The bottom line is that funding per student in higher education remains lower than before the mid-1990s, and considerably lower than in most OECD countries, writes Erica Cervini.
Budget 09 analysis
Infrastructure funding plight continues
What Australia got from the federal budget is a list of projects, not a solution to our infrastructure crisis, writes Phillip O’Neill.
Indigenous affairs money scattered but plentiful
In percentage terms, it’s still better than just about any other government has done before.
Budget 09: fossil fuels exit-strategy mark one
Australians would be alarmed to know that their taxes go to multinational oil, gas and coal corporations but the budget papers do not contain any details, or Ministerial Statements explaining these.
Climate spending won’t restore Rudd’s climate credibility
The downside of the Clean Energy Initiative – and the Rudd Government’s climate policy more generally – is the weighting given to coal interests, writes Andrew Macintosh.
2009 budget is oversold and unfair
Yes, there were good bits, but as a social document based on fairness, the 2009 federal budget wasn’t crash hot.
ABC flush with cash, SBS spits the dummy
There were conflicting responses from the state-subsidised media outlets in the wake of the Federal Budget.
Swan confronts the enemy within, and without
The Government used the Budget to push through a significant increase in spending on counter-terrorism, national security and border protection.
Swan’s boom-era Budget should sail
The mixed message of handouts and infrastructure for everyone in a time of supposed austerity is still confusing but probably not enough to cause any difficulty for the Government.
Treasury’s positive outlook is a false vision
A downturn that the Budget papers describe ad nauseam as “the most severe since the Great Depression” is expected to be over faster than the recession. So which is it? asks Steve Keen.
Berg: Never mind the deficit, look at the spending
There’s a weird - almost creepy - sense of confidence surrounding Wayne Swan’s second budget, writes Chris Berg.
Budget tries to sell unattainable growth rates. Why?
About the only certainty that I get from this Budget is that our economic circumstances will not unfold as forecast, writes John Hewson.
Canberra, the holy grail of groupthink
“… for sheer lunar madness, he was beaten to a standing start by Bill Heffernan …” Guy Rundle samples budget day.
Stilgherrian: The Budget? How quaint! They’re just made-up, you know
Need proof that the machinery of Australian government is as outdated as the steam locomotive and the electric telegraph? Look no further than that quaint ritual called the Federal Budget.
Crikey Wrap: Budget 09 editorials
Australian newspaper reactions to the Budget have been mixed this morning.
Wayne Swan: Born to Try
Is Wayne Swan like Delta Goodrem as lead singer of Wolfmother? Or more similar to Eva Peron - Don’t Cry for Me Australia? Tim Blair interprets the emotions of Swan’s budget night speech.
Davidson: not enough spending
The real downside risk to the economy from this budget is deflation rather than inflation, says Kenneth Davidson. Once entrenched, deflationary expectations reinforce the thrift paradox…
Gittins: a Budget a year ahead of itself?
It’s as though we’re planning the clean-up after the cyclone, even before the cyclone’s hit. Surely battening down the hatches would be a smarter idea at this point, argues Ross Gittins.
Megalogenis: very soft for a “tough” Budget
The cuts are aimed at reducing a pay rise, not denying a payment outright, says George Megalogenis. Savings to be coughed up by Labor’s favourite household, the working family, exist on paper only.
Colebatch: big spending Budget that doesn’t feel like one
Why will we be spending the next two weeks talking about the spending cuts, the things Canberra wants to take from us, when we know they are outweighed by the things it is going to give us? asks Tim Colebatch
Grattan: a very Labor Budget
The show-stopper in the short term is the big investment in infrastructure, writes Michelle Grattan. But the ALP risks spending too much.
Budget 09 boost to renewable energy
The $4.5 billion increase to renewable energy in the 2009-10 budget will hopefully reposition Australian as a solar energy leader, blogs Brian Chua.
What is Swan’s budget philosophy?
The federal government needs to establish their own philosophy, rather than partaking in a simple game of one-upmanship, argues The Australian editorial.
What will $4.7b be spent on?
Despite the announcements of $4.7 billion for the National Broadband Network, there is no indication of how the money will be spent, blogs Stuart Corner.
Tech wins in budget
Other industries might be hurting from the budget announcements, but information technology is excited with the fibre-to-the-home broadband network, regional broadband and other tech initiatives.
