The origin of Labor's charge that Abbott is planning ''cuts to the bone'' by ''ripping'' $70 billion out of Commonwealth spending over the forward estimates was Hockey. It was a figure Hockey verbally confided to a colleague in 2011, to unearth a leaker. It found its mark but that lumbered Hockey with explaining it in the public domain. So that's 10 out of 10 for creativity, minus several million for good thinking. Unsurprisingly, Labor has alchemised that piece of political ham-fistedness into a ''secret plan'' and Rudd further embellished it on Monday, elevating it to an open Coalition commitment.
