$18.6 billion budget black hole

The Prime Minister and Treasurer must come out today and immediately explain how they plan to pay for the $18.6 billion budget black hole of unfunded health policies.
On the last page of the government’s 95-page health document, Table A2 clearly shows that the Commonwealth top up payments will total $3 billion over the forward estimates to 2013-14 and a massive $18.6 billion over 10 years to 2019-20.

Neither the document nor the government has given any indication of how this $18.6 billion black hole will be funded.

In one year, the Rudd government blew the $20 billion surplus left by the previous Coalition government.

It has wasted valuable taxpayer money on a disastrous pink batt program, over-priced school halls and budget blowouts as far as the eye can see.

Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan must come clean with the Australian people and explain how they propose to pay for this unfunded health plan.

Do they plan to raise taxes?

This would explain why the Treasurer is still hiding the Henry Review.

In fact, page 83 of the health document justifies the changed funding arrangements on the basis that the Federal government is “the level of government with the most stable and efficient means of raising revenue”.

This clearly means higher taxes are on the Rudd government’s agenda.

Or do they plan to take money from future budget surpluses?

If so, then the Rudd government clearly has no intention of ever paying off its massive debt.

Or do they plan to make budget cuts?

Kevin Rudd promised that all new spending announcements would be offset by savings. If this is the case, then what programs are they planning to cut in the upcoming Budget to deliver the $3 billion required over the forward estimates?

The Treasurer and Prime Minister must answer these questions today.

from Joe Hockey blog

fencepost turtle

While stitching up the hand of an 80-year-old farmer, who got cut while fencing on his property, the doctor, struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Kevin Rudd and his appointment as Prime Minister of Australia. “Well, you know,” drawled the farmer, “this Rudd fella is what they call a fencepost turtle”. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a fencepost turtle was. The old farmer said, “When you’re driving along a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s called a ‘fencepost turtle’.” The old farmer saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain, “You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he definitely doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he is up there, and you just gotta wonder what kind of fool put him up there in the first place!”