Foreign Correspondence

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Australian .. Budget 2008 .. FULL COVERAGE .. and update to Jan 19, 2009 ..


Coalition threatens budget showdown

15 May 2008 .. More than $5 billion in savings measures from Treasurer Wayne Swan's first budget
are at risk of being blocked in the Senate by the opposition on the grounds that they increase
taxes, break election promises and threaten the viability of private health insurance... more

Laura Tingle ..
Is Kevin Rudd 'John Howard lite'? Not according to the budget strategy his Treasurer,
Wayne Swan, set out in his first budget last night. Labor has been good to its word in
cutting back on Howard and Costello's profligate, electorally targeted spending of recent years.

Alan Mitchell ..
After adjusting for the Rudd and Howard governments' accounting fiddles, last
night's budget represents, at most, a modest tightening of fiscal policy. The budget
therefore will make little difference to inflation and interest rates in the coming year.
http://afr.com/home/budget2008/
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Budget 'buggered', recession looms
Siobhain Ryan, January 19, 2009, The Australian

AUSTRALIA will go into recession this year with a budget that's
"buggered", forcing Canberra to choose between its infrastructure
priorities and more populist middle-class welfare and industry bailouts ..
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24929812-2702,00.html

Oodles more inside.