While I no longer post on the politics threads as it's pointless to argue with people whose minds are closed, I have descended from Olympus to deliver my verdict on the Abbott budget.
It has come as no surprise to me that Abbott has succeeded in alienating the Australian people but they should not have been surprised. The man's character has been on display for all to see for a very long time, indeed since his university days. Those days were characterized by aggression, ideology and blind faith in religion.
Forget about the broken promises, all pollies do that just as they are all hypocrites in espousing that they have not broken promises but their opponents did.
Abbott has built his budget on the lie of a budget crisis. Even if you believe that there is a crisis, that you ignore our triple A credit rating and all the other OECD comparisons,ask yourself are the policies introduced in the budget to address the "problem" really the best ones to deal with the issue of the deficit?
Copayments that will cost more to administer than they raise and prevent the most needy form getting the medical help they need, cuts to education, the very fabric of a nations wealth.
Abbott asks the rhetorical question why would I do these things knowing how unpopular they would be with the electorate? The answer is ideology pure and simple. Abbott is pandering to big business and the big miners, hence reduction in business tax, the lowering of conditions for lowest paid workers etc etc.
If Abbott was serious about the deficit he has much simpler options available to him such as reducing superannuation benefits for the wealthy, getting rid of negative gearing. Such measures would deal with the issue in a heartbeat.
That is what is so scary about the Abbott government. A group of idealogs, Brandis,Hockey, Anderson et al. aided by such right wing think tanks as the IPA concerned with boosting the wealthy at the expense of our hard fought for social fabric.
