NSW: Souris appointment Brogden's first mistake - Egan
SYDNEY, April 2 AAP - New NSW Opposition leader John Brogden had made his first mistakeby giving National Party leader George Souris the Treasury portfolio, the state governmentsaid today.
The former finance minister had presided over some of the state's greatest financialbungles and Budget deficits, NSW Treasurer Michael Egan said today.
Mr Souris had left the state government with a $57 billion debt to pay off after the1995 state election, Mr Egan said.
Taxes on bank accounts also doubled between 1992-93 under his reign, he said.
Mr Souris had also been a senior member of the previous coalition government whichbungled the public-private partnership contracts of the Airport Rail Link and Port MacquarieHospital.
Mr Egan highlighted an auditor-general's report which said the taxpayer's would endup paying twice for the hospital before it was returned to public ownership.
Meanwhile, the airport rail link was meant to be funded entirely by the private sectorbut the botched contract meant an extra $700 million of taxpayer funds had to be injectedinto the deal, Mr Egan said.
Mr Souris was also directly responsible the loss of $50 million of taxpayer funds aftersigning off on an ill-fated investment into Luna Park.
"The appointment of Mr Souris is a great political asset for the government," Mr Egantold reporters.
"In just under 12 months we will have an election in NSW.
"And we will be able to go to the people of NSW with a very stark comparison betweenthe financial responsibility of the Carr government and the financial sloppiness of theprevious coalition when George Souris was minister for finance."
The state government had delivered six Budget surpluses, reduced debt and liabilitiesand also tax rates by more than $1 billion a year, Mr Egan said.
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KEYWORD: BROGDEN EGAN
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