It would be very easy to dismiss last nights budget as being an exercise in hopeful expectations. We are about to borrow and spend an enormous amount of money based on a 2011 recovery that many people will question.
It is also evident that personalities came into the forming of this budget. The distaste that Kevin Rudd has for Nathan Rees and the NSW Labor government is reflected in the paucity of projects to be funded i n this state - and Wollongong - with one of the country's top unemployment rates - merely got a new building for the University.
The pension rise is welcome, but even that has problem areas. The gap has widened between a pensioner and an unemployed person - and in this sort of recession those unemployed are certainly not " dole bludgers ". The expected million unemployed are likely to resent their inferior financial help.
Raising the retirement age by two years was overdue, but it will not be fully implemented until 2023. Scrapping the pensioner bonus scheme for those who continue to work after becoming eligible for the pension makes no sense whatsoever - and the total silence on expanding health care means no improvement in our tottering hospital system.
This budget is a big gamble - but at least we will see something tangible for our increasing debt. There will be improvements to roads - rail - ports - and the broadband.
Lets just hope our children can find work to repay that debt - and that the treasurer is right in predicting the recovery !
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