Abbott government to tout ‘hard sell’ Budget to unconvinced backbenches

DO you feel hard done by Tony Abbott? Well brace for more. His government hasn’t ruled out using your money to pay for an ad to sell the Budget.

FINANCE Minister Mathias Cormann has refused to rule out using taxpayers’ dollars to fund an advertising campaign to sell the Abbott government’s first budget.

The Coalition is preparing an ‘information campaign’ to explain the announced measures and how Australians will be affected.

Senator Cormann insists there is “nothing unusual” in spelling out changes in the budget to people and groups.

“What we have to do, and what is our responsibility to do, is to ensure that people across the community who are impacted by the changes in the budget are fully aware of how those changes will impact them,” he told reporters this morning.

“We are doing what needs to be done in order to ensure that people across the community are fully aware of how the budget will and will not impact them.”

GRAND ENTRANCE: Clive Palmer arrives to Parliament in Rolls Royce

Hard sell ... Finance Senator Mathias Cormann has not ruled out an ad to sell the Budget.

Bill Shorten has told his Caucus colleagues Australians expect Labor to “fight” the Abbott government’s budget.

“Are we ready to do that? I believe we are,” the Opposition Leader said to applause.

He claimed voters are “white hot angry” about the measures announced a fortnight ago.

“They’ve been wilfully, systemically lied to about a budget and about a Government who are doing things that they said they would not do before the election,” Mr Shorten argued.

Mr Abbott’s “halo” has slipped, he said, insisting the Opposition is at a “fork in the road for Australia”.

Tony Abbott will face unhappy backbenchers today during the government’s first party room meeting since handing down his tough budget.

MPs will sit down behind closed doors in Parliament House, with some not pleased about how the Coalition’s savings measures have been sold to the public.

Nationals MP Andrew Broad has admitted the udget is a “hard sell” which could have been better articulated.

“White hot angry” ... Bill Shorten says Tony Abbott’s “halo has slipped”.

“Perhaps we haven’t articulated it as well as we can,” he told ABC Radio, but insisted voters recognise why such action is needed.

“People might be unhappy but they also understand.

“We have got a government that was prepared to muscle up for the job ahead ... they will walk the journey with us,” he said.

He’s not the first to speak publicly about how the message could have been better crafted.

Senator Ian Macdonald has criticised the strategy, saying he wished there been more “consultation”.

Mr Cormann said he expected some MPs would be keen to “very appropriately” ask questions and provide feedback.

“That is the usual process,” he added.

The government’s job is to continue to explain the “judgments” its made, the Senator told reporters this morning.

Originally published as Abbott government to tout ‘hard sell’ Budget to unconvinced backbenches