Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Sunday 9th May 2010

Which Election Promises Will be Broken and Who Will Really Benefit?

Treasurer Michael Aird must explain if the coming budget will deliver all of the Labor-Green Government's $1.2 billion in election commitments and importantly how they will be paid for.

During the election, Labor made commitments totalling $571 million and the Greens $647 million.

I suspect that Labor will deliver very few of the Greens policies as the budget simply doesn't have the capacity to meet the reckless spending that was promised by Mr McKim and his colleagues throughout the campaign.

For example: " Will the budget include the100 new police as promised by Mr McKim or will the budget deliver only the 30 that were promised by Labor? " How about the massive $40 million investment in solar panels or the feed in tariff which was a central part of the Greens energy strategy? " Or the nearly $60 million promised to the West Coast under the Greens' royalties for regions plan? " Will the Greens demand the $3 million cut to ministerial costs that they promised during the campaign?

And will the budget deliver on the promise by the Greens to increase dividends to $72 million from Forestry Tasmania now that this Government business is expected to run at a loss?

Michael Aird needs to explain to Tasmanians how the budget can withstand the $1.2 billion in combined promises from Labor and the Greens especially when further reckless spending not included throughout the election campaign such as the cosmetic, vanity driven excesses now being proposed to accommodate new seating for the Greens in the House of Assembly.

Unfortunately, I suspect the people who will benefit the most from the Greens deal with Labor will be Mr McKim and Ms O'Connor, as a result of their ministerial pay rises and limousines.