SENATOR GLENN STERLE

LABOR SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DUTY SENATOR FOR HASLUCK

TRUSS REMINDS COUNCILS THEY HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF

Warren Truss has celebrated the latest payments to local councils under the Financial Assistance Grants program.

But there is a problem.

Warren Truss and Tony Abbott cut Financial Assistance Grants by almost $1 billion, in their first Budget.

This year’s Budget showed that the Government’s decision to freeze the indexation of these payments will continue to hit councils hard over the next two years.

Warren Truss today proudly proclaimed that “councils are free to spend their allocation according to local priorities, be it for infrastructure, health, recreation, environment or employment projects”.

Warren Truss is right, Councils are free to decide.

Council are free to decide if they want decent roads or decent local health facilities because, thanks to the Abbott Government, they can’t afford both.

Councils are free to decide if they want parks for local families or sporting fields, because they can’t afford both.

Councils have been ripped off by the Abbott Government and it is local communities who are paying the price.

By 2017-18 the funding base for local councils is estimated to be 13 per cent lower than it should have been without the impact of the freeze.

If Tony Abbott wins the next election there will be nothing to stop this government going even further.

Labor will continue to stand up for the needs of local communities because it is clear the Abbott Government has stopped listening.

WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST 2015