“Today’s Mid-year Economic Financial Outlook shows that the Coalition is totally out of touch with everyone in our community who is feeling under pressure. The Prime Minister hopes to buy the next election with a surplus built upon cuts to essential services and heroic assumptions about wages growth,” Greens Co-Deputy Leader Senator Larissa Waters said.
“The Treasurer may have claimed that the country is doing better than ever, but people aren’t feeling it. Wages have flatlined, household debt is sky-high, homelessness is on the rise and essential services funding has been eroded – it’s only the Coalition’s mates in big business that are feeling better off.
“Crowing about the lowest government spending in 50 years is just bragging about its vicious cuts to essential services. Morrison’s surplus is your children’s overcrowded schoolroom, your delays in getting a hip replacement at a public hospital, your year stuck in poverty without a raise to Newstart.
“Only a Government in bed with the mining industry would slash climate funding after the extreme weather events we’ve seen batter our nation. Cutting a third of climate funds by 2020, while pouring money into drought funding, adds insult to injury for farmers who want a national climate policy to address what’s driving the drought.
“Today’s outlook confirms we still won’t see a cent from our domestic gas industry over the forwards, yet we’ll spend another $83 million on fossil fuel tax credits, creating record high subsidies of more than $7 billion. The handouts to big business keep coming – perhaps a thank you for the big donations to political parties from the fossil fuel industry.
“The lack of any funding for the Government’s weak Commonwealth Integrity Commission proves the announcement was always just smoke and mirrors – they were never committed to delivering anti-corruption measures, and want the rigged system to continue as usual.
“The lack of any long-term strategic planning shows the Liberal and Nationals have no intent, capacity, or right to be leading Australia into the future and addressing our nation’s challenges.
“If this is the best the Coalition can offer, the election can’t come soon enough.”
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