labor must publish budget figures: abbott

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/libs-budget-surplus-promise-or-intent/story-e6frfku9-1226564031399

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has called on the federal government to publish its latest budget position numbers so the coalition can work out its surplus prospects.
The coalition believes it will be able to deliver a surplus in its first year in office if it wins the next election.
"We believe, based on what are still the only published figures this government has put out, that we can deliver a surplus in each and every year of the first term of a coalition government," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Labor's budget update issued in October pointed to a surplus of $1.1 billion in 2012/13.
But the government has since dropped its surplus promise due to declining revenues.
Mr Abbott said Labor should publish the figures that decision was based on.
"I do call on the government, which ran away from its surplus commitment ... to publish their figures," he said.
"Give us the Treasury figures, then we'll be in a position to produce ours."
On Sunday, the coalition released a pre-election campaign booklet on its policy priorities which dumped references to a timeframe for getting the budget back to surplus.
But on Monday shadow treasurer Joe Hockey kept the door open, saying a surplus was an "emphatic" commitment based on current available figures.
Liberal frontbencher George Brandis on Tuesday said the coalition "intends" to deliver a budget surplus in the first year of government.
He told Sky News it was not fruitful to put word choices under the microscope to "find the last tiny nuance of meaning".


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