NSW Election 2019: Labor and Liberal party’ policy costings revealed
A NSW Labor government would boost the budget surplus by over $1 billion but the gain will cost voters $1 billion in new taxes and result in over $3 billion in infrastructure projects being binned; See former PM John Howard’s attack ad on Labor; and, the young Labor candidate living in student accommodation.
NSW State Election 2019
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW State Election 2019. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Berejiklian caps weekly public transport costs to $50
- John Howard fronts Liberal ad to attack Labor on gun control
A NSW Labor government would boost the budget surplus by over $1 billion — but the gain will cost residents of the state $1 billion in new taxes and see the cancellation of over $3 billion in infrastructure projects.
The official costs of both parties election promises were unveiled on Monday, showing Labor will boost the budget surplus by $1.442 billion over the next four years while under the Coalition it would shrink by $752 million.
The figures also reveal the Opposition will reduce debt by $162 million over four years to bring it to a total of $38.4 billion — while the Coalition would increase debt by $7.363 billion bringing the total debt to $46 billion.
Under a Coalition government the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) forecast average surpluses of $1.07 billion over the next four years, while Labor will average surpluses of $1.62 billion.
Labor would save money by cancelling infrastructure projects, stopping the reduction of some taxes, introducing new taxes and winding back some cost of living rebates.
Their decision to cancel the Sydney Metro Southwest extension from Sydenham to Bankstown would save $1.1 billion over the next four years, not proceeding with the Western Harbour Tunnel would save $100 million, and cancelling the F6 extension would save $1.2 billion.
Stopping the refurbishment of ANZ Stadium would save $718 million and forcing the SCG Trust to pay for the Allianz Stadium redevelopment would save $684.7 million.
Labor would also scrap the Treasurer’s discretionary fund, cut agency contractors and reduce public service fat cats to save a total of $1.14 billion.
Parents would get less under Labor with the popular Active Kids voucher to be wound back to just one instalment — saving $164.1 million.
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An increase on stamp duty fees on luxury boats and cars would raise $227 million.
The ALP would also introduce a vacant property tax to gain $90 million.
Meanwhile the biggest financial outlay from the Coalition is $3.2 billion on fast- tracking the Sydney Metro West railway line from Parramatta to the CBD.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said NSW would suffer under a Labor government.
“The Labor Party are slamming the people of NSW with over $1 billion in new taxes on cars, homes, trucks, buses, boats and mum and dad small businesses.”
He said the PBO was unable to cost Labor’s wages policy, which proposed to abolish the 2.5 per cent wage cap on public service wages.
“The Opposition Leader has been swanning around town claiming his plan to increase public sector wages has no cost. This is a blatant lie — there is no cost only because the PBO have stated they are unable to cost it and the impact on the budget is not known.”
Labor leader Michael Daley warned that if the Coalition gets re-elected and debt rises then more public assets may be privatised.
“Premier Berejiklian and her treasurer have repeatedly refused to rule out further privatisations. Now we know why,” Mr Daley said.
JOHN HOWARD’S GUN CONTROL AD AIRS ON TV
Liberal patriarch John Howard will be deployed by the party throughout the final days of the election campaign in a bid to save city and rural seats by tying Labor to the Shooters Party.
The former prime minister, who was the architect of Australia’s strict gun laws in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, is starring in a new television advertisement targeting Labor over its contentious preference deal with the minor party.
The Liberals ran a version of the advertisements on social media, where it has been viewed over 147,800 times, but are expanding it to run prominently on television until the campaign advertisement blackout on Wednesday night.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian was joined on the hustings in Penrith yesterday by Mr Howard, who spruiked the dangers of the Labor-Shooters alliance. It is understood Labor has preferenced the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) before the Greens in Murray and Upper Hunter and is preferencing the party above the Liberals and Nationals in 19 other seats.
The Nationals will also spend the last days of the campaign hammering Labor over their preference deal with new ads featuring their Orange candidate, Kate Hazelton, revealing how disturbing it was to see armed kids during her time in the Lebanon civil war.
The SFF once advocated for 10-year-olds to have gun permits.
- By Rose Brennan
Candidate lives in student digs
The Labor candidate for the seat of Balmain in Sydney’s inner west lives in cheap student university accommodation outside the electorate.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal public health researcher Elly Howse, 30, is registered as living in Newtown at St Andrew’s College within the University of Sydney.
A brochure promoting the college, which houses over 250 students, describes the atmosphere as “vibrant, friendly and social”.
It also states that “each student has a single study bedroom with an internet connection’ and “all meals are provided in our dining hall, prepared by our in-house kitchen staff”.
Balmain is held by Greens MP Jamie Parker on a 4.7 per cent margin and includes Leichhardt, Balmain, Annandale, Forest Lodge, Rozelle and Glebe. A spokesman said Ms Howse “lives several hundred metres outside the Balmain electorate”.
“Elly co-ordinates academic support and mentoring for more than 300 Sydney University students. For this she receives subsidised accommodation in lieu of income,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman did not respond to questions asking whether Ms Howse would continue to live in student accommodation if she won the seat. Ms Howse is described on her campaign website as an “active union member at the University of Sydney”.
- By Danielle Le Messurier & Rose Brennan
Metres from hell: Photos show how close fires came to homes
Chilling aerial photographs show how NSW fireys saved homes from almost certain destruction. Residential developments once hidden in hinterland now look like islands among an ocean of flattened and charred trees 335km north east of Sydney.
‘We have a religion problem’: Chris Bowen
Australians of faith believe the Labor Party has abandoned them, Chris Bowen warned yesterday as he withdrew from the ALP leadership contest just 29 hours after announcing that he was a candidate.