Fed: people want tax cuts and more spending - Abbott

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2004
Fed: people want tax cuts and more spending - Abbott

CANBERRA, April 28 AAP - Australians wanted to see both tax cuts and more spending
on essential services from any federal Budget surplus, Health Minister Tony Abbott said
today.

An ACNielsen poll in Fairfax newspapers showed Australians were cool on large tax cuts
tipped for next month's Budget, but preferred more spending on public services.

But Mr Abbott said giving back surplus government revenue to the people was a government
priority.

"What people want is a bit of both," he told Channel Nine.

"They want more investment in health and education and the government has certainly
delivered that in spades over the last few months.

"I also think that any money which the government isn't using for important national
purposes does need to be given back to people.

"In the end, government doesn't have a dollar which it doesn't get through taxes or
interest rates and that's why it's important to give anything that's surplus back to people."

AAP dep/was

KEYWORD: POLL ABBOTT

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