The budget will be handed down on Monday, May 27, after the federal election on May 18.
It will be debated and passed before the end of the financial year.
‘‘This is a cover up by an arrogant premier who is using the Victorian Parliament to electioneer for his Labor mates in Canberra,’’ he said.
‘‘What doesn’t the Labor Government want regional Victorians to know?
‘‘Is it that Daniel Andrews plans to make further cuts to spending on regional roads and infrastructure and will continue to ignore desperately-needed upgrades to hospitals and schools in Regional Victoria?
‘‘Or that Labor will go ahead with its plans to axe the Regional Development Fund which has invested $1 billion into country communities?’’
Mr Walsh claimed Daniel Andrews was treating the Victorian Parliament like a ‘‘campaign tool for the Labor Party’’.
‘‘It’s yet another example of Daniel Andrews putting his Labor politics ahead of people,’’ he said.
‘‘The Premier’s thinly-veiled delay tactic leaves serious questions on whether our state is in such a bad financial position that Daniel Andrews has kept it from Victorians because he thinks it will harm Bill Shorten’s campaign.’’
However a state government spokeswoman said until they knew who they were dealing with in Canberra, it would be ‘‘irresponsible’’ to finalise the budget before the federal election.
‘‘Only one side is currently putting forward a real partnership with Victoria,’’ she said.
‘‘Federal Labor is promising to partner with our state to roll out three-year old kinder, put more funding into our schools and hospitals, build the Suburban Rail Loop and properly fund the NDIS.
‘‘In stark contrast, the Liberals are short-changing Victoria when it comes to infrastructure, clawing back money from our hospitals, not funding our schools fairly, and hoarding money from the NDIS to prop up their bottom line.’’
The Parliament will still sit as scheduled on April 30.
