30-September-2011
Portfolio Media Releases
Friday, 30 September 2011
Interview ABC World Today
Topics: Labor’s record deficits and debt.
E&OE………………………………………………………
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC:
The Opposition's finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, says the Government will never deliver a surplus.
ANDREW ROBB:
What I have been observing is you know every accounting trick in the book is starting to be applied plus if you look at the way in which they're spreading expenditure it's all this side of '12/'13 and the other side of '12/'13.
So they're doing everything possible to manufacture the surplus but despite that I can't see it. I can't see, despite all the spinning and the manufacturing of the sort of mock surplus, I don't think it's going to happen. We never thought it would.
The forecasts have always been Pollyanna forecasts.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC:
If the Government does deliver its proposed surplus and if it does meet its commitment will you then concede its record of economic management has not been as disastrous as the Opposition's been asserting?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well I'm not going to get into speculation. The bottom line is that we've got a debt level, an unprecedented debt level that we're heading towards. It's now $207 billion as of today, gross debt.
It will take us many, many, many years, possibly 10 to 15 years to pay off that debt and that is a legacy and that is something they never talk about.
The thing is that today's budget figures confirm that the Labor Government has brought down the two worst budget deficits by a country mile in Australia's history and is it any wonder that Wayne Swan and Penny Wong have released these numbers on the eve of the Grand Finals?
If I was him I'd be deeply embarrassed also and I'd be trying to bury these numbers amongst a weekend of football finals.
PETER CAVE:
The first of what may be several references to football finals in today's program. The Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb ending that report by Stephen Dziedzic.
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