abbott launches 'the little book ", page-2

The Federal Opposition has sought to increase pressure on the Government ahead of tomorrow's budget, releasing an updated version of a booklet targeting "waste and mismanagement" under Labor.

However, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has deflected questions about how a Coalition government would tackle cuts in the same areas.

The Little Book Of Big Labor Waste lists 60 examples of what the Opposition calls "a lack of respect for taxpayers' money".

They include government advertising, staff payouts, travel for the foreign minister and market research, but Mr Abbott said a Coalition government would not be able to cut those areas entirely.

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"Obviously there is a certain amount of money which has to be spent in this area," Mr Abbott said.

"But we certainly don't believe that it needs to be as profligate as this government has been.

"Our full list of expenditure - the spends and the saves - will be released in good time before the next election."

Mr Abbott says the Opposition costings will be made public after Treasury releases the Pre-Election Fiscal Outlook - due up to 10 days into the election campaign.

The number one item in the booklet is the blowout in immigration costs, followed by the growing cost of the Government's National Broadband Network (NBN) and spending to promote the carbon tax scheme.

The cost of coffee machines and milk for Commonwealth departments and the wages of "spin doctors" were also highlighted.

Last November, the book was released with 50 examples.

'Strong' management

Cabinet minister Greg Combet earlier today defended the Government's economic management.

"By any fair comparison internationally, the economic management has been very, very strong indeed," he told Radio National.

"We've got a very strongly performing economy with economic growth at 3 per cent, unemployment is relatively low at 5.5 per cent.

"Inflation's well and truly in hand, interest rates have come off, there's strong levels of private sector investment.

"We've just got to keep things in perspective."

This morning the Government confirmed the budget would delay Australia's goal of increasing foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of gross national income.

The so-called millennium goal, which was initially supposed to be attained in the 2015-16 financial year, has been pushed out twice and will now be budgeted for the 2017-18 financial year.

However, aid spending will still be increased by about $500 million in 2013-14.

Treasurer Wayne Swan will tomorrow hand down his sixth budget.

He says he is prepared to wear the political pain of not delivering his promised surplus this year, and is seeking to highlight big spending plans for schools and the disability insurance scheme.

Although the figures tomorrow will show a deficit, Mr Swan says the budget will chart a path back into the black in coming years.

During an interview on Sunday he seemed to suggest the deficit would be $17 billion, but his office said he was talking about revenue write-downs and not the size of the deficit.



http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-13/abbott-targets-27big-labor-waste27-in-updated-booklet/4686018