Today’s budget fails to address the significant cost-of-living pressures that are plaguing all Canberrans and is once again littered with re-announcements of previous promises that the Chief Minister’s failed to deliver, says Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee.

“The so-called cost-of-living announcements made by Andrew Barr just highlight how out of touch he is with no acknowledgement of how tough Canberrans are doing it at the moment,” she says.

The budget papers have also highlighted that debt is anticipated to reach almost $20 billion, up from $17.4 billion which will cost Canberrans an eye watering $855 million a year alone on interest repayments. To put that into context, the annual interest bill alone is almost the anticipated cost of the entire North Canberra Hospital.

The deficit is also anticipated to be over $1billion, which is double what was forecast last year.

“The interest repayments alone will cost each Canberra household almost $5000 a year. This is staggering and Canberrans are right to be outraged at the opportunity cost lost as a result of this Labor-Greens government’s fiscal mismanagement,” Ms Lee said.

“Andrew Barr has not once delivered a surplus and based on the budget released today, he never will.

“For all the spending and all the debt, Canberrans have every right to ask where the money has gone because it certainly has not gone on delivering infrastructure projects that have been promised year after year.

“Canberrans have the opportunity this October to make sure that Andrew Barr’s 13^th budget is his last budget.”

Barr targets living cost pressure in pre-election budget