We’re in the middle of the most perverse economic debate in years, writes Bernard Keane.
Budgets
NSW Premier’s mini-budget is a mega-spin
Laughably, Premier Nathan Rees’s NSW Government is calling it a “mini-budget”, It’s more like a MEGA budget, writes Alex Mitchell.
What was the RBA advice on guaranteeing deposits?
The predictable consequence of the Government intervening in the financial market to guarantee loans and deposits – that those not afforded the same guarantee are competitively disadvantaged – didn’t take long to emerge, writes Bernard Keane.
The reckless stimulus package we didn’t need
What on earth is the Rudd Government doing blowing $10 billion in largely unproductive welfare payments? asks Stephen Mayne.
Costello’s appalling record on Indigenous spending
Taxation revenue increases as economies grow. But similarly, Indigenous affairs budgets should increase in both real and percentage terms as government budgets grow. Under Costello, they shrunk, writes Chris Graham.
Time again for the debt truck?
The financial pages made for gloomy reading today and there’s one disturbing theme across the litany of bad news: excessive debt, writes Stephen Mayne.
The spin starts here: a “fixing the roof” budget
Treasurer Wayne Swan says that tonight’s budget will be “unashamedly” about the “long-term”. Politicians talk “long-term” when the “short-term” looks ugly, writes Trevor Cook.
Conflicted Keating’s retro-analysis does him no favours
Although he is a national living treasure, Paul Keating has done himself no good by weighing into the war between Premier Morris Iemma and the NSW Labor Party, writes Alex Mitchell.
This razor gang might just be a cut above the rest
The warning that carers’ bonuses may be scrapped in the Budget is only the first of what are likely to be a number of razor slash stories between now and Budget night, writes Bernard Keane.
John Winston Howard: The highlights
Howard biographer Wayne Errington lays out the highs and lows of a remarkable political career.
Tax promise will have no impact on the November rate rise
The expected interest rate hike in November will be the result of the tax cuts announced in the May Budget, together with other well documented issues that are adding to inflation, writes Stephen Koukoulas.
Brent: Cut tax then wait six weeks
Handing down tax policy on day one of the campaign is a novel approach. What’s that about? Here’s one possible explanation, writes Peter Brent.
Exposing the federal and state accounting rorts
Peter Costello was back in the Parliament pushing the big lie yesterday – that the Commonwealth under John Howard “reduced its debt from $96 billion to zero”. In fact, they owe $50 billion, writes Stephen Mayne.
Rates are up – you never had it so good
The Prime Minister and the Treasurer have told us this morning that interest rates simply had to rise because the economy is so good. Nice spin, writes Christian Kerr.
Costello: Man of principle, gutless wonder
Sulkpot Petey Poo Nag-Nag is on firmer ground when he whinges about Howard’s record as treasurer.
