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Labor denies pork-barrelling accusations

Katy Gallagher says cost of living measures need to provide a return that won't add to inflation.

Katy Gallagher says cost of living measures need to provide a return that won't add to inflation. Photo: AAP

Labor has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” by the Liberals over pork-barrelling accusations after a review of its spending commitments ahead of the federal election.

Opposition finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher defended the accusations, saying making spending announcements was different from the federal government “allocating funding for political purposes”.

“We are making commitments across a whole range of seats,” she told the ABC after Nine newspapers reported that Labor’s spending promises strongly favoured target and marginal electorates.

“We have been very clear and transparent about where those commitments.”

But the ACT senator was unable to name a single safe Coalition seat where a local spending announcement had been made.

“I don’t have the breakdown of all of the projects in front of me [but] I can tell you the vast majority of our projects go right across the country,” Senator Gallagher said.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese also denied the pork-barrelling accusations, saying while some spending commitments were in Labor electorates, they would be used to benefit broader communities.

“I note one of the plans that have been criticised is a plan that I announced on the weekend for funding for Henson Park [that] happens to be in my electorate,” he told the Nine Network.

“Guess what? The Sydney Swans are going to have a women’s team next year and it’s going to operate out of Henson Park. In order to have a women’s AFL team, you need women’s change rooms and facilities to increase women’s participation in sport.”

Mr Albanese will be in Brisbane on Wednesday as he tries to claw back Labor support in Queensland to his path to government in May.

Education and women spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek and local MP for the seat of Lilley Anika Wells will also campaign across the city.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is on the second day of his Western Australia tour after touching down in the state on Tuesday for the first time since borders reopened.

Mr Morrison will deliver a keynote address to the Chamber of Commerce and industry business breakfast in Perth on Wednesday morning before visiting businesses in the city’s outer suburbs.

-AAP

Topics: Labor
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