OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott showed his softer side ahead of a hard hitting speech during which he asked Australians to "choose change" at the federal election.
Liberal and Nationals supporters gathered in Brisbane on Sunday to hear Mr Abbott launch the coalition's official election campaign.
Mr Abbott promised that if elected on September 7 the coalition would be a competent and trustworthy "no surprises, no excuses government".
"I won't let you down. This is my pledge to you," Mr Abbott said.
Before his address, Mr Abbott was introduced by two of his three daughters.
"My dad looks out for everyone, and I know he will look out for you," said Frances Abbott, standing beside her sister Bridget.
As the Abbott family, including wife Margie Abbott, embraced on the stage of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Mr Abbott declared: "I'm so proud of my girls."
His 32-minute speech included new plans to benefit trade apprentices, self-funded retirees and dementia sufferers.
"He was cool and calm and considered and that's everything the other party (Labor) is not," one Liberal party member, named Jan, told AAP.
Mr Abbott got a thumbs up from former Liberal prime minister John Howard.
"What came through to me was the simple sincerity of his presentation to the Australian people and his focus on the importance of delivering what you promise," Mr Howard told reporters.
About 1000 people attended the launch in the heart of Liberal and Nationals territory.
It was the third successive coalition election campaign launch held in Queensland.
"It's obviously a key battleground," Liberal frontbencher Peter Dutton said.
"It's Kevin Rudd's home state - there is a lot of anger on the ground here."
A small group of union protesters gathered outside, as Mr Abbott appealed to Labor and Australian Greens voters to "give my team a chance".
He promised that within ten years, Australia would have lower taxes, and there would be two million extra jobs in the manufacturing, agriculture, services, education and resource sectors.
Mr Abbott said by the end of a coalition government's first term, the budget would be on track to a "believable" surplus.
The promise extends the timeframe the Labor government has set for a $4 billion surplus in 2016/17.
Within a decade, the budget surplus would be one per cent of gross domestic product, Mr Abbott said.
"And each year, government will be a smaller percentage of our economy."
He again pledged to abolish the carbon and mining taxes, cut company tax and business red tape and shift the industrial relations pendulum "back to the sensible centre".
Mr Abbott highlighted his signature $5.5 billion a year plan to give working women six months parental leave at full pay.
Mr Abbott announced new initiatives totalling $385 million, including plans to index the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card so more self-funded retirees got access to cheaper medicines.
He committed funds for dementia research and to giving young trade apprentices access to HECS-style, interest free $20,000 loans to help pay for their training from next year.
Mr Abbott is expected to begin the final two weeks of the campaign in Brisbane on Monday.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Softer side of Abbott on show
Dengan url
http://flasdiskvirus.blogspot.com/2013/08/softer-side-of-abbott-on-show.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Softer side of Abbott on show
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar