[colliric]

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/na ... 6541327901

And the bad timing award of the year goes to Wayne Swan... The new Christmas Grinch.

Once again just as things started to turn around Pollwise for Gillard.
How bad does the zero revenue mining tax look now?

[GandalfTheGrey]

The new Christmas Grinch

quite the opposite actually. Not driving for a surplus at all costs means that he now doesn't have to implement massive cutbacks to community funding.

[colliric]

quite the opposite actually. Not driving for a surplus at all costs means that he now doesn't have to implement massive cutbacks to community funding.

I was refferring mostly to the odd timing of this negative announcement. Who delivers bad news less than a week out from Christmas?

I think he should have waited till after new years before delivering this message, when people start going back to work.

[GandalfTheGrey]

its not hard to understand the timing - the main priority is to announce these things outside the parliamentary cycle, hoping that the sting will be out of it by the next question time. Also at this time of year not many people are too focused on political matters.

[colliric]

its not hard to understand the timing - the main priority is to announce these things outside the parliamentary cycle, hoping that the sting will be out of it by the next question time. Also at this time of year not many people are too focused on political matters.

It's Frontpage on all the Newspapers, full page on both the HS and Age. Partly because of the weird timing. There's a reason politics isn't focused on much traditionally during this period... THE POLLIES ARE GETTING READY FOR THEIR OWN HOLIDAYS! Swan has actually BROKEN that tradition by running this story so it's only going to get MORE attention.

It's pretty clear they decided to try running it before Christmas hopeful everyone would be in a good mood.... Very mistaken, very wrong.

It's like they noticed people "don't seem to focus on politics so much this time of year" without actually realizing the reason why. Because YOU GUYS ARE TAKING YOUR HOLIDAYS TOO!

[Salohcin]

I don't know. Most of the coverage I have seen has really been that negative as pretty much every economist agrees with dropping the surplus in light of international conditions.

The budget surplus was a win win situation for the coalition though as if the government achieved it they would have to cut random programs at short notice while economists parrot that getting the surplus this FY is pointless. And now the government has backed down, the coalition has probably hours of footage of Wayne Swan and Gillard promising a surplus that isn't going to happen.

[Swagman]

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/swan-resets-budget-after-tax-sledgehammer/story-e6frfku9-1226541327901

And the bad timing award of the year goes to Wayne Swan... The new Christmas Grinch.

Once again just as things started to turn around Pollwise for Gillard.
How bad does the zero revenue mining tax look now?

Another lie to add to their list....

[pugsville]

The Libs have also quietly dropped their assertion that would have a surplus. Hockey said they could no longer guarantee that.

Meanwhile Ted in victoria, higher charges, less services, asset sales, and still runs a deficit??!??!?

[AVT]

Most economists had realised a long time ago, hence the lack of any major change in the market due to the announcement. Of course they were stupid to make such a promise in the first place considering the economic votility over the few years.

[GandalfTheGrey]

well steel prices have just shot up, so there may be hope for it yet

But yeah, it is stupid to make that sort of promise that is so reliant on commodity prices remaining so high

[Swagman]

The Libs have also quietly dropped their assertion that would have a surplus. Hockey said they could no longer guarantee that.

Meanwhile Ted in victoria, higher charges, less services, asset sales, and still runs a deficit??!??!?

Can't fix years of irresponsible fiscal mismanagement overnight....