Treasury has found a $11 billion black hole in coalition costings:
Before the election the Coalition said its promises would add about $11.5 billion to the budget bottom line over the next four years.
But Treasury analysis given to Tony Windsor and his fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter shows the Coalition’s promises would only add between $860 million and $4.5 billion to the bottom line.
But the opposition stands by their costings:
Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb says he stands by coalition costings and says claims of a black hole relate to a difference of opinion over calculations.
“Out of 304 policies there was established at the end what I would say (was) a difference of opinion on a handful of projects,” he told ABC radio.
“It’s not an error of costings. There is a difference of opinion when you go through the projects that they had identified. We stand by our costings.”
An 11 billion dollar difference of opinion, seriously? You knew they were dodgy, that’s why you didn’t want to release them to treasury before the election. Then the parliament was hung and it all blew up in your face. You sneaky, dishonest, irresponsible swine.
How do you misplace $11 billion?
Cue a week of “treasury has a left wing bias”, “the public service has a left wing bias” and “maths has a left wing bias” in the media. Then ironically they will write a “the media has a left wing bias story” pointing to one opinion piece in The Age that will rightly tear the opposition a new one for this.
And through all of this, the ALP will fail to capitalise on this major fuck up. They just really don’t seem to be trying anymore.