Abbott's $10.7 billion of unfunded commitments
Lindsay Tanner
posted Monday, 15 February 2010
The Leader of the Opposition has proven again today just what a straight talker he is.
While visiting a Perth Primary School today Mr Abbot re-iterated his position that he wants to wind back the Government’s stimulus, but also said he doesn’t want to cut funding to individual schools.
“I don’t begrudge any school the money that it’s got, but I do think that the size of the package was too big. I do think that the stimulus was too much too soon,” Mr Abbott said.
If Mr Abbott is going to continue calling for the Government’s stimulus and the Building Our Education Revolution program to be cut, he cannot state that he doesn’t begrudge schools their funding.
This is completely illogical.
Since Mr Abbott has become Leader of the Opposition little more than two months ago, he has racked up $10.7 billion in unfunded commitments over the next five years.
Now on top of that, the programs he is saying he wants to cut back, he cannot provide any detail on.
Mr Abbott has all the rhetoric of a fiscal disciplinarian, but as soon as it comes time to confront the implications of his comments he runs for the hills.
The Government’s stimulus is providing schools around the country with infrastructure that will serve Australian children for generations.
If Mr Abbott wants to wind back the stimulus then he should stand up and tell those schools that he is going to cut their funding.
Come on Mr Abbott, it’s time for some straight talking.
Tags: Abbott, Economy