Comments on: Keane: Budget plays Malcolm Turnbull for a fool

By: John James # 2

John James # 2 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

As thorough analysis begins to take place, its clear that this budget is stimulatory and founded on the ‘politics of envy’. Lets get the rich, whoever they are! I enjoyed the anecdote reported to-day of someone saying that they had decided to play the ‘budget drink game’. Every time Swan used the term “working families” ( whoever they are!), he had a sip of his drink. The ‘budget drink game’ player said he was “smashed” by 7.30pm.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Further to your dismissal of the ‘Politics of Envy’ claim, it is very clever selling by Rudd, Swan, Tanner et al by reminding people that they themselves are ‘the wealthy’, being on +$200k. Hardly looks like class warfare.

By: John James # 3

John James # 3 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Mark Colvin part of the right wing media? Venise, you promised never to read my postings again. Remember? I’m a ‘fundamentalist”. Please, keep your promises.

By: Steve Carey

Steve Carey — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Watching the meeja trying hard to find the place to sink the slipper in is almost as funny as watching Nelson and Turnbull flapping jaw to no avail: the whole shrill pitiful charade falls to bits if it turns out that, gosh, the gumment ain’t so very, very bad after all. You can see them looking at each other, wondering, So what do we do now? ‘Course, eventually the Labor gumment will get tired and do itself in (if we’re waiting for the Opposition to do it we could be here forever), but for now I’m impressed. It’s good to see the usual paradigm - talk up a storm and do nothing new - turned on its head: Rudd and co talk cringing cliche, but they ain’t half getting on with the job. Hurrah!

By: Another working family

Another working family — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

At a personal ‘around the kitchen table’ level it is difficult to find anything to complain about with the regards to the Budget. However, watching Malcolm Turnbull on the 7.30 Report was painful. He’d been snookered and knew it. I think half the pain Malcolm feels is the struggle to hold back his temper when things aren’t going well. Having listened to him being interviewed a couple of times during the election campaign he seemed to me to have a short wick when he doesn’t like the direction/tone of questioning. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I’d be very surprised if the Canberra hacks aren’t running a book as to who will be the first to set off the Turnbull fireworks when Turnbull does finally gain the leadership.

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

SWAN ‘Dogs’ IT AGAIN should be the headline for this budget and the post budget discussion. Most damning was Swans insistence to senior ABC journalist, Mark Colvin, that the Private Health Fund estimates of 400,000 dropping their private cover was ‘hysterical’ and then conceding, to-day, that his own department’s estimate was that 485,000 would likely drop their cover. Now assuming Swan wasn’t deliberately lying ( no treasurer could be that stupid, could they? Well??), one has to conclude that he wasn’t across his own departments advice. Question time to-day revealed the same old Swan. Turnbull pointedly asked him about his own budget projections re expenditure over 4 years, quoting from the document and Swan launched into a tirade about “numbers” in the Liberal party room. Turnbull asked him about price increases in insurance premiums and its effects on inflation and Swan ‘dogged’ the question again.

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

JJ: Crap! It was the right wing media who tried to turn the the budget into a them and us scenario, let alone the politics of envy. To take one point only. Why should there be a baby bonus? In a country with an exploding population, in the driest continent on earth. A tax should be levied on anyone having more than two children.
Oh, I am so sorry, you are a Catholic are you not?