The federal budget is on the nose with the electorate

The one blessing of Jim Chalmers’ woeful budget is that it isn’t likely to bring on an early election.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Good. Jim Chalmers’s utterly irresponsible ‘election-winning budget’ has failed to make the next election quite the ‘slam dunk’ hoped.

Three opinion polls out Monday all showed pretty much the same thing.

There was an, at best, unenthusiastic response to the fiscal cocktail of handout bribes and massive spending on green boondoggles and fantasies, to “Make the Future, Right Here in Australia”.

One small benefit might be a glorious spring, unpolluted by politicians.

That’s to say the ‘early election’ idea behind the budget might have lasted all of six days.

Beleaguered, and even not-so beleaguered, politicians, have long since adopted the ‘hang on to the last minute’ strategy.

Otherwise known as: ‘Something might turn up’.

But if it doesn’t, well, you get to not only keep dispensing other-people’s money and imposing rules on them to boot, but also the chauffeur-driven white car and the big salary, for a few more months anyway.

And in the prime minister’s unique case, a few more extra global gladhanding jaunts, to absolutely useless meaningful result for, you know, ordinary plebish-type Australians.

Why, an election postponed to some time next year could be the difference between getting to shake hands, and exchange conference-style bon mots, with President Trump.

To say nothing of a final grasp between President Xi and his ‘handsome boy’.

Oh, and let’s not forget, another six months or so occupancy of the two not to-be sneezed at houses for the times you are visiting Australia.

It’s important to note that the Chalmers budget has not improved with age.

A week on it’s still a stinker and the Chalmers chutzpah has to be heard, not so much to be believed but to be ridiculed.

To claim that he was embarked on paying off debt, while simultaneously unveiling deficits as far as the fiscal eye can see, with $122bn of them ‘fessed up for just the next four years.

And with gross debt to rocket through - at least - $1.1tn, now well and truly and almost impossible to stop, on the way to $1.5tn. And then, still rising. Here’s a treasurer who bald-facedly claims he’s ‘banked’ almost all the extra revenue bequeathed by the China-driven oil, gas and coal exports boom – and a million or more income tax paying migrants.

While kicking up spending by $100bn-a-year – yes, $100bn – in just two years, from his first budget in 2022.

Yes, revenue goes up by a thumping $50bn over the two years – even after the, partial bracket-creep returning, Stage 3 tax cuts. But that’s not enough to finance all the extra spending; hence the budget flipping from that $9bn – last? – surplus to a $28bn deficit.

And then straight on - based on, thoroughly unrealistic, optimistic assumptions - to a $42bn deficit the next year.

The biggest, sickest, joke is the $300 - $75 a bill for four bills – handout.

As if what’s actually just a $75 cut in the bill – the other three $75 rebates that follow just maintain the cut – is going to convince anyone that their cost-of-living pain’s been dealt with. And it most certainly won’t convince RBA governor Michele Bullock.

Originally published as The federal budget is on the nose with the electorate