Joe Hockey - The Opposition's Perspective
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has revealed his one regret during
the Coalition's time in power was that he "didn't push John Howard
harder to go".
Mr Hockey made the admission during questioning as part of
the opposition's perspective at CEDA's recent State of the
Nation conference.
Combining a speech, interview and audience Q&A, the session
provided conference attendees with a more personal perspective on
Mr Hockey along with an overview of priorities for the Liberal
Party.
Mr Hockey said if in power priorities for the Liberal Party
would be to tighten government spending and return the budget to
surplus, and reduce the tax burden on business by repelling the
carbon and mining taxes.
In addition he said they would address the
excessive regulation that is hindering productivity and
competition.
Asked about the first three things the Liberal Party would do if
they were elected tomorrow, Mr Hockey said the first would be
to get across the details of the risks in the budget and have an
options paper developed on how to minimise those risks.
The second he said would be to make some hard decisions about
expenditure cuts, highlighting that the public service in Canberra
had increased by 20,000 full time employees since Labor was elected
in 2007 and a Liberal Government would aim to cut that through
natural attrition by 12,000 over 2 years.
Thirdly he said a priority would be "not to be cautious - to be
prepared to take the sort of risks that are so necessary to improve
the Australian economy and so far as we can, inoculate us against
the challenges ahead".
Mr Hockey said "rather than greasing the economy" Labor was
"putting sand in the gears".
In particular, he raised concerns about the current rate of
productivity.
"Productivity has not just slowed its rate of growth, it's
actually fallen over the three and a half years of this
government," he said.
"It's a serious failing because it's only though productivity
growth that Australia's long run standard of living can be
increased.
"Australians would be getting poorer under this government if it
were not for the mining boom which provides the clearest example
that Labor is benefitting from good luck rather than good
management."
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