Andrew Leigh

MEDIA STATEMENT
Andrew Leigh MP
Labor Spokesperson on Coalition Costings
Member for Fraser

3 March 2013

Abbott’s Costings Soar With the Eagles

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has made another unfunded promise, pledging up to $70 million for the redevelopment of Brookvale Oval, home of his beloved Manly Sea-Eagles.

Mr Abbott made the pledge at a function for Manly’s season launch at Brookvale Oval on Friday night.

“Mr Abbott needs to explain where the money to redevelop Brookvale Oval would come from”, said Labor Spokesperson on Opposition Costings Andrew Leigh.

“When Warringah Council estimated the cost of adding 7,000-10,000 undercover seats to Brookvale Oval, they put the cost at $70 million.”

“Would Mr Abbott take money from Western suburbs teams? Would it come from other sporting codes? Or would he raise taxes on all Australians to pay for it?

“Mr Abbott said last Tuesday that everything the government does should be subject to cost-benefit analysis.* Has he done such an analysis on Brookvale Oval? Or is this just another case of fiscal rectitude in public, and pork-barrelling in private?

“Mr Abbott’s willingness to play favourites with taxpayers’ money contrasts with his refusal to level with the Australian people about where his $70 billion of cuts will come from.

“The Coalition owe it to the Australian people to take all their policies to the Parliamentary Budget Office immediately.”

ENDS

* “Now, it’s more important than ever that everything the Commonwealth does that involves new spending which is subjected to rigorous cost benefit analysis and I guess that’s what I’d like to see. I’d like to see careful, objective, disinterested cost benefit analysis of this proposal and that would make it much easier for the Coalition to come to a hard and fast position.”
TONY ABBOTT, ABC NORTH QLD – 26 FEBRUARY 2013