Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Response to the reactions to the Budget reply

By Alan Austin - posted Monday, 20 May 2013


8. "The government promised a surplus over the cycle but this isn't a cycle – it's a spiral, deeper and deeper into debt ..."

Not really. Paul Keating restructured Australia's economy and brought the accounts back into surplus. Keating delivered three. This allowed Peter Costello then to deliver another nine. But who delivered surpluses prior to Keating?

Answer: Arthur Fadden in the early Menzies years. Cycles can be 50 years or more. Australia is still in the low deficit/surplus phase.

Advertisement

9. "But thanks to Labor's poor management over five years, there is now a budget emergency."

No, there isn't. According to Moody's, "The size of the deficits is such that the gross debt of the Commonwealth government will rise only slightly from its currently estimated 19.3% of GDP to a peak of 20.6% in 2014-15. On a net basis, the peak will be 11.4% of GDP, and the government's long-term forecasts have this figure falling to zero early in the next decade."

10. "The Prime Minister guaranteed there would be no carbon tax – but there is."

A bit rich from the man who told the Greens and Independents he would have done precisely the same as the PM to negotiate an emissions reduction outcome through a hung parliament. Especially from one who has placed firmly on the record that the best strategy is "a simple carbon tax".


11. "So with a change of government, your weekly and fortnightly budgets will be under less pressure as electricity prices fall and gas prices fall and the carbon tax no longer cascades through our economy."

Inflation since the carbon tax was introduced has been lower than during the Rudd/Gillard period before the carbon tax was introduced and below the average rate for the Howard Government.

Advertisement

And finally:

12. Regarding "proper cabinet process", Mr Abbott suggests "That's how Bob Hawke and John Howard ran their governments but that's not how government is run now, as the four former ministers now sitting on the backbench have testified."

This was a barbed reference to ministers who departed after internal party ructions. [Kevin Rudd, Simon Crean, Chris Bowen and Martin Ferguson].

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. 4
  6. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

105 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Alan Austin is an Australian freelance journalist currently based in Nîmes in the South of France. His special interests are overseas development, Indigenous affairs and the interface between the religious communities and secular government. As a freelance writer, Alan has worked for many media outlets over the years and been published in most Australian newspapers. He worked for eight years with ABC Radio and Television’s religious broadcasts unit and seven years with World Vision. His most recent part-time appointment was with the Uniting Church magazine Crosslight.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Alan Austin

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Alan Austin
Article Tools
Comment 105 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy