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No sale as punters fail to buy Swan's budget

By Graham Young - posted Monday, 23 May 2011


Some policies in the budget, such as the increased expenditure on mental health, were welcomed across the board. But others, such as the promise of a set-top box for every pensioner missed the mark. Many pensioners reckoned they could spend the money better themselves.

Sales rhetoric was also a problem.

Few bought the line that the budget was “tough”, although there was some approval for cuts to middle class welfare. And “jobs” failed to cut through being mentioned by only 3% of respondents.

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In fact, by talking the budget up in terms that voters don't accept Wayne Swan has actually eroded the credibility of the government, reinforcing a perception that it is about spin and not reality.

Labor is dying in the polls because it has failed to enunciate a compelling vision.. This budget was an opportunity to change that. On this measure, it failed too.

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An edited version of this article was published in The Australian on March, 21, 2011.



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About the Author

Graham Young is chief editor and the publisher of On Line Opinion. He is executive director of the Australian Institute for Progress, an Australian think tank based in Brisbane, and the publisher of On Line Opinion.

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