Premier Mike Rann’s promised 15 per cent cut in Ministerial Office budgets is an illusion and yet another example of “Rann Spin”.
“In fact, the Budget documents show Ministerial Office budgets actually increase by $1.2 million this year compared to last year,” Shadow Minister for Finance Rob Lucas said today.
“The Budget papers claim that in 2011-12 there will be a $2.6 million cut in Ministerial Office budgets, which is equivalent to a possible 8.7 per cent cut and not a 15 per cent cut as promised.”
However, as the following table shows, any possible cut will only partly offset the increase in total costs since 2008.
(See attached table)
“The table makes it clear that this promise by Mr Rann is just another example of blatant political spin,” Mr Lucas said.
“Rather than this token policy Mr Rann should adopt the Liberal policy from 2010 to cut three Ministers and about 90 Ministerial staff with savings of about $36 million over four years.”