TRANSCRIPT

THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
Treasurer

Doorstop Interview

Ministerial Entrance, Parliament House

Tuesday, 11 May 2004
8.55 am

SUBJECTS: Budget, economy, leadership

TREASURER:

Tonight’s Budget which we will be bringing down will have important initiatives

for the long-term future of Australia and in particular for family policy. We

want to give families more choices, we want to give families incentives and

help with bringing up their children because it is the families that make the

fabric of Australia, and the package that we will be announcing tonight to help

families and give them more choices will be the largest package that we have

seen in Australia and it will be helping families right across the board.

JOURNALIST:

Will it be framed specifically to help the Coalition win the election?

TREASURER:

It will be framed for long-term economic reform and in particular to help families

because we want to give families more choices, we know that it is a struggle

to work and to juggle raising children, and we think that families need help.

JOURNALIST:

Will you maintain the Government’s promise to keep a surplus?

TREASURER:

Yes, the Government has worked hard to get the Budget into surplus and we intend

to keep it there.

JOURNALIST:

Treasurer, will this be your last Budget?

TREASURER:

The Budget I bring down tonight will be framed squarely at helping Australia

and…

JOURNALIST:

But will it be your last Budget?

TREASURER:

…before we talk about further Budgets let’s do this one please.

JOURNALIST:

Another Liberal MP is talking about a transition of the leadership post-election,

are you unhappy that this is distracting from the Budget?

TREASURER:

Well look, people talk about this all the time, I am working for the re-election

of the Howard Government, that is what I am…

JOURNALIST:

(inaudible) talk about it with (inaudible)?

TREASURER:

…well, hang on, I am working for the re-election of the Howard Government

of which I have been a member and of which if the electors return it, I would

still be a member, so what happens in the future is a matter for the electors

of Australia. I don’t take anything for granted from the electors, they

decide these things, but what they want from us is they want good government,

and tonight’s Budget will be, I think a very important milestone for Australia.

A statement as to where we are where we want to go, how we are going to give

families more choices and the largest package that we have ever seen. Thanks.