Mr Abbott told 5AAs Leon Byner this morning:
HOST: But Joe Hockey says that you will get into surplus in your first year. You seem to be agreeing with Andrew Robb that you cant tell when.
ABBOTT: Well what Im saying is that we will get back to surplus as quickly as possible.
5AA 8 FEBRUARY 2012
Tony Abbott joins the Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, Shadow Finance Minister Andrew Robb, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Manager of Opposition Business in the House Christopher Pyne who over the past few days have all walked away from returning the budget to surplus.Its clear that the $70 billion black hole in the Liberals budget books announced by Joe Hockey on live television means that the Opposition Leader cannot commit to a surplus.
Tony Abbott says he wants to be judged on his economic credentials. Here they are:
- His so-called election auditors got done for professional misconduct for their work on the Liberals costings in 2010.
- His Treasury and Finance spokesmen both publicly admitted a $70 billion black hole in their budget.
- He voted against tax breaks for 2.7 million Australian small businesses, preferring to give a tax break to big miners.
- He willclaw back the tax cuts and pension increases Labor is delivering this year, and replace them with the prospect of a tax cut in the first term of a Coalition government.
- He will jack up the company tax rate to pay for his paid parental leave scheme.
- He was part of a government that saw ten consecutive interest rate rises in a row, including six after John Howard promised to keep interest rates low.
- He was part of a government under which high interest rates saw Australian families paying $3,000 a year more ona $300,000 loan than they were under Labor. Australian families are paying a total of about half a billion dollars less in interest a month than they were under the Liberals.
The economic credentials of the Opposition are in tatters. Australians should be very concerned about the economic circus that sits on the Coalition front bench.
Unlike the Liberals, the Government is determined to deliver a surplus and weve set out our plan for how we will deliver it in 2012-13.
TONY ABBOTT:
HOST: But Joe Hockey says that you will get into surplus in your first year. You seem to be agreeing with Andrew Robb that you cant tell when.
ABBOTT: Well what Im saying is that we will get back to surplus as quickly as possible.
5AA 8 FEBRUARY 2012
ANDREW ROBB:LYNDAL CURTIS: With all that then could you see a Coalition government in a first term delivering a surplus?
ROBB: Well it just depends. As I say there's so much uncertainty around the numbers.
ABC 24 CAPITAL HILL 6 FEBRUARY 2012
JOE HOCKEY:
HOCKEY: We will do it as soon as possible. Youve got to be measured on this.
SKY - 7 FEBRUARY 2012
Christopher Pyne:HOST: Well hes reiterated that again today, despite the softness in the global
economy, thats something the Coalition hasnt been willing to do.
PYNE: The Governments numbers change every six months, Kieran. MYEFO changed last year, well see how the numbers change in this years budget. The numbers change every six months at least from this Government. Theyre utterly unreliable and all that Andrew Robb has said is that when we get into power, and hopefully we will, and we can see what the books are, then we can be in a better position to say when our first surplus will be delivered.
PYNE SKY AM AGENDA 7 FEBRUARY 2012
JULIE BISHOP:HOST: Well Labors going to deliver one this year?
BISHOP: Well before the Coalition is called to account for surplus, the Government has to deliver a surplus. And we know theres a smoke and mirrors exercise under way. But lets see what the real figures are in this years budget and next years budget.
BISHOP ABC RN 7 FEBRUARY 2012
