The Budget from a Beery Perspective

In late after a school P & F meeting and a couple of beers at the nearby local.

Missed the budget telecast. Listened to the outline on the 10.00pm ABC radio news as I made tomorrow's school lunches.

Then onto the net. Checked the SMH website and my favourite blogs.

Seems that the wealthier classes have done well out of the proceedings. If you're earn lower than the top 20%, you get bugger all. Those above do OK.

Hardly surprising, really. The US government's done it. We're sure to follow.

I should mention here that although I'm well short of those on $120k per year who gain the most out of the tax changes, I am comfortably in the zone that will benefit. Despite this, I'm very uncomfortable with this government's economic philosophy.

It's typical that this snivelling government chose to re-jig the tax rates so only the wealthy received any real benefit. They could have easily reset the rates so everyone gained a real increase, but chose not to. Of course, people at the upper ends wouldn't have done quite so well, but they would have coped.

It's typical that this snivelling government chose to tighten the requirement for single parents to receive benefits once their kids reach a certain age, while allowing wealthy supported unemployed women to still collect the Part A (or is it B?) non-means tested Family payment.

Why are they doing the huge handouts now? It's not an election year. Do they really think the economy is going to grow at present rates indefinitely? Where's the provision for the period after the inevitable economic downturn? Where's the extra funding for education and infrastructure? The savings for looking after the rapidly ageing population?

On the face of it, this is a budget with no thought for the future. It's a budget that's a response to the whinging of the moneyed upper class. It's a budget that the county my well regret in coming years.

If Costello thinks that this budget will smooth the way to his gaining the Lodge, he's got another think coming!