Budget comments
Posted on May 16th, 2008 by matt
A few small comments with respect to the 2008-09 (Australian) Federal budget:
- Means-testing the baby bonus feels a bit petty. I’ve never really been that keen on the baby bonus anyway, but perhaps it should’ve been left alone until the question of paid maternity leave is addressed?
- Laptops-for-the-kiddies is a nice idea but as has been pointed out in a number of places there are some infrastructure issues that are going to impede this. Laptops don’t keep running for eight hours without a charge and many state schools simply don’t have the electrical infrastructure to support them. Funding for that would’ve been a Good Idea…
- Means-testing the solar panel rebate seems completely stupid. People who will now be eligible for the rebate are exactly the ones who don’t have $20-30k to spare for solar panels!
- Half a billion for “clean coal” research? Yeesh.
- Salary-sacrifice of laptops has been clobbered. Probably the right thing to have done but from a personal perspective I wish they’d waited until next year. Oh well.
- The “alco-pop” tax increase. Not going to reduce binge drinking, which is (a) a niche problem; and (b) a cultural issue anyway. But there was an inconsistency with the alcohol taxes so it’s not unreasonable. Perhaps they should do the same with all drinks containing alcohol, just to even things out?
- If half a million people are expected to bail from private health insurance because they’re no longer penalised for failing to have it, then that says to me that the real problem with private health insurance is that the product simply isn’t very compelling. Instead of whinging, industry should be trying to figure out how attract customers. That may well require negotiation with Government as it’s a heavily-regulated area. One obvious option would be to offer a low-cost high-excess package, a sort of “catastrophic cover” arrangement. I’m sure there are other things they could do.
Nelson continues to look like a fool in his response. It’s too soon, really, to expect the Liberals to have regained their balance after losing last year, but they’re going to have to start shaping up soon and it doesn’t look like Dr Nelson is the man to do it.
Popularity: 17% [?]
A couple of things that are wrong with Rudd’s budget:
1) The money for the upgrade of the Energy stadium is coming out of the health and ageing budget. How is the Knights upgrade a health initative? I deplore this measure.
2) If one million people will exit private health insurance, this is going to place extra burden on the public health system which is grossly underfunded. This area of the budget concerns me most of all. Rudd is a very stupid man doing this, it’s only going to cause more problems.
3) An increase in taxes on alco pops is traditional labor taxing. If they were serious they’d put in on all alcohol. While I hardly drink at all, I object to this measure, it won’t stop binge drinking.
4) Infrastructure fund - the coalition government started doing this, it’s nice to see Rudd continue quarantining money for infrastructure projects, but I’d like to have concerete policy, also can the Hunter get some of this money - we desperately need it.. there have been 30 transports since 1971 (year I was born), nothing major has been spent here, except i guess Charlestown bypass, bypass unfinished road to Sandgate and some overtaking lanes.. pretty pitiful, but that’s what you get when you live in a safe Labor area.. one reason I would never vote Labor in a million years. I’m not stupid..