Budget disappointment for Wide Bay
11th May, 2010
Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss tonight said the Rudd Labor Government’s Budget will disappoint families, businesses and community groups in Wide Bay.“Labor has failed to deliver for Wide Bay. People will be disappointed that the Rudd Labor Government has passed up the opportunity to take real action to improve local services and infrastructure,” Mr Truss said.
“In this Budget we pay the price for Labor’s lavish legacy of debt funded spending sprees, waste and mismanagement. There is a Budget deficit of $40.8 billion, net public debt of $93.7 billion and an interest bill of $4.6 billion, rising to $6.5 billion 2012/13.
This Budget has been required to fund $1 billion to undo the roof insulation debacle, $1 billion blowout for asylum seekers, and $1 billion will be spent on school computer cost overruns.
“The Budget provides $500 million for the new Federal hospitals bureaucracy, but there is no dedicated funding for the Maryborough, Gympie, Murgon or Noosa Hospitals. It is hard to see how Kevin Rudd’s convoluted and contrived hospital plan would increase services at local hospitals when it adds another layer of expensive bureaucracy to a struggling health system. I am concerned that local hospital services will deteriorate under Labor’s plan.”
Mr Truss said motorists would be rightfully angry that the Budget did not contain any commitment to upgrade the remaining 50 kilometre section between Cooroy and Curra to four lanes.
“While the Budget did bring forward money for Ipswich Road in Brisbane, the Rudd Government has failed to fund any improvements to the dangerous Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway, nor has it committed to any timetable to complete the upgrade of the entire section. Under Labor, there is no end in sight to the 90km/hr speed limit between Cooroy and Bells Bridge,” Mr Truss said.
“The needs of the Mary Valley have been ignored by the Rudd Labor Government. In spite of Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s commitment to support a recovery plan to protect the Valley’s threatened and endangered species, the Budget provides no special funding to restore economic, social or environmental security to Mary River communities. The Caring for Our Country program which Peter Garrett identified suffers an $81.3 million cut, such is his commitment to the environment.
“The Rudd Labor Government has failed to deliver a regional development funding program that could have supported the building of extensions to Pomona Community House or the rebuilding of Maryborough’s Aquatic Centre, or other worthy projects throughout the electorate.
“Labor’s debt, waste and uncontrolled, extravagant spending has produced a promise breaking Budget that delivers little of substance for families, businesses and community groups in Wide Bay.”
