MEDIA RELEASE: JOE HOCKEY’S TWISTED PRIORITIES FOR “TOUGH DECISIONS”

Treasurer Joe Hockey has once again tried to rewrite Australia’s economic history in a Speech given in Sydney tonight.

What the Treasurer failed to mention is his actions have more than doubled the budget deficit, adding $68 billion.

Acting Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Finance Minister Tony Burke said Mr Hockey had manufactured a budget emergency as a smokescreen for the Prime Minister’s broken promises.

“Joe Hockey, through his own decisions, has more than doubled the budget deficit, adding $68 billion since coming to office – now he wants pensioners to pay the price,” Mr Burke said.

“Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott are on a collision course, either Joe Hockey gets the budget he wants or Tony Abbott breaks his election promises, you can’t have both.”

Mr Burke said Joe Hockey talked big about “tough decisions” but his and the Government’s priorities were all wrong.

“The only ‘tough decisions’ Joe Hockey knows how to make are the ones that hurt pensioners and sick people,” Mr Burke said.

“The Government wants to pay millionaires $75,000 to have a baby but thinks families should be slugged with a new tax to visit their GP.

“The Prime Minister said before the election ‘no changes to pensions’, now it looks like Joe Hockey is laying the groundwork for a broken promise.”

“This Government is addicted to secrecy and surprises and its priorities are very wrong.”