WHILE it has been mostly quiet on the western front, no budget lead up would be complete without some posturing between government and opposition.
Premier Geoff Gallop accused the Opposition of “deliberately misleading the public” by claiming the announcement of the police spending increase was actually a $50 million cut.
He said the Opposition was comparing a forward estimate figure that included recurrent and capital appropriation of $599.5 million to the Government’s announced $551.6 million recurrent appropriation for the budget.
“When we add our police capital works appropriation of $65.5 million to the recurrent appropriation of $551.6 million next year, the combined total is $617.1 million,” Premier Gallop said.
“That’s a 12 per cent increase under the Opposition’s formula.”