Wollongong MP, Paul Scully, told the NSW Parliament last night that the Wollongong electorate’s 20,000 families have each been hit with an $800 per year ‘investment deficit’ during the life of the O’Farrell/Baird and Berejiklian Governments.
After analysing the last seven budgets under the Liberals and comparing them with the last seven years of the previous NSW Labor Governments, Mr Scully revealed that the former Labor Government had invested more than $5400 per family more in the Wollongong electorate than the current Liberal Government.
Over the last seven budgets of the previous Labor Government—that is 2004-5 to 2010-11—total capital spending in the Wollongong electorate was $535.7 million.
Under the Liberal Governments total capital expenditure in the Wollongong electorate was $424.4 million - $111.3 million less than in the last seven years of Labor (without adjusting for inflation).
Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, has previously claimed that "Wollongong always does better under a Liberal-Nationals Government.”
And the Premier has suggested “The Illawarra has never had it so good.”
Mr Scully told the NSW Parliament last night that both claims were “rubbish.”
Mr Scully also highlighted the initiatives contained in the $225 million Illawarra Jobs Action Plan, which he said would “build on Wollongong's strengths, to back Wollongong's potential and to invest in the Illawarra's future.”
Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:
“My analysis of the former Labor Governments investment in Wollongong versus the current Liberal Government reveals that Labor invested more than $5400 per family more than the Liberals – contrary to the Treasurer’s claim to have invested more.
“The NSW Liberals have never matched, let alone ever exceeded, the investments of previous Labor Governments in Wollongong.
“The NSW Liberals have engineered an ‘investment deficit’ in the third largest city in New South Wales.
“NSW Labor has announced a fully costed $225 million Illawarra Jobs Action Plan, which will build on our strengths and invest in our future – the Berejiklian Government should match it.”
