Treasurer Hockey promises family-friendly measures in ‘routine’ statement

IT TOOK a slide show and a promise of family-friendly measures from Treasurer Joe Hockey to calm backbench unrest over contradictory Budget plans.

IT took a slide show and a promise of family-friendly measures from Treasurer Joe Hockey to calm backbench unrest over contradictory Budget plans.

And the Treasurer literally underlined the Budget would be fair.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott attacked Labor leader Bill Shorten’s arguments as a “litany of screeching complaints” as he and senior ministers attempted to turn the debate onto the Opposition.

“We have a plan and the ALP doesn’t like our plan. It should tell the public what’s its plan,” Mr Abbott told a scheduled meeting of Coalition MPs in Canberra.

It was part of what one impressed Liberal called “a subtle but unmistakable shift to a more positive message in the Budget”.

Sounds simple enough.

The Government has been accused of sending mixed signals on the economic statement having dropped its previous warning there was a “Budget emergency” which required tough measures.

However, the tough measures of last year’s Budget were not popular among voters or in the Senate and the Prime Minister has abruptly dropped the hard line rhetoric and said the coming Budget would be routine and dull.

Treasurer Hockey told colleagues the Budget in seven weeks would focus on small business, childcare, infrastructure, free trade agreements, “integrity in our tax and welfare systems”.

He said spending cuts would be “responsible and fair” with the two key words underlined.

“Any new spending will be offset by savings that are responsible and fair,” read one Hockey slide.

Nice of him to underline those words, just to make it clear.

And, “We will get the Budget back to surplus as soon as possible.”

Mr Hockey gave no details of funding and will not comment on taxation until an inquiry report expected to be released early in April.

He said business confidence was returning and there were “green shoots in the economy. Mr Hockey But he emphasised the importance of small business as the “engine room of equal opportunity”.

Originally published as Treasurer Hockey promises family-friendly measures in ‘routine’ statement