Budget week was almost a total waste of space as it was only a lead up for the next election.
We can expect the finances to be left to whoever wins the next election. Whoever it is will find a huge loss difficult to manage. The disabled increase is the only good point in a dreadful budget. It remains a terrible indictment of this government to mismanage finances with a massive deficit. A lesson learned is don’t increase taxes and then spend the money before it is gathered…in mineral, carbon or any other taxes.
A warning given a year ago, was the Aussie dollar was too high? A warning not heeded as this government bragged we had performed better than any other country.
Abroad – in the UK (a country known since Thatcher times as the Scrooge of the world) has spent the last decades dreaming up ways to drain the population of their hard earned wages. I am sure they were watching as Europe withdrew money in the Cypriot people’s bank accounts. Difficult to achieve in the UK, but after the Olympic tax, we now have a Bed tax. Yes, if you have more bedrooms than you use, the empty rooms are taxed. Two bedroom homes now have husbands and wives sleeping in separate rooms to avoid the tax…looks like a divorce tax is to follow.
Thank goodness for the United Nations Food Agency…a gleam of sensibility in a war torn world. Their latest strategy is to promote insect farms.
We here in Australia could lead the way as our insect population exceeds our human population by billions. The UN wants to promote insects as a viable food source. They are nutritious, delicious, have valuable minerals and proteins. The insect farms would provide feed for livestock, and be added to our menu and with cooking give exciting recipes. Baked beetles, grilled termites, stewed spiders…all over the world insects are eaten with relish…especially in South America and Africa. We can expect to see insects added to our daily shopping in local supermarkets any day now!
I must report on the UK FA cup. Wigan beat Manchester City (1 – 0). Wigan has a population the size of Kings Cross, and Manchester the size of Melbourne. It’s the first time they have won the cup since William the Conqueror won at Hastings. The city came to a standstill; men, women, children and even the Mayor burst into tears. They celebrated for days and put up a monument to the teams achievement. It is an event that will be remembered for years…no…centuries. A week later Wigan were relegated from the Premier League. There were no tears and it was forgotten by tea time. This was no David and Goliath…it was more like Tasmania beating the USA at baseball and basketball all on the same day…or even the cart horse beating Black Caviar. What a shock, and the losing manager got the sack. Good on yer Wigan.
At home, the racing scandal came and went. Not by a short nose but a photo finish was the result. All is forgotten by punters after the last race.
Footie season underway…go the Dockers!
by Tommy Taylor
