FED:Abbott like the dodgy brothers: Swan

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2010
FED:Abbott like the dodgy brothers: Swan

By Lema Samandar

SYDNEY, Aug 5 AAP - Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's economic plans are "dodgy
brothers economics", Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

"What Mr Abbott has demonstrated time and time again is what a risk he poses to our
national economy," Mr Swan told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

"He doesn't have an economic plan and he most certainly doesn't have a fiscal strategy."

Mr Swan said Mr Abbott so far had chalked up $21 billion of uncosted spending commitments
and submitted less than 1.5 per cent of those commitments to Treasury scrutiny.

"This is dodgy brothers economic shambles from the Liberal Party, nothing more and
nothing less," Mr Swan said.

The coalition was in the process of "eroding our surpluses", he added.

This comes as Prime Minister Julia Gillard's invitation to a debate about the economy
continues to be rejected by Mr Abbott.

Mr Abbott said the prime minister had her chance at debating him and he won't disrupt
his campaign now because the Labor campaign was struggling.

Meanwhile, the unions believe that a coalition government will put around 100,000 manufacturing
jobs at risk.

The leaders of the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and the Australian Manufacturers
Workers Union (AMWU) said on Thursday that an Abbott government will cut industry assist
programs such as Enterprise Connect and slash the Green Car fund.

"States like Queensland could see 18,400 jobs disappear while in NSW up to 30,000 jobs
could disappear," AWU national secretary Paul Howes said.

"Tony Abbott's ideological hatred of government programs will see him kill off important
assistance to our manufacturing sector."

AAP lxs/klm/jsh

KEYWORD: POLL10 ECONOMY SWAN UPDATE

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