Labor has backflipped on several major election promises, dropping them off the Parliamentary Budget Office’s (PBO) list of election commitments in the final week of the campaign.
Under the PBO laws, Chris Minns must cost all policies that are likely to impact the Budget which he proposes to implement if elected.
On 10 March 2023, Chris Minns promised NSW taxpayers that he would comply with the law, saying “any promise that we make in this election campaign is costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office”.
Despite that, a raft of Labor promises were nowhere to be found in the PBO’s full list of costings released on Monday including:
- Setting up the Homes NSW agency
- Opening the Prospect Reservoir for swimming
- Toll sign installations on Sydney roads
- 25 per cent contingency funding for ICAC
- NSW Jobs First Commission
- Setting up a Faith Affairs Council
- South Coast social housing funding
- New high schools in Balmain, Flinders and Pottsville
- New primary schools in Calderwood and West Dapto
- Fast tracking upgrades to Marsden Park High School and Darcy Road Public School
Treasurer Matt Kean said Labor was already breaking promises and cancelling projects before polling day.
“Chris Minns will promise anything to anyone if it thinks it will win him a vote but fails to follow through on his promises just days later,” Mr Kean said.
“The PBO costings of Labor’s election commitments show that Chris Minns has clearly spent this campaign making promises to people he had no intention of keeping.
“Announcing commitments without bothering to have them costed by the independent PBO is reckless financial management and proof that Labor cannot be trusted with the NSW economy.”
