Blatant vote-buying exposes fiscal woes

The federal budget revealed a wide range of sweeteners to entice the electorate to re-elect the Labor Party and also indicated that budget deficits would be a ­reality for many more years into the future.

It is evident that our politicians will require other sources of income in the years ahead as a result of the reckless spending that has occurred so far. The ordinary punter should be very concerned because estate taxes, negative gearing, franking credits and similar taxes could very well be under the politicians’ microscope.

Keith Askew, Hornsby Heights, NSW

Despite the passage of a Chinese naval flotilla around Australia, the government has allocated a mere pittance for national defence. Surely it sees further Chinese threats are likely especially as our alliance with the US appears uncertain?

Any government that refuses to consider defence as a top priority does not deserve the confidence of the people.

Frank Reade, Macquarie, ACT

For our long-term financial future, Australia needs a sustainable and responsible fiscal plan that reflects greater budgetary control whereby spending is needs-based, allows necessary cuts to be made, requires our government to live within its means, and avoids the deferring of expenditure to a growing line of credit.

Whether our spiralling debt is paid by taxpayers today, tomorrow, or sometime in the distant future, it has to eventually be settled, but at what cost?

The adage “only spend what you can afford” is unfortunately being ignored.

Ian Macgowan, Ceduna, SA

All my life I have thought the purpose of a budget was to manage my present income and expenditure to have a surplus for the ­future. Labor seems to think a budget is unmanaged expenditure for the present without worrying about a surplus for the future.

Stephen Patten, Wavell Heights, Qld

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers must be joking if he genuinely believes his $5 sweetener in his budget for cost-of-living relief, set to commence in 15 months’ time, will actually assist with anyone’s financial woes.

Susan McLochlan, Caboolture South, Qld

The extraordinary deterioration in the country’s underlying cash balance with a $43bn plunge into the red from a surplus last year during a period of record commodity prices and strong income tax receipts represents the height of Labor’s economic mismanagement.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers keeps on referring to an improved budgetary position relative to that of the previous Morrison government but he fails to mention that the latter was primarily due to the $300bn pumped into the economy during Covid. Moreover, the Morrison government, with a budgeted surplus for 2019-20 prior to Covid and relatively manageable debt of $542bn – close to half of today’s level – was in a strong position to confront the ­crisis. The same cannot be said for the vulnerable position we’re in today.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Jim Chalmers’ budget is cake for the masses to hide the perilous condition Labor has put Australia in. Red budgets for a decade to come, if it all works, with no possibility of handling another external shock. The huge spend since Labor came to power has delivered almost nothing at all.

Energy prices through the roof, all-time record for business closures, unions stopping frigates being built and set to destroy the Pilbara money tree, not one new government house built in three years despite spending the money, worst ever recorded household cost-of-living increases outside of Covid and the GFC, so many new businesses that could generate wealth stopped by activists, an insane plan to destroy Australia’s energy systems, defence crippled and no new defence spending and the scrapping of joint strike fighter orders, and Chinese warships doing live firing exercises off our coast unchallenged.

It is a budget designed to deliver a new flag, a red flag with five yellow stars. Our new colonisers arriving uncontested won’t be worried about unions, or native title, or public servants or environmental permits but will just take our riches while we watch.

Ian Brake, Mackay, Qld

Rising costs are making daily life more difficult, and it’s no surprise that this is a top concern in the budget. At the same time, it’s worth considering how climate change and economic pressures are closely linked.

Extreme weather is already affecting insurance premiums, food prices, and energy bills. Many of us are seeing first hand how floods, fires, and heatwaves are driving up costs and disrupting communities. Investing in cleaner, cheaper energy and climate ­resilience isn’t just about the environment, it’s about making life more affordable and secure for all of us. As we head into an election, it’s important that our leaders recognise the need for policies that ease financial pressures while also preparing for the future.

A strong climate response can be part of the solution, not a separate issue.

Julia Paxino, Beaumaris, Vic

Nothing on the Treasurer’s budget statement erases the damage done by the windmill fantasy: Don Quixote is still tilting against confabulated magic with the net-zero scheme.

This budget does not diminish the damage done by the wasting of money on the march of windmills over the farming lands of Australia. It’s too late. We have all been damaged by the price rises while the Labor government played fairy tales.

Rosemary McGrath, Kensington, SA

In his budget speech, the Treasurer announced the abolition of non-compete clauses.

This should be a concern for any entrepreneur or small business with a good idea. The purpose of non-compete clauses is to stop the potential for any employee to “run off” with the intellectual property of their employer. It is fundamental to enterprise and is an incentive for growth in business and productivity.

The Treasurer’s announcement is just what one would expect from a government where almost no one has ever been in private enterprise.

Geoff Ellis, Smithfield, Qld

Albo and Chalmers are buying our vote with our children’s and grandchildren’s money – baked-in social engineering expenditure and 10 years of structural deficits transfer these costs into the ­future, and it will take at least 30 years to repay, if and when we ever get back to structural surpluses.

Alan Hayes, Currumbin, Qld

For those of us who lived through the wrecking ball years (blessedly brief) of the Whitlam government, we thought its insane, profligate, bankrupting spending would never be matched. But how very naive.

This hard-left socialist/Marxist mob with their freewheeling excesses have been merrily dancing to their Pied Piper, playing their tune.

He (that’s us, the poor dumbos) who pays the piper (that’s the pop group’s disc jockey) calls the tune, but is demonstrably not working for the good people of the nation.

Stephanie Millar, Cremorne, NSW

At a time when some degree of fiscal restraint is called for (to prevent a return to a high-inflation scenario), we are presented with a budget, the main feature of which is a blatant vote-buying exercise. The budget will ensure that our nation will be mired in debt for decades to come.

Australians should be asking themselves, is this the level of fiscal responsibility we would expect from our federal politicians, given the obvious uncertainty of our times in Donald Trump’s new world order?

Bill Pannell, Dalkeith, WA

A rough calculation tells me that come winter if I am spending, say, $500 a week on essentials for my family, such as food, clothing, energy and fuel, then the new tax relief is 1 per cent of this, which by Christmas is well and truly eaten up by inflation. Ho ho ho.

Dave Chibeba, Toormina NSW

The budget does not provide sufficient funds for us to continue as a member of ANZUS.

However, the recent circumnavigation of Australia by the Chinese navy confirms they are ready to provide an alternative source of security, thereby saving billions of dollars for our budget.

Geoff Davey, St Lucia, Qld

30 “hear, hear”s and only 20 nods and hmms. A quiet budget night in the house.

AGB, Cambooya, Qld

This government is giving us so much, but where are we going to keep it all? There was no mention of storage in the budget.

Francis Smith, Caulfield North, Vic

With a weekly saving of $5, in a mere 55 weeks I will have achieved the $275 rebate on my electricity bill.

Peter Winzar, Palm Beach, Qld

The budget makes us wonder if the Treasurer is even trying to save money.

Peter Bridge, Robina, Qld

Jim Chalmers has handed down a typical Labor budget – tax and electricity rebates to buy your vote and budget deficits as far as the eye can see with no plan to reduce spending. No wonder the Labor colour is deep red.

The budget has just demonstrated what we have always known: Labor is hopeless at managing the economy. Let us hope the public will wake up.

Mike Carr, South Lake, WA

The budget is a fine example of buy now pay later.

David Vaughan, Willoughby, NSW