Transcript No. 99/31

Hon Peter Costello MP

Doorstop Interview

Thursday, 11 May 1999

8:30 am

SUBJECTS: Budget

JOURNALIST:

It’s been touted as an election Budget, lots of goodies for punters today?

Well we haven’t got an election coming up, so it’s not a Budget for an

election. It’s a Budget which delivers on the assurances and commitments that we gave

to the Australian people last October. This is a Government that’s always made sure

that when it gives commitments to the public it honours them and this Budget will be part

of that.

So is it a thank you Budget?

Well, it’s part of keeping trust with the Australian people. We made a number of

commitments to them, we intend to deliver. One of the commitments we made was to get a new

tax system and we intend to deliver on that too. And we should be allowed to deliver.

After all, that’s why you have elections in this country so that people can decide,

and having decided they’re entitled to have their trust repaid and that’s what

we’ll be doing.

Will you be delivering on any commitments to Brian Harradine? For example, on the

common youth allowance?

Well this is a Budget for Australia, for the country. And this is a Budget which is

designed to keep us on track for all Australians and to secure our economic future. When

we sit down and we do a Budget we look to the national interest. Where we want Australia

to be. How we want to strengthen Australia against a very uncertain world climate. And how

we want to deliver more jobs for young people. That’s what we’re about.

What about the surplus, is it going to be, which forecast is right?

Mine.