Ashton Hurn’s Liberals continue to rack up new spending commitments, averaging more than $32 million a day in new spending demands since the March state election.
Mrs Hurn today criticised what she called government overspending, including funding for responses to events such as the algal bloom and needs-based costs for hospital ED presentations.
But her own party shows none of the restraint she preaches when it comes to big-spending demands.
After taking to the March election with almost $6 billion in new spending commitments, the Liberals have since demanded additional spending totalling $2.8 billion – the equivalent of more than $32 million a day since late March.
Their demands include:
- $1.2 billion to duplicate the Sturt Highway
- $520 million to extend a stamp duty exemption for First Home Buyers to existing homes
- $350 million towards a $605 million Barossa Hospital in the Leader of the Opposition’s electorate
- $200m to raise the payroll tax-free threshold from $1.5 million to $2.1 million
- $173m in incentives for midwives, nurses and GPs
- $100m for an additional fuel response
- $80m for a payroll tax exemption for apprentices and trainees
- $45.2 million for radiation therapy services in the Limestone Coast
- $42 million for flashing orange lights at all new school zones
- $38m in free flu vaccinations
- $30m to provide free public transport for three months
- $16.5 million for a Doppler weather radar
- $12 million for the Port Lincoln Marina upgrade
- $3 million towards a Cummins Police Station
- $3m for an algal bloom royal commission
- $1.5 million for a pedestrian crossing at Dulwich Village
Mrs Hurn also preaches less bureaucracy but now proposes additional red tape in providing budget updates to parliament every few weeks – the fact is, fiscal reporting is already robust and transparent and major ratings agencies have praised the Malinauskas Government’s fiscal discipline.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
The Liberals have no credibility on economic management – they promised surpluses in government and never delivered a single one, while Labor has delivered budget surpluses every year since taking office.
The Liberals went to the election with $6 billion in spending commitments, and they’ve since demanded a further $2.8 billion in new spending – that’s more than $32 million a day.
The fact is, our budgeting is transparent and accountable, with the major ratings agencies all referencing Labor’s disciplined fiscal management and manageable spending levels.
The fact is, ‘Splash Cash’ Ashton’s so-called plan to make ministers accountable to parliament for their department spending already exists – it is called budget estimates and will be commencing this week.
