NSW: NSW forced to pay for Howard's pork barrelling - Carr

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2004
NSW: NSW forced to pay for Howard's pork barrelling - Carr

SYDNEY, April 3 AAP - The people of NSW were being forced to pay for Prime Minister
John Howard's pork barrelling in the leadup to a federal election, NSW Premier Bob Carr
said today.

Mr Howard reportedly is expected to start a pre-budget spending splurge next week with
a $100 million early childhood package.

The Sydney Morning Herald today reported that would be followed soon after by research
and innovation measures costing $1 billion a year and a major program to upgrade the Pacific
and Hume highways.

"At the same time John Howard is cutting funding to NSW he is using billions of dollars
of the commonwealth surplus to shore up his failing election stocks," Mr Carr told reporters
in Sydney.

The premier has been an outspoken critic of the Commonwealth Grants Commission plan
to cut $376 million a year to the state.

He says the cuts have forced his government to hand down a mini-budget on Tuesday,
expected to include a slew of cuts to cope with an expected state Budget deficit.

"John Howard could have afforded to give the money back," Mr Carr said.

"We now know that as we look at the huge surplus he is sitting on (and) prepared to
spend in the lead-up to his election.

"It's all at the expense of NSW families."

Mr Carr would not be drawn on the specifics of the mini-budget.

But he did seem to rule out cuts to the education budget, re-stating his government's
commitment to continue its funding to reduce class sizes in the early years of school.

"We are thinking outside the square to overcome the problems of the federal government
cuts, and the big pay hikes for teachers and nurses, which we are happy to pay, but which
do cost the budget money."

AAP smb/cdh/sjb

KEYWORD: BUDGET CARR

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