We’ll know the magnitude of the task of fighting climate change has truly sunk in when every major government decision is taken only after consideration of its greenhouse implications. This is not happening, writes Clive Hamilton.
Budget 08
Health Budget 2008: just dipping a toe in the waters of reform?
Unfortunately at this stage there is little evidence of an underlying or even emerging strategy to give effect to the rhetoric and hype that has so excited those in the health sector that perhaps an era of reform has arrived, writes Robert Wells.
The spin starts here: Selling the Budget
This intriguing combination of politics and economics has been given the umbrella message of “conservative, balanced and responsible”, writes Trevor Cook.
Davies: Defence department crashes back to earth
While the first Rudd government budget has delivered Defence a real increase as promised, that’s where the good news stops, writes Andrew Davies, program director at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Comitatus: Kevin Rudd’s amazing iceberg budget
The real Kevin Rudd has always been the Goss technocrat, the strategic policy wonk, the careful, cautious planner, writes Possum Comitatus.
Commentariat & editorials: About last night
Sure, the Budget lays out the nation’s economic future, but the press reaction is key to its perceived success or failure. Here’s how the papers see Budget 08.
Stilgherrian: Rudd’s slow digital revolution
Of $4.7b promised for the National Broadband Network, only 0.16% has been committed, writes Stilgherrian.
Talkback wrap: working families weigh in
Callers Anne, Heather, Donny and Barry discuss whether it was as good for them as it was for Wayne.
Moran: Judging the Budget by government’s slice of the pie
The bottom line for evaluating government is an examination of its size within the national cake. Two key dimensions of this are its call on GDP and its regulatory exactions, writes Alan Moran.
ACF: Nice start but more taxes for pollution please
Last night’s budget was a start on tackling climate change. But there’s a hell of a long way to go, writes Tony Mohr from the ACF.
Hughes: The Budget TV show is a flop
It’s not revolution perfuming the air but Wayne Swan’s naked fear, writes Simon Hughes.
Croome: Spousal benefits for same-s-x couples saves $66 million
in last night’s Budget the Government declared that the removal of discrimination “is expected to result in net savings of $66.0 million over four years”, writes Rodney Croome.
Mayne: Making a mockery of budget accounting
The budget wasn’t exactly a gold medal performance for honest accounting, writes
Costello sings the Budget Blues
Geez, Peter Costello was seriously unhappy yesterday, writes Bernard Keane.
Sparrow: It ain’t a class war budget
Wayne Swan didn’t so much turn his phrases as curdle them in the stale Ruddite argot about working families in his budget speech, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Gen X and Y talk back to the budget
So many mainstream commentators are squarely in the Baby Boomer camp. Crikey put out a call for guest contributors from Gen Y and Gen X and here’s what they said.
First Dog on the Moon Budget Video
Want to see Wayne Swan deliver the Budget as a sock puppet? Watch here.
And finally: Budget 08 the tag cloud
The federal budget in tag clouds — a Crikey comparison.
Did the credit-crunch hit revenue? Don’t believe it for a second
Wayne Swan’s claims of a credit crunch hitting revenue are pure bunkum, writes Stephen Mayne.
No rabbits, but some quality spin
The Budget — it’s an economic document, and a political one. Bernard Keane take looks at how it will play with punters and pundits.
Gazing into the economic crystal ball
Here’s how the government sees some of the key economic indicators into next year. By Bernard Keane.
The budget paper storm
Stephen Mayne steps out into the blizzard of Budget paperwork.
Gottliebsen: Labor’s attack on tall poppies
Labor has unveiled a secret weapon to maul the finances of higher income families – and all in the name of tax “fairness”, writes Robert Gottliebsen.
The cuts: more a messy shave than a massacre
This isn’t so much a meataxe as a messy shave. But it’s real blood, and we haven’t seen it spilt like this for a decade, writes Bernard Keane.
Kohler: The Budget that Tanner built
Remarkably, the Finance Minister has found $2 billion more in savings than Swan and Rudd are spending, writes Alan Kohler.
