2016-02-03
Greens Treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said that a Parliamentary Budget Office report released today on the government’s unlegislated Budget measures show that the Treasurer’s pigheadedness will blow out the deficit by $9.5 billion over the forward estimates and $44.7 billion over the next decade. Mr Bandt said that if Treasurer Scott Morrison was serious about wanting to balance the books, he’d come up with a ‘Plan B’ that had a chance of passing the Senate, instead of sticking with unfair measures that will grow the gap between rich and poor.
“The PBO report released today shows that the Treasurer’s pigheadedness will blowout the deficit by almost $45 billion,” Mr Bandt said.
“In their MYEFO last year, the government claimed the deficit will be $37.4 billion, yet the PBO has shown that they’re banking on $9.5 billion of savings over the next four years that haven’t passed Parliament, many of which are unfair Budget measures that the Senate has rightly blocked.”
“If Scott Morrison really wants to balance the books, it’s time for a ‘Plan B’ that can pass the Senate.”
“Instead of continuing Tony Abbott’s attacks on the young, the old, the sick and the poor that will increase inequality in this country, Scott Morrison should end the billions of dollars a year spent on unfair tax breaks that benefit the very wealthy.”
“The government should get behind the Greens’ fully-costed proposals to raise $38 billion in revenue over the forward estimates by tackling unfair tax breaks and asking the very wealthy to pay more.”
Media contact: Adam Pulford, 0429 109 054