Dale HughesNew government, same policies
March 31st 2008 09:30
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How ironic is it that a party which criticised for so long Howard's policies is now keeping so many of them to help control our economy?
All indicators tell us that the Rudd government is planning on operating with a budget surplus with the aim of putting money back in individual pockets through tax concessions. The government has continually denied they will do away with many of the tax policies the Howard government introduced, which begs the question on where they plan to save money.
It seems Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner and his razor gang are struggling to come up with any viable economic alternatives without taking a leaflet or two out of Howard's book. The fact is that after years of taunting and criticising the Howard government over wasting opportunities during times of economic prosperity, the new government can't find a better alternative to the economic policy book that worked so well under the previous governments tenure.
Even Labor's new industrial relations policy has postponed the abolition of current Australian Workplace Agreements. While they will claim that this is to make life easier for buisness so they can adapt to the changes, could it be possible that they know abolishing these contracts in the current economic climate could result in greater wage increases and put more upward pressure on inflation?
The fact is that in times of economic strain the Rudd government has indirectly given praise to the former government's management of our money by mirroring so many of its policies.
We will see little different in the upcoming budget. The government will focus its cuts on public funding taking money out of organisations and initiatives they feel they can afford too. They won't be taking money out of working families coffers. Which is a good thing you might say, yet it smells of hypocrisy when they criticised the Howard government for cuts to public funding for 11 years.
Labor ministers, especially Julia Gillard, have spent much of their time in office looking back and bagging the former government for its policies, yet there has to be a time when Rudd and his ministers stop blaming Howard for all their problems and start taking some responsibility themselves. So far we have seen a lot of big ticket initiatives by this government that has earned it positive media attention, yet when the hard times kick in it will be interesting to see how capable this new government is.
You called it at the election Kevin......the buck stops with you from now on.
All indicators tell us that the Rudd government is planning on operating with a budget surplus with the aim of putting money back in individual pockets through tax concessions. The government has continually denied they will do away with many of the tax policies the Howard government introduced, which begs the question on where they plan to save money.
It seems Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner and his razor gang are struggling to come up with any viable economic alternatives without taking a leaflet or two out of Howard's book. The fact is that after years of taunting and criticising the Howard government over wasting opportunities during times of economic prosperity, the new government can't find a better alternative to the economic policy book that worked so well under the previous governments tenure.
Even Labor's new industrial relations policy has postponed the abolition of current Australian Workplace Agreements. While they will claim that this is to make life easier for buisness so they can adapt to the changes, could it be possible that they know abolishing these contracts in the current economic climate could result in greater wage increases and put more upward pressure on inflation?
The fact is that in times of economic strain the Rudd government has indirectly given praise to the former government's management of our money by mirroring so many of its policies.
We will see little different in the upcoming budget. The government will focus its cuts on public funding taking money out of organisations and initiatives they feel they can afford too. They won't be taking money out of working families coffers. Which is a good thing you might say, yet it smells of hypocrisy when they criticised the Howard government for cuts to public funding for 11 years.
Labor ministers, especially Julia Gillard, have spent much of their time in office looking back and bagging the former government for its policies, yet there has to be a time when Rudd and his ministers stop blaming Howard for all their problems and start taking some responsibility themselves. So far we have seen a lot of big ticket initiatives by this government that has earned it positive media attention, yet when the hard times kick in it will be interesting to see how capable this new government is.
You called it at the election Kevin......the buck stops with you from now on.
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