Equitist wrote on Nov 7^th, 2010 at 6:13pm:


Thats not what I read today.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/greens-told-to-cough-up-costings/story-e6frf7kx-1225948859612

VICTORIAN taxpayers would pay more than more than $20 billion in the next four years to cover the true cost of policies presented by the Victorian Greens, it has been revealed.
The Greens have made pre-election pledges on everything from poker machine cuts to "death taxes" and the re-introduction of tram conductors in the lead-up to the November 27 state poll, but have failed to say how much their promises will cost or how they will be paid for.

A Department of Treasury and Finance analysis offers an insight into how hard the public purse and State Budget will be hit if only 15 of the party's major policies were introduced.

The figure does not factor in any of the Greens' more contentious policies, such as building 15 new tram lines and nine route extensions, introducing heroin injecting rooms, free statewide dental care, closing coal-fired power stations and forcing every Victorian home to have a water-saving shower head.

But Upper House Greens member Greg Barber said it was "not their (the Treasury department's) job to do an analysis", especially since the Government was in caretaker mode.

"I'll be seeking a meeting with Treasury," he said.

The estimated costs of major Greens' policies for the next four years, prepared before the State Government entered caretaker mode, show:

ABOLISHING TAFE fees would cost more than $392.5 million;

A HOMES policy aimed at giving one million Victorian houses a "Green makeover" could cost as much $2.57 million;

A PLAN to cut poker machine numbers to 10,000 would cost $2.5 billion - not including the fee of buying pokies back from licensed venues;

BOOSTING child protection services would cost $200 million;

THE cost of axing school fees is estimated at $400 million;

RE-INTRODUCING conductors to Melbourne's tram fleet would cost about $295 million;

STAFFING all train stations would add about $104 million to the Budget; and,

ADDITIONAL concessions to international and post-graduate students would add costs of $140 million.

In past elections, the Greens have presented policies without having to properly account for costings.

But with the chance of a hung Parliament, a possible power-sharing deal between a major and minor party and the possibility of six Greens MPs being elected to the lower house for the first time, the cost of their policies has never been more important.

Treasurer John Lenders said it was time the Greens put their money where their mouths were.

"We call on the Greens to submit their policies for costing by the independent Victorian Treasury," he said.

"At the moment they are hiding the true cost of their election promises just like Tony Abbott did."

Other Greens policy estimates include up to $2.5 billion for new rail links to Melbourne Airport, Doncaster and Rowville, $11.6 billion to build 29,000 social housing units, $400 million for sub-acute medical services over four years and $111 million to upgrade library funding.

They also want to spend an estimated $600 million over four years on early intervention mental health programs, an estimated $400 million on primary care incentives and an extra $400 million on emergency department treatment.

The costing revelations threaten to overshadow the Greens' state election launch by federal leader Bob Brown in Melbourne this afternoon.

Mr Lenders said the Greens should also provide more detail on plans to "plunder the savings of deceased Victorians to pay for their pie-in-the-sky election policies" through death taxes.