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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull lent weight to Jeremy Hanson's bid for government at the Liberals' buoyant campaign launch on Tuesday night, in a speech that failed to mention the tram but focused instead on the budget. Mr Turnbull said the ACT's budget was in deficit and the Liberals were the only party that would deliver fiscal responsibility. "Families in the ACT know that they cannot live beyond their means forever – eventually the debt collector comes knocking. The same is true of governments; we have to balance our books too," he told a packed room at the Rex Hotel where candidates were welcomed to the sound of Tonight's Going to be a Good Night. Mr Turnbull told campaign volunteers they were "the secret weapon against Labor and the might of the unions", with Labor likely to mount an aggressive ground campaign with a large field force of union members and others. And he said after the Liberals narrowly missed out in 2012, the party could now end 15 years of Labor government. "Jeremy has the vision and the great plans for a growing and prosperous Canberra. With 22 years in the ADF he knows how to face big challenges and build a strong team around him to get the job done," he said. "Jeremy is a proven leader. He has demonstrated that in the most challenging of circumstances." In his speech, Mr Hanson said he had spoken to Mr Turnbull about the tram before the launch. "We do know that you love public transport, Prime Minister, we know that. And trams work in certain cities where there's high population density and cities are compact ... but they are the wrong option for Canberra, and the experts tell us that." Mr Hanson enticed a "don't do it" out of Mr Turnbull when he quoted one estimate of the cost of the entire tram network at $14 billion, or, as a proportion of the territory economy, equivalent to six national broadband networks (as a proportion of the national economy). Mr Hanson said the Liberals would be cautious with spending money, but the election was not just about the government budget, but about household budgets, with rates rises causing pain for many. "We will restore ethical government to the ACT. I will establish an ICAC and all of those deals that have been done by Mr Barr and Mr Rattenbury will be referred to the ICAC for investigation. And we will get the priorities right for the ACT. We will fix the health system. That is my No.1 priority." The launch, held with pre-poll voting well in train and polling day less than a fortnight away, was attended by former longtime Liberal senator Margaret Reid but not by Senator Zed Seselja who led the Liberals at the 2012 election but couldn't make Tuesday's event. Mr Hanson made two more campaign promises, including an expansion to the Calvary Hospital emergency department, costing $12.5 million, with 12 new nurses, eight new short-stay beds, a new procedure room and a paediatric consultation room. Labor has already promised $15 million to upgrade Calvary's emergency department. Mr Hanson said the Liberals would spend $4.2 million on mental health facilities at Calvary, and $1.64 million on midwifery care. Labor and Liberal have matched promises like-for-like in education and health through the campaign, with some differences, including the Liberals' new "local public hospitals", which the party confirmed would replace the nurse-led walk-in centre in Tuggeranong. The walk-in centre in Belconnen would remain. But Labor health spokeswoman Meegan Fitzharris said the free walk-in centres in Belconnen and Tuggeranong were popular, open 7.30am-10pm, seeing more than 30,000 patients last year and easing pressure on emergency departments. At the Liberal launch, Mr Hanson also extended his schools infrastructure program to private schools. He has already promised to spend $60 million on public schools, and $25 million on special needs, a promise matched recently by Labor, which upped the ante, offering $85 million on public schools and $15 million in grants to private schools. On Tuesday, Mr Hanson said he would spend $15 million upgrading private schools. He promised land for a new private school in West Belconnen, following its promise for a Catholic school in Molonglo.

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