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Anthony Albanese: outer suburban commuters to suffer under budget plans Anthony Albanese says outer suburban commuters to suffer under budget plans
(35 minutes later)
Outer suburban commuters will suffer under the Abbott government’s plans to defund public transport at the same time as it imposes higher costs on motorists through an increase in petrol excise, Labor says.Outer suburban commuters will suffer under the Abbott government’s plans to defund public transport at the same time as it imposes higher costs on motorists through an increase in petrol excise, Labor says.
Labor’s transport spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said the government’s decision to reintroduce fuel excise indexation amounted to “carbon pricing on steroids”, echoing the Australian Automobile Association which has called it a “backdoor carbon price”.Labor’s transport spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said the government’s decision to reintroduce fuel excise indexation amounted to “carbon pricing on steroids”, echoing the Australian Automobile Association which has called it a “backdoor carbon price”.
The Greens said information already available through budget leaks – including Guardian Australia’s revelation about fuel excise – proved the government had a new three word slogan: “Stuff you, mate”.The Greens said information already available through budget leaks – including Guardian Australia’s revelation about fuel excise – proved the government had a new three word slogan: “Stuff you, mate”.
The Greens deputy leader, Adam Bandt, asked how Abbott could justify slugging ordinary drivers with an increase in the 38 cents a litre in petrol excise they already pay, when big mining companies paid only 6 cents a litre excise on diesel – the rest is rebated by the government.The Greens deputy leader, Adam Bandt, asked how Abbott could justify slugging ordinary drivers with an increase in the 38 cents a litre in petrol excise they already pay, when big mining companies paid only 6 cents a litre excise on diesel – the rest is rebated by the government.
“If Tony Abbott is serious about ending the age of entitlement he has to start with charging Gina Rinehart and the big miners what ordinary drivers pay,” Bandt said.“If Tony Abbott is serious about ending the age of entitlement he has to start with charging Gina Rinehart and the big miners what ordinary drivers pay,” Bandt said.
A “$10bn infrastructure plan” will be the good-news centrepiece of the Coalition’s first budget on Tuesday, promising additional and accelerated funding for major road projects in Sydney – including those needed to service the new second airport at Badgerys Creek – roads in Melbourne and Adelaide, and a second crossing of the Great Dividing Range at Toowoomba in Queensland.A “$10bn infrastructure plan” will be the good-news centrepiece of the Coalition’s first budget on Tuesday, promising additional and accelerated funding for major road projects in Sydney – including those needed to service the new second airport at Badgerys Creek – roads in Melbourne and Adelaide, and a second crossing of the Great Dividing Range at Toowoomba in Queensland.
The government argues the spending will boost productivity and growth, and in the short term road projects could employ construction workers as the mining investment boom slows.The government argues the spending will boost productivity and growth, and in the short term road projects could employ construction workers as the mining investment boom slows.
Abbott, who says he wants to be remembered as “the infrastructure prime minister”, argues that the federal government decision to “stick to its knitting” and fund only roads will free more state government money for urban rail and other public transport plans, including money made available through the plan to offer a 15% federal government top-up to money earned through state government privatisations.Abbott, who says he wants to be remembered as “the infrastructure prime minister”, argues that the federal government decision to “stick to its knitting” and fund only roads will free more state government money for urban rail and other public transport plans, including money made available through the plan to offer a 15% federal government top-up to money earned through state government privatisations.
But Albanese says that is not what is happening, pointing to a scaled down and “vastly inferior” metro rail project that was funded in Tuesday’s Victorian budget and the Queensland government’s intention to fund a scaled-back bus tunnel instead of the cross-river rail project that had been planned when federal funding was available.But Albanese says that is not what is happening, pointing to a scaled down and “vastly inferior” metro rail project that was funded in Tuesday’s Victorian budget and the Queensland government’s intention to fund a scaled-back bus tunnel instead of the cross-river rail project that had been planned when federal funding was available.
“You can’t deal with urban congestion in our cities if you say the government’s role is just to fund roads,” he said, arguing a state treasurer, faced with a billion-dollar road project and a billion-dollar rail project, would invest much more in the road if it was the only one attracting federal co-funding.“You can’t deal with urban congestion in our cities if you say the government’s role is just to fund roads,” he said, arguing a state treasurer, faced with a billion-dollar road project and a billion-dollar rail project, would invest much more in the road if it was the only one attracting federal co-funding.
He said outer suburban residents, as opposed to those in his own inner-city electorate, often had no option but to drive to work or to drive their children around at the weekend, and were being treated unfairly by the budget.He said outer suburban residents, as opposed to those in his own inner-city electorate, often had no option but to drive to work or to drive their children around at the weekend, and were being treated unfairly by the budget.
“If you have no option but to use a private car to get to work or to get around your petrol costs will now be higher … so I am concerned about the equity component as well … There is a contradiction if the government is increasing the cost of private motor cars at the same time as they are ripping money out of public transport … and we will be holding the government to account for that,” he said.“If you have no option but to use a private car to get to work or to get around your petrol costs will now be higher … so I am concerned about the equity component as well … There is a contradiction if the government is increasing the cost of private motor cars at the same time as they are ripping money out of public transport … and we will be holding the government to account for that,” he said.
He also announced Labor was seeking support in the Senate for amendments to legislation the government passed through the House of Representatives last year changing the independent advisory body Infrastructure Australia (IA).He also announced Labor was seeking support in the Senate for amendments to legislation the government passed through the House of Representatives last year changing the independent advisory body Infrastructure Australia (IA).
He said the amendments would overturn changes that would “gut IA’s independence by allowing … the government to order IA not to investigate or assess proposals for urban rail projects in line with Mr Abbott’s bizarre prejudice against public transport”.He said the amendments would overturn changes that would “gut IA’s independence by allowing … the government to order IA not to investigate or assess proposals for urban rail projects in line with Mr Abbott’s bizarre prejudice against public transport”.
The amendments would also force the publication of cost-benefit analyses for all federally-funded infrastructure projects.The amendments would also force the publication of cost-benefit analyses for all federally-funded infrastructure projects.