Swan is not claiming a surplus can be achieved in 2012, it's the year after that. I don't believe they will achieve any surplus before the next election. The budget is built too heavily on China booming with little margin for error and we all know that the economy outside the resource sector is hurting....this is my point Dave: Swan is a serial offender in missing his own forecasts.
Getting to surplus is going to be hard enough, that's before even a cent of accumulated debt is paid back. No, I don't think Abbott is the answer with some of his schemes eg over generous maternity, direct action....but it's a bit rich for some here to point the finger at theoretical budget black holes of the Opposition when real ones are appearing all the time courtesy of our Government!
So much for being "economic conservatives"!
It could be that the next Labor PM to preside over a surplus is not even born yet. They are certainly not in Parliament.
