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The 2012 Budget

How well will the budget sit with Australians ?

Barnaby Joyce comments in the Canberra Times:

Please find below an opinion piece written by Senator Joyce published in The Canberra Times 3 May 2012.

Budget will mix facts and fiction

Somewhere among the chaos of Craig Thomson, Peter Slipper and the moribund polling of the Labor Party lies our nation’s forthcoming federal budget. It will be made up of two items, one a fact, the other a fiction.

The item of fact, or near fact, will be the numbers for the current financial year, finishing on June 30, 2012, and confirmed in September.

The item of fiction, like every one of Labor’s budgets, will be their future prognosis.

The government is firmly installed at the table of spending obesity. Day after day they have been gorging themselves oblivious to the excess while promising that there will come a sunny upland of fiscal rectitude, tomorrow, when they will burn more calories than they consume.

In preparation for that day they will throw the bathroom scales out the window, sit down and consume five meat pies and eight hamburgers.

Burping and belching with a distended belly they will wake on budget day a paragon of economic health, then after a 24-hour reprieve will continue back on the path of consuming every spending calorie in sight.

The government is creating a "manipulated" surplus year and I believe even this manipulated surplus will never happen. Here is one example of many. The government will spend $1000 million this year on energy security, yet only $1 million in the next manipulated, magical surplus year, and then $1000 million the year after that.

Two years ago, Wayne Swan stood earnestly before the despatch box arid said that this year, 2011-12, would be a $13 billion deficit, which was bad enough. Now we are told it will be a $37 billion deficit: 200 per cent wrong is not a reasonable statistical error in Econometrics 101.

Two years ago Swan also said our gross debt would be $221 billion in 2012-13. The latest estimates are now at $273 billion and that is likely to blow out further in next week’s budget.

The numbers they predict never seem to bear any resemblance to the numbers that turn up, but there is always an excuse.

I have listened to all of the excuses and I have summarised them down to one word: Wayne.

Wayne Swan is trying to tell us that by having one day without a seventh hamburger we are on a health kick. In fact, more than a health kick, he is trying to tell us that he is Harry Hardbody at Bondi Beach.

The sad fact is that we will probably borrow more this week than our surplus will be.

The reality is, deficits or surplus, it’s debt that counts. It’s debt that you have to repay. Just as one swallow does not make a spring and one surplus does not repay your debt.

Labor has a very interesting view of the value of things they have borrowed for, such as the NBN. Their surplus, even if they got one, does not take into account the more than $50 billion in debt you will have to repay for the NBN, which will soon be an appropriate acronym for the Next Budget Nightmare.

Good or bad, credibility comes with getting the numbers right.

Accuracy counts.

I find it nauseating to hear the ~ earnest proclamations made by the Treasurer about numbers that he can never get right. It’s really just a good night wasted in front of the television listening to his budget prattle.

The anarchy at the front counter, seen in the perplexing appointment of Peter Slipper to one of the highest offices in our land, reflects the chaos in the back office.

The bizarre endorsement, for about three years, of Craig Thomson with a story that not even Hans Christian Andersen could have gotten away with saps our confidence.

The free character assessments made about Kevin Rudd by his colleagues; all is chaos.

In the back office, with coffee stains over the pages, lies what will very soon be called the Commonwealth of Australia’s budget.

Intertwined in this manic turmoil is the carbon tax, and an economy that is now putting carbon tax margins on quotes. Rather large margins; indeed I recently saw a margin of $70,000 on the construction price of a house. You need to have a large margin for whoopy ideas devised by the Labor party. What’s worse than the silliness of their ideas is the fact that the cost is never correct.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/budget-will-mix-facts-and-f...

Barnaby Joyce is The Nationals' Senate Leader

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on May 9, 2012 at 4:04pm

Barnaby has his say too :

Senator Barnaby Joyce

Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water
Leader of the Nationals in the Senate

Farmers and food come second to Swan

The Federal Budget has confirmed that when Mr Swan is in need of funds to dodgy up the books, that pinching it from Regional Australia is as good a place as any to get it. The result is the Federal Budget has placed the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in further uncertainty and disarray, according to Shadow Minister for Water, Senator Barnaby Joyce.

“Labor has decided to duck shove $940 million on infrastructure spending to bring community friendly environmental benefits to the Murray-Darling Basin off into the future while moving $40 million community destroying water buybacks into 2011/12. So, send the doctor down the road to make room for the undertaker in the house” Senator Joyce said.

"This government has already spent more than half of its funds reserved for water buybacks but has spent less than 10 per cent of the funds available to upgrade irrigation infrastructure in the Murray-Darling. Every year the government commits to infrastructure funding and every year they are deferred.

“It looks like feeding ourselves from a healthy Murray-Darling Basin is right up there with their current attitude to Defence” Senator Joyce said. “As far as Labor is concerned you do not need an insurance policy, as the house has not burnt down for years”.

“Water reform is difficult, but it isn’t so difficult as to justify the awful mess that the Government appears to be making of it.

“It’s straight forward, really – invest in efficient infrastructure and there will be more water for everybody to share and less people hurt.

“Minister Burke is getting to the pointy end of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan but it looks like the 2.1 million people of the Basin and the tens of millions it feeds are becoming playthings for a budget as competent and credible as the Carbon Tax.

9 May 2012

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Permalink Reply by Linda Campion on May 9, 2012 at 4:53pm

Jan, let's agree to disagree. Yes, he most certainly does. Let's vote for Abbott and watch while he and his Treasurer (if indeed it is Hockey or someone else) do even more of a razor job on the budget and see while the public services are even more wrecked and non-existent than before. Who wants to wait 4 hours in emergency in any one of the major public hospitals; I have before. Too bad if you are in hospital and are really sick. Where is Abbott going to be then? (Remembering he was Health Minister under the Liberals)? And that is only one area he and his new 'team' will be responsible for. We often get the government we all deserve. Maybe we do deserve Abbott. Good luck everyone. I'm emigrating to Timbuktu or somewhere, anywhere, out of here.

Jan Courtney said:

Thanks Tony, I tried, but missed half.

Linda, Abbott certainly does NOT bleat.

OK Comrades ! :

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Permalink Reply by Colin J Ely on May 9, 2012 at 7:47pm

Jan

When you arrive in Timbuktu, please let us know the standard of health care you find. We can only spend what we have. If money wasn't wasted on School Halls, $900 cheques and the NBN, we might have had a bit more to spend on such things as health and the NDIS.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on May 10, 2012 at 6:15am

Very Informative thanks Barb and Bev.

I also wonder about this money he's handing out for education.

Wasn't that money previously available to parents under a name similar to Education Allowance, but had to be applied for, but many parents couldn't be bothered applying. I have the impression it wasn't cash in hand, but rather a payment on presentation of receipts for educational items.

So now they are just handing it out for parents to spend on anything BUT their children's education.

Sounds suspiciously like vote buying to me.

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Permalink Reply by vivienne skeen on May 10, 2012 at 10:55am

Marvelous what Labor manage to do with other peoples money!

CANdo - Australia's Voice

Labor has given 7 billion for the EU to live beyond its means, 5 billion to buy a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, foreign aid spending as if they were charged to some trade union boss's credit card, 1 billion for queue jumpers which is certain to blow out and 7 billion just for the interest on the massive debt they have incurred since they came to office.

There is no plan to pay off the debt. In fact they're planning to borrow more -they've slipped through an authorisation to increase the amount they can borrow to an unbelievable $300 billion.

In the meantime, there's a lousy 300 million or so for seriously disabled Australians under the long-awaited National Disability Scheme. Those are the priorities under the Gillard government's 2012 budget.

Billions for the EU, queue jumpers, a seat on the UN Security Counc...

audioboo.fm

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on May 10, 2012 at 3:35pm

C olin, check what you read a little more carefully, I don't want to go to Timbuktu, I have confidence in Tony Abbott - Linda has the problems, I just hope she can get a good deal on flights.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara lee on May 10, 2012 at 8:25pm

Had a great laugh at this one, its a beauty.

Dale Stiller said:

Jan, it only needs a very small fig leaf.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on May 11, 2012 at 12:59pm

The sad part is Bev, a lot of people will fall for it. They don't realise that they are going to miss out of a lot they have taken for granted too.

Beverley Prescott said:

Jan you were correct about the handouts for School fess etc. ($820 and $410).

I followed it exactly as soon as it came out on Sunday as I have grandkids at school belonging to 2 families. They are getting nothing new at all - only getting it in a lump sum for EVERYONE this year instead of next.

This will make the books look better for the 2013-2014 expenses.

As my son said, you get nothing for nothing.

It is certainly not new - just going to cost the government more so that when the 2013 election comes around, the figures for the new government will look bad for their first year.

It is to try to make Swan's budget seem better.

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Permalink Reply by Linda Campion on May 11, 2012 at 7:21pm

Don't believe everything you read and only half of what you hear.

Denise Scanlan said:

Newsletter from the Tony Abbott today.

The Coalition has a strong plan to restore Hope, Reward and Opportunity for all Australians.

A Coalition Government will build a stronger economy, repay debt and create secure jobs.

Strong economic growth will be the over-riding aim of the next Coalition government: it starts with abolishing the carbon tax.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=16a1a474391dce3c4f160dde6&i...

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Permalink Reply by Barbara lee on May 12, 2012 at 11:32am

Subject: FW: Pickering's take on the budget !!!

This will not be a surplus budget. Not remotely.

Swan’s figures are predicated on the best of all possible outcomes. Those outcomes cannot possibly eventuate and the next government will need to pick up the pieces... once again.

This is what I think must have happened:

Swan rushed into Gillard’s office, “Hey Jules, I’ve just had ripper of an Idea.”

“Wot?”, muttered Gillard, not removing her head from her hands.

“Why don’t we say we will produce a surplus for 2012/13?”

Gillard peered from between her fingers, “What drugs are you on Wayne? We are a Labor government, we don’t produce surpluses, you idiot!”

“Hear me out Jules. We can do it... well, I can make it look like we’re doin’ it and improve our poll figures at the same time. It came to me when I was having a poo this morning. It’s simple, Jules, we just chuck a heap of money at the people who used to vote for us!”

“Get ya hand off it Wayne. We’re already $140 billion in debt. Where in hell will you get this money from?”

“Look at me Jules, look at me... we get it from the people who will never vote for us and give it to the people who used to vote for us... brilliant eh?”

Gillard looked at him, “Blimey, you’re not as stupid as you look, Wayne!”, she said, getting up from behind her desk with her chair still stuck to her bum. “I see where you’re coming from.”

“I’ve got it all worked out Jules”, said Swan, helping her with the chair. “All we need to do is tell a few more fibs and go back on a few more promises. I mean, people expect that of us. Then we rip off the miners, the military, third-world aid and those business bastards. They are all bloody Abbott lovers anyway!”

“Wayne, you are looking more attractive by the minute... I love it!” “Not only that, Jules, the strugglers who used to vote for us are too stupid to see what we’re actually doing. They’ll just take the money and run.”

Swan suddenly appeared concerned, “We only have one problem Jules.”
“Wot”, said Gillard.

Swan hung his head, “No-one likes you, Jules. Even the strugglers don’t like you.... I mean, even my dog starts scratching when you’re on the box. The real problem is we have no-one to replace you with!”

Gillard ruffled her hair, displaying her profile to the mirror, “Go and have another poo Wayne... you’ll think of something