Yes, there were just so many other choices, like for starters, closing down all the tax avoidance loopholes, created by an inordinately complex tax act, with more holes than Swiss Cheese.
Followed by simply ending all forms of unearned undeserved welfare for the rich!
Followed by compulsory means testing of all govt services.
Given just this much real reform, there would not now be a deficit, but a substantial surplus!
And clearly needed, if we want to be able to continue to defend ourselves!
And the way things are shaping up to our immediate north, we may eventually need to! And in that context, the better off have the most to lose! Understand?
Should we instead, look back and say, if only we had Leaders with a mere modicum of vision and foresight, instead of ones, who were limited to just endless divide and rule, and patent cronyism, [as we bend our backs for our new masters?]
I mean, why else is the pain being shared; 15% for the most vulnerable, and a never ever missed 3% for the better off?
And that pay freeze! LOL.
We've had those before, and the "losses" invariably made up in the following year?
I would have settled for a 50% permanent pay cut, and more self funding of so called expenses!
Perhaps that way, we would attract a different class to politics, with much more real life experience, and COMPETENT SUCCESSFUL business acumen!
Rhrosty.

This budget will trigger a recession we didn't have to have. This cowboy outfit talked the economy down in opposition and is now driving it down in government.

Not only is the budget based on a lie the election was a fraud.
It certainly was not what we thought we were voting for.
I have grave reservations about those new jet fighters, unproven and mixed results when put against older versions, their costs still have a long way to bulge upward.

Abbott's budget is an agenda. Hopefully it will end in an election, we cannot accept the voting campaign as against what we got.

Politicians have to be held to account, so how else is there to do it.

Harold, are you pretending that Labor did not take over an economy that was in surplus, which it wasted and then plunged the nation into debt, which the Coalition is now acting to redeem? Your article is an insult to one’s intelligence.
Abbott is a disappointment.. He is only a thousand times better than Rudd or Gillard, so he is not very good. Just remember, that at least we are far better off than in the alternative situation, as we were for the six disastrous years of Labor.
The budget is the best that can be done in the circumstances, and as close to fulfilling Abbott’s promises as we can reasonably expect. Labor promised to get rid of the Carbon tax, and now obstructs its demise. We are moving out of the Labor mess. I notice you have no better suggestion.You do not even acknowledge facts