Hey, big spender
The media releases issued with the Budget papers told the story. Every minister desperate to extract some voter mileage out of the Budget. It was a far cry from the Coalition’s message of 1996 when fiscal rectitude was a virtue, when the Beazley $10 billion black hole had to be filled in.
Last night they were glorifying in spending. It was Whitlamesque. Millions for this, a program for that, a boost for this and more for that.
Some Minister’s cheekily took credit for things already announced. Indeed, much of last night’s Budget was reannouncements of things Ministers and the Government had already taken credit for at politically pertinent times.
“”Wooldridge delivers largest ever country health Budget”, the Minister for Health’s media release said.
Bronwyn Bishop did not need to put herself in the headline. Her name is already in very large type in the media release masthead. “”$66m boost for older Australians,” it told us.
“Government doubles funding for remote air services,” John Anderson told us, and that the “”Budget delivers” $450.1 million for NSW roads” and a similarly worded one for every other state. Ian Macdonald took credit for the ACT’s road funding boost. He reannounced funding for a Federal Highway duplication construction of which is almost complete and he reannounced the funding for the Barton Highway duplication that was in last year’s Budget. At least it has not been built.
David Kemp had a $13.4m “”boost” and a 32.6 per cent increase. Jackie Kelly had “”$5m additional funding for elite sport”. (Sport is the only human endeavour one is allowed to be elite in in Australia.)
Spend, spend, spend. And all these Ministers taking credit for spending our money and their binge resulting in interest rate increases that we will have to pay for.
Such a far cry from when the Coalition came to office attacking the profligacy of its Labor’s predecessors. Orwell was right — pigs walking on two legs.