The Budget is a disaster

in the making. It is going to leave most of us even worse off than could be expected in the current economic climate.

There are savings which could have been made but the present government's political agenda has won over responsible economic policies.. That this political agenda has been dressed up as "responsible" economics just makes matters worse.

The government is pushing ahead with the "renewable energy" mantra. In doing so it is supported by the Greens of course. Both groups are trying to tell us that this renewable energy lark is not just responsible but essential. It is neither. Using our "per capita" emissions,"demands" from "climate change" gurus and international organisations like the UN the government is now telling us that instead of that $275 reduction in our power bills the bills will go up by 56%.  

In all this the government still steadfastly refuses to even contemplate nuclear energy...while still allowing the raw materials for this to be sold abroad. This is pure politics. "Oh, but it takes ten years to build a nuclear power plant," they tell us, "The cost is too high and we still have the problem of what to do with the waste."

It doesn't take ten years to build a nuclear power plant of course. New nuclear plants are nothing like the old style plants of so much current concern in the Ukraine. They are much safer and cheaper than they once were. The cost may be high but, once built, the cost of running such a plant is low compared with many other forms of energy production. The "waste" levels are also getting lower and lower and storage for them is getting ever safer. Of course nuclear power isn't going to bring in the vast sums of money hoped for by those who have invested in "renewable" energy. 

Yes of course "renewables" have their place but we need a balance. We need to think further ahead than the next election.

Then there is that vast sum of money being spent on "cheaper childcare" and "paid parental leave". Yes, as I said elsewhere, children are our future. We all need to pay something towards their care and education. At the same time I do not believe we should be paying parents to abandon the care of their children to the state. This is effectively what the childcare measure is proposing. Parents are being told "hand over your children to us so that you can go back to work and we can indoctrinate them". It isn't being put like that of course. It is couched in terms of "careers for working women" and "socialisation and school readiness" for the young. 

 We are being told that these things are essential. Are they really? I have pointed out elsewhere that the cost of going to work can be high. It isn't always the best option in either financial or lifestyle outcomes or both. 

Urban areas of course have been given more than regional areas. It is all too easy to "forget" the rural communities. Their voting power is low. It doesn't matter if they do the hard physical labour of providing our food - and get paid so little to do it. When the cost of fruit and vegetables goes yet still further up there will simply be complaints from many urban dwellers. There won't be cheaper childcare in rural areas. It is unlikely that there will be any childcare in many places and self-employed farming couples don't have the time or money to get their young children to school. The older children might catch the yellow school bus but there is no such transport for preschoolers.  No, this move is about politics rather than people. 

This budget, like so many other budgets, is about shoring up political support. It has been made more difficult by the need to be seen to be politically correct. 

It is as well I like to read and that I have a reasonable stash of craft materials that don't require power. I won't be turning the heating or cooling on - but I might try and keep the computer running.