Fielding to block funding for mining ads in budget
Senator Steve Fielding Family First’s senator Steve Fielding says he’ll starve the Rudd Government of using taxpayers’ money to fund its mining tax ads by blocking funding for it in the budget.
Senator Fielding said it was ridiculous that the Government could keep using taxpayers dollars to plug its mining tax when it is still yet to be approved by Parliament.
“I’m not going to let the Government get away with wasting taxpayers’ dollars promoting something which isn’t even guaranteed to come into law,” Senator Fielding said.
“If a massive new tax is the Government’s policy position heading into the election, then the Labor party should be paying for the ads out of their own pocket.
“The Rudd Government promised to clean up political advertising during election campaigns but now it’s gone back on that very promise.
“If the Government won’t clean up its own act then it’s up to Family First to make sure not another cent is wasted on this spin.
“How low can this government go before they realise that they can’t just spend taxpayers’ dollars like it’s the company credit card.
“This is an outrageous abuse of taxpayers’ dollars and smacks of total hypocrisy by the Rudd Government.”
Senator Fielding will move amendments to Appropriation Bill 1 in the Senate on Tuesday.
The amendments will prohibit any money from the bill being spent on tax reform advertising.
