call.

“It is unusual for our younger generation to have cost of living at the top of their issues list, but the reality is young people are seeing first-hand how tough it has become for their parents just to keep their heads above water,” Mr Bull said.

“This is no doubt a direct result of the myriad of new taxes we have in Victoria that do not exist in other states – as our government struggles to pay the massive debt it has racked up (heading towards $192 billion with interest repayments alone of $28m per day).

“Working families are being stretched from every direction, with rising bills, unaffordable childcare and workloads that leave parents exhausted and stressed.”

Mr Bull said the outlook for young people was particularly concerning given stagnant wages and persistently high housing costs.

“This generation is being handed the bill for Labor’s reckless financial mismanagement, which has racked up billions in state debt and expects young Victorians to pay it back,” he said.

“That is an unfair burden to place on young people who are already anxious about their future.”

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

The Allan Labor Government is cutting the ‘Complexity Allowance’ for P-12 schools that will impact schools like Orbost, Cann River and Mallacoota and Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, wants it reversed.

“I have had correspondence from one of the local schools stating this cut will decrease the capacity to offer the same breadth of VCE studies and reduce classroom support for individual students.

“In a period when we are working to close the gap in educational outcomes between the city and country, we have decisions like this being made when they should be getting more support,” he said.

The P–12 Complexity Allowance, part of the Student Resource Package (SRP), provides additional funding to schools that combine primary and secondary education, recognising the unique administrative and operational challenges of a P–12 setting.

This funding has been critical for schools across the Gippsland East electorate.

“The recent SRP changes, which phases out the P-12 complexity allowance over several years, will have significant and long-lasting impacts,” said Mr Bull.

“Once these cuts are fully implemented, schools will face reduced VCE subject offerings, limiting pathways for senior students, and fewer VET and applied learning opportunities, which are essential for local employment readiness.

“In addition, this funding has allowed schools to provide tailored academic and wellbeing programs, including literacy and numeracy intervention, mentoring, and social and emotional support.

“Schools in our electorate already struggle to attract and retain high-quality staff, and these cuts will only make matters worse. Despite using their existing resources efficiently and achieving excellent results, our schools are being unfairly penalised by the Allan Labor Government.

“Labor cannot manage education, and regional Victorian students are paying the price.”

CFriday, 23 January 2026 

The shocking state of Victoria’s roads is clear on the Monaro Highway. In the 42 kilometres between Bombala and the Victorian border in NSW, there is just one traffic hazard warning sign. But in the 42 kilometres between the border and Cann River in Victoria, there are 37.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said the statistic speaks for itself.

“The irony in this is the Victorian State Government has resealed just one kilometre at the border to the same standard as the full 42 km in NSW, but then left around 20 km of the Monaro Highway in complete disrepair,” Mr Bull said.

“You would have thought while they had all that machinery up there, they’d have fixed a much longer stretch, but that is what you get when you have a government that cannot manage money.”

Mr Bull added he’d continually raised the condition of the Monaro Highway (along with many other roads) with the government, but the response he had received was self-congratulatory around the one kilometre of work that had been done with no commitment to fix the rest.

“Talk about not being able to read the room or understand the problem,” he said.

“We have a Minister who gloats about how many potholes have been filled. I reckon some of these have been filled at least half a dozen times, but with some decent rain and traffic they are potholes again days later.

“You get to a stage where the road needs to be fixed properly and we have well and truly reached this point, but with roads budgets having been decimated in recent years the outcome is a roads network in complete disrepair.”

Mr Bull said a number of drivers had reported wheel rim damage to their cars and unless some real attention was given to the road it was a matter of time before it cost lives.

Monday, 19 January 2026

The announcement today of the closure of the longstanding Swift’s Creek mill is disappointing news for employees and the local community.
The Pentarch Group announcement that it is relocating its operations to Yarram and closer to its wood sources, ends a timber industry presence in the town that has lasted generations.
I am advised that the approximately 14 employees have been offered expressions of interest to work at the new site, but the initial feedback I have received is that almost all will remain in the Swift’s Creek area.
I am monitoring the situation closely and seeking further details on behalf of affected employees in required and provide any assistance I can to those impacted and to the wider community.
This is a resilient community and I will work with it on future opportunities.
Tim Bull
State Member Gippsland East

Friday, 16 January 2026

The Victorian Labor Government’s push to move services exclusively online is unfairly disadvantaging seniors and other vulnerable Victorians, according to the State Member for Gippsland East and Shadow Minister for Disability, Ageing, Carers and Volunteers who raised the matter in the Victorian Parliament.

As government departments increasingly remove in person services, paper forms and alternative payment options, many older Victorians are being left unable to access rebates, licences and concessions they are entitled to.

“In a world where everything is being pushed online, the Government has forgotten that not everyone can safely or confidently operate in the digital space,” Mr Bull said.

“For many seniors, this is not a matter of convenience. It is a complete barrier to accessing essential services and support.”

Examples include the Victorian Government’s Power Saving Bonus, which requires eligible pensioners, veterans and health care card holders to apply online or miss out entirely.

Victorian Seniors Cards applications, CFA Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund tax exemptions, the Victorian Veterans Card and Game Management Authority licence testing all require online access and, in some cases, a personal email address.

“If you do not have a computer, reliable internet or an email address, the Government’s message is simple. Bad luck. You miss out,” Mr Bull said.

“This is digital discrimination, plain and simple.”

The push online is also placing seniors at greater risk of fraud. National data consistently shows older Australians are among the most financially impacted by scams, with people aged over 55 accounting for a disproportionate share of reported losses and being significantly more likely to lose money once targeted.

“We know seniors are more vulnerable to online scams and fraud, yet Labor continues to force them onto platforms they do not trust or understand,” Mr Bull said.

“This Government must stop designing services only for the tech savvy and restore safe, accessible, non-digital alternatives for those who need them.”

The Shadow Minister has called on the Labor Government to reinstate in person and paper-based alternatives across essential services to ensure no Victorian is disadvantaged.

Monday, 12 January 2026

Passengers on the Bairnsdale V/Line are being forced to stand for the entire four-hour journey to Melbourne due to overcrowded trains. The new VLocity three car sets have less capacity than the decommissioned Red Rattler, leaving commuters packed into concerningly overfull services.

The Nationals’ MP for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, slammed the Allan Labor Government for pushing ahead with free weekend travel over summer without adding a single extra train or carriage to address the already existing overcrowded services.

“People are already standing for up to four hours on our long-haul service. That is simply not safe, and it is definitely not good enough,” Mr Bull said.

“Crowded public transport in the city may be fine for a short hop, but it is certainly not acceptable for a four-hour V/Line journey.”

In Parliament, Mr Bull asked the Public Transport Minister, Gabrielle Williams, whether additional rolling stock had been ordered to handle the anticipated surge in travellers this summer. The Minister didn’t answer.

“That tells you everything. No extra trains, no plan, no concern for regional passengers. This policy will make congestion dangerously worse,” Mr Bull said.

“How can free travel be promoted if passengers are forced to stand for four hours? It’s uncomfortable, unsafe, and shows zero regard for regional travellers.”

Mr Bull said the Labor Government must urgently explain how it will prevent overcrowding and guarantee safe capacity on the Bairnsdale line during the busy holiday period.

“Regional Victorians deserve better than standing in packed trains. Planning should come first. Headline-grabbing announcements should not put passenger lives at risk.”

Caption: Gippsland East State MP, Tim Bull, is concerned V/Line’s free summer travel will worsen congestion on Bairnsdale train services, raising serious safety risks for passengers.

Monday, 29 December 2025