I have
been very distracted over the past couple of weeks by the Australian Government’s
budget. I worried about what the Government might cut, and how it might affect
the poor. My concerns were realised when the Government produced a horror
budget that attacks Australia’s most vulnerable.
been very distracted over the past couple of weeks by the Australian Government’s
budget. I worried about what the Government might cut, and how it might affect
the poor. My concerns were realised when the Government produced a horror
budget that attacks Australia’s most vulnerable.
Hurting
the Unemployed
The budget’s
most appalling measure is that people aged 25 to 30 will have to wait six
months to claim unemployment benefits, then be kicked off them after six months
and have to wait another six months before they can get back onto them. Imagine
the stress of having to live on nothing if you had no family to fall back on. A
25 to 30 year old who moved to the city to work and lost that job would probably
have to move back home again.
most appalling measure is that people aged 25 to 30 will have to wait six
months to claim unemployment benefits, then be kicked off them after six months
and have to wait another six months before they can get back onto them. Imagine
the stress of having to live on nothing if you had no family to fall back on. A
25 to 30 year old who moved to the city to work and lost that job would probably
have to move back home again.
Hurting
the Sick
The
government wants to introduce a seven dollar co-payment for doctor
appointments. Seven dollars can be a lot of money to the poor. This appears to
be an attempt to destroy the universality of the Medicare scheme. A scheme that
was designed to provide quality free health care to all.
government wants to introduce a seven dollar co-payment for doctor
appointments. Seven dollars can be a lot of money to the poor. This appears to
be an attempt to destroy the universality of the Medicare scheme. A scheme that
was designed to provide quality free health care to all.
Hurting
People with Disabilities
People who
were given a disability support pension after 2008 will be reassessed. Imagine the
stress they are going through now. Will the so-called independent government
appointed assessors get bonuses for the number of people with disabilities they
remove from the disability support pension?
were given a disability support pension after 2008 will be reassessed. Imagine the
stress they are going through now. Will the so-called independent government
appointed assessors get bonuses for the number of people with disabilities they
remove from the disability support pension?
Hurting
Education and Health
The government
wants to cut university funding by 20% and then let the universities charge
whatever fees they like. This will leave universities little choice but to put
up fees, massively. It will make university less affordable and leave students
with greater debts when they finish. Imagine if you started a course and then
were incapable of finishing it. I predict the collapse of Victoria University due
to a lack of students.
wants to cut university funding by 20% and then let the universities charge
whatever fees they like. This will leave universities little choice but to put
up fees, massively. It will make university less affordable and leave students
with greater debts when they finish. Imagine if you started a course and then
were incapable of finishing it. I predict the collapse of Victoria University due
to a lack of students.
The
government wants to cut $80 billion out of the health and education budgets of
the states over the next decade. It appears to be an attempt to get the states
to demand that the government increase the GST, which it would obviously be
happy to do. The GST is a regressive tax that hits the poor harder than the
better off.
government wants to cut $80 billion out of the health and education budgets of
the states over the next decade. It appears to be an attempt to get the states
to demand that the government increase the GST, which it would obviously be
happy to do. The GST is a regressive tax that hits the poor harder than the
better off.
Hurting
Families
The
reduction of family tax benefits will massively hurt many.
Other
Measures
I am not
so fussed about the fuel excise increase, which will add only about one cent a
litre per year to the price of petrol. And I really think anyone earning over
$180,000 who can’t afford the debt levy needs to seriously look at their
spending.
so fussed about the fuel excise increase, which will add only about one cent a
litre per year to the price of petrol. And I really think anyone earning over
$180,000 who can’t afford the debt levy needs to seriously look at their
spending.
Bloody
Hypocrites
One
strange thing about the budget is that the government has stopped funding the
energy discounts for pensioners. This is after them repeatedly screaming before
the last election that the carbon tax was hurting the ability of pensioners to
pay their energy bills. The pensioners will be much more impacted by the end of
the discount then they are by the carbon tax, which they received supplementary
payments for.
strange thing about the budget is that the government has stopped funding the
energy discounts for pensioners. This is after them repeatedly screaming before
the last election that the carbon tax was hurting the ability of pensioners to
pay their energy bills. The pensioners will be much more impacted by the end of
the discount then they are by the carbon tax, which they received supplementary
payments for.
No Budget
Emergency
Why does
the Federal Government want to do this? Evidently we have a budget emergency,
even though our budget deficit as a percentage of GDP is just about the lowest
in the western world.
the Federal Government want to do this? Evidently we have a budget emergency,
even though our budget deficit as a percentage of GDP is just about the lowest
in the western world.
If there
was such a drastic need to cut spending in a hurry than why get rid of the half
billion dollars or so the mining tax brings in? Or
the $6.7 billion the carbon tax makes. Why use the $7 Medicare co-payments to
create a research fund instead of using it to pay off debt? (Obviously to try
and wedge the opposition by saying they don’t want to fund research.) And why are does the government want to spend billions
on a gold plated maternity leave scheme when there is already a pretty good
Labour scheme?
was such a drastic need to cut spending in a hurry than why get rid of the half
billion dollars or so the mining tax brings in? Or
the $6.7 billion the carbon tax makes. Why use the $7 Medicare co-payments to
create a research fund instead of using it to pay off debt? (Obviously to try
and wedge the opposition by saying they don’t want to fund research.) And why are does the government want to spend billions
on a gold plated maternity leave scheme when there is already a pretty good
Labour scheme?
An
Ideological Budget
This
is not a budget designed to fix the budget deficit, it is an ideological budget
designed to hit those people and institutions like the CSIRO and the ABC whose
views and lifestyles differ from the rich white men who are currently running
the government.
is not a budget designed to fix the budget deficit, it is an ideological budget
designed to hit those people and institutions like the CSIRO and the ABC whose
views and lifestyles differ from the rich white men who are currently running
the government.
It
is a budget designed to please Rupert Murdoch who tweeted after the coalition
won the last election that now it was time to cut all the welfare fraud.
is a budget designed to please Rupert Murdoch who tweeted after the coalition
won the last election that now it was time to cut all the welfare fraud.
It
is a budget that will divide Australians into two classes, the very rich, and
the rest of us. I hope many in the rest of
us underclass wake up before they lose their lifestyles, and vote those rich
white men who have no empathy for them out.
is a budget that will divide Australians into two classes, the very rich, and
the rest of us. I hope many in the rest of
us underclass wake up before they lose their lifestyles, and vote those rich
white men who have no empathy for them out.
If
the measures in this budget go through, I predict a very different Australia in
the future. A land of security guards protecting gated communities as crime rates
sour. A land were illiteracy flourishes. A land where anyone born poor will
stay poor. A land where people die in
the streets from lack of medical care. A
land of hatred and confrontation. Mad Max, here we come.
the measures in this budget go through, I predict a very different Australia in
the future. A land of security guards protecting gated communities as crime rates
sour. A land were illiteracy flourishes. A land where anyone born poor will
stay poor. A land where people die in
the streets from lack of medical care. A
land of hatred and confrontation. Mad Max, here we come.
Next week I hope my mind will be back
on to science fiction and writing.
on to science fiction and writing.
0 Responses
I couldn't agree more Graham. Sadly, this is the second time I've had to live through all this. The first time was in the UK in the 1970s when Margaret Thatcher and her government set out on a similar, ideologically- motivated crusade to crush the working class. She succeeded too! She smashed the unions, she removed benefits, undermined the National Health Service, nobbled the BBC, forced down wages, trashed science, and sacked tens of thousands of civil servants. It was a bloodbath. Just like it will be here if Abbott gets his way.
Some of the most annoying things about this budget are that Hockey managed to find $275million for untrained religious nutjobs in schools (chaplains as they call them) and even $1million for funding ballet dance students to attend classes.
I really wish it was more than an empty threat by Abbott to call a double-dissolution election. Then we'd see how much of a "mandate" he has for this kind of viciousness.
Graham, I was worried bad things would happen when Abbott got in, and this is probably just the start. I wish he would call a double dissolution too. Be interested to see what the next opinion polls say. At least Thatcher believed in the science of global warming. But I would not have liked to lived there then. I always remember a survey that came out when she was in power, and 60% of those surveyed said that if they had the money they would leave the country. I am starting to feel like that now.
That was my worry too – the growing underclass, unable to provide for themselves, turn to crime.. I suppose Abbott thinks he's safe in North Shore, that stinking cesspool of old rotting money – also the most boring place in Australia – and forget the rest of the country.
Despite the outcry, Australians are still, generally, apathetic, though it was great to see Bishop getting jostled at Sydney Uni today. What gall…
If this was America or the UK there would be riots in the streets.
Someone should release Shorten's speech on dvd – legendary.
Anthony,
I thought Shorten's speech was very good too. A lot of rhetoric, but he said he would try and block the changes that mattered, like the changes to Newstart for 25-30 year olds. I am sure that those who read the Murdoch press are getting a completely different story on the budget.