A Budget on the scale we saw announced las night could have launched a revolution in Australia. A fundamental shift away from an emissions-based way of life to one that is more balanced; more sustainable; more equitable; and full of opportunity...
It could have funded a radical shift towards renewable energy generation across the country, bringing forward the date by which our electricity is clean and free by a decade.
It could have launched a program of low-emission social housing (we need 100,000s of homes), reduces homelessness and that supports a magnitude change in the low-emission building material industry, as well as spurring architecture, building, construction and related services.
It could have locked in publicly-funded childcare, creating new, secure jobs for (predominantly) women, and make it easier for women to (re)enter the workforce or start a new venture. Two groups hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic and recession.
It could have properly funded Aged Care so that the horrific stories heard throughout the Royal Commission are never repeated. It could have allowed private aged care providers to be held to account. In so doing, provide better standard of living and create jobs in the sector.
The Budget could have invested seriously in the technologies and techniques our agricultural sector needs in order to mitigate climate change, and adapt to the effects already locked in. Not the nickel and dime stuff we saw last night.
It could have funded a First Nations voice in our Parliament and taken a meaningful step towards a true reckoning with the colonial history of Australia.
It could have taken bold action to protect and help people struggling to find work, by providing them with a decent social safety net. Giving them bargaining power to refuse bad work, and bad conditions and bad contracts. Instead we’ve locked in desperation and uncertainty.
It could have protected our wildlife already ravaged by last years bushfires, with a billion animals dead. There is no plan to rebuild their habitats or help them repopulate. We don’t know how many will go extinct as a result.
This Budget represents a gross injustice on so many levels, and a missed opportunity as well. The deficit posted last night won’t be repeatable - it will be used as an excuse to cut back on public spending instead.
Cut back further on spending for the Arts, further eroding the strength of our cultural institutions and robbing future generations of a rich identity.
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