Abbott has made his Budget bed - and now he has to lie in it

SELLING the Budget should not have been as difficult a task as it is proving to be for the ­Abbott government. The fundamentals are obvious to any intelligent person and were obvious to previous Labor leaders, notably those true reformers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Both were well aware that no nation could keep spending forever without having to ­settle the inevitable debts. This fact of life has eluded Opposition leader Bill Shorten, who for purely political purposes has even reneged on his own campaign pledges to thwart the elected government’s mandate to restore some sanity to the economy. Shorten by name, short-sighted by nature. His tactic is reminiscent of the disgraceful decision by former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell, when in opposition, not to support Labor premier Morris Iemma’s 2008 attempt to reconcile the state budget by privatising the power industry. In doing so, and in refusing to agree to the sale of poles and wires when in office, despite urging from treasurer Mike Baird, O’Farrell stalled the ­development of much-needed NSW infrastructure. Baird will reverse that decision, finally, and the state will be better off. But the Abbott government should have always known Labor would be unlikely to put the national interest first. However, the Abbott government is not entirely blameless. Its handling of the Budget process has shown a surprising lack of political management. Despite having a long lead time, it mishandled the release of the very thorough report prepared by the Audit Commission and it failed to communicate its directions. Key ministers were left ­unaware of the Budget’s ramifications until the very end, and even then lacked the time to prepare their responses and ensure they were thorough and seamless. State premiers were similarly left in the lurch. There seemed a lack of coordination between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey, and that failure was reflected down the line and across ministries.