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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Benita Kolovos

Budget management in a time of big-spending Victorian election campaign promises

The City Circle tram passing Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, Australia
Experts have raised concerns about the viability of a Coalition plan to cap the daily fare of public transport in Melbourne at $2 but it was well received by voters. Photograph: Go Australia/Neil Sutherland/Alamy

For decades, the Victorian Coalition has traded on the idea that it is a better economic manager than Labor. Which makes it surprising to see it has so far pledged $19bn more than the government on election promises, while simultaneously vowing to bring “wasteful spending under control”.

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), which tallies political parties’ election commitments ahead of the November election, shows at the time of writing the opposition has announced 216 promises, of which 165 are funded, at a cost of $24bn.

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