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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Lucy Bladen

Lee launches attack on Barr's 'litany of broken promises'

The Canberra Liberals have launched an attack on Chief Minister Andrew Barr ahead of the ACT budget, claiming he has delivered a "litany of broken promises" over the last decade.

The party has analysed years of speeches by Mr Barr and used budget day to start a new campaign which they have dubbed "Barr's Bogus Budgets".

"As Andrew Barr delivers his 13th budget today, it is clear Canberrans cannot trust that he will deliver on his promises," Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said.

Ms Lee hit out at budget commitments announced over recent weeks which she said were repeated announcements. This included a Gungahlin health centre, the Athllon Drive duplication and information about the new theatre, stadium and convention centre.

"What we have seen from Andrew Barr over the last two weeks are re-announcements on commitments he has made previously but failed to deliver to Canberrans," she said.

"Canberrans are sick of hearing about feasibility studies, design concepts and international study tours from Andrew Barr on major infrastructure projects.

"It is clear from all the delays and reannouncements he is incapable of delivering them."

Many of the budget promises referenced by the opposition are previous commitments from Mr Barr with the announcements over recent weeks being budget funding.

The Liberals' new campaign is focused on promises they claim have been broken by Mr Barr.

The party analysed 12 years of budget speeches from Mr Barr and say he has made at least 150 broken promises.'

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

Many of the promises focus on vows of surpluses in forward years which were never delivered.

It also discusses references made by Mr Barr to increasing the stock of public housing, which has been at some of the lowest levels in a decade over recent years, and health infrastructure which was changed or delayed.

Some of the so-called broken promises also include references to Mr Barr discussing the territory's triple-A credit rating more than a decade ago. The rating was downgraded last year.

The Liberals' policy document appears to hit out at a policy from Mr Barr to attract skilled migrants to Canberra, which was in last year's speech.

"Bizarre policy which will increase housing demand when Barr has already admitted there are housing shortages," the Liberals' document said.

They also criticised this statement from Mr Barr from the same speech: "Real wage increases are part of the deliberate economic architecture of the ACT."

"Andrew Barr complains about cost of living, then thinks it's a good idea to embed inflationary pressures in wage system," the Liberals' document said.

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