The advertising campaign launched today by the Rees Labor Government to sell its Budget must be stopped immediately, said Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird.

“We said this was a fanciful document – and now we have the advertising campaign to prove it,” said Mr Baird.

“In a delicious irony, Eric Roozendaal starts his strident savings plan by splashing money on advertising and logos.

“When ever this Government is under pressure, they roll out the marketing campaign – paid for by the people of NSW.

“No wonder we have a Budget in the red, and with behaviour and spending like this, their claims that it will be back in the black in a couple of years, can’t be believed.

“What we see in the Budget papers is the real story of a state in recession and unemployment rising to 8.5 percent over the next 18 months.

“Yet they are running advertisements claiming it’s a job creation and stimulus package.  It’s false advertising.

“The only job creation that’s happening is in the Rees Labor Government’s spin office.

“The NSW Liberal/Nationals policy would introduce legislation to curtail political advertising by requiring the Auditor General to approve advertising campaigns.

“An analysis of the figures highlights the real story of this Budget, which you certainly won’t see being promoted in a Government advertisement:

• Unemployment reaching 8.5 percent, matching the national figure even though NSW has been well above the national rate since September 2005
• Expenditure growth is to miraculously drop from 7.6 percent next year, to 2.8 percent the following year
• To get back into the black, the Rees Labor Government must reduce spending via its public sector reform, but this is highly unlikely as the proposal has no credibility having been simply pinched from Queensland
• The debt and financial liabilities are estimated to total $36,000 per household in three years time, with no plan to pay it back
• Without Kevin Rudd’s money, NSW would have an $8 billion deficit blackhole over the next four years
• There is no additional infrastructure expenditure from the State Government in this Budget – it’s all Kevin’s money
• Retention of the credit rating remains dependent on the sale of the electricity assets but there are serious concerns that deal will not proceed, and if it does, it will be a fire-sale

MEDIA: Wendy Black - 0418 532 534

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