Australian posters: Your responses to the Budget?

[Dracon II]

Hi, I'm currently working at the office of Kevin Rudd MP, and one of his policy advisors told us to keep a close ear out for constituent responses to the budget. Unfortunately, I'm getting no calls or emails about it at the moment, so I figured I'd get your response. International posters are welcome to offer their thoughts too of course...

[mrmitchell]

Tell him an American says keep the surplus and eliminate the debt, it will be a HUGE asset for your nation to be debt-free.

[Shi Huangdi]

I think the main problem with it is that it doesn't implement the much needed reform of cutting down on students working at the offices of MPs.

[Dracon II]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
I think the main problem with it is that it doesn't implement the much needed reform of cutting down on students working at the offices of MPs.

I think the main problem is not students working at the offices of MPs, but students working at the offices of MPs who use a taxpayer funded internet service to visit Apolyton

[Dinner]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Tell him an American says keep the surplus and eliminate the debt, it will be a HUGE asset for your nation to be debt-free.

To bad our President and Congress are to short sighted and self-centered to bother balancing our budget. They cut tons of taxes for the richest of the rich and spend, spend, spend. I guess when there's a close election then you have to be a sugar daddy to stay in office but there is always a close election right around the corner so they're always spending like a crack addict.

[mrmitchell]

And when Australia does hit $0B and eliminates all its national debt, it either raises the nontaxable income threshold (from $6,000 to say $8,000 or $10,000 dependant upon how much it can go up) because this will benefit everyone. The rich don't need a tax cut as much as everyone else, but 47% at $95000 wouldn't be hurt by a tiny reduction.

Or if you opt not to go the way of tax cuts, use surplus money to reinvest into the local econonomies of Australia. Things like parks, dams, subsidized housing, job parks, highways, etc.

It might not mean much to the big bad Australian government, but a $2 million park, reserve, roadway, convention center, whatever out there in the wilderness would be great for a tiny Outback town.

Or use it to improve the quality of existing services--raise old-age benefits, build new schools, distribute more money to hospitals, put more cops on the street, etc.

You see, when you're in money then you can have a genuine debate on how to use it for a good cause because you have enough to spend. In USA there was a little of that when we just had a surplus even, but it didn't last long and we're back to reckless spending in mindless areas and cutting necessary services. I don't know how we stay number one sometimes.

[Dracon II]

As much as I hate the Government... there's a lot to be said for saving for a rainy day... so these surpluses are great for the purposes of collecting a fund with which to cushion the blow of economic downturn.