- The Guardian
- Issue #1962
Dear Editor,
Please do not underestimate the LNP. This is NOT a “Labor Budget” or a suspending of ideology!
LNP is continuing its privatisation/user pays strategy, which despite COVID’s lesson, they determined to maintain – including in this budget. However, they want working men and women to pay for the increased spending, not the rich.
Then-Prime Minister Howard turned aged care into a business opportunity in 1995 with changes to legislation. Snouts have been well and truly in the trough since then, and the cost to frail, defenceless residents has been very high. The loss of the family GP exacerbated the situation in Aged Care. Most GPs got out years ago when nurse ratios fell and registered nurses started to disappear.
It’s all a part of the Americanisation strategy – e.g. privatisation and user pays for health care, aged care (for decent care) and everything else. You pay pay pay, or you die.
The plan seems to be to give increased funding but delay the money, and then the money runs out – how convenient! Problem fixed for LNP government! And the pro-business model of aged care remains on track.
Thus, the march to privatisation, user pays, and Americanisation remains on track. Medicare is still underfunded by $1bil per year and here is nothing of note in this year’s budget. Further still are cuts to desperately overburdened public hospitals as reported by the Victorian health Minister despite a COVID epidemic imminent and likely to become endemic in the future.
Still, there is no rush to provide purpose-built quarantine centres! Does Australia have no option but to stay locked up until at least late 2022? Does this make any sense?
Our super-rich are escaping responsibility. Gina, Twiggy, and mates – who continue to rape and pillage our vast mineral resources – have again dodged a mining super profits tax thanks to their political mates. No mining super profits tax to share the burden of COVID’s $300bil cost!
There was no mention, much less budget review of the military spending that’s been allocated over the next twenty years – oh! Except an extra, lazy $250bil of our taxes in this budget to top up the military.
This budget was not designed by mistake or incompetence by LNP. They are NOT hopeless. It is clear and brazen intent.
Signed,
CC
