Tony Abbott promises to release full list of Coalition spending cuts by Thursday

Updated

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has promised to release the full list of Coalition spending cuts by Thursday, saying it will include "relatively modest" additional budget savings that will not be popular with everyone.

Labor has been attacking the Coalition for not releasing its costings, accusing it of hiding the facts from voters.

Mr Abbott says $31 billion in savings was outlined last week, and that the full costings will be spelled out after the Coalition has announced all of its policies.

He has told ABC's Insiders program voters will have more than a day to consider the measures.

"There will be some further relatively modest savings announced later in the week but I don't think anyone is going to think at the end of this week 'my God there is this massive fiscal squeeze coming'," he said.

Asked if Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would be aware of the full costings when he gives a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday, Mr Abbott replied: "It is not so much whether Kevin Rudd will know, the important thing is will the Australian people know? The answer is yes, they will."

If the details are published after Wednesday, it will be during the electronic media black-out period, when parties are banned from buying space on TV and radio for political advertising.

There will be some further relatively modest savings announced later in the week, but I don't think anyone is going to think at the end of this week 'my God there is this massive fiscal squeeze coming'. Tony Abbott

The Opposition Leader says although there will be "changes that people won't like", such as the already-announced plan to scrap the School Kids Bonus, he does not think the cuts will impact on "ordinary Australians".

"I want to give people this absolute assurance: no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to pensions, and no changes to the GST," he said.

But Finance Minister Penny Wong says that is not good enough, and there is no reason why costings cannot be released sooner.

"What we have seen in this election campaign is the Opposition Leader playing hide and seek with the Australian people. That's the reality," she told ABC News 24.

"The only reason you would hold back everything until this last week in an election campaign, where the economy is so important, where your economic spoke people have said they want to end the age of entitlement, is because you want to hide what your true plans are."

Syria crisis: 'baddies versus baddies'

Mr Abbott also addressed the crisis in Syria during the wide-ranging interview that also touched on asylum seeker policy, climate change and government assistance for business.

US president Barack Obama has asked Congress to authorise military action against Syria in the wake of an alleged chemical weapons attack, which opposition groups claim killed more than 1,400 people.

Mr Abbott says it would be "terrific" if a political solution could be reached, but admitted that is unlikely.

It is not goodies versus baddies, it is baddies versus baddies and that is why it is very important that we don't make a very difficult situation worse. Tony Abbott on the crisis in Syria

"We have a civil war going on in that country between two pretty unsavoury sides," he said.

"It is not goodies versus baddies, it is baddies versus baddies and that is why it is very important that we don't make a very difficult situation worse."

He says Australia should play a diplomatic role and leave any military intervention to America, France and Britain.

Senator Wong was quick to seize on Mr Abbott's comments.

"Can you imagine him at the G20: 'Barack, it's baddies versus baddies'," she said.

"I've yet to see a leader of a federal political party wanting to to be PM who would be this embarrassing when it comes to foreign policy."

But Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne says Mr Abbott has an extremely sophisticated grasp of the Syrian conflict.

"Most see the world though a good side and a bad side and that you have to choose one or the other," he said.

"It's actually more sophisticated to recognise - as Penny Wong hasn't today, because she's not very sophisticated when it comes to foreign policy - that in fact in the Syrian war both sides are very unattractive."

Abbott says he's up to the job on foreign policy issues

It is not the first time Labor figures have questioned Mr Abbott's foreign policy nous.

Last week, as world powers considered their response to the deadly attack in Syria's capital Damascus, Mr Rudd attacked Mr Abbott's foreign policy credentials.

"I sometimes question, I really do question, having known Mr Abbott for a long, long time, whether he really has the temperament for that sort of thing," Mr Rudd said.

Australia yesterday took over the leadership of the United Nations Security Council, and whoever is prime minister next year will host the G20 meeting.

The Opposition Leader says he is up to the job.

"I was a minister for nine years in a successful government. I was leader of the House of Representatives for six years in a successful government. I worked very closely with John Howard and Alexander Downer," he said.

"Sure, I don't have the overseas experience that they had at the end of their time, but I have the overseas experience that they had at the beginning of their time and look how well they turned out."

Meanwhile Mr Abbott repeated previous pledges to repeal the "dumb" carbon tax, curb the number of asylum seeker boats coming to Australia and strengthen the economy.

He says he is not taking anything for granted ahead of Saturday's poll, but emphasised that he is ready to lead the nation.

"I am incredibly conscious of what an extraordinary privilege it is to lead a major political party and should we win the election, I will be acutely conscious of the burden of duty and responsibility that has descended upon my shoulders," he said.

"I will be very conscious of that.

"But, I think I am ready, my team is ready, our plan is ready and we can produce a better country."

Topics: federal-elections, elections, government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

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