On ABCs Lateline last night, Mr Abbotts finance spokesperson, Andrew Robb, said:
ALBERICI: Where would you get it to? What sort of a surplus figure would you be looking for?
ROBB: You cannot believe what's in this budget. We'll be looking at 1 per cent of GDP as a target surplus that we could and should deliver. We were able to do it ...
...
ALBERICI: So you would be looking for a surplus of around $15 billion?
ROBB: We 1 per cent of whatever GDP is at the time, that is the target that we would - we were able to deliver it during the Howard years and more.
(ROBB LATELINE 8 MAY 2012)
But the Coalition has yet to show how theyll get back to surplus, let alone how theyd deliver a $15 billion surplus.The only proposal Joe Hockey put forward last night was to cut public servants.
In fact, a $15 billion surplus would require severe cuts to health and education. In fact, it equates to abolishing Medicare.
Whats more, this would be on top of the $70 billion in cuts to services Tony Abbott has already admitted hed have to make to balance his budget.
The Gillard Government has laid out its plans to return the budget to surplus in 2012-13.
We have made responsible decisions to spread the benefits of the boom and ensure a fair go for all Australians.
In contrast, we have the Opposition saying no to the Schoolkids Bonus which will help Australian families pay for the costs of education their children, and no to responsible savings measures that will bring the budget back to surplus.
Every savings measure that Mr Abbott blocks puts a hole in the surplus; a surplus he says he wants.
Tomorrow night, Tony Abbott must come clean with Australians about the cuts hes planning to meet his new surplus pledge.
