Page 3935 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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I think that the public perception is that it has failed, and I was talking about some of those people who have already perceived the budget to have failed and have been out there on the streets making it clear that they believe so. People in business are already beginning to object. They are beginning to object about the land tax, because they see the consequences of that for this community, and particularly the business community.
We have had some objections already from the Housing Industry Association in terms of the impact, which is only now becoming apparent to it, in terms of payroll tax. Of course, that goes back to the first Follett budget; but the measures are only now beginning to have their effect, and business is beginning to object.
Of course, we are also seeing this perception in that constituency that the Labor Party claims to be its own - the Trades and Labour Council, the Public Sector Union and the unions generally. They are already beginning to realise, fully, the impacts of this budget for them in terms of jobs - and not only in terms of jobs but also in terms of their ability to do the job for which they are being paid. They are becoming very apprehensive, in the health area in particular, about whether they can continue to deliver a satisfactory health system with the impositions that this Government has put upon them.
I would just like to read from my speech of 19 September. I said:
The budget has failed before it has begun. It addresses only short-term issues - perhaps, as I said before, with an eye to the election - and totally ignores the real and fundamental issues that it should address. It contains no strategy but reflects merely ad hoc solutions to emerging problems. It sets objectives which, even though short-term in nature, will prove to be unachievable.
I had an eye to the health budget and the hospitals when I said that. I continued:
It exhibits a distorted, ideologically-based set of priorities.
That is beginning to show up to be true. Further:
It does nothing to substantiate the Treasurer's oft asserted concern for the private sector as the generator of jobs and as the growing potential revenue base. It fails the test of social justice.
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