An Own Goal, But They Can Recover

[icyfroth]

The poll shows that the budget was a landmark moment in political unpopularity.

''There have only been less popular prime ministers on a handful of occasions''  in the 40-year history of the survey, pollster John Stirton said. Those include when the Whitlam government was embroiled in the notorious  Khemlani loans affair, when Paul Keating broke his ''L-A-W'' promise to deliver tax cuts, and when Julia  Gillard announced the carbon tax"

''The politics of the Australian budget,'' Mills says, ''seem so bad that you  can only conclude that Abbott and Hockey must genuinely believe they are doing  the right thing and will receive the electoral rewards of a booming economy in  2016.''

And it is that timing which explains why Abbott and Hockey are not  panicking. Governments have hit these lows before and recovered to be  re-elected. This poll puts the government behind by 56 per cent to 44 on the  election- deciding measure, the two-party preferred vote.

The Howard government hit this low point in 1998, 2001 and 2004 yet recovered  to win. As Stirton remarks: ''Recovery is always an option, especially when it's  this early in the term.''

This is Abbott's and Hockey's first budget, not their third.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/an-own-goal-but-the-game-is-far-from-over-2...

So don't count your chickens before they hatch, ppl.

[silverfaun]

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@icyfroth wrote:

That's it Faun. No discussion on the huge deficit and how the cuts are designed to bring it back to surplus. Just oh no the ABCs funding is goint to take a hit moan moan moan etc etc.

Did ppl really think we could continue going done the path of unbridled and ill-considered public spending that led us to this huge debt?

No PM that was going to be tough enough take a close look at some of the welfare rorts and cut some of the more wasteful and useless department funding was going to escape the ire of those that have had their gravy train derailed.

Anyone can be popular by making big promises of funding, then leaving the debt behind for someone else to cop the flak.

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It's what Labor does, alway has. They are not the preferred party for the country, never have been,  they are a populist rabble that's why they spend do much time in the wilderness.

[boris1gary]

Beer and ciggies? More like 'Let them eat cake' from Joe Hockey atop his tower

The mental image of Joe Hockey in Marie Antoinette’s blonde ringlets proclaiming “Let them eat cake” might prompt consternation or an upset stomach, depending on your political persuasion. But with his “beer and cigarettes” comments, he has in effect uttered the modern-day equivalent.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/beer-and-ciggies-more-like-let-them-eat-cake-from-joe-hockey-atop-h...

[silverfaun]

Poor Bill, got rolled by the union heavies and was humiliated and dejected. Nobody believes he can do anything let alone run a country if he is going to block all measures to bring the debt down.

[boris1gary]

icyfroth wrote - Anyone can be popular by making big promises of funding, then leaving the debt behind for someone else to cop the flak.

what a laughable comment, do you mean like abbott lied continually with all his "promises" not to cut funding for health etc and what about the other whoppers.....hahahahahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahah

 

[icyfroth]

how nice to see you happy for a change 🙂

[silverfaun]

I am extremely happy that we have a responsible government and the hell of the last 6 years of Labor is gone. I am very happy with Mr Hockey and his hard work trying to clean up the mess Labor left behind.

Thanks Mr Hockey

[boris1gary]

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/scoresettling-budget-looks-after-mates-20140519-zrhbg.html

Score-settling budget looks after mates

Big food, big tobacco and big alcohol have been thrown the carcass of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency. Like the introduction of Medicare co-payments the move won’t actually save the budget any money because the savings will be redirected to medical research, but it will please corporations which have been amongst the Coalition’s biggest backers.

Coalition pets such as the banks, private health insurance industry and private schools get off lightly. The government will hand private schools $6.8 billion in the coming financial year - no cutback on what was scheduled - and $9.3 billion the following year. The private health insurance rebate survives with barely a scrape. It’ll cost $5.5 billion this coming financial year and $5.8 billion the next.

And the banks profit hugely from the tens of billions of dollars handed out every year in superannuation tax concessions, also untouched.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/scoresettling-budget-looks-after-mates-20140519-zrhbg.html#ixzz32D9847...

[silverfaun]

Icyfroth,  Mr Hockey is such a lovely man and a great Treasurer in my opinion and apparently the majority of Australians agree.

I wonder what that little Labor inconsequent sitting on the back benches and still sucking of the public teat is thinking? really he should have resigned, every day he sits there he embarrasses labor, if that's possible, prob not

[boris1gary]

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@silverfaun wrote:

Icyfroth,  Mr Hockey is such a lovely man and a great Treasurer in my opinion and apparently the majority of Australians agree.

I wonder what that little Labor inconsequent sitting on the back benches and still sucking of the public teat is thinking? really he should have resigned, every day he sits there he embarrasses labor, if that's possible, prob not

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mmmm, apparently the majority of us don't agree that hockey is a great treasurer, time for a new narrative 

The harshest and most unpopular federal budget in nearly two decades has slashed support for Tony Abbott's Coalition government before it has even reached its first anniversary, plunging it into a potential poll trough from which it might never recover.

Australians have passed a severe judgment on the Abbott-Joe Hockey formula, branding it unfair, bad for the country and based on broken promises.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-pays-price-for-broken-promises-201...

[fourandsixpants]

I hope and pray that these 'ordinary' LNP politicians in power at present do not recover and get to continue on.