Education funding cuts pay for carbon tax cash giveaways

At the same time as the Gillard Labor Government is offering some parents a School Kids cash giveaway, it is slashing education spending by $3.9 billion, Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said today.

“Julia Gillard’s Christmas time claim to be passionate about education is undermined by her own Government’s actions – cutting education spending,” Mr Truss said.

“Many parents were unaware that Labor announced $3.9 billion in cuts to education just before Christmas last year.  At a time when Australia’s unemployment rate is rising, Labor has scrapped or delayed funding to a range of apprenticeship, training, and higher education programs.

“All of these cuts are on top of the $600 million budget cut to Labor’s 2007 election computers in schools program, which has been axed,” Mr Truss said.

Mr Truss said that the Gillard Government had been caught out being deceptive and tricky, by spinning its latest cash hand out as a School Kids Bonus.

“Labor is trying to mask its $3.9 billion cut to education by spending $8.5 million on advertising its School Kids Bonus.  Branding the School Kids Bonus as an education related payment is misleading.

“The so called School Kids Bonus cash giveaway has nothing to do with education and everything to do with Labor’s carbon tax.  You do not have to provide education related receipts to claim the “bonus”, the payment can be spent on anything.  Your children do not even need to be going to school to claim the bonus.”

Mr Truss said the payment is designed to compensate some parents for spiraling cost of living pressures, made worse by Labor’s ineffective carbon tax.

“Parents know that electricity and other household costs have risen due to Labor’s unnecessary carbon tax, making life harder.  The best way to bring the cost of living down for everyone is to axe the carbon tax,” Mr Truss said.

“Childcare costs have also skyrocketed under Labor as a direct result of Labor’s policies. Experts have warned that in three years parents may pay $100 a day for childcare.”

“Australians cannot afford another three years of an unstable Government, cobbled together with Labor, the Independents and minor parties.  

“The Liberal and National Parties have a plan to restore accountability, repair our nation’s finances, stop the waste, and to scrap Labor’s carbon tax, to help households and business ease cost of living pressures.”

Warren Truss MP
Federal Member for Wide Bay
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
05 February 2013

Permanent Link: Education funding cuts pay for carbon tax cash giveaways
Publish Date: 05 Feb 13

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