Retiring Indi MP Cathy McGowan took to Twitter over Easter to point out that promises of $10 million for Baranduda Fields, $15 million for mental health services at Wodonga hospital and $3 million for a Mansfield sports stadium had not been confirmed in the 2019-20 budget.

The Coalition has claimed the money is there.

"Need to check your facts @Indigocathy - all 3 of those projects are fully funded in the Budget mate," the Liberal Party's Jacob Mildren tweeted in reply.

Ms McGowan replied that "the fact is that the budget measures were not passed either by HoR or Senate. Consequently they are dependent on NLP win".

While some parts of the 2019-20 budget were passed before the election was called, the majority still has to be debated by the newly-elected Parliament.

"If the government are going to do this, then they should make it really clear that its provisional on the government being returned and their budget getting through. It hasn't been clear ... there's a lot of confusion around that," she told The Border Mail.

"I really like good governance, which is everything being transparent and things are based on need, rather than used for political purposes."

Ms McGowan continued the argument, saying "the fact is that the budget measures were not passed either by HoR or Senate. Consequently they are dependent on NLP win".

The Coalition's funding announcement tactics were also noticed by Labor's Indi candidate Eric Kerr who, in response to comments that only a brave Labor government would retract the funding, said "it would be an even braver Liberal government to place it as a line item in the budget".

The issue was also flagged by independent Farrer candidate Kevin Mack, who told The Border Mail after the budget was handed down that funds for the generic "strategic highways" was another way of saying "we'll decide where the money goes".

Ms McGowan also hit out at Senator Bridget McKenzie's claim that the Indi MP never raised the issue of funding Baranduda Fields with her.

"This is simply not true," she said.

"The Baranduda Fields project was included in the Indi 2019 budget letter to the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

"The Indi priorities were identified by the twice-yearly roundtable discussions with Indi mayors and CEOs.

"At the October roundtable, attended by Cr Anna Speedie and CEO Patience Harrington, I also asked councils to send copies of their Building Better Regions Fund applications to government senators Jane Hume and Bridget McKenzie to ensure they were informed."

The election battle moved into health over the weekend when the Coalition announced $100 million for clinic trials in rural areas.

The Rural and Regional Clinical Trials Infrastructure Program would fund equipment in rural hospitals that could give advanced treatment options to patients without them having to travel to capital cities.

But the locations for the equipment have not been determined - if the Coalition wins the election it will hold a competitive grant process later in the year.

Senator McKenzie said it was "only fair" that people from rural areas had the same access to health care.

"For too long, those Australians living in the regions have been forced to put up with less than adequate access to high quality services," she said.

"I am extremely proud that our government has taken on this challenge to improve regional and rural health services across Australia."

Indi independent candidate Helen Haines welcomed the announcement, but said it was "patchwork policy" and "too little, too late".

"This is an ad-hoc response in the heat of an election campaign when what we really need is a long-term, national rural health plan," she said. "Rural health policy should be driven through a dedicated rural health portfolio.

"We had such a portfolio, but it was axed by this government when they dumped Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister last year."

Dr Haines - who said she was speaking as a former nurse, midwife and director of the University of Melbourne Rural Health Academic Network - called for a nationally coordinated strategy that addressed rural health issues.

"On too many issues the impact of policy on rural and regional communities comes as afterthought," she said.

Nationals candidate Mark Byatt supported the funding.

"The National Party is so focused on the regions and improving every component of the regions, including our health services and our health access," he said.

"I look forward to going into an election where the focus continues to be on the regions and in particular those key critical services like health services."

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