Greens’ spokesperson for dental health, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that Tony Abbott’s aspirations for Denticare are toothless.
“Tony Abbott wants credit for the Greens’ Denticare plan but his magic pudding can’t deliver,” said Senator Di Natale.
“His magic pudding budget would be the death of Denticare, which means more decay, more infection and more tooth extractions for desperate Australians who can’t afford to see a dentist.
“You don’t have to drill too deep to see a gaping cavity in Tony Abbott’s economic credibility.
“Tony Abbott expects us to believe that he will repeal the carbon tax and the mining tax, deliver further tax cuts, somehow maintain the fiscal aim of a consistent $10 - 15 billion surplus as well as deliver Denticare.”
The Coalition announced $50 billion in spending cuts before the 2010 election over four years but Treasury and Finance have said that $10 billion is not achievable and $5 billion of savings have already been taken up or slated for programs that have already finished. They claim that repealing the mining and carbon taxes would involve net savings to the budget of $6 billion and $4 billion respectively but the anticipated savings from scrapping the carbon tax will largely be spent this year.
“Tony Abbott seems to have identified a new category of taxes that can be abolished and result in more government savings.
“The unrealistic preconditions of 1 per cent budget surplus year on year, paying down debt and billions in tax cuts before we go ahead with Denticare is a kick in the teeth to all of those Australians who need urgent treatment.
“Tony Abbott is trying to have his magic pudding and eat it too.
“He is the new fairy at the bottom of the garden, but he’s no tooth fairy.”
Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600