[Greens-Media] Pre-election: Government grabs extra printing funds

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Pre-election: Government grabs extra printing funds

As the nation enters the pre-election year, the government is using its
Senate dominance to give MPs an extra $25,000 printing allowance each
(the allowance will rise from $125,000 to $150,000), Greens Leader Bob
Brown said today.

The 86 Coalition MPs will receive $12.9 million printing allowance for
the year, and coalition Senators $780,000. Total: $13.68 million.

"It's a straight-out raid on taxpayers money to fund sitting members'
election campaigns and to disadvantage everyone else," Senator Brown
said.

The Greens will move to disallow the funding hike.

"At 5 cents per printed sheet, the government will have enough to print
258,000,000 pieces of paper - equivalent to 25 pieces of junk mail in
every Australian household letterbox," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603


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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au