After suggesting in my first blog that the Government would not be able to achieve a Budget Surplus in this financial year, I am so pleased that the reality and the truth has prevailed.
The expected comments by the Opposition were predictable, that they have broken their promise yet again. Their rubbish statement that they could achieve a surplus, then to back track was also predictable. Is this a corr and no corr statement?
The public are heartily sick of claim and counter claims, what they want are genuine policy debate without the spin, but with some resemblance of truth. For far too long, all we see from main stream media is the "so called" sensational coverage of degeneration of individuals like Craig Thompson & Peter Slipper.
Individuals should not be the main news topics, but all the big policy items get lost in the search for headlines. The passing of the historic agreement on the Murray darling Basin, NDIS and further debate on the Gonski Report, and how we can improve health. These are the topics that should make headlines, not the crap.
In Bendigo we are seeing the usual blame game between the Commonwealth and State government over hospital funding at a local level. Truth becomes the first casualty of any debate and in the meantime, elective surgery blows out and staff are to be re-trenched. We are a wealthy Country, this should not be happening; front line services and peoples wellbeing are a prerequisite of paying taxes.
Where have we gone wrong? The public voted for a hung Parliament, surely we are mature enough to deal with the situation and Julia Gillard had the better negotiating powers than Tony Abbott, that should have been the end of the situation for 3 years. We have seen an opposition obsessed with losing power when it was so close and probably achievable.
The current news cycle, I believe was created by Kevin Rudd who was a news junkie and he and his staff knew how to get the headline grabs, but the only problem with that was policy was made on the run, and it was no wonder that he fell out with the cabinet and parliament colleagues, along with staff who could not keep up the manic pace.
I believe it is high time that when you are in opposition, that you accept a policy by the Government that is good for the Country and don't just oppose it for the sake of being in opposition. The point in question is the NBN regardless of the predicted cost of $37 Billion It is my belief that the Opposition's Communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, would dearly love it to be their policy.
It's my opinion that the NBN will ultimately be the best piece of infrastructure this Country has ever seen. When we see the untold benefits for health and education along with giving us a competitive advantage over other countries when doing business.
We have slipped behind over the past 15 years because lack of Government funding in the big infrastructure projects, particurlarly transport, ports and areas of science. We are no longer the smart Country with spending, and our smartest brains have pursued their careers overseas. We can have it return if we properly fund Universities in the right areas. Resaerch & Developement, Science & Technologies.
Just on another note, I am so sick of hearing about Government waste during the GFC with overpriced School Halls & Pink Bats. I believe that they both could have been better supervised, and yes their was waste which is always going to happen when you are trying to roll out policy quickly to save jobs. Yes millions was wasted, but look at the alternative to being in recession and people losing their jobs and no longer paying taxes but recieving unemployment benefits. I know which one I would prefer.
I think Kevin Rudds legacy will be for 2 very important things and they were the Apology to the Stolen Generation and the state of the schools with the building projects, which puts us on a good footing for the next 30 years which should not be lost on over spend and lack of contract supervision, but it kept the economy strong.
There has always been exageration from all political parties and as voters its always been dificult to evaluate the truth from fiction. Trying to get the truth from MSM has at times been impossible due to their partisan stance on such issues as global warming and Carbaon Tax. So you just have to decide what you believe is the right thing for you politically.
With the Federal Election due in 2013, let's hope that we get a decisive result with not too much power to one party that we get bad policy and these without political influence get left behind by a party inflicting pain for all the wrong reasons.
Keith Sutherland
Individuals should not be the main news topics
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