Minister Missing in Budget Black Hole

Media Release

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

It has been seven days since it was revealed that the Labor Government had a $7 billion black hole in its Budget.

The Minister for Finance has gone missing in this black hole, and has failed repeatedly to explain this dodgy accounting.

Instead of being upfront about the state of her Budget, Minister Gallagher has decided to embark on a ‘national tour’ trying to justify her unfounded bureaucrat binge, which has seen an explosion of 36,000 new public servants - an increase of 20% since Labor was elected.

Shadow Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Senator Jane Hume, said Minister Gallagher needs to come clean on her unbudgeted record public servant wage rises.

“Katy Gallager said that she wanted to be honest about her Budget. Yet she has refused to come clean on how this $7 billion wages bill will be paid for. How was it honest to sign off on books that she knows aren’t honest?

“Katy Gallagher approved the record 36,000 increase in the public service, and the over 11% pay rise. So why didn’t she include it in her Budget?

“Independent economists have been clear, it is simply not possible for the forecast wage bill in Labor’s Budget to be correct, as Minister Gallagher claims it to be.

“The Minister must come clean on this dodgy accounting. And if Minister Gallagher won’t be honest, then this must be rectified in the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook by the Treasury and Finance Secretaries.

“Australians deserve to know the state of the books and a Minister for Finance who is honest with them.”