Friday, December 21, 2012

What? No surplus? The morning after


Mitchell: Yes, you can argue, as Joe Hockey does, that the budget should have been in a surplus long before now. But, given the situation in which the government now finds itself, the Prime Minister had no option but to drop her plan to push the budget into surplus this financial year.

Beacher: This announcement should not surprise any rational-thinking analyst, merely confirming that this increasingly political commitment was not prudent during these uncertain economic times. We welcome the announcement, and should be market and ratings neutral.

Maiden: Wayne Swan's decision to jettison Labor's commitment to get the budget into surplus next year is only a big deal for the economy and perceptions of its management if Labor does what Swan says it won't, and attempts to buy itself another term in office.

AFR: The basic problem is that the unusual set of circumstances that Mr Swan used to explain his broken promise are more like the new normal. Australia’s looming budget crisis is not a short-term problem.

Uren: Canberra now has no strategy for returning the budget to surplus beyond the hope that the revenue shortfall proves to be temporary.

Koukoulas: In my assessment of economic risks, it is not a long shot to envisage a slightly stronger economic outlook in the first quarter of 2013 and for the government to get a pleasant budget surprise in in the lead into the budget in May. That would be interesting.







And some memories...


Julia Gillard In the Black April 19 2012.doc



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