NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro have been caught out today re-announcing a $100 million fund for forestry, showgrounds and country courthouses as new stimulus money – trying to trick rural and regional communities. They were already announced in March.
This morning (April 16 at 8am), Mr Barilaro pretended to announce a new $100 million fund for regional communities to stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 crisis – but all of it had already been announcement in the first stimulus package earlier this year.
NSW Labor said it was disgusted by Mr Barilaro who stood next to the Premier at the COVID-19 morning briefing at NSW Health and pretended to announce new support.
NSW Labor also called on Mr Barilaro to apologise to rural and regional communities for his “con job”.
NSW Shadow Treasurer Walt Secord said the community wanted real support rather than re-announcements of forestry, showgrounds, Aboriginal housing, regional hospitals and courthouse funds.
Mr Secord described as the whole exercise as a “mean-spirited trick”.
“Put simply, today’s announcement was a real dog act by Mr Barilaro. He stood their proudly claiming that he was providing new support but it was a re-announcement.”
NSW Shadow Minister for Natural Resources, Mr Paul Scully said he was disgusted by the Deputy Premier.
“The Deputy Premier crowed about these funds for the forestry industry a month ago and today he’s back at it, trying to pass it off as something new.
“He should know that you can’t pull the wool over the eyes of people in timber-dependent communities and rural and regional NSW that easily – they will see right through this. They expect genuine support, not blatant lies.”
