NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane delivered her first official budget reply in parliament on June 25, 2026 [1].
The address marks a strategic challenge to the Minns Government’s fiscal strategy, positioning a pro-business platform as the primary alternative for the state's economic management.
Sloane proposed a series of tax reforms designed to stimulate investment and lower costs for employers. Central to this agenda is a promise to provide NSW businesses with the lowest payroll tax rate in the country [2]. Additionally, she said she would abolish tax creep and implement a tax freeze on new homes to address housing affordability [4].
Beyond taxation, the opposition leader called for a comprehensive overhaul of the state's energy policy and the metro system [3]. These infrastructure and utility changes are intended to modernize the state's grid, and transit networks to better support commercial growth.
During the proceedings at Parliament House in Sydney, Sloane said that this would be her last budget reply [1]. This statement suggests a potential shift in leadership or a planned transition in the opposition's parliamentary strategy.
By focusing on the lowest possible payroll tax, Sloane is attempting to attract business investment away from other Australian states [2]. The combination of energy reform and housing tax freezes aims to tackle the cost-of-living crisis from a supply-side perspective [3], [4].
“Sloane promises NSW businesses the country's lowest payroll tax rate.”
Sloane's budget reply signals a shift toward aggressive supply-side economics in New South Wales. By targeting payroll tax and new home taxes, the opposition is attempting to pivot the political conversation toward business competitiveness and housing supply. The announcement that this is her final budget reply creates immediate political uncertainty regarding the future leadership of the NSW opposition.
