From AAP:
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called on the federal government to publish its latest budget position numbers so the coalition can work out its surplus prospects…”We believe, based on what are still the only published figures this government has put out, that we can deliver a surplus in each and every year of the first term of a coalition government…Give us the Treasury figures, then we’ll be in a position to produce ours.”
Good stuff. No doubt the government won’t oblige. It’ll be hoping that iron ore can hold up through the first half, and that housing kicks in too, boosting nominal GDP and the tax take enough to deliver a surprise surplus. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility but is only a remote chance, especially since the Queensland floods are likely to drain the Budget further.
My advice to the government, for its own good, is give Abbott the figures. Let’s find out who is on the chopping block. There’s a fair chance Abbott will hang himself. If not then so what? You’ll have the surplus anyway. And we’ll all know more than we did yesterday.
