Budget 2015 - ACOSS rips it a new asshole

The cat's out of the bag folks. The Australian Council of Social Services has ripped into SSJoe's latest budget attempt ferociously. Like an angry lion it has torn shreds off it, putting it in the same unfairness bracket as last years. The gov has tried in vain to gloss it over as a warm and fuzzy budget, but in reality under the surface it's the same old crap from last year. In fact they've gone so far as to keep many of the cuts in last years budget. Whether it passes the senate is, dare I say, doubtful in the least, but it certainly does show that this gov hasn't changed it's stripes.

They are particularly scathing as to why middle and low income Australia again must bear the burden, whilst fuck all is done about the high income welfare rorters sucking $billions from the gov teat.

Example. $15billion in cuts. Single income family $49wk cut from family tax benefit with a third of them already living in poverty. Is this what we really want for Australian kids? Whilst the entitled ones can live in Kirribili for token rent?

Some excerpts, the full report is here.

"While ACOSS welcomed the $3.5 billion new investment in early childhood education and care and a more sensible road to pension reform, the overall Budget fails the fairness test because it delivers an estimated $15 billion in spending cuts, with new cuts to child dental and community health programs in this Budget on top of retained savings from the last Budget. 

"It is disappointing that the Government appears to be retreating from its commitment to pursue comprehensive tax reform, which is vital to provide the revenue future Governments will need for essential services. People on modest incomes will pay for inaction on tax reform when they need health care, to send their children to school, lose their jobs or retire. 

"This year's Budget not only failed to reverse the severe cuts to payments and programs from the previous budget, but directly linked unfair changes to family payments to new spending on child care in the current Budget. The cut to Family Tax Benefit Part B to single income families with children over six years would result in income losses of $49 per week for single parent families or more for those with older children. This cut will have dire consequences, particularly when taken together with the freezing of family payments indexation - a condition for the new investment in child care - given that a third of sole parent families are already living in poverty. 

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"While this Budget cemented the damaging cuts that will harm people on the lowest incomes, it took little action to strengthen public revenue. We are mystified as to why the government would rule out changes to unfair tax concessions for superannuation and indicate little appetite for reform of negative gearing and capital gains tax, after announcing a review of taxation with 'everything on the table'. A lack of action on the revenue side guarantees that future governments will have no option but to cut more deeply into health and community services or ramp up user charges for essential services.

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"The retention of most of the 2014 budget cuts and lack of action to strengthen public revenue tips the scale on the negative side of the fairness ledger as it effectively means that the most disadvantaged and struggling individuals and families in our community are being asked to shoulder the responsibility for restoring the Budget," Dr Goldie said. more  

Read it all. This budget is a bloody shocker. Much of this year's budget is simply renewing the gov's intentions not to give up on last year's budget. Like if they sneak it into this one then they can sneak it through the senate this time or some shit. They just will no give up on attacking the poor and leaving the very wealthy alone.