Mao Li/Pexels Since at least the early 1990s, much of regional Australia has felt overlooked by the rest of the country. Our regions have seen themselves as disadvantaged compared to other parts of the nation, ignored when new policies are being developed and unable to access services that match the quality available in the big cities. That sense of neglect has helped drive the rise of One Nation specifically and populist politics more generally. So, what has the 2026 federal budget delivered