Saturday 4th of May 2024
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liar's poker .....

liar's poker .....

The Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, proposed a cigarette tax increase last night as he called the Government's early election bluff by announcing the Coalition would block one of the biggest revenue-raising measures in the budget.

In his budget reply speech to Parliament, Mr Turnbull said the Coalition would oppose the proposed means testing of the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate, a measure worth $1.9 billion over the forward estimates and $8.7 billion by the end of next decade.

The Government warned that by blocking savings measures Mr Turnbull would jeopardise the pension rises in the budget.

Mr Turnbull said lifting the tax on tobacco by 12.5 per cent - worth about 60 cents for a packet of 20 - would make up for the revenue shortfall. It was also better health policy.

In a speech scathing of the Government's spending and the debt and deficit being accrued, Mr Turnbull did not offer detailed savings or policy measures to address the problem.

http://business.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/turnbull-calls-rudds-bluff-20090514-b4s9.html

ideal windvane

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has reaffirmed his commitment to Medicare in light of Government claims he wants to scrap the scheme.

Earlier, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd suggested the Coalition wanted to kill Medicare after Mr Turnbull said that "in an ideal world every Australian would have private health insurance''.

Mr Rudd said he was stunned to hear that statement.

"Mr Turnbull for the first time has said that all Australians should have private health insurance. That means the end of universal public insurance through Medicare," he said.

Mr Rudd's comments come in the wake of the Opposition's decision to oppose means testing the private health insurance rebate.

turnbulliana...

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd denies he is preparing for an early election.

There is speculation that Mr Rudd has told his new frontbench team to be ready to head to the polls by November.

It is also possible that the Government will have a double dissolution trigger if its carbon trading legislation is defeated in the Senate as expected.

But today Mr Rudd said he was not looking for an early trip to the polls.

"Absolutely not," he told Fairfax Radio.

"We're head down, tail up, wrestling the challenge with getting through this global recession.

"Frankly, the last address I had to the party was about implementing the nation-building recovery plan."

But Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has accused Mr Rudd of wanting to face the polls before handing down another Budget.