Abbott will cost you, PM tells west Sydney

4 Mar 2013, 6:50 pm   -   Source: AAP
The PM's western Sydney stay is widely seen as a bid to shore up Labor support in the area when opinion polls signal a hammering for the party in Sydney's western suburbs at the next election. (AAP)

The PM's western Sydney stay is widely seen as a bid to shore up Labor support in the area when opinion polls signal a hammering for the party in Sydney's western suburbs at the next election. (AAP)

Day two of the prime minister's visit to western Sydney brought a row with NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell over funding for a road project.

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Prime Minister Julia Gillard has traded blows with the NSW government and the federal opposition on transport and taxes as she continues her campaign to reconnect with western Sydney voters.

Ms Gillard began the second day of her five-day tour of the region with a series of radio and television interviews to reassure its more than two million residents the government had not forgotten them.

Also on Monday, Treasurer Wayne Swan released government analysis arguing western Sydney families would be worse off under the policies of a Tony Abbott-led coalition government.

In his own round of interviews, Mr Abbott accused Ms Gillard of ignoring the area and rejected claims he would increase taxes and cut family support.

Ms Gillard, whose government faces the prospect of losing a handful of marginal seats in western Sydney to the Liberals, then picked a fight with the NSW government over funding for a major road project.

Trailed by six Labor MPs, Ms Gillard called on the state to resubmit its plans for the $13 billion 33km WestConnex road project and meet three conditions for federal funding.

She wants to ensure motorists on the M4 can travel into the Sydney CBD, that trucks with freight travelling on the M5 can get directly to and from Port Botany, and that there will be no new tolls on roads currently toll-free.

But NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell, while saying Labor's extra funding of at least $1 billion would be welcome, noted Mr Abbott had already committed $1.5 billion to the project.

"Coming in at five minutes to midnight on the eve of a federal election, when it hasn't been delivered in the past five years, does make people a bit sceptical," Mr O'Farrell told reporters.

Ms Gillard used the government analysis to accuse Mr Abbott of planning to take up to $2300 a year off the average family by scrapping some tax cuts and family payments.

Mr Abbott said it could not be assumed a coalition government would ditch Labor's decision in the last budget to triple the income tax-free threshold from $6000 to $18,200.

"We'll fund them out of savings to unnecessary and wasteful government spending, and we won't do it with a carbon tax," he said.

Ms Gillard insisted her Sydney visit was about "governing", but Mr Abbott said when the prime minister announced the September 14 election in January she had moved "from governing to campaigning".

"A prime minister who didn't have a problem wouldn't be acting in this way," he said.

The Queensland government asked why Labor had turned its back on the state in favour of must-win electorates in western Sydney.

"Ms Gillard needs to commit to the safety of Queensland motorists, not just look after her own political fortunes," Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson said.

Queensland wants Canberra to bring forward $4 billion worth of funding to fix the Bruce Highway, which stretches almost the length of the state.

Meanwhile, an Essential poll published on Monday found the coalition holds 56 per cent of the two-party vote and would win an election held now.

But 54 per cent of voters are still to make a "firm" decision on who to vote for, the poll found.

Ms Gillard will interrupt her Sydney visit on Tuesday, when she travels to Melbourne to attend the funeral of former Labor parliamentary Speaker Joan Child.

A 7News-ReachTEL poll of 11 western Sydney electorates found Mr Abbott was the favoured prime minister, with 39 per cent, followed by Kevin Rudd at 26 per cent, Malcolm Turnbull at 22 per cent and Ms Gillard at just 13 per cent.

Respondents overwhelmingly preferred Mr Rudd (75 per cent) over Ms Gillard (25 per cent).

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