Portfolio Media Releases

OH LINDSAY, YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN

11th March 2010

OH LINDSAY, YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN

11 March 2010

Fresh from absolving his fellow ministers of any responsibility for Budget blowouts, “You can’t be expected to dot the “i”s and cross the ‘t’s’ …..old Lindsay has done it again.

The Finance Minister has now absolved his Prime Minister and Treasurer from any responsibility for not releasing the much anticipated Henry Review of taxation.

On the 7.30 Report last night the Finance Minister said:

KERRY O'BRIEN: I wonder how much is a reasonable amount of time before that [HENRY] report should be released.

LINDSAY TANNER: … over that four months (since the report was handed to the govt.) we've had the Copenhagen conference on climate change; we've had complete turmoil and mayhem in the Opposition side with Malcolm Turnbull being replaced by Tony Abbott; we've had the holiday season and Kevin Rudd, I think rightly, had a significant holiday. Even though everybody says he works too hard, well, he actually had a break and that was a good thing.

So now Australia waits for the so-called biggest review of taxation in modern history and the Finance Minister lists some of the reasons for the delay as:

1. An international climate change conference - which was held before the government received the Henry Review

2. A leadership change in the Opposition – which is irrelevant and which also happened before the government received the Henry Review

AND

3. Kevin Rudd on extended holidays – not too ‘busy’ with health as he has previously claimed.

Serious spin from a panicked government about a Review they themselves commissioned, with taxpayers footing the bill.

Stop making excuses and release the Henry Review now.

-ends-