Abbott to blame for surplus urgency: Milne

15 Apr 2012, 1:19 pm   -   Source: AAP
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The new Greens leader Christine Milne (AAP)

The new Greens leader Christine Milne (AAP)

Greens leader Christine Milne says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is to blame for an environment where Labor feels locked into delivering a budget surplus.

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New Greens leader Christine Milne says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is to blame for creating an environment where Labor feels it is locked into delivering a budget surplus in the May budget even though economic circumstances have changed.

The Greens believe the Gillard government shouldn't be rushing to bring the budget back to surplus if it means tough spending cuts and delaying reforms such as the introduction of a universal dental care scheme.

"Everyone in Australia knows if the prime minister hadn't come out and made an emphatic statement in 2009 saying the budget would return to surplus this year on the basis of Treasury modelling about the extent of the growth that was predicted we wouldn't be in the position we are," Senator Milne told Network Ten on Sunday.

"But it's actually Tony Abbott and the Ju-liar community who are responsible for this because it's a political imperative."

Senator Milne said Prime Minister Julia Gillard believed the government couldn't change its position.

"That's the tragedy of the actual political debate around the economy at the moment," she said.

"We need to be creating the space for people to change their minds and be able to nuance a position according to what's going on in the world."

Ms Gillard on Friday said she hoped Senator Milne would work "responsibly and reasonably" with the government to achieve big changes for Australia "including bringing the budget to surplus".

The new Greens leader, who replaced Bob Brown, said on Sunday the PM was trying to dissuade the minor party from arguing the government shouldn't be returning the budget to surplus in 2012-13.

"We are always reasonable and responsible and we will be so in relation to the budget," she said.

"However we are not going to change our view on that and no doubt there'll be a few robust discussions."

Senator Milne said Ms Gillard was wrong to suggest a return to surplus now was an economic imperative.

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Your Comments

Surplus? Never happen

XYZ - from Perth, 1 year

Labor modelling was manupulated by the Treasury to support the Labor government. This is proved now by government/union connection. Everyone know the Fair Work Australia is cover up the HSU problems for the government. Swan declared that Labor did the correct economic modelling, so show it to Australian. I think Labor manupulated the data, they never get a surplus before the election. This is a reason why Dr Henry exited early. You are in power so you should not blame the opposition.

A Surplus is an Imperative - We can't spend what we don't have!

Marcel - from Perth, 1 year

Politicians wanting control of government should only be allowed to make promises of tax reductions and future spending if they make promises to keep the budget in surplus too. And, once in government, only implement tax reductions or spending if the budget is actually in surplus. Anything less amounts to shifting debt to future generations for the sake of scoring votes – fraudulent and tantamount to treason (killing our youth with debt).

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