NSNS Opposition leader accuses government of spin in budget reply speech

Chris Minns, the NSW Opposition Leader, has criticised the state government for being all spin in his budget reply speech to parliament today.

The speech was used by Minns to outline policies that Labor will take to the state election in March as an alternative to the Coalition government.

After 12 years of Liberal and National government, after four Liberal premiers and four Liberal treasurers, Mr Minns said.

This Premier and this Treasurer have a press release for almost everything, but a plan for almost nothing. He promised that the Labor government would build 100 pre-schools on existing primary schools within its first term of office, and that all new primary schools should be built with a pre-school.

Minns said that the plan would help deliver the government's proposed universal pre-kindergarten a year faster than the current timeline of 2030.

I think we've already waited a long time, Mr Minns said.

It will help deliver universal pre-school for four-year-old children well before 2030. The Opposition has pledged to spend more on toll relief for commuters than the government.

The state budget allocated $520 million for a toll rebate scheme over two years, where commuters would get up to $750 shaved off their annual toll bill once they spend $375.

Labor said it would keep the rebate scheme and add a further $130 million by using the revenue earned from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel tolls.

It doesn't have a policy as to how the toll relief would be delivered.

The government will have to make a decision about the tunnel because of the three years of tolling since it opened, so Minns has ruled out privatising both pieces of infrastructure.

The government hasn't revealed what they will do with this critical piece of transport infrastructure, Mr Minns said.

A NSW Labor government will keep the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel in government hands. The Opposition Leader said he would set targets for government contracts to ensure more go to local industries.

A Labor government would abolish the Transportation Asset Holding Entity, which was set up to run the state's rail profits, and must turn a profit under legislation.

According to Minns, we will deliver a sound plan similar to the model that was previously managed.

The assets they owned were owned by rail operators. The budget reply speech was criticised by the Treasurer Matt Kean for not having vision.

It wasn't a small minded strategy, but it was a little minded strategy, said Kean.

There were no policies for women, no policies for the environment, no policies for climate change, no policies for health, no policies for transport and no policies for housing. Minns said more policy announcements would be made in the lead up to the election, but he said there was a better way to run New South Wales.

Together, we can change the way this works, Minns said.

Only if we change the page on this government, and start anew, with a real and credible plan.