Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Canberrans feared the worst from the Abbott-Turnbull government's budget last night, because we know what Liberal government budgets mean for Canberra. We saw it under former Prime Minister Howard. We saw it under former Prime Minister Abbott. Last night, we saw it on show again with Prime Minister Turnbull: more Liberal cuts to Canberra; cuts to Canberra's economy; cuts to our community; cuts to Canberra's public service; and cuts to our national institutions. These are cuts we should not be asked to absorb.

We found out last night that the Abbott-Turnbull government is cutting a further $1.9 billion from the Public Service. What do we get in return? Three hundred thousand dollars of investment in this city. It is absolutely outrageous. Those opposite say this budget is about jobs—which is true. It is about cutting thousands of jobs here in Canberra. That comes on top of thousands of public service jobs that have already been cut. It is about ripping thousands of pay packets out of the Canberra economy. It is about sacking the customers of Canberra's retailers and tradies. The National Library is losing one in 15 people; the National Film and Sound Archive, one in 14; the National Gallery, one in 12. For Canberra, the Treasurer is right: this budget is about jobs. It is about how many Canberrans will lose theirs. (Time expired)

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