Tuesday 19th June 2012

Abbott targets public servants, spending and tax

by Alan Thornhill

Tony Abbott signalled today that a Coalition government would target the public service, Federal spending and taxes.

The Opposition Leader was addressing the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia in Canberra.

“There are 20,000 more public servants on the Commonwealth payroll now than there were at the end of 2007,” Mr Abbott said.

“And I don’t think anyone would say that the quality of Commonwealth Government has improved that much over the last five years, he added.

“Government has to live within its means as families and businesses do,” the Opposition Leader said.

“And we are determined that under the next Coalition government that is exactly what the Australian government will do. “

He said a Coalition government would go through the Federal budget “line by line” to see where savings could be made.

Mr Abbott then turned to taxes.

We must get taxes down,” he said.

“ The mining tax has to go because it is a tax on success.

“It is a tax on Australia’s most successful sector.

“The carbon tax will go.

“It will be the first order of business for an incoming Coalition government to get rid of this bad tax based on a lie,” Mr Abbott said.

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Alan Thornhill is a parliamentary press gallery journalist.
Private Briefing is updated daily with Australian personal finance news, analysis, and commentary.

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