How did Gillard’s shortfall explode from $7.5 billion to $17 billion in just four weeks?
Who is doing the counting, or is Labor just making this up as it goes along?
On April 21, we’re told the Budget has lost $7.5 billion:
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says the budget revenue has taken a $7.5 billion “sledgehammer” hit because of twin factors - a high dollar and lower terms of trade…
“That’s caused a hit, like a sledgehammer to revenues in the budget, since the mid-year update of something like $7.5 billion,” Mr Swan told ABC TV ...
On April 28, Julia Gillard says, no, she’s actually down $12 billion:
Treasury now estimates that this reduction will increase to around $12 billion by the end of the financial year.
May 7, Finance Minister Penny Wong says, wrong again, it’s $17 billion:
Senator Wong also confirmed this morning the revenue shortfall for this financial year would be “significant”.
“The impact in the current financial year, between last year’s budget and this year’s budget looks to be is in the order of $17 billion...”
So in less that four weeks the government has gone from announcing a shortfall of $7.5 billion to $12 billion to $17 billion.
And next week?
This is utterly bizarre. Utterly chaotic.
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/andrewbolt/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/how_did_gillards_shortfall_explode_from_75_billion_to_17_billion_in_just_fo/
