Not of course that Abbott is the first opposition leader to dodge the basic requirement of a budget reply — that you offer some insight into what sort of budget you would have offered. For example, see what Peter Costello had to say about Mark Latham’s effort in 2004, comments entirely applicable to Abbott’s effort last night.

Then again, perhaps that’s part of what’s been happening to the whole budget cycle in recent years. For all that governments have made them the centre piece of the political year, the media cycle is now so fast that what used to be the start of a week or more of selling and debate is already over within 48 hours of the budget itself — and this year only lasted that long because of the bizarre defence of middle class welfare conducted by News Limited.

So spare a thought for Joe Hockey, who by the time he rises to give his budget reply at the Press Club next week, will seem like he’s discussing ancient history.

Notionally, Hockey will provide evidence of how he would achieve his stated aim of bringing the budget back to surplus “even earlier” than Labor, meaning eliminating the forecast $22.6 billion deficit entirely. Hockey and the Liberals keep referring to the savings put together by the opposition last year as evidence of how they’d return to surplus quicker. The problem is, those savings were, like many of the savings announced by Labor on Tuesday night, backloaded.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/13/keane-ditch-the-budget-reply-its-a-waste-of-time/

We're all used to Tony Abbott putting women offside. His comments about female virginity for one had many Liberal voting liberals shaking their heads, if not distancing themselves from the Opposition Leader; Tony Abbott represents the conservative side of the party, but the liberal side is far more progressive on women's issues, they said.

That's why it went largely unnoticed when Joe Hockey turned on women recently. To be fair, he didn't talk directly about cutting women's entitlements when he spoke of the 'End of the Age of Entitlement'. Instead, he spoke fondly about the principle of 'filial piety' operating in cities such as Hong Kong and nations such as South Korea.

Although Hockey stopped short of suggesting emulation, he did say that filial piety "constitutes the very best and most enduring guide for community and social infrastructure". According to Hockey, "By Western standards this highly constrained public safety net may, at times, seem brutal. But it works and it is financially sustainable."

Hockey was speaking to UK neoliberal think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs. His speech must have seemed old hat to them. They have been announcing the end of entitlement since they started advising Thatcher in the 1970s. In Australia, amid the recent clamouring for cuts and surpluses, the speech has been pretty well received.

For those who don't know a lot about the Confucian principle of filial piety, let me explain.

Filial piety essentially boils down to families looking after their own, without government assistance. This means that women do most of the heavy lifting.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4019738.html?WT.svl=theDrum

I don't know why but I read "neolithic think tank" where the article says "neoliberal think tank"... Freudian slip I believe... Meanwhile the nanny tax proposed by (sorry the nanny "levy") the little rat does not fit well here except if the woman goes and slaves in a factory to pay for the nanny in the very great system of "trickle down"...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/calls-to-sack-heffernan-over-homophobe-claims-20120520-1yyme.html#ixzz1vO61Ugec

Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/daily-briefing/47003/ten-things-you-need-know-today-sunday-20-may-2012#ixzz1vOSx88Pl

Of course this is one the Australian Liberals' (conservatives) agenda... "Work choices" which is a way to offer you slavery condition or no work has never left the table in Abbot's menu... Sure, the name "Work Choices" has been buried, cremated and been eaten by worms according to the little Rat, but the flogging spirit still lingers on in the Liberal ranks... You've only got to have been watching Peter Reith and Sophie Mirabella on Q&A to know that even a resurection of the name is not impossible...