Keneally ignores regional NSW

Friday, 28 January 2011 17:07

Media Releases - Kevin Anderson Media Release

The Nationals Candidate for the seat of Tamworth, Kevin Anderson, said today the NSW Premier showed how out of touch she is with voters in regional areas in pushing for the flood levy to be lowered for Sydneysiders.

The Premier Kristina Keneally said the national flood levy needed to take into account the high cost of living in Sydney. She said she was going to raise the issue of adjusting the tax for Sydneysiders when the Council of Australian Government (COAG) meets next month.

Under the one-off levy taxpayers would pay between $1 to $5 a week to rebuild flood-affected areas.

Mr Anderson said it was hard to believe that the State's leader would only think of people who live in Sydney.

''When you are leading NSW you can't just think about the needs of people in Sydney – there's a lot more to the state than our state capital,'' he said. ''This just shows how little thought there is given to the needs of those of us living in regional NSW.''

Ms Keneally argued that adjusting the levy would help working families in NSW, particularly in western Sydney, who are "already feeling significant cost of living pressures".

But Mr Anderson said that after years of drought and recent unseasonal rain wiping out what could have been one of the best summer harvests in a decade, many families in regional NSW were also doing it tough.

Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird said it was hypocritical of Kristina Keneally to criticise Julia Gillard's new tax.

''It's bit rich for Kristina Keneally to criticise Julia Gillard's tax given the State Labor Government has been responsible for much of the cost of living pain families, pensioners and small businesses in NSW are feeling," Mr Baird said.

''The NSW Liberals & Nationals fully support the reconstruction of flood affected areas across Australia, but Tony Abbott is right, we don't believe it requires a big new tax.

''Labor is addicted to tax and always looks for any excuse to raise taxes," Mr Baird said.

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