Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Wednesday 6th January 2010

Aird gets it wrong

I’m glad to see the Treasurer now has the confidence to put his head up in public again after one of the worst years in his entire political career.

However, the Treasurer is simply lying when he asserts that we have committed $60 million in roads funding in the past 24 hours. The truth is the Tasmanian Liberals have not committed any funding to Mud Walls Road as yet and our $20 million Building Better Regional Roads Fund, as announced, is fully costed and fully funded.

The Treasurer must immediately explain why he is now making things up in regard to Liberal policies and announcements and should apologise.

Let’s not forget that this is the very same Treasurer who blew his own budget by $339 million in 2008-09 and in the first five months of the current 2009-10 is already $216 million over budget – a total of $555 million in blowouts in just under 18 months. Imagine how many roads could have been fixed or built right around Tasmania if the Treasurer could stick to a budget.