Fed: Budget to remain in surplus despite war: Howard
CANBERRA, April 6 AAP - The federal Budget would remain in surplus despite the drainon federal coffers caused by the war in Iraq, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Mr Howard said the war would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but not as muchas many people believed.
Many analysts have predicted the cost of Australian involvement in the war to be between$600 million and $800 million.
"It's going to cost some hundreds of millions. Just exactly I can't tell you untilit's over," he told the Seven Network.
"We will still have a surplus Budget."
Mr Howard said the government would maintain the surplus through strong financial managementand limiting spending to areas which really mattered.
"And the strong economy will continue to produce quite solid revenue," he said.
He also hinted that elements of the work and family package could fall by the wayside.
"We never said that we were going to have that in this Budget," he said.
"We are still doing quite a lot of work on that."
He said the government had already addressed many of the imbalances in the work versusfamily trade-off.
"There are always areas where you could do more if you have the capacity, and I thinkit will remain in that category," Mr Howard said.
AAP rft/cdh/de
KEYWORD: IRAQ HOWARD BUDGET
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