Newly anointed Treasurer Scott Morrison has refused to discuss an accusation that he misled former prime minister Tony Abbott over an impending spill, declaring "the case is closed".
Mr Morrison travelled to the NSW Central Coast on Friday to announce that a site had been chosen for a 600-job Commonwealth office in Gosford - a project announced by his predecessor Joe Hockey in 2014.
Asked by a reporter if he had misled anyone over his claim to have warned Mr Abbott ahead of the September 14 spill that deposed him, Mr Morrison said he would not discuss "the politics of yesterday".
"The case is closed. I'm not going over that rubbish," Mr Morrison said.
Under questioning about how he can maintain services without increasing taxes, Mr Morrison recited his new mantra of "work, save, invest".
The treasurer has pledged to get spending down rather than increase taxes to address the current budget deficit.
"My focus is particularly on how we can get a tax system that can encourage Australians to work and to save and invest," he said.
"You keep control on spending and then you set the tax system accordingly."
Mr Morrison said Australian Taxation Office staff would be among those located in the new building in central Gosford but would not say whether the new offices would be filled by jobs transferred from elsewhere.
Labor MP for Canberra Gai Brodtmann warned in 2014 that the new centre would result in hundreds of public service jobs being lost in the federal capital.
Federal member for the seat of Robertson, Lucy Wicks, said work would start on the new, four-storey building in 2016 and it would create an additional 1400 jobs in Gosford when it opens in 2017.
Share
