Voters punish Julia Gillard for bad news, but Tony Abbott seems to share in the spoils of good policy announcements.
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WAYNE SWAN
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of Wayne Swan. Crikey’s Wayne Swan coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
The mystery of Treasury’s disappearing revenue: Parkinson explains
The Treasury Secretary’s discussion of what has gone wrong with revenue forecasting in recent years provides a context for the coming challenges on fiscal policy. Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer report.
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Crikey calling: budget blues — and surprises
Budget week in Canberra highlighted the economic constraints facing an Abbott government — and gave a hint that the Coalition may be Labor lite when it comes to future budgets. Crikey deputy editor Cathy Alexander talks with Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane.
READ MOREAbbott’s golden promises
Crikeyreaders talk gold in its various permutations and what the Treasurer’s real job is.
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Swan’s mixed legacy as an economic and fiscal manager
If Wayne Swan had had a couple more budgets like last night’s, he might have faced a different electoral fate.
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Richard Farmer’s chunky bits
The normal record of Treasury over the last 20 years was to underestimate likely revenue rather than overestimate it, Richard Farmer reminds us.
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Forecasts: how wrong will Treasury get it this year?
Treasury always gets it wrong — but is the margin of error acceptable? History shows it has a variable record, and suggests what Wayne Swan’s deficit might end up being.
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iSentia index: Swan flies into first as PM loses media ground
No surprises to see Wayne Swan win the most media mentions in budget week. But Tony Abbott shaded the Prime Minister in the fight for attention.
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Budget delivered on the wings of the dollar
A new-found conservatism in Treasury estimates means the economy could grow faster than expected, especially if the Australian dollar continues to fall. Former Labor economic adviser Stephen Koukoulas comments.
READ MOREInside the budget lock-up: pies and sneaky fags
What went down in the press gallery lock-up for the budget? Crikey joined the pack of journalists hungry for budget news — and party pies.
READ MOREBaby bonus dumping a ‘sensible, calm and responsible’ cut
The baby bonus has been thrown out with the bath water, as part of Treasurer Wayne Swan’s “sensible, calm and responsible” cuts.
READ MORECommunity broadcasting: no cash for digital radio stations
The digital community radio sector needed $1.4 million in funding from the federal budget, but all it got was radio silence.
READ MOREWhat the Treasurer said: Wayne Swan’s budget speech
A transcript of the speech Wayne Swan delivered to Parliament in handing down the 2013-14 federal budget.
READ MOREJournos jostle for air time at Swan’s press conference
Wayne Swan jostled with journalists at the traditional budget lock-up press conference. Crikey was there to see who asked what — and how the Treasurer hit back.
READ MOREPublic servants to be cramped and sacked in grim budget
The government is turning the screws on bureaucrats, reducing office space as part of savings measures in the 2013-14 federal budget.
READ MORESpace debris, a pot plant tax and bullet experts: budget quirks
At least the Treasurer is protecting Australia from UFOs. Crikey dug deep into the budget papers to find the detail you won’t read in the papers.
READ MOREBudget 2013-14 at a glance: the key numbers
Crikey looks at the key 2013-14 budget numbers: unemployment, GDP growth, inflation, the deficit and more…
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The steep price Australia is paying for tax cuts
A key graph from the budget papers explains the challenge Wayne Swan has faced as Treasurer — one he has failed to address despite having the power to, writes Australia Institute executive director Richard Denniss.
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Swan leaves us guessing with confused budget
Is the Treasurer serious when he says he wants to spend more, tax less and get the budget back into surplus as quickly as possible? Australia Institute executive director Richard Denniss investigates.
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Savings and spending: the key budget initiatives
As in previous budgets, a huge chunk of Wayne Swan’s savings are actually tax rises or the closure of tax loopholes. He’s also targeted some relatively painless areas — big companies, public servants — for squeezing.
READ MOREBusiness case: what’s in the budget for employers
What’s in the budget for the business community? Wayne Swan promises to “support business to innovate” but there’s few initiatives to point to.
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Swan’s Way: incoherent political strategy for a strong economy
Treasurer Wayne Swan’s 2013-14 budget reflects his time as Treasurer: great economic outcomes, but delivered in a confused and incoherent way, writes Bernard Keane.
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Swan song: budget heads in right direction but lacks courage
Wayne Swan’s sixth and likely final budget charts a path to surplus, but fails to take enough tough decisions to rein in spending, writes Bernard Keane.
READ MORESwan prepares budget legacy — minus ‘booby trap’ bullshit
This is likely to be Wayne Swan’s last budget. What legacy will he leave behind — and is he really “booby trapping” the budget ahead of a likely Coalition takeover later this year?
READ MOREBudget 2013: what we know before the papers are delivered
We know plenty about what’s in Wayne Swan’s sixth — and probably last — federal budget, thanks to media leaks and strategic drops. Crikey provides a pre-budget cheat sheet …
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