#budgetfail

Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey,

With respect to your recent Australian Budget (13/5/14) and term of office thus far I am very disappointed in the effort and ability you have demonstrated. You have clearly not understood the question and I am not even sure you understand the role of the federal government at all. I have broken down your assessment for your convenience.

(1) Foreign Diplomacy Fail. Navy vessels have repeatedly breached Indonesian waters on several occasions. You first denied this and then shifted the blame. This is unacceptable. Also in your Budget your decision to strip $7.6 billion from developmental assistance is sure to anger those in general community and in other nations. It is also a failure to in our commitment to UN-sponsored global development goals. (2) Military Defense

Low pass. Your spending is too much in this area of the budget at the expense of other, more essential services that the government provides. (3) Maintenance of Domestic Order and Administration of Justice

Fail. With 16,500 (at least) fewer public servants under your proposed budget it will be harder to maintain law and order.

You have also received a fail for your support of Catholic priests accused of hideous crimes, even writing references. This is a major failure and you need to apologise.

Putting young people unemployed people on no income for six months will severely increase the crime rate as young people must do whatever they can to survive. But I will go into this in detail later.

(4) Protection of Civil Liberties

Fail. As you are probably aware, civil liberties refers not just to the right of citizens but those, such as refugees and asylum seekers who are under our care and protection - or should be. It should be noted that the ALP also received a Fail on this section but your solution, turning back the boats into Indonesian waters is not only inhumane but also most likely illegal. (http://www.qt.com.au/news/un-abbotts-anti-asylum-seeker-plan-could-be-illega/2136904/) The conditions in which asylum seekers are housed are deplorable as is the decision not to allow them legal assistance. You have even allowed one person to die and until the decision was changed due to public pressure, a mother was separated from her child.

(5) Provision for Public Goods and Services Fail “Tuesday’s budget also confirmed the government intends to privatise Australian Hearing, Defence Housing Australia, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s registry and the Royal Australian Mint.” http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/13/budget-infrastructure-spending-falls-well-short-of-40bn-figure As you are no doubt aware selling off publicly owned assets such as these means the government will no longer be able to make money from them. It is a short term gain but a long term loss. It also means the government will have less input into how these agencies conduct themselves, the costs that they charge customers or the service they provide.

(6) Promotion of Economic Growth, Development and Infrastructure Fail Since you have come into office several large companies such a Holden and SPC have left and sacked workers despite your promise before the election of “new jobs”. You have been even quoted as saying of the sacked Holden workers “Some of them will find it difficult, but many of them will probably be liberated to pursue new opportunities and to get on with their lives” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-18/abbott-announces-support-package-for-holden-workers/5163950.

Taking credit for others work is called plagiarism and is likely to get you expelled. Infrastructure was a key component of the ALP budget. You cannot repackage their policies, including monies that have already been spent and call it your own policy. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/05/13/roads-package-sham-says-labor

Fuel is already expensive and an increase in the fuel excise will hurt those that can least afford it. It is also quite different to what you promised Australians prior to the election. It is a new tax. I will discuss your broken promises in detail later. Your plan for making the Internet more accessible is not acceptable and you need to resubmit. Your plan will make the Internet slow as you are relying on outdated copper wiring and more expensive as people must pay the extra cost for fibre optic cables themselves. Even though the time frame was longer for the ALPs NBN plan it was much more preferable.

(7) Operation of Social- Insurance and Social Welfare Programs to Reduce Poverty

Fail This is the area of the greatest concern.

A $7 when visiting the doctor may not seem much to you but it has the potential to be incredibly difficult for patients who require multiple visits, x-rays, blood tests etc. The commission of audit has been quoted as saying that people are going to the doctor 11 times per year on average. This figure was fact checked by the ABC to be incorrect. It is closer to 6 visits. Please check your work more carefully before handing it in, in the future.

Kevin Andrews MP was quoted in parliament as saying that he wants young people to “earn or learn” and this is behind the move to strip about 30 000 young Australians under 30 from there Newstart for 6 months. Earn or learn is nice sentiment if you don’t think too much into it and I don’t think you did. If a young person is unable to find work and cannot study what is it that you wish them to do for money? I also note that you are planning to allow universities to set their own fees. A move that would make university too expensive for many young people. Do you expect a 29 year old to move back in with their parents? And if they cannot?

It is already incredibly difficult to apply for the disability support pension, you have no need to make it even harder. Forcing those under 35 to undergo additional scrutiny is degrading and unnecessary. Very few people want to be on DSP or Newstart. It is not socially acceptable to be dependent on welfare. Removing family support benefits targets the most vulnerable in the community and your additional payment of $750 does not make up for the about $3000 expected loss to families. It is single parents who will suffer the most.

Broken Promises

Your budget and term so far is significantly different to what you promised prior to the election. You continually criticised the previous government for breaking the carbon tax promise, despite the fact that you deliberately misled the Australian population and media into believing that it was I lie. “There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead, but lets be absolutely clear. I am determined to price carbon”. Julia Gillard . http://fairmediaalliance.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/there-will-be-no-carbon-tax-under-a-government-i-lead-but-lets-be-absolutely-clear-i-am-determined-to-price-carbon/ Despite constant criticism of the former government, you have broken quite a number of promises that you made prior to the election.

On August 16th 2011 Abbott stated of the then government “A very clear message is going out from the Australian people to this government: there can be no tax collection without an election. If this government had any honesty, any decency, that is what we would have: an election now.” On March 14, 2012 Mr Abbott said that the Coalition would deliver tax cuts in government. “What you’ll get under us are tax cuts without new taxes.” I have already outlined examples of tax increases in your budget, such as the fuel excise levy. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-01/fact-file-what-tony-abbott-promised-on-tax/5420226

Some other examples of your broken promises:

* “…no cuts to the ABC or SBS.” (Tony Abbott, September 2013) Hockey announced $43.5 million in cuts over 5 years. *”No cuts to education, no cuts to health…” (Tony Abbott, September 2013) Tuesday’s budget announced $80 million in cuts. *”No changes to pensions” (Tony Abbott, September 2013) Tuesday’s budget confirmed that pensions will fall behind wages growth from 2017 after they are instead linked to inflation. *“From 2014/15, the $5 billion aid budget will grow each year in line with the Consumer Price Index” (Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, January 2014) But instead foreign aid will be frozen, leading to $7.6 billion to be cut over 5 years. *”The Coalition will continue the current level of funding expended on Closing the Gap activities.” (Coalition policy document, September 2013) The budget confirmed a cut of $500 million through the consolidation of 150 programs. *‘‘ARENA will have over $2.5 billion in funds to manage.” (Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, November 2013) The ARENA (the Australian Renewable Energy Agency) will be axed. *”The Coalition will promote the use of solar energy by Australian families and households. It will ensure at least one million additional solar homes or community centres by 2020.” (Greg Hunt, December 2011) The Direct Action policy to fund rebates will be scrapped for the installation of solar panels and deliver 1 million solar roofs. (http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/then-and-now-the-abbott-governments-broken-promises-20140514-zrcfr.html)

Protest against Abbott's 2014 Budget this Sunday, 18th of May. The bigger the crowd the bigger the impact.

Brisbane 18th of May

1pm Queens Park, Brisbane City

Sydney 18th of May 

1pm Belmore Park, Hay Street

Adelaide 18th of May 

11:30am Victoria Square

Perth 18th of May 

12pm Russell Square Park

Melbourne 18th of May

2pm State Library of Victoria

I'll be at the Sydney protest! Come! Bring friends! Spread the word!