Truss: $1.5b surplus 'contrived'
AUSTRALIA will pay the price for the Federal Government's budget and its "feeble and contrived $1.5 billion surplus", Member for Wide Bay and Leader of The Nationals Warren Truss said yesterday.
Mr Truss lampooned the budget's "lowest road funding in a decade", its failure to fund the completion of the Cooroy to Curra bypass, and its failure to restore the flat lining confidence of businesses and households.
"Bringing spending forward and pushing expenditure into the out years doesn't give you more money - businesses balancing their books know it, and families budgeting household needs are painfully aware of that reality," Mr Truss said.
"Australians won't fall for the Treasurer's three-card trick. This budget gives cold comfort to families this winter as they brace for the world's biggest carbon tax in just 53 days.
"This budget has delivered the lowest road funding in a decade. It contains zero new spending on roads or rail in 2012-13.
"Motorists who risk Queensland's deadliest road - the Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Hwy - will be disappointed and angry that the Gillard government has, again, failed to hear their pleas. The government has acknowledged the priority of this project but there is no money to start the next section of the upgrade over the next four years."
