The drawing behind scomo, our benefacting treasurer, is only a part from Petty's Australia and how it works first published in 1967. It makes my eyes water. The same rigmaroles feature: Feminism, economy, $MAS... I think it's time from old Gus to become a bludging pensioner. 

You can tell a lot about a budget by looking at who it punishes. And basically, this budget targets anyone who's ever appeared on A Current Affair accompanied by a low, menacing soundtrack.

Banks! Big, greedy, bullying, farmer-persecuting banks. They'll be shaken down for $6 billion, to be poured directly — to the jeers and catcalls from a grateful bank-account-having public — into the parched well of Treasurer Scott Morrison's general revenue.

Foreigners! This budget will fine employers who hire foreigners, and pour the money into a giant $1.2 billion fund, which will train decent Australians, like the ones in the Bill Shorten ads, in useful new skills.

"We must skill more Australians to secure jobs!" declared Mr Morrison.

And it turns out foreign workers are going to finance Mr Morrison's skilling spree.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/story-streams/federal-budget-2017/2017-05-09/...

A "Labor" budget that would attract cat calls from the Libs (KONservatives)... 

Treasurer Scott Morrison has used his post-budget address to urge banks not to pass on the costs of a new $6 billion levy to consumers, telling executives the public "already don't like you very much".

Earlier Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce defended the plan to drug test 5,000 welfare recipients, with the PM saying it will be "doing them a favour" and his deputy saying you can't turn up for work "smashed". Follow live.

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/story-streams/federal-budget-2017/2017-05-10/...

Meanwhile at the Bumdealhouse, Kanbra...:

Random drug tests of politicians should happen as soon as they walk through the doors of Parliament, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says, adding she welcomes testing for welfare recipients.

Senator Lambie's comments follow budget measures announced by Treasurer Scott Morrison last night that 5,000 new welfare recipients would be required to undergo drug testing, with those who test positive to be forced onto a Centrelink income-management scheme, which controls how a recipient spends their money.

They will also face referrals for treatment under the new rules.

Ms Lambie, who has spoken publicly of her family's battle with drug addiction, and has previously called for mandatory treatment of ice users, said parliamentarians should "lead by example".

read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/story-streams/federal-budget-2017/2017-05-10/...

Despite the whiff of a welfare crackdown, Australia’s tabloids and rightwing press found themselves grappling with a slightly leftwing budget from a Liberal government.

The treasurer, Scott Morrison, who has previously warned about a “$1tn debt bomb”, delivered a budget on Tuesday night that taxed the big banks, increased income tax for every Australia earning more than $21,500 and fully funded the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The budget introduced a “demerit system” to penalise welfare recipients who miss appointments because of self-inflicted illness – a possible indication that people have been telling Centrelink they are too drunk or hungover to attend meetings. It also introduced drug-testing for some people on the dole, although how exactly the government will decide who is targeted remains unclear.

Some of the resulting coverage was slightly … unhinged.

read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/10/rightwing-papers-at-sea-over-morriswan-budget

The budget has destroyed one of the biggest lies told by the Coalition over the past three years and in the time it was in opposition – that there was no revenue problem. But the budget papers themselves reveal another lie that also deserves to be consigned to the bin – the one that suggests those on welfare are bludgers deserving to be bashed.

If one were churlish one could just highlight the times in the past members of this current government decried the type of budget that it has just delivered.

For example, in 2015 the finance minister, Mathias Corman, scoffed at suggestions the government needed to raise revenue. He told reporters: “We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem.” He also scorned the calls for more taxes, saying: “There’s plenty of people out there who want to raise taxes and have a new idea for a tax every single day of the week.”

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2017/may/14/gasp-budget...

No cigar...

The Turnbull Government has officially eradicated the environment from the 2017-2018 Budget and from policy. 

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the only time the word "environment" appeared in the speech was in the context of “streamlined environmental processes” in relation to the acquisition of the Snowy Hydro.

According the article, leader of the Greens Richard Di Natale's main concern was that the budget

“... doesn’t do enough to assist young people, particularly those wrestling with housing affordability.” 

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young at least mentioned on her website that Turnbull

“... had his priorities wrong by cutting $3.8 billion from universities while planning to loan $1 billion to Adani for a useless coalmine.” 

In the 'Environment and Energy' Budget measures, we have $25.9 million for gas supply and affordability. $0.6 million for 'Adaption partnership' whatever that means, and ... wait for it … $1.7 million for 'National Emissions Standards for Non-Road Spark Ignition Engines and Equipment – cost recovery'. There’s no definition for this item. The Bureau of Meteorology gets $0.6 million for 'improved security and resilience'.

A closer scrutiny of the Budget measures reveals that an "Adaption partnership" apparently means that the Government will provide $0.6 million in 2017-2018 to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and theNational Climate Change Adaption Research Facility.

According to the paper:

'... this measure supports existing online platforms that inform decision makers seeking to adapt to changes in climate.' 

Really?

This measure will be offset by redirecting existing funding from 2016-2017 from within the Department of the Environment and Energy.

read more:

https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/the-dis...