Australian Federal Budget

[beli]

Im thrilled about the $3000 a baby born after July 1st - I just have to keep my legs crossed until then. It would have been better if Howard had of addressed paid maternity leave given we have some of the worst provisions in the developed world.

Reducing the cost of day care would have wonderful but this budget seems more tuned to making babies and staying home like a good little Stepford Wife rather than having any concept of the finances of the average Australian family ie part of the working poor

The tax cut doesnt affect me as I dont earn that much, but I suppose its a good thing.

Im still not going to vote for Howard though.

 

[OzAurora]

Howard could offer to give me $5000 personally, and I still woudnt vote for that whiny wanker. Ya know Beli, I hate to say this, but I dont know if I agree with the $3000 baby bonus, I mean I agree with it, but I really hope that it dosnt encourage a lot of young girls to have babies- I went to school with girls who were so eager to become Mums and have babies, now I can just imagine a whole heap of young girls being even more determined to have kids now. Its a dilema though

 

[Angela Harlem]

Unfortunately our welfare state doesn't differentiate between those who 'unfortunately' fall pregnant yet still want to do the right thing or those who's main gola in life is to start a family, to those who see it as their meal ticket and a life without working for reward. When we do, we can complain about young single mothers. I dont even think this is the real problem though, we are not uneducated, yet we are still dumb somehow.

 

[beli]

I think if the money had of been distributed to the day care centres so they could reduce the cost of child care fees that could possibly cut off the possibility of morons breeding to get $3000. That would have been better.

Or job linked maternity leave payments like the rest of the western world would have been preferable also.

I think the problem is Howard is aiming at stay at home mothers of which there a few varieties:
* rich ones who wont need $3000 anyway
* women with disabilites etc who cant work.
* moron single mothers
* moron families

I think it would have been better to focus on:
* families that survive on 2 crappy incomes
* single parent families
* anybody else that I personally consider to be the working poor.

Howard has his head stuck in the 50's. He seems to want to have husbands as the bread winner and the happy wifey breeding and cooking and ironing hubbies clothes. Aint gonna happen. Hasnt happen for 50 years. Pull your head in Howard.

</rant>

 

[Angela Harlem]

On a sliding scale of an income of up to $85,000 a year, the government will kick in up to 80% of the cost.
We need more registered child care facilities to get rid of the average of 2-3000 places in most local council run facilties. The private sector is just as bad. It ain't funding which is so urgent. It's places for those who need it.

 

[beli]

On a sliding scale of an income of up to $85,000 a year, the government will kick in up to 80% of the cost.

Yep, but the sliding scale starts sliding pretty darn early.

Yep, we do need more child care places.

I also figure if the government could subsidise the child care centres like the used to (and my daughter attends a community based child care centre) then the impact on households would be less. The full cost of day care is $200 to $230 a week (less rebate you mentioned) which is more than most exclusive private schools.

I just think the Howard needs to realise the reality of the modern family. I would love to stop working like Howard seems to want women to do but my husband doesnt earn enough. Not that I intended to whinge. Just a comment.

 

[OzAurora]

I am have to say that I am ignorant to the child care/day care issue here, I guess cause I dont have any kids. But I do know that if I were to have a child I would work, so I guess one day I will discover the flaws in the system. I do agree however that Howard has his head stuck in a very old fashioned version of families.

 

[beli]

Umm, I was suppose there was some other issues addressed in the budget?

or maybe not?

The Year of the Erection indeed.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Reckon Costello will crawl out of hiding and announce if he will run soon? He can only ride on the success of the budget for so long, and then it's just a matter of showing he can do more than creative numbers.

 

[beli]

I think Costello will wait until after the upcoming election and then slip in alah Hawke/Bush.

I unfortunately think they are going to win this election. I do hope Im wrong.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I agree, except it means then if they lose, then Latham has won. And I dislike him just as much as Howard.

 

[beli]

Good point. I really dont like Australian elections. I cant recall the last time I voted in the positive. Normally Im like, okay, this one is number 47, then this one can be number 46 etc until I end up voting for whomever I hate the least.

 

[A_Wanderer]

To be perfectly honest most parties are not particually rousing.
Lib's have the whole conservative value thing but at least they hold better economic and national security credentials than
Labour who have not been able to win me over with the "new" small target policy combined with attempts at populism on many fronts.

All I want is a liberal party based on the principles of liberalism, is it so much to ask?

 

[OzAurora]

I just hope that people remember at election time that a good economy should not be at the expense of humanitarian rights, environmental degradation/exploitation, war and national security fear-mongering..................

but, oh, thats right for the average Australian a good economy is worth more than the above issues..........


Vote Green, peoples

 

[beli]

I usually vote Democrats or Greens. Which ever one I have in my electorate at the time.

 

[Angela Harlem]

It will be a cold day in hell before I vote Democrat
And as soon as the Greens become strong in something outside tree hugging, I will vote them, no worries. I actually did in the last election.

...Kidding about the tree hugging

 

[beli]

Actually I was thinking of the previous elections. I have voted Democrat but Im not too sure now after all the Cheryl saga., etc.

 

[Kieran McConville]

As a member of the working poor, there is nothing in Howard's budget for me. Not that I expected it. I do pay tax, quite a bit in fact, but I guess people like me just don't count.

Anyway none of that matters to me. I'll do as I did in 1998 and 2001 and vote against the lying sack of shit, for a whole variety of reasons.

 

[Kieran McConville]

The idea that the Liberal party has some kind of monopoly on 'economic management' is a complete furphy.

And I can't say it enough, the Government does not 'run the economy'. Contrary to popular belief, peace and prosperity won't come crumbling down should Howard leave office. The government influences things around the edges, but it does NOT provide the great economy.

You know what provides the economy? Millions of individuals going about their business.

There was a time when Hawkie and Keating were the economic golden boys. That time passed and this one will as well.

Also I do agree with where Ozaurora is coming from. The economy is not an end, it is one part of the social fabric. If we end up serving it, we are lost.

 

[Kieran McConville]

And one last thing that should never, ever be forgotten - it wasn't 'great economic management' that granted John Howard his last election win.

It was 911, and the Tampa. Simple as that. Circle the wagons and damn the consequences.

Howard is worse than Bob Hawke these days. He seems to have no particular agenda other than his reactionary belief system. Like Hawkie, he just wants to be Prime Minister. Just because.

 

[Angela Harlem]

At least we'll never see Johnny gracing the cover of Woman's Day dressed in a white fluffy bathrobe.
You believe that 77% of us really supported Tampa? Statistics like that always bother me though.

 

[Kieran McConville]

No Angie, I don't really believe that 77% of us supported Tampa (or anything else).

I don't believe polls.

Fact is, in a two-party system, all Howard needs is the tiniest swing (2 or 3 per cent) his way for the Coalition to retain office. And on that basis, yes I blame the Tampa 'crisis'. And 911.

People forget how close the last two elections were. 1998 and 2001 were both knife-edge affairs, in terms of the percentage of the vote cast.

 

[brettig]

Aye Kieran.

I think the main thing the country needs right now is a change in government, if only because it will mean a change in attitude from the smarmy consumerism of the present leadership.

Latham's budget response didn't quite go as far as it should've and could've, but whenever he says "prosperity with a purpose" I nod.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Latham is nearly as bad as the Liberal Party in his ideology, however the great thing about electing a party is you get other people too. There are some people on the Labor front bench that strike me as having the right priorities.