Wayne Swan will bring in a balanced budget purely for political
reasons. However either Labour or Libnats will have to crack down in
the following years because you do not have the money.

The opposition shadow finance has warned of the coming problem and it
sounds like he will be putting the pressure on his party that they are
not going to have a choice. Barnaby Joyce is giving the same warning
that cut backs are inevitable.
They are up against the $250 billion limit and to increase it will
just increase our interest bill.

*RehcTub*

" ... a return to surplus, AT ANY COST could be very damaging to our economy. ... "

What type of potential cuts concerns you specifically?

..

Posted by *579*

" ... Toni has promised a surplus .. , and he doesn't know what the situation is. ... "

and what a damning indictment on the tin pot guvment system that is. Go *Assange*
;-)

..

Posted by *Individual*

" ... Cut the insanely generous Public Service conditions will do a lot towards curbing debt. ... "

YEAH!

..

Posted by *Yabby*

" ... giving away 75 grand to rich pregnant chicks by taxing our
largest companies extra, is NOT the way to do it. ... "

Quite a pork belly barrel that one, and also a misreading of the feminists too I think. Please do elaborate on the economics *Master KooNak*

..

Posted by *Pork Belly*

" ... is in your view welfare for the needy only? ... "

Given that $AU30 a day is inadequate for the base, yes, so called middle class welfare should be abolished in favour of correcting entrenched disadvantage.

..

*RehcTub*

" ... High income earners pay a lot more, yet get little in return. ... "

Come now, their medicare card works just as well at the parasitic specialists office.

..

Posted by *Shadow Minister*

" ... After years of spending wildly, the credit card is now well over drawn, and the interest payments alone could pay for the proposed disability scheme. ... "

Yes, and China slows and the tax takings are down, with Europe unstable and the N.Americans only showing limited regrowth.

" ... Given the 27% primary polling today, this could reduce labor to a minor party? ... "

A fitting penalty for child abusers, notwithstanding their claims to improve the detention system. The *Greens* are going to have start differentiating themselves with some more "obstructive behaviour" i.m.o.

Posted by *Peter Hume*

" ... Call it cutting the vampire economy, ... "

I'm going to have some extra garlic on my prawns tonight in relish of that thought.

Dream on, you are welcome to keep dreamin on as much as you like.

As for cuts, this were Wayne Swans words, not mine, so perhaps you could ask him.

However, if I were a truck owner, having secured a gov contract, borrowed for my rig, I would be quite worried about now.

As for Medicare, HI earners have to pay a gap. No free lunch for them, regardless of how much they have comtbuted to the system.

This is why the whole system is flawed, as the mor you earn, the more you pay, ye the less you get, works right through to retirement and beyond.

A reward system would be much better, along with a fairer tax system.

*RehcTub*

" ... a return to surplus, AT ANY COST could be very damaging to our economy. ... "

What type of potential cuts concerns you specifically?

..

You made a statement without clarification, and being curious as to what exactly you had in mind, as I cannot read your thoughts, I simply asked for further and better particulars. As you have declined to respond with detail, you leave us all none the wiser.

I think that is a shame.

..

As for me "dreamin(g)" as you put it, again it is difficult to comment as you have not linked this with any particulars.

Having read numerous valuable (i.m.o.) comments, I compiled as many of them as the 350 word limit would allow, and made additional comment.

..

I know that the likes of *Belly* feel it inappropriate to refer to the mainstream as "Child Abusers" however, based on media reports, clearly it is not only I that thinks this.

It is easy to say "mental illness" and scarcely give the matter further consideration. In my "compassionate" moments I consider that perhaps the responsible parties clearly do not truly understand what they are doing, and at these times I hope that they never do.

In my darker moments however, I consider that it is their business to know, and in knowing, they continue to act with "flagrant disregard."

Thus, if misfortune were to fall upon them, and they were to be criminally deprived of their liberty, sensorially deprived and pumped full of ketamine or some other psychosis inducing substance, then it would be less than they deserve and most amusing to me.

If you were to take a look at the medical profile of all those who enter the draconian detention system (though they hide it), and considering 90% of them we are led to believe end up being found to be genuine, and then see their medical profile in the aftermath, you would come to understand that more than a few of them are shattered, mentally destroyed, and destined for permanent D.S.P.

As for MediCare, unless you are extremely fortunate or have a specialist doctor mate, everyone has to pay a gap. Neither are they covered by private insurance.

For example, a BrainDoper (psychiatrist)gets about $AU200 an hour from MediCare but with very few exceptions, usually charge out at about $AU350 per hour.

Consequently, the people who most need them, are refused treatment on the grounds of cost.

If you vote for either of the mainstream parties, what you are voting for is rarely any justice unless you are extremely well off, and rarely any best practice medicine, again, unless you are both well off financially and also time rich.

Of course, in the case of the law, you are also voting for the ongoing ruination of a system which in theory, has a judiciary as one of 3 branches to act as a check and balance on the executive and the legislature. Thus, in reality, what you are voting for is a system whereby the guvment is rarely ever held to account and in fact, often practice policies knowingly in contempt of the law.

A classic example was the so called "Malaysian Solution", as I'd wager the legal advice which they received and hid would have alerted them to the requirement of "Human Rights" guarantees in the law, but still, they have the temerity to stand before the public, and crap on about how lovely the Malaysians are, all the while knowing of the rampant abuses.

As in the case of *Tim Fisher* who was jibbed by the High Court for comments contrary to "good governance," constitutionally speaking, post Wik, *Juliar Geelar* should have copt the same and then some.

But, alas, far too many cases of law are determined in advance based on economic rationalism, as even for the likes of *Big Clive Palmer* there are no guarantees in advance of judgements, and the "remorseless mercantilisation" of the legal community knows no bounds.

Dream on, the whole point of my thread is in reaction to the comment made by WS being, ......at any cost.

As far as what cuts, who knows, because until recently, the smartest treasurer in the world has been in total denial, even worse, telling us that we are in great shape, which is simply a lie.

So perhaps we will just have to wait, in limbo, to see what the meaning of, at any cost actually means.

Now considering some three out of every four people out there have no faith in federal labor, I doubt what ever he decides will be very popular.