Tony Abbott and Andrew Robb differ on Coalition spending cuts

   Matt Johnston
   From: Herald Sun
   September 05, 2011 12:00AM

OPPOSITION finance spokesman Andrew Robb has contradicted Tony Abbott over how much government spending the Coalition could cut if it was in power.

Mr Robb warned every portfolio was open to scrutiny in a bid to identify up to $70 billion in savings.

Last month Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said $70 billion was a "fanciful figure" being spun by Labor.

"It's plucked from the air by government ministers," Mr Abbott told ABC 24.

Yesterday Mr Robb told Channel 10's Meet the Press program the figure was real.

"It's not a furphy. We came out with the figure," Mr Robb said.

"It is a furphy to call it a 'black hole'. That is just Labor's spin again to avoid any discussion about why we are looking at $70 billion as the sort of out-marker."

To work out how to get to that out-marker, Mr Robb said no section of government was sacred.

"There's not one area of any portfolio that is really protected," he said.

"We are looking at even the cost of rental, of accommodation, we are going down to every level."

The finance spokesman said the Coalition would have to wait and look at up to two Budgets before the 2013 election to finalise spending decisions.

"It's a bit premature for us to make final decisions on all sorts of programs," he said.

"What we have to do is identify the real cost of so much of it, so we can see ... what is it we can spend, what do we need to cut to do any spending."