Fed: Budget honesty system rigged in favour of govt - McMullan

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2004
Fed: Budget honesty system rigged in favour of govt - McMullan

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has challenged Labor to have its long-awaited tax policy
costed by the Finance Department.

But Labor's finance spokesman BOB MCMULLAN says the charter of budget honesty is rigged
in favour of the government, which is able to have all its options assessed and costed
by experts.

He says Labor has to pay for its own work and -- once it's settled on its preferred
option -- submit it to Treasury or the Finance Department for scrutiny.

Mr MCMULLAN says that although the system works in the government's favour, he'll submit
Labor policies for costing after some procedural issues are sorted out.

Labor is promising tax relief for people earning less than $52,000 a year in a policy
it says it will release in the next three weeks.

AAP RTV dep/sw/jmt

KEYWORD: POLL04 COSTINGS (CANBERRA)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.