As noted in the previous post, budget week means a calm before the following week’s storm in federal opinion polling. However, there is the following:
• The weekly Roy Morgan poll has Labor leading 52-48 for the fourth week in a row, though the stability is down to variable respondent-allocated preference flows, as the latest result has Labor up two points on the primary vote to 32% with the Coalition steady on 37%, the Greens up half a point to 13.5% and One Nation down half a point to 5.5%. The poll was conducted Monday to Sunday from a sample of 1654.
• The latest SECNewgate Mood of the Nation issue salience survey records 21% of respondents mentioning crime when asked without prompting about “the main issues facing Australians that are most important to you right now”, compared with 10% in the February survey, with cost of living continuing to dominate with 69% followed by housing affordability on 36%. A forced response question on national direction finds wrong direction favoured over right direction by 63% to 37%, out from 44% to 56% in February. Thirty-one per cent rate the federal government’s performance excellent, very good or good, down from 34% in February, while fair, poor or very poor is up two to 66%.
Preselection news:
• High-profile former state MP Kate Jones is reportedly in contention to take second position on Labor’s Queensland Senate ticket, which represents a vacancy because the party failed to win a second seat in 2019. Jones served in cabinet in the Bligh and Palaszczuk governments and held the seat of Ashgrove and its successor Cooper from 2006 to 2020, outside of an interruption when she lost it to Campbell Newman in 2012 before recovering it in 2015. She stepped aside from a position at a lobbying firm in March amid an ongoing controversy over the state government’s relationship with lobbyists, and is now an Australian Rugby League commissioner and executive director at the Tech Council of Australia. The idea is being promoted by Gary Bullock, Left faction figurehead and state secretary of the United Workers Union, and would disturb an arrangement in which the top position has gone to a candidate of the Left, in this case incumbent Nita Green, and the second to the Right faction Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association. The Australian reports Jenny Hill, former mayor of Townsville and a member of the Right, will also nominate, and that she may be joined by factional colleague Corinne Mulholland, former candidate for Petrie and now in-house lobbyist for Star casinos.
• InDaily reports there are two contenders in the mix for Liberal preselection in the South Australian seat of Mayo, which Rebekha Sharkie of the Centre Alliance has held since 2018. “Outspoken” Adelaide councillor Henry Davis has confirmed his interest, but a party source is quoted saying both moderate and conservative factions were looking for someone “more competitive”. That might mean Rowan Mumford, conservative-aligned state party president and unsuccessful candidate for Kavel at the March 2022 state election.
• The Australian’s Feeding the Chooks column reports Labor’s candidate to recover the Brisbane seat of Griffith, which Terri Butler lost to Max Chandler-Mather of the Greens in 2022, is likely to be Renée Coffey, chief executive of Kookaburra Kids, a foundation that helps children whose parents have a mental illness. Coffey is reportedly aligned with the Old Guard faction, which was once counted as a subset of the Right but now lines up with a dominant Left.
#weatheronPB
A cool hug today.
Soft grey rain hangs in the air.
Undecided. Limp.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
A panel of Ninefax journos give their verdicts on the budget.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/is-this-the-budget-we-needed-our-experts-deliver-their-verdicts-20240514-p5jdjd.html
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has delivered a budget targeting cost of living, with the mantra of sensible spending. The Australian’s experts deliver their verdicts on the main policy areas Labor has targeted. Can’t really argue with their assessments.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/federal-budget-2024-our-experts-give-their-verdicts/news-story/4806bd75a12897d5a44df055f673c65c?amp=
The federal government is attempting to tiptoe a tricky path out of economic and financial strife, says Greg Jericho who lays it out in seven charts.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-budget-explained-in-seven-charts-20240508-p5gmxk.html
Ross Gittins reckons this budget will make us better off now, worse off later.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/this-budget-will-make-us-better-off-now-worse-off-later-20240508-p5gpr9.html
Pater Hartcher says, “Don’t be fooled: this is an election budget with plenty of pork barrelling”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/it-goes-by-many-names-but-the-truth-is-this-budget-is-full-of-election-pork-20240508-p5gpus.html
Budget 2024: Labor is trying to ease Australians’ cost-of-living pain in the hope voters repay the favour, writes Karen Middleton.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/article/2024/may/14/australia-federal-budget-2024-latest-news-details-key-points-policies-government-anthony-albanese-treasurer-jim-chalmers-overview
The Australian government’s $23bn package over the next 10 years to spur domestic manufacturing and speed up the path to net zero is shaping up as the most politically contentious element of the budget. The government has placed a range of budget measures under the banner “A Future Made in Australia” in a strategy that Labor hopes will boost its standing in key seats in Queensland and Western Australia. But, writes Daniel Hurst, the opposition has rubbished its central measure – $13.7bn in production tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals – as a “handout to billionaires” it cannot support.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/14/australia-federal-budget-2024-future-made-in-australia-investments-renewables-net-zero-national-interest-framework-small-business-tax-solar-hydrogen-education
Jacqui Maley examines the political calculus Labor’s budget sweeteners for women.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-albanese-government-doesn-t-just-like-women-it-needs-them-20240508-p5gqj0.html
Chalmers is bitten by the giveaway bug in a budget that contains good news for almost everyone, writes Professor Stephen Bartos.
https://theconversation.com/chalmers-is-bitten-by-the-giveaway-bug-in-a-budget-that-contains-good-news-for-almost-everyone-229273
Alan Kohler reckons this budget, through its increased spending, will lead to two more interest rate rises.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/news-federal-budget/2024/05/14/alan-kohler-budget-risky-not-responsible
Jim Chalmers has splashed $7.8bn on new cost-of-living measures including $300 energy subsidies for every household and boosted rent assistance designed to artificially lower inflation and heap pressure on the Reserve Bank to cut rates ahead of the 2025 election. Geoff Chambers writes that in a big spending pre-election budget, Dr Chalmers will run combined deficits of $122bn over the next four years to accommodate more than $32.5bn in new Labor spending measures authorised since the December mid-year budget update.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/federal-budget-2024-jim-chalmers-78bn-costofliving-relief/news-story/60d8d8303e8373cef490df86716c56a2?amp=
Shane Wright reckons Jim Chalmers spending more taxpayers’ money to bring down inflation while taking a calculated punt this will force unions to wind back their expectations of ever-increasing pay packets and also not tick off the Reserve Bank.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-budget-handout-that-could-slash-your-next-pay-rise-20240508-p5gnve.html
Getting inflation to the target range quickly would have detrimental consequences on the economy and unemployment rate, writes Stephen Koukoulas. If only some economists were as rabidly enthusiastic about maintaining full employment, getting the unemployment rate as low as possible and encouraging steady and sustained increases in real wages as they are about getting inflation to a 2 to 3% target, he says.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/unemployment–the-forgotten-target-of-the-rba,18595
The SMH editorial says that it is time for Chalmers to rise to the challenge and outline a reform vision that sets both the Australian economy and the federal budget on a firmer footing.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-whole-lot-of-spending-but-very-little-effort-on-how-to-keep-paying-for-it-20240514-p5jdjl.html
The jailing of David McBride is a dark day for democracy and press freedom in Australia, say Kieran Pender and Peter Greste.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/article/2024/may/14/the-jailing-of-david-mcbride-is-a-dark-day-for-democracy-and-press-freedom-in-australia
Smaller grocers have criticised the business tactics used by retail giants, telling a Queensland inquiry they have been “annihilated” by major supermarket chains. A day after Coles and Woolworths were grilled by the premier, Steven Miles, the likes of IGA and FoodWorks vented their frustration at the Brisbane pricing inquiry yesterday, The company behind IGA criticised the practice of rezoning land to allow for major supermarkets to established themselves in an area.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/14/queensland-supermarket-price-gouging-inquiry-smaller-grocery-stores-annihilated-by-major-supermarket-chains-tactics-queensland-inquiry-told
Nick McKenzie and Amelia Ballinger explain how Australian drug smuggling suspects being right at home in Dubai as that country makes the world’s worst welcome. They say a mega-leak of property records reveals how suspected drug traffickers and other criminals call the UAE a safe haven as the Gulf state looks the other way.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/australian-drug-smuggling-suspects-right-at-home-as-dubai-makes-world-s-worst-welcome-20240514-p5jdg7.html
Climate scientists reveal data that earth’s heating is accelerating, heat extremes are increasing and 1.5 degrees C has been breached faster than forecast. We are failing to treat climate change as the single greatest threat to humanity, complains David Shearman who says the Future Gas Strategy is a betrayal of promised climate and environmental policies.
https://johnmenadue.com/future-gas-strategy-is-a-betrayal-of-promised-climate-and-environmental-policies/
Meddling with bail laws is a balancing act state governments often get wrong. By taking his time, Premier Minns has got it right, opines the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/no-panacea-but-domestic-violence-bail-reforms-strike-the-right-balance-20240514-p5jdhn.html
But law professor Rosiland Nixon argues that the DV bail changes make a big difference, but Minns has missed one big red flag.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/dv-bail-changes-make-a-big-difference-but-minns-missed-one-big-red-flag-20240514-p5jdgc.html
A recent incident where schoolboys ranked female classmates as ‘unrapeable’ has reminded us of the need to tackle the misogynistic culture allowing this behaviour to thrive, writes Rosemary Sorensen.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/yarra-valley-grammar-incident-highlights-urgent-need-to-end-misogyny,18599
Sydney Cumberland council will probably overturn its controversial ban at a meeting tonight, as it is revealed the banned book was borrowed once in five years. It seems there are just sufficient numbers to get the emergency motion up but Christou’s cronies in Our Local Community – a conservative party with representatives in several councils across western Sydney – are set to vote against the divisive figure over the issue.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/we-asked-every-cumberland-councillor-about-the-same-sex-book-ban-here-s-what-they-said-20240514-p5jdh4.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
David Pope
Matt Golding
Andrew Dyson
John Shakespeare
Cathy Wilcox
Jon Kudelka
Joe Benke
Geoff Pryor
Spooner
From the US
Sarkis said library staff told him the book was acquired in February 2019, and in the five years it was on the shelves, it was borrowed only once.
ROFL
About sums it up. Wankers all.
Morning all. Thanks for the roundup BK. Some fairly sober assessments of the budget. It is not a very visionary document, but is focused on relief for families.
Laura Tingle gives her analysis of the budget here with characteristic logic.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-14/budget-built-on-hope-of-more-time/103843846
With a budget that is necessary but unexciting, Labor’s messaging and selling of it will be critical.
Thanks BK!
So, after last night’s discussion about whether the Albanese government should have invested in AI instead of quantum computing, I was at Union Station in Washington today and I bought a copy of Wired which had an interview with Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia (which the really smart money has been investing in), arguably the Father of AI.
Now, as I read the interview with the guy it became apparent to me that, if someone at the top of a $2 Trillion company (a value greater than the total Australian economy), hadn’t already bought the companies who were already innovating in the AI field, and he has been, then the other companies in the AI space, such as AMD, Google’s TPU, AWS’s Trainium and Inferentia teams, and Microsoft’s Maia, are all already involved in the AI race. Where they’re not so involved and far down the road is in quantum computing. Only IBM in America seems to be solidly invested in it. Yet quantum computing is going to make AI seem like times tables compared to complex algorithms. Not to mention that Australia already has some of the most innovative companies in the AI space here already. So why wouldn’t you want to catch the next wave instead of trying to surf the current one?
Alan Kohler reckons this budget, through its increased spending, will lead to two more interest rate rises.
_____________________
I’ll take Kohler over The Kouk any day of the week.
Yeh honestly same Taylor – and it’s totally not because in a Kohler fan boy ignoring the dangers of parasocial relationships. Also CAT, thanks for confirming pretty much everything I suspected about you – the idea you are such a staunch modern laborite that believes socialism should be relegated to the trashbin of history is wild to me… because neoliberalism has been doing so well for australians… and BTW, for such a big labor supporter, you didn’t even get their platform right. It’s democratic socialist, not social democrats. But hey, that’s only been their platform for… almost a century. Maybe your in the wrong party given your views on socialism?
Taylormade says:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:26 am
Alan Kohler reckons this budget, through its increased spending, will lead to two more interest rate rises.
_____________________
I’ll take Kohler over The Kouk any day of the week.
—————-
Kohler has been saying interest rates rises since February and been wrong
The “morning after” the “significant people’s” party.
I like to remind myself that in Australia, everyone is allowed to talk freely about the Treasurer’s Federal budget, except of course certain significant journalists/commentators who find themselves restricted by association.
My first impression of the Chalmers budget is the openess and clearly enunciated message.
Those that need to convolute the message for whatever reason are free to do so.
The fact that some are talking of an election before the “ink is dry” on the Tuesday budget, completely ignoring the possibility of a ” substantial” budget reply on the Thursday, perhaps indicating the “state of the nation”.
Mr Dutton will need to produce a “nuclear” budget reply to turn the game around. It won’t happen!
So the Greens are trying to delay fuel standards. Has Toyota got in their ears?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DtfYn7HV5k
From The Australia Institute
Australia is one of the richest countries in the world but while we can apparently afford tax cuts for high income earners and submarines, we “can’t afford” to increase unemployment benefits, address child poverty or even protect our endangered species from the climate change we do so much to cause.
The Albanese government missing in these critical areas.
Asylum seekers living in Australian communities have been ignored too.
From the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
I’m reading about measures for “every household’’ knowing that this does not include people the ASRC supports every day.
The only true budget winners, as far as I can see, are detention centre operators and unscrupulous multinationals.
For a third time in a row, the Government is just offering more limbo, despair and destitution.
It’s a budget bereft of compassion, fairness or hope for families, children, women, and men seeking our protection.
Here’s the top breakdown:
No increase to the humanitarian intake
Budget decrease of $20 million for ‘’asylum seeker’’ support
No increased provision of work rights, study rights and access to mainstream social support for people seeking asylum
No support for refugees abandoned in PNG without food and financial aid
Spending $604 million, in the next year, keeping people in brutal offshore processing centres on Nauru
Cruelty is the policy of this Albanese Labor government for many living in this rich country.
We saw cruelty in the Gillard government too. Maybe one of the reasons that government lost so much support in 2013.
Raising unemployment benefits has not been a Labor policy since Paul Keating in 1992, with only $40/fortnight increase since that year from Labor.
Labor and Liberal Parties have identical policies.
Good morning all.
Everyone gets a tax cut. Everyone get an energy kicker. Renters get some free money. HECs students walk away with $3 billion. Now up to $27 billion on housing construction support. Hundreds of millions more for domestic violence. Climate action up to tens of billions. Tens of billions for economic development.
Record employment. Record number of women in full time employment. Gender pay gap closed. Inflation tamed. Real wages rising. Women in feminized industries benefiting from the biggest pay rises.
And… Irene back with the daily slagathon.
Blocker Bandt was at his whining worst night. He was throwing around some bizarre figures. But he was at his puny best: threatening to block more measures.
He has already significantly delayed housing construction for victims fleeing domestic violence.
He is now blocking vehicle fuel efficiency standards.
Boerwar says:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:53 am
Good morning all.
Everyone gets a tax cut. Everyone get an energy kicker. Renters get some free money. HECs students walk away with $3 billion. Now up to $27 billion on housing construction support. Hundreds of millions more for domestic violence. Climate action up to tens of billions. Tens of billions for economic development.
Record employment. Record number of women in full time employment. Gender pay gap closed. Inflation tamed. Real wages rising. Women in feminized industries benefiting from the biggest pay rises.
And… Irene back with the daily slagathon.
—————————
Plenty of losers from this budget. No reason why you shouldn’t accept that.
Usually it is the Australians, like the unemployed, children, the environment …who don’t vote. Or donate to Labor.
Cruelty again accepted by Boerwar as Labor policy.
But plenty of money for the $368billion AUKUS. Which won’t benefit anyone alive in Australia today. In reality.
The Australian government’s funding for its Aukus nuclear-powered submarine project will ramp up sharply, with the federal budget earmarking $2.59bn next financial year.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/14/australia-federal-budget-2024-aukus-national-defence-strategy-nuclear-submarine-deal-spending-military-funding-cuts-commercial-scale-quantum-computer-?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
A Department of Defence report released on Tuesday night also shows the government has so far approved spending of $13.6bn on the project to acquire the submarines, although that figure spans many years.
Further approvals will be required for various elements of the Aukus plan, under which Australia plans to acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US in the 2030s before Adelaide-built submarines enter into service from the 2040s.
Thanks BK!
The budget is too hot!
The budget is too cold!
It isn’t a magic pudding. It is porridge 🙂
BK
Thank you
As soon as interest rates go down, that’s when Labor should have next election.
Just under one million Australian households renting in the private market or from a community provider will enjoy a 10% increase on the maximum rate of rent assistance available to them under the scheme, as part of the changes that will take effect from September. This follows a 15% increase in last year’s budget.
So far a total 25% increase in rent assistance for a million Australians.
Irene? Tries to tell us that the Budget does NOTHING for renters.
Groundless slags abound.
Hey BW, can you provide the actual dollar figures?
Lordbain,
Proving what a, not very intelligent person you are. Social Democrats are not Neoliberals. Nor are they Socialists. You appear to be confused about these things.
But as I said, the 21st century has moved the economic debate on and you, and The Greens, appear not to have kept up. Labor, as a responsible government, plays with the cards they have been dealt and changes things in a way that benefits the most people and not just latte social conscience property investors like Irene, Inner City NIMBY types, or misguided idealists like you.
Here’s a mind game for you and performative bleeding heart Irene to play. Use your own household budget the way you say the government should use theirs, by giving beucoup bucks to the Homeless, increasing JobSeeker massively and throwing money at the Construction industry to build as many homes as The Greens want as quickly as they want them(as long as they aren’t in Greens electorates), and see how much you have left to feed your family and pay your bills. Less than zero is what you would have left, yet you expect us to believe you two that The Greens have the answers. Lol.
The actual spend on submarines for -04-05 will be $2.6 billion.
Not the $289 billion reported breathlessly by Irene.
Victoria says:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:04 am
As soon as interest rates go down, that’s when Labor should have next election.
_______________
I am not certain that they will have the opportunity. We could be stuck in neutral for another year.
‘Lordbain says:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:16 am
Hey BW, can you provide the actual dollar figures?’
———————-
Google it.
I see that Labor is trying to lift Australia’s economic complexity from below Uganda which is where a decade of Coalition economic mismanagement had left it:
$464 million for the world’s first quantum computor.
Irene? Ignores that.
Budgets are “Bread and Circuses”. Very handy for distracting the population from the more important issues that the government hopes you’ll forget about. …
https://johnmenadue.com/future-gas-strategy-is-a-betrayal-of-promised-climate-and-environmental-policies/
So … how great are budget surpluses, eh?
CAT, i cant help but notice the following
-you keep ignoring that Labors platform is as Democratic socialists, not social democrats.
– you keep ignoring that, from the 80s onwards, the Labor party has embraced the economic consensus of the time (ie, commonly called neo liberal economics)
– you keep mocking socialism, ignoring of course that Labors greatest achievements are pretty damn socialist in nature
– you implied that the household budget is the same as a countries budget… last time i checked, i dont have the ability to literally print cash, or collect taxes
I find it absolutely amazing you havnt caught on to the fact that your basically parroting LNP talking points…
The Prime Minister has just confirmed that there will be an early Budget in March next year. So I think that we will be off to the races next April. Easter permitting.
Taylormadesays:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:26 am
Alan Kohler reckons this budget, through its increased spending, will lead to two more interest rate rises.
_____________________
I’ll take Kohler over The Kouk any day of the week.
_____________________
So pick the narrative that you want to be true and bang that one note drum.
The rest of us note that these are two opinions on what may happen in the future.
Irene @ #412 Wednesday, May 15th, 2024 – 7:39 am
This is a gross exaggeration. Anyone can easily see the difference – Labor’s have a red cover, while the COALition’s have a blue cover.
Arky
Australia’s investment in AI is the lowest in the OECD. We will lose the best engineers to the US and China and lose our sovereignty as we have to beg Microsoft etc for their models. The brain drain to the US is already happening. Albo is just thinking of people worrying about their jobs.
AI creates jobs by making our processes more efficient so we can compete on the international market. Very little is going in to startups here because we have been so slow to get any guidelines for AI, unlike the US and EU.
Saturday’s Courier Mail says Reynolds and Higgins in Mediation talks Friday, no word since.
Can Labor afford a mid/late July Trial and all the bad news that may emanate from that with only 10 months to an Election?
I’m thinking a snap election for early July with a 4 week campaign as Labor’s best bet at this point.
Throwing money to the well off with tax cuts and energy rebates while deliberately keeping disadvantaged people living below the poverty line.
Absolute dog act by Labor.
Dio is right. Govt of muppets.
Thanks BW i did google it; for a single renter on the max payment, they can expect a whopping… extra 8ish dollars a week. So thats a fortnight payment of around 200ish, in a rental market where thats going to do nothing.
Hell, that makes Port Pirie too expensive for you, let alone places with actual jobs. But dont worry! If your in shared accom you get an extra… 6 dollars a week. Damn, how generous!
If anyones bored, do a quick check on rental websites for 200 a fortnight properties…
Rex Douglas says:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:26 am
Throwing money to the well off with tax cuts and energy rebates while deliberately keeping disadvantaged people living below the poverty line.
Absolute dog act by Labor.
————————–
Rex Douglas
The alternative is far worst , hence why they must remain in opposition
I think the funniest story this week is the official news there will be an investigation into the investigation of the investigation of the Higgins-Lehmann case.
Has our legal system ever sunk so low?
Interesting move to change the energy rebate to just apply to everyone.
It addresses the main issue with last year’s rebate – that the eligibility criteria were confusing, that most people didn’t know if they’d even gotten it, and that it left the federal government in no way able to take credit for it if they did.
I don’t get Labor’s insistence on raising Rent Assistance over the base rate: anyone in social housing doesn’t get Rent Assistance (the provider takes it) so it doesn’t assist them with cost of living pressures, and it’s far less useful to anyone in a crisis situation and not necessarily paying traditional rent (e.g. someone who has just fled domestic violence).
It will be interesting to see how many NSW liberal party supporters will pay between $1000 to $2000 to watch Dutton’s budget reply speech tomorrow night
And Federal lib/nats and their propaganda media units talk about cost of living pressures
Alpha Zerosays:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:24 _
So pick the narrative that you want to be true and bang that one note drum.
The rest of us note that these are two opinions on what may happen in the future.
_____________________
I can guarantee the Kouks opinion will align with the Govt’s.
This has to be the most boring budget I have ever known, I don’t think their was anything was not already stated to be policy or openly discussed with the media. Boring and cowardly, quite the combination.
This has to be the most boring budget I have ever known, I don’t think their was anything was not already stated to be policy or openly discussed with the media. Boring and cowardly, quite the combination.
If you love that Rex, youll love this… only recipients with a partial capacity of zero to 14 hour per week will get an increase of $54.90 per fortnight for Jobseeker.
I’ve always found it funny how it’s the opposition leader that gives the budget reply speech not the shadow treasurer.
I don’t get the government’s insistence on raising rent assistance over the base rate.
It is the usual practice for social housing providers to take the recipient’s rent assistance and add it to their base rent, so anyone in social housing doesn’t receive that boost.
It is also useless to anyone who is in a crisis situation and not technically renting on a lease of some form – in the most obvious example, anyone fleeing domestic violence.
The relatively tiny size of it also ensures that it’s going to be little comfort, and that the next year’s of press release dot points of “look how good we did for you, we raised rent assistance!” are going to be about as well received as “let them eat cake”.
It has been happening for decades in this industry. SA tried to start up a high tech hub (anything from AR to Biotech) and, well, are doing OK but were never going to recreate a local Austin (which I think some of them thought they could do). There was also the Space industry efforts which at least appeared to me to be more about fancy suits, lots of talking and constant business class flights than much else – and now pretty much dead in the water.
If you want to keep the best and the brightest and lure the big companies – you gotta go all in. There are no half measures. Even with modern airlines and connective tech, Australia is a long way from anywhere and bloody hard to compete with the draw cards in the US, Europe and even Asia.
Why would anyone pay to watch a budget reply speech?
It wasn’t for no reason that they used to bring student Labor down with the lure of free drinks when they needed an budget reply audience in opposition back in the day.
Someone please entertain Steely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPu2PdLW3I
I think the energy rebate is an interesting way of putting money into the energy transition, a transition that has to occur. Lets see if the Liberals are willing to oppose relief for, what are we calling it, “a cost of living crisis”. Unbelievable good politics.
I understand the rational of getting solar panels built in Australia, we are going to need a lot, and it is going to be an ongoing demand as they only last a couple of decades. May as well do it here instead of it being a entry against our imports, after all thanks to the Liberals we have to import all our cars..
Quantum commuting, AI, fusion. Are any of us really quantified to judge. I think they are nothing more than buzz words, but they are not my field. I was up with AI two decades ago, but that is a lifetime for that field. Where it is at now seems to required a large server farm to run.
I note we have a plastic surgeon who is confident to predict Quantum computing is a waste of a billion. I am glad he can get his mind around what seems Greek to me.