It’s only words, and words are all I have
The Coalition have delivered a budget full of promises that they hope will win them re-election but, until those promises actually eventuate, they’re only words.
It is perhaps more instructive to examine what the government has actually done with its two terms in office rather than listen to a whole heap of things that haven’t happened yet.
The budget is not in the black. At the end of February, there was a deficit of $10.657 billion. The budget predicts that that will reduce to a deficit of $4.2 billion by the end of June.
They have not paid down “Labor’s debt”. They have increased net debt from $161.2 billion at the end of August 2013 to $370.9 billion at the end of February 2019 despite a strengthening world economy.
The Coalition like to make much of their job “creation”. From November 2007 to September 2013, the Labor Party, whilst negotiating the GFC, created 1.1024 million jobs. The Coalition have, by the end of February 2019, created 1.0952 million jobs.
Ever since the carbon price was removed, emissions have gone up. The latest figures show that emissions to the end of September 2018 were expected to be 2.6% below emissions in 2000. Our commitment was to reduce them to 5% below 2000 levels by 2020. This will only be achieved by dodgy accounting.
Meanwhile we suffer increasingly intense droughts, floods, bushfires and cyclones and the Great Barrier Reef hovers on the edge of extinction as bleaching events come more frequently.
The mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Scheme, with water theft facilitated by the government, has put our largest river system, and all those who rely on it, under great stress.
Instead of a world-class FttP national broadband network that could cope with the demands of the future, we are using aging copper connections that cannot even deal with the demands of today.
Foreign aid has been slashed in every Coalition budget with it now at its lowest level ever. Meanwhile, defence spending has received an increase above and beyond what had been budgeted every year.
Not only did we not get the “rolled gold” paid parental leave for “women of calibre” that we were promised, parental leave entitlements have been cut back with parents no longer able to combine the government leave with workplace leave.
Penalty rates have been cut, wages have stagnated, and job security has been eroded.
Over three million people are living in poverty and more than 100,000 are homeless.
Power prices have skyrocketed and we still don’t have an energy policy.
Little progress has been made on Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage. Aboriginal people are incarcerated at record rates and recommendations from countless reviews remain ignored. In what was a heart-breaking snub, the Uluru Statement From the Heart was summarily dismissed.
In 2012, Australia ranked 7th on Transparency International’s corruption perception index (CPI). By 2015 it had slipped to 13th and has remained there ever since.
In 2014, we were mentioned on the Human Rights watch list for the first time and have scored a mention every year since.
At the end of February, there remained 974 people stuck on Manus and Nauru for whom the government has been unable, or unwilling, to find resettlement places. In September last year, incoming UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet referred to Australia’s offshore processing centres as an “affront to the protection of human rights.”
In July 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern over the rate of gender-based violence against women in Australia, the treatment of asylum seeker and refugee women in offshore detention on Nauru, and the lack of harmonization in state and territory legislation on abortion.
The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders released a report on Australia in February 2018 highlighting efforts to undermine the Australian Human Rights Commission, and how activists face “enormous pressure” and vilification from public officials and media outlets.
It is unsurprising that Australia has fallen out of the top ten on the World Happiness Index this year.
Two sitting Prime Ministers have been knifed by their own party, scandals have abounded, and internecine warfare remains fierce with the hard right inflicting policy paralysis and the Nats deciding it’s every man for himself.
Tony Abbott once asked for the government to be “judged on what we do, not on what we say.”
And so they should be.
The budget is just words and numbers on a bit of paper that cannot erase the reality of the last six years.
The shit-eating grins and smirks need to be well and truly wiped off the faces of the worst government ever.
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Judith
Return to home pageBob Hawke always said he had great faith in the common sense of the Australian Electorate…
I’ve never noticed it myself, to be honest.
Correct as usual, Kaye.
That the mainstream commercial media will try its damnedest to bury the malfeasance, lies and corrupt policies of this mob is a given.
We can just live in the hope that sufficient numbers in the population are sufficiently aware of these media’s fundamental dishonesty to effect a sweeping out of this essentially evil political Party.
Great article Kaye Lee.
It is a pity so many voters in Australia have very short term memories. These pathological liars must be remove from power as soon as possible, they are a disgrace.
This world has lost its glory
Let’s start a brand new story
Well done Kaye Lee.
Friedeggburger, Morriscum plus the IPA inspired LIarbrals and lap-dog water thieving Nat$ misgovernment have produced a smoke & mirrors “Budget” that the MSM have declined to report accurately as showing a deficit for the 2018/2019 financial year. The rest is mere speculation, EXCEPT it appears likely that the about $150 BILLION PER YEAR government free gifts/charity/rebates/allowances/tax deductions for the undeserving wealthy and corporates will likely increase.
Meanwhile, back on the streets, the unemployed and NDIS promisees remain in financial limbo and starving because the ideologically driven LIarbrals have yet to discover that life without the Parliamentary Allowances Scheme and Parliamentary Expenses is more difficult than their sycophants describe.
VOTE ANYONE BUT NAT$ & CHANGE TO A BETTER GOVERNMENT
Did Bob say that in the prelude to an election?
Great summation of the worst government in my living memory, Kaye Lee.
Thanks.
So far as I can recall, yes, he did. But he said it several times.
Another thing that made me puke in this budget was that much of the spending was just giving back some of the spending cuts they made before – they cut funding to ASIC , the ATO and the AFP and then they announce returning some of it like it is some sort of increase?
I should also point out the unnecessary expenses they have put us through – the RC into pink batts, the marriage equality postal thingy, by-elections for dual citizenship, the double dissolution election which gave us Senators like Malcolm Roberts and Fraser Anning and Rod Culleton and David Leyonjhelm, And for what? The chosen head of the new ‘tough cop on the beat’ ABCC was prosecuted and sacked for breaching the Fair Work Act and the ROC is embroiled in the court case regarding media leaks about a political raid on the AWU. Their court cases have cost us millions.
Meanwhile they slash funding to the CSIRO and the ABC.
And I haven’t even mentioned Peter Dutton’s superministry where the two top bosses had to quit because of affairs with junior staffers, where the cost of medals is greater than for the military, where the auditor general has produced scathing criticism of waste and mismanagement in several reports, where a phone call to the Minister gets your non-working visa au pair entry into the country, and who has paid out hundreds of millions in compensation to refugees and staff.
How many more sleeps? Putting it all together is not good for my anger levels.
Indeed. We must remember.
Hm, bookies odds fluctuated briefly, showing minor some movement given yesterdays pre-budget announcements:
Labor 1.17 (tightened from 1.18)
Coalition 4.85 (widened from 4.50)
In the previous month there had been some fluctuations at down & out to, 1.14 & 5.00 respectfully. Stable in the week prior to Budget night at 1.18 & 4.50 respectively.
24 hours later again reverted & stabilised at the previous norm of:
Labor 1.18
Coalition 4.50
Intriguing. An early indicator the ‘buy the election’ budget is too little & six years too late, & transparently ‘targeted‘ ? Voters insulted ?
Confidently predict this will be the deadest of dead cat Budget bounces ever.
Given the increase of the House of Reps seats to 151 seats & AEC re-distributions, the Coalition must win 4 seats whilst losing none to retain government. Under lipstick on the pig of policies, Turnbull they lost 14 (then(2016) +1, now -1 majority).
No matter how one does the numbers based on the quarterly, fortnightly & State polls, cannot massage them to approach a coalition win. This is whilst excluding the effect of newly enrolled youngin’s at the 2016 election & the Marriage Equality ‘Survey’. The combined effect of those new enrollments alone, in isolation, will probably result in the additional loss of ~3+ seats compared to 2016 result.
That means effectively ~7 seats down before the polls open, even if there was a ZERO 2PP swing compared to 2016. All of course pending unforeseen … events.
Looking at bookies odds is instructive. It’s like looking at what stockbrokers say.
Interestingly, the bookies are suggesting Labor will get 81 to 85 seats ($2.75) with Labor 86 to 90 seats at $4, Labor 76 to 80 seats at $4.25, Labor 91 to 100 seats at $5. Labor getting 71 to 75 seats is at $8.
There is belated recognition that the unemployed have power bills and so the lolly of one off subsidy has been put back in the bowl of promises.
To talk of the pink batts R.C. is to perpetuate the lie. Pink batts were never a problem, it was the substitution of foil product of similar rating for the convenience of primary contractors even though the foil product was never designed to be retrofitted, but designed to be installed directly under the roof or wall cladding preferably supported by chook wire or similar not stapled haphazardly to ceiling joists.
As surely as that R.C. found culpability for not heeding the warnings of electrical trades will future Royal Commissions find the singleminded pursuit of private profit, and deafness to expert advice to be root of the ongoing catastrophe of this ATM government.
I should also point out the unnecessary expenses they have put us through…
Opening and then the other day quietly closing the Christmas Island detention centre. Not a single refugee set foot in the centre.
Cost $185m.
The stockmarket & stockbrokers are especially susceptible to transitory & periodic speculation & outright manipulation. When the margin in 2PP polling has been so rigidly negative since 2013 & especially with sustained 2PP margins of ~6%+ within the MOE, the accuracy of the poll predictions tend to be ‘low ball’, IMHO. As at ‘today’ reasonably probable result would be, conservatively, ~90+ seats, IMV.
What a great read, Kaye, full of information that should be in the head of every Australian. If billy can get some of it into the heads of the workers who vote lnp the bookies odds are worth taking. Can he stir the morning autocue ‘journos’ into asking the right questions???
ps common sense cannot cope with fear
Keeping promises has not been a strong point of the LNP, as you point out so well, Kaye.
The economy is not in the black, it is a projection for the next financial year … just political spin.
The NBN is still a shambles, and for many of those who do have a working NBN, internet speeds are not what had been promised.
The LNP have stuffed up post secondary education.
The LNP can’t administer themselves, so how can we expect them to maintain proper governance of the policies announced last night.
Climate change is on the back burner.
Abbott’s words about noting what they have done being a measure that we should consider, provides a skewer.
Leopards do not change their spots.
All this focus, always, on a surplus. Might be nice, but isn’t it nicer to have services and support for the community? Not much point having money in the bank if you have nowhere for ppl to live and not enough to eat.
Do you think ppl will work this out, or will they be fooled yet again by the spin?
Goodness knows what we will suffer if they are re-elected.
Why on earth would anyone want this government back unless you like clowns and circuses…
You might as well get Pauline and her clowns to lead the country…
Couldn’t watch Frydenburg’s Budget speech, the Drum at ten was better viewing……
Not just words, Kaye Lee – lies and smirks. I could not bear to watch Smirky McSmirkFace continuously in the picture behind the over-earnest Josh last night – I had trouble keeping my dinner down. Schoolboy stuff.
Mobius, there has to be an inquiry into this unbelievable misuse of money on the Christmas Island stunt. As Scott Ludlam points out, these thieving, lying rogues have spent $180 million on a press conference – in spite of all the shouting and waving of arms just a month or so back not a single refugee has been transported from Manus or Nauru. It beggars belief and they must not be allowed to get away with this!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/03/we-paid-180m-for-scott-morrison-to-have-a-press-conference-on-christmas-island
First time in over 30 years I couldn’t bring myself to watch these tossers deliver a budget I value my tv too much to put it in harms way of a shoe being cast in fury at this mob of inept lying toerags parading their mendacious message.
The ABC has been showing ‘man in the street’ reactions and every one I have heard has been positive for the Coalition – the baubels are catching the eye of the people.
Kaye. It depends on the street. The ABC cannot be trusted as a neutral commentator any longer, and I wouldn’t e surprised if some editing was involved.
Phil Coorey was interviews on RN today and was very circumspect. He said there had never actually been ‘budget bounce’ after ANY budget but this one being an election budget may be different but he doubts it. I expected him to be quite supportive of it, but he seemed underwhelmed.
Yes….
“to take your heart away”.
Jack, I note that Phil Coorey said of the Coalition last week: “if they floated a duck it would sink”. How true!
Frank.
Yes, but as he was interviewed as the economic spokesman for the newly-acquired AFR, I would have expected him to be as ‘excited’ as the Murdoch minions appear to be. Ethical journalism is an endangered species in Australia nowadays.
Moebius @ 2.37:
please tell us more!
KL
Was the footage continuous vox populi ? Or was it selectively edited ?
Frankly, given this just published, the ABC may be less than determined to strive for balance …
(1) A single mother who earns $60,000/pa for three days work a week. Comment: Regular Labor voter, now having a rethink.
(2) A couple, both working, on $100,000/pa. Comment: Undecided.
(3) Lastly another couple, both working, on $220,00/pa. Comment: Always vote Lib always will.
A representative balanced sample ? sigh
Good one, Frank Smith.
Those people were the only three interviewed on 7:30 report Alcibiades. Not one person said I cannot vote for a government who refuses to act on climate change….etc etc etc No Labor or Green voters out there if you listen to the ABC.
Offer them $20 a week and they are yours. I also note them claiming the biggest tax cut since John Howard. I seem to remember Julia Gillard raising the tax free threshold to $18,200 thus reducing someone on $18,200’s tax by $1,830 a year. The BIG tax cuts from the Coalition are for the wealthy….quelle surpise.
Miserable cross section, wasn’t it Kaye Lee.
Scary George. Am I so much in a bubble that this is how people really think? They are willing to forget six years of hell for the sake of promises that will likely never eventuate and which are insignificant in the grand scheme of things anyway?
There is an apprehension that the ‘swinging voter’ is a canny analyst, assessing the manifestos and deciding what is best for the country.
I have only met two genuine swinging voters; they chose exclusively on a selfish basis. I spoke to one only this week, a man in his 50s who told me he is going to vote Liberal
for the first tine in his life, purely on the grounds of the franked dividend interest. Otherwise he despises them.
There is nothing noble about the swinging voter.
They somehow have the knack of brainwashing much of the populace. Aspirationals are only a fraction of the problem .even if tonight’s examples are only a more clumsy version of a sedated immaturity that actually afflicts a far larger section of the Australian public.
The public will make the mistake once too often in their anaesthetised complacency. It will then be too late…this is a message even a perfunctory understanding of history demonstrates.
It was a welcome lighter moment, the Hadlee story (relatively speaking), As with the budget case, you wonder that anyone with even less than one brain cell would not understand that Hadley is a creature, but.
ps, did you notice Tingle seemed somewhat subdued tonight?
btw I just about to post and noticed Jack Cade’s posting, which is accurate. God help all of us.
I cannot believe that every self-funded retiree is as selfish as the ones they trot out on tv.
My 96 year old mother was a teacher for almost 40 years. Dad served in WWII so she gets superannuation and a war widows pension but has nursing home fees to pay as well as service the loan for the bond. She is entitled to a low income offset of $445 and a senior and pensioner tax offset of $2,230. Because she doesn’t pay any tax, she cannot claim these offsets. Yet people who own shares are entitled to claim a refund for excess franking credits? Please explain.
“Words are easy, words are cheap……..
And promises can disappear,
Just like writing in the sand.”
And some of the tax reductions are just being ripped off the NDIS. That’s what pricks they are, and the people who know this and say ‘I deserve my Franking Credits.’
Doug Cameron’s parting address today absolutely savaged John Howard and Peter Costello as well as the ‘neo-fascists’ that carry his torch. A memorable farewell. He will be sorely missed. The last of the true believers.
They are using underspends on the NDIS to boost surpluses in the first couple of years and then they start taking a huge whack from the future fund which Costello has been sitting on like a golden egg.
Just like Joe Hockey who gave the RBA $8.8 billion they didn’t ask for to blowout the deficit and blame it on Labor. He then started taking billions back each year from the RBA.
In January last year, Michael West reported “since the $8.8 billion RBA oblation was conferred, the Commonwealth has taken out $6.3 billion in dividends and investment banks have raked in $326 million in trading fees.” (in 2012 and 2013 when Labor was in office – there were no “fees received for banking services”.)
Yes, and Hockey’s parents were Armenian/Palestinian refugees who were so grateful to the ALP for allowing them to come here they named the bloated oaf after Joseph Benedict Chifley. So Hockey not only betrayed his birth nation but betrayed his benefactor.
An emotional Joe Hockey told Parliament of his father’s journey to Australia as a refugee in 1948.
The shadow treasurer said he could not accept the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia without proper human rights protections.
“I will never ever support a people swap where you can send a 13-year-old child unaccompanied to a country without supervision,” he said. “Never. It’ll be over my dead body.”
“The proposed Malaysian solution – what a hideous term it is – is in fact a trade in human flesh,” Liberal frontbencher Bronwyn Bishop told Parliament. “It is swapping human beings from point A to point B, and it is totally and utterly unacceptable to this side of the House.”
But that’s so yesterday…
If you read this and also read the Conservative Budget thread, you start to see why the wannabees, yuppies; “aspirationals” or whatever you want to call them and others are such ideas and emotions free zones.
The sheer immensity of how and why Australia is being dudded both in everyday life and within the corridors of real power, when you consider Vaughan Ewins thread and translate it across a stack of other less significant sectors including agribusiness, banking pharmaceuticals and so forth also demonstrates the psychoticisation of the population, not unlike the community depicted in Fahrenheit 451.
Drugs, depression, suicide on a big scale electronics and isolation, junk tv and smut, gambling, racial, gender and class conflict fanned by faux MSM, a corrupt upper middle class and a blood sucked corpse…that is what will be left.
We have lost authenticity, honesty, generosity, integrity, accountability, transparency, empathy….all the things that matter. But hey…a tax cut.
There are two types of voters in this country and one of them is dominated by gullible idiots.
We stopped into McDonalds to grab a coffee on our long drive home and glanced at the front page of one of the many Daily Telegraphs at the counter. It said something like “Taxed to eat” and blamed it all on Bill Shorten.
Heard an elderly couple behind us – who were reading one of the papers – “Bloody hell, now Shorten wants to tax our food.”
Gullible idiots.
The other type are thinkers.
Overheard a bloke in his 80s say “We’ve go to vote with our grandchildren in mind. We need to do what’s best for them.”
Faith restored.
I watched the Drum ( the later one at ten o’clock, on Tuesday night), the guests there were to my liking, none of them were impressed by Frydenburg & Scottie’s offerings, smart folk…maybe the rare ones….?
Regarding the franking tax refund (not sure of the correct term)…
Given the value of shares compared with the perceived loss due to ALP policy, wouldn’t a more buoyant economy deliver more to the shares portfolio than the removal of this tax refund, if the tax refund was redirected into the economy. So the loss could turn into a gain for astute investors.
It’s just how it seems to me…