Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Tuesday 22nd June 2010

Aird Desperately Trying to Rewrite His Own Budget Papers

The only thing that Michael Aird has got right today are the page numbers in the Budget containing his errors.

Firstly Michael Aird points us to page 7.15 to explain that he has overseen no reduction in funding to the Royal.

This page shows that the forward estimates now only include $10 million in funding in 2010-11 for the Royal - a 41% cut from last year's budget which had $17 million ear-marked for investment in the Royal in 2010-11. The 2009-10 Budget showed a total allocation of $64 million between 2010-11 and 2012-13. However, this year that drops to just $47.5 million over the same period, a reduction of more than 25%.

The funding cut to the Royal capital program is there for all to see. Mr Aird is either blind or doesn't understand his own budget papers.

Regarding Land Tax, unfortunately Mr Aird once again only has the page number correct.

In December 2009, Mr Aird announced the policy would cost $28.1 million based on the Land Tax receipt figures available at the time.

However, estimated Land Tax receipts are rising and are now expected to increase by $14.8 million, $13.6 million and $15.4 million over the three years between 2010-11 and 2012-13 respectively. Yet, Mr Aird still wants us to believe that the policy cost remains a flat $28.1 million, the same as it was before the increase in receipts.

Either Mr Aird has deliberately understated the policy cost, or he is fiddling with the Land Tax receipts to hide the true cost of the policy. There is simply no other explanation.

If Land Tax receipts increase then so will the policy cost. Michael Aird knows this and he must explain what the true cost is.