LABOR'S PENSIONS PROMISE A DUD
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock MP stated that the softening up process by the Rudd Labor government to drastically reduce road funding around Australia that has begun is of concern.
“Labor is using incomplete and old statistics in an attempt to downplay Coalition funding commitments for land transport, which were at record highs for some years before the last election,” Mr Ruddock said.
“With less than two months to go before the May Budget, it now appears likely that Labor will halve the Coalition’s AusLink commitments of $31 billion between now and 2013.
“This will mean Labor will spend more than $15 billion less than the Coalition had planned between 2007 and 2013.”
In last year’s Budget, the Coalition detailed infrastructure spending of $22.3 billion from next year until 2013. An extra $7.3 billion was announced before the election – and all these promises were independently costed by Treasury.
Projects around Australia will be hit – no road will be safe from Labor’s razor gang.
“To make matters worse, Labor’s new infrastructure Australia body will not even produce a list of priority projects until March 2009 at the earliest.
“We should not be deceived – Labor is going to savage transport funding in Australia in the May Budget, and stop the significant progress made by the Coalition over the previous 11 years,” Philip Ruddock said.