Government: We run a sensible budget, oh, and look, it’s raining money! Weeeeeeee!

If this news gets any traction, the current Federal Government are doomed come election day.

Pork barreling. You’ve probably heard the claim and you probably know what it means; taking money from all Australians, and spending it disproportionately to buy off target groups, particularly specific groups within marginal seats.

It’s basically wealth redistribution, except the criteria for redistribution is not worked out based on the needs of the recipients, but rather the political needs of the Government. If you are dirt poor, or just plain struggling in a non-marginal seat, you are unlikely to see any of your taxes come back via this route.

Well guess what, the Howard Government has been working overtime in the lead-up to the election and it it’s exuberance for irresponsible (and perhaps inflationary) spending, it’s decided to do away with due process, to take short cuts, and just give the damn money away.

How long did it take to work out if it was going to fork out the cash?

“Sixteen grants worth a total of $3.5 million were approved in 51 minutes, from 3.25pm to 4.16pm, by the then parliamentary secretary for regional services, De-Anne Kelly, before the Government went into pre-election caretaker mode at 5pm the same day.”

(The Age, 2007)

Insane! Talk about rushing for a deadline! “We can’t give out any more money tomorrow because the campaign starts! We need to buy those votes now! Forget the paper work and just give that moolah away, De-Anne!”

Now when you come across someone who claims that the current Government has a well managed budget and is a sensible spender, you can tell them they are flat out wrong. Corrupt, reckless spenders is more like it!

It’s already bad enough for the Government that The Australian (of all news outlets) is giving the high ground on the economy to Labor! That was what was on their front page yesterday. Front. Page. News.

~ Bruce