Wed, 14th May 2008

High taxing, high spending, high unemployment Budget is bad news for families

The Hon Tony Abbott MHR
Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and the Voluntary Sector

High taxing, high spending, high unemployment Budget is bad news for Australian families

Labor’s dishonest spending cuts and class envy tax increases have betrayed the expectations of Australian families.

Labor gave clear pre-election commitments to keep the Baby Bonus, to maintain the Medicare Surcharge Levy and to strengthen the Childcare Benefit.

Why didn’t Kevin Rudd come clean with people before the election about his plan to means test the Baby Bonus and pay it to everyone in instalments? Doesn’t he trust working families to manage their money? The Baby Bonus is not welfare. It’s recognition of mothers’ contribution to the country. It’s not paid because mothers need it but because they deserve it.

Why wasn’t Mr Rudd upfront pre-election that he wanted to save money on the private health insurance rebate by encouraging people to rely on over-crowded public hospitals?

Why wasn’t he honest about his plan to means test the Childcare Benefit?

Many families earning $110,000 a year (or even $150,000) can’t possibly be described as rich and didn’t deserve to be conned.

Labor said the alcopop tax would reduce binge drinking. In fact, the Budget Papers forecast alcopop consumption to rise by up to 9.3 per cent a year.

Labor said it this is a Budget for working families. In fact, employment is forecast to fall by 134,000 in the coming year.

Thanks to Opposition pressure, at least carers’ bonuses have survived the Finance Department razor gang...but only for one year.

All that was new in the budget was the surplus figure.

In this respect, Wayne Swan made the announcement but Peter Costello did the work.