Candidates for Calare Kate Hook and Kay Nankervis unimpressed with Frydenberg's Budget

Greens candidate Kay Nankervis and Independent Kate Hook agreed with the general sentiment Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's budget was set with the up-coming election in mind and offered little in the area of addressing climate change and the cost of living.

Not surprisingly, Ms Nankervis was on the front foot after Frydenberg allocated $480 million to climate change, an amount she described as "measly", adding she found it odd he separated it from the problems of drought, fire and flood.

"What really disappointed me was how little was actually ear-marked specifically for the two words 'environment' and 'climate', words I think only turned up once each in Josh Frydenberg's budget speech," Ms Nankervis said.

"There were tens of millions spent on vote buying, everyone expected it, a little bit of necessary economic realignment like cutting the excise fuel tax, I can understand that to keep inflation down.

"[But] He seemed to bury climate and environment and it is the most pressing problem of our times and he separated it from the problems of drought, flood and fire."

Ms Hook said while she agreed the 22c cut to the the fuel excise was as a way to help with the cost of living, she believed there was also an opportunity there to push towards renewables.

"Relief for people struggling with the cost of living is welcome because of where we're at right now, but I recognise there should have been long-term strategic support for things like electric vehicle uptake and charging infrastructure," Ms Hook said.

"Had that been done, people would be less vulnerable to price shocks like this."

Ms Nankervis also took aim at the Frydenberg plan to get first-home buyers with a lower deposit scheme and the First Home Super Saver Scheme.

"All that's going to do is inflate the prices of houses again, it doesn't offer any real help to the people the money's going to because they may get a grant, and have an easy access to mortgage but as a result of those particular approaches, house prices are going to be higher anyway," she said.

"It's a nil effect and it doesn't work and it's going to add further to the inflation that's around the corner."

Ms Hook said while the $250 one-off payment to welfare recipients and $420 tax offset for lower and middle income earners would provide relief, it wouldn't address the ongoing increases in the cost of living.

"We need to address the problems that are leaving families and too many people behind, especially in our region. We need to look at childcare costs that are prohibiting many women from working, we need to look at energy costs. We have people living in housing commission flats in Glenroi in Orange with $4000 energy bills," she said.

"In Calare, where we have abundant wind and solar, this makes no sense. We could be helping them with rebates for renewable energy and solar and by changing the building code to demand more passive solar design and energy efficiency."

Ms Hook also pointed out that despite a firm election commitment to establish a Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption, there is no provision in this Budget to fund its establishment.

"Once again, the Morrison-Joyce Government has dodged funding a robust integrity process through a federal ICAC. The Auditor General's report revealed this Government's rorts and misuse of tax payer funding establishes a whole new level of pork barrelling," she said.

United Australia Party candidate Adam Jannis said the government seemed to be "kicking the can down the road" and agreed the budget was a re-election pitch.

He said the nation's enormous debt would have to be dealt with at some point but there is "no real initiative to change direction".

"At some point, difficult decisions will need to be made, but they [the government] are not prepared to do that at this point," he said.

OneNation's Stacey Whittaker was contacted for comment but had not returned calls at publication.

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