Budget week miscellany (open thread)

Not much polling, but a lot of Liberal National Party preselection news from Queensland, including the latest on the looming Fadden by-election.

Title aside, this post doesn’t actually have a huge amount to tell you about the budget, which is the reason for a polling drought this week — Newspoll, Resolve Strategic and Essential Research should all be conducting polling over the coming days to gauge response to the budget and its effect if any on voting intention, to arrive in a flood probably on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. All we have on the poll front is the usual light-on-detail weekly numbers from Roy Morgan, which have Labor’s two-party lead out to 54.5-44.5 after narrowing from 56.5-43.5 to 53.5-46.5 last week, from primary votes of 35.5% apiece for Labor (down half) and the Coalition (steady) and 12.5% (down half, so presumably the two-party movement comes off preference flows).

Other than that:

• The Australia Institute had a survey last week found 80% agreement that the budget should provide more spending on affordable housing, compared with 10% who disagreed, with only 25% considering the government’s proposed housing investment fund would provide enough of it, compared with 51% who disagreed. The survey was conducted from April 11 to 14 from a sample of 1002. Simon Welsh of RedBridge Group says the firm’s focus group research suggests the public has grown more empathetic following a pandemic that “broadened out our in-groups to include the vulnerable and the disadvantaged”, combined with “the rising influence of Millennial and Gen Z voters, with their high-levels of social progressiveness”. Together no doubt with the parlous state of conservative politics at present, this is feeding into “strong levels of support for policies/proposals like the Voice, NDIS funding, ‘raising the rate’ or restitution of single parent payments”.

• The Australian reports Fran Ward, founder of a charity supporting distressed farmers, has the support of Stuart Robert to succeed him as the Liberal National Party candidate at the imminent Fadden by-election, and is “seen as the front-runner”. Ward ran unsuccessfully to succeed Andrew Laming in Bowman at the last election and Steve Ciobo in Moncrieff in 2019. Also said to be considering a run is Gold Coast councillor Cameron Caldwell, whom Fran Ward unsuccessfully challenged at the council election in 2016. The Australian added another name to the list yesterday in Dinesh Palipana, “Queensland’s first quadriplegic medical graduate, works as an emergency doctor at the Gold Coast University Hospital”. After an initial flurry of speculation, Amanda Stoker, who failed to win re-election to the Senate from third position on the party’s ticket last year, has ruled herself out. Peter Dutton appeared to scotch the possibility of Stoker on the weekend when he said a local would be preselected, suggesting a failure to do so was the principal lesson to be learned from the defeat in Aston.

• Notwithstanding Amanda Stoker’s residence in Brisbane, The Australian’s Feeding the Chooks column related a fortnight ago that she was “sniffing around the Gold Coast” for a seat – the suggestion at the time being that she would seek to succeed Karen Andrews in McPherson when she retires at the next election. Others said to be in contention for McPherson were Ben Naday, a lawyer and rural fire brigade officer backed by Andrews, and Leon Rebello, solicitor for King & Wood Mallesons and former staffer to Julie Bishop as Foreign Minister.

• Also from Feeding the Chooks, a report that hard right Liberal National Party Senator Gerard Rennick has attracted a number of preselection challengers for his third position on the party’s Senate ticket, the most formidable of whom is said to be Nelson Savanh, a registered lobbyist who has support from James McGrath. Others in the field are “current Queensland LNP party treasurer and former Tattersall’s Club prez Stuart Fraser, serial candidate Fiona Ward (who has run for state and federal lower house seats before) and former Coalition adviser Sophie Li”, the latter of whom describes herself as “a technology entrepreneur, former banker and immigrant millennial woman”. The matter will determined by the party’s state conference on July 7.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

2,074 thoughts on “Budget week miscellany (open thread)”

Comments Page 2 of 42
1 2 3 … 42

  1. There’s your problem:

    Some versions of the AR-15 were classified as “assault weapons” and banned under the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act in 1994 within the United States. This act expired in 2004.

  3. Katich
    The lamington was only received as a tax refund – post lodging your tax return. So a windfall most spent at Harvey Norman
    ———————————
    Are you on the median wage with a mortgage and 3 children?

    I agree it was largess for some, especially those families with two incomes around $100k. There was scope for trimming/targeting it.

    And the point of my post wasn’t just the fairness. It more more about the politics of taking something away at a time of high inflation.

  4. Albanese effectively shut down Michael Rowland on Stage 3 tax cuts this morning with the line that people earning 45,000 bucks per annum are not rich.
    The obsession the ABC has with abolishing Stage 3 is getting rather tedious.

  6. Mostly Interested @ #48 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 8:23 am

    I have to say I rarely have followed the post budget media, but does it appear that there’s more sad face this time around than usual? The ‘what about me’ crowd seem to be getting a lot of air time.

    Also News seems to be saying only the rich benefit from this budget because of the S3 tax cuts, but they’ve got nothing to do with this budget, bad faith reporting?

    Yes I agree,pack of whingers and moaners.
    As a pensioner I might be able to see my Doctor and some help with the electricity bill always helps.

  7. David Crowe spots an Easter Egg in the Budget:

    The most important surprise on budget night, a $5.7 billion package to repair Medicare, helps explain why Labor could not do everything its own supporters wanted for the unemployed.

    Medicare takes priority because it touches every part of the community and needs urgent funding, with an economic advantage, since funding better services cuts costs for 10.6 million people. It is the broadest single measure in this budget.

    There is a political advantage because Albanese and Chalmers will contrast their spending on bulk-billing with the Coalition’s plan in 2014 for a $7 co-payment for a visit to the doctor. And who was the health minister who presided over that (scrapped) co-payment nine years ago? Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/minor-surplus-triggers-major-arguments-about-future-deficits-20230504-p5d5ko.html

    😀

  8. ”
    Aaron newtonsays:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 6:46 am
    the liberals only increased job seeker in the first plae because of presure from labor now rex cant see this is a right wing government any more
    ”

    Ofcourse Rex will call ALP Federal government a right wing government in future. No change in that.

  11. The ABC is about all I watch for news, and a bit of SBS, I rarely watch the commercial stations, so I’d be interested to know what sort of reaction the Budget is getting on Sunrise or the Today show.
    Our ABC seems to obsessed with two issues: 1. Jobseeker(there must be a few ex ABC employees out of work currently), 2. Stage 3 Tax Cuts – various commentators like Stan Grant seem to have made it their mission to get those tax cuts unlegislated.
    The big announcement on Bulk Billing last night – it has barely got a mention on News Breakfast this morning.

  12. ”
    Confessionssays:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 6:54 am
    So does the verdict from NY mean that Trump is now a convicted sex offender?
    ”

    No. Sexual abuse, sexual assault and sexual rape are defined legally different.

  14. Peter Dutton:

    We’ll make an announcement tomorrow. We have certainly spoken a lot about trying to provide support to people on lower incomes and but there are millions of Australians who have missed out significantly in this budget. They’re the ones that I think are really hurting at the moment and we’ll have more to say about that tomorrow night.
    —————————————

    Dutton talking about lib/nats propaganda media units and political donors

  15. Would it be possible for the Labor members to sit opposite Dutton on Thursday each holding one of those large red and yellow popcorn containers from the cinemas?
    I’m just imagining the thoughts going through Spuds head as he approaches the chamber and it smells like Hoyts.

  17. The lamington was only received as a tax refund – post lodging your tax return. So a windfall most spent at Harvey Norman

    The LMITO was sold by the media as a “tax cut” to the gullible – and it worked.
    A temporary, tax offset to distract from the real event/shit sandwich:
    Stage 3 *permanent tax cuts* for high income earners.

    The media should have pointed this out, but many of them will benefit from it – nothing to see here…

  18. The Howard Govt ran budgets like this that further enriched the wealthy and widened the inequality gap.

    I remember Labor people called them out for it too.

    So it seems this is now accepted. Lol.

  19. Dutton’s budget reply, together with the whimsical post budget comments from Taylor, the shadow treasurer will continue to follow script, emphasising inflation and the cost of living and attempting to brand Labor as the owner of both inflation and cost of living pressures.

    Dutton’s budget reply will be interesting for two reasons. The first being his fabled ineptitude regarding economics, accounting and financial management. The second reason being the security having been placed around Dutton to prevent any public comment after Labor’s budget. The Liberals don’t trust him!

    Angus Taylor has marked himself as the Liberal spearpoint in providing a LNP response to the budget.
    Taylor’s history as a National in sheep’s clothing, his efforts to stymy a LNP climate change response and his considerable history of integral irregularities will be his undoing.

    Shouting and bullying, well schooled during his private schooled days will not pass muster.
    “born to rule” was discredited with the demise of the price of wool in decades past.

    Morrison, the now disgraced ex PM has “brought the Liberal party to its knees” and Taylor, the aspiring Liberal leader doesn’t have the character to be a saviour.

    Dutton has become a “cartoon” without character.

    Where does that leave the LNP ?

    They are left with the ‘bloated bull” from New England, unparadable in the show ring, a rejecter of the nose ring and not someone you’d choose to replicate a herd.

    Dutton’s budget reply will be his last and not the highlight of his career.

    The conservatives parading as the “liberals” and the miners parading as the “nationals’ are on the wrong side of history.

  20. More Amy (The Guardian):

    Remember how we said that as part of the ‘great softening’ of Peter Dutton, deputy leader Sussan Ley has been anointed the Liberal party attacker-in-chief?

    (It’s an old trick, not limited to the Liberal party – in opposition, most leaders back away from straight up attacks of their political opponents, lest they been seen as ‘too negative’ or not prime ministerial enough, which means that someone else has to step into the role of chief criticiser. It is usually the deputy, and in recent times, often a woman – Kristina Keneally fulfilled the role in the 2019 election campaign, for example)

    Well here is part of Ley’s speech to the Institute of Public Accountants and Canberra Business Chambers budget breakfast:

    When I was growing up I went to school just down the road from this building across the lake at Campbell High School and down at Dickson College.

    So as someone who has spent a fair bit of time in Canberra in my youth and now as a politician, I hope you can see that this Government has taken Canberra well and truly for granted.

    I understand Senator Pocock will be on a panel later, maybe you can ask him why he wasn’t able to secure Canberra a new stadium like Tasmania.

    To borrow a term from Rugby, maybe Senator Pocock needs to be more effective at the breakdown.

  22. A little more from that Sussan Ley speech – Peter Dutton’s line is that the opposition will examine the measures in the budget and respond on Thursday, when he delivers his budget reply.

    Ley:

    It should not surprise anyone here that the Opposition is not happy with the Budget.

    But Australian households and businesses will ultimately be the judges of it because Budgets are about priorities and delivering on promises and the Prime Minister has promised he will not leave anyone behind.

    So if your power bill goes up this winter you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If you can’t afford your rental bill and you end up on the streets, you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If your mortgage goes up again and again, you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If you can’t afford to run your business and have to lay off workers you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

  23. So, the budget has come and gone – thank goodness! Now we can hopefully get back to the important issues.

    Sure, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it also wasn’t as good as it should have been, given the once-in-a-lifetime, fossil-fuelled, war-profiteer bonanza Labor has been gifted. It is largely just a sugar hit that won’t have any lasting impact – unlike like the hard decisions that should have been taken in this budget, but were not.

    The really important stuff was not in the budget itself, of course – it was mostly announced beforehand, so as not to attract undue attention and/or spoil Jim’s big day.

    But in case you missed it…

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/news-federal-budget/2023/05/09/michael-pascoe-prrt-budget-labor-fossil-fuel/

    “The government notes that Treasury has consulted industry on the three options in Recommendation 1, and that the recommended design for the deductions cap takes into account stakeholder feedback to minimise impacts on new investment in current and future projects.”

    And just to underline the explicit commitment to all the new gas projects that might be possible, the government said the gas industry’s preferred option – tweaking the deductions cap – “would provide greater certainty to support future investment and gas supply”.

    The Albanese government continues to run the line that new gas projects for as far as the eye might see and a dollar might be turned are “supporting the economy’s net-zero transition”.

    And if you believe that, you haven’t been following the climate crisis and Australian politics.

    Also …

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/09/labor-could-and-should-have-gone-stronger-on-the-petroleum-resource-rent-tax

    Difficult judgments are required when increasing taxes on projects that were commissioned under an existing regime. These were the judgments that the government had to make when assessing how to change the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) regime. While difficult, however, I believe that the revenue achieved from changes to the PRRT could have been at least three times the amount that is to be raised from the measures the government announced on Sunday.

    A stronger position could have been taken for at least two reasons. First, the existing PRRT regime was widely known to be deeply flawed so industry had to know some significant change would eventually come. Second, the budget is in deep structural deficit and if reasonably straightforward chances to increase revenue are not taken this will put more focus on the expenditure side of the budget.

    …

    Australia’s PRRT was designed for the oil industry in the mid 1980s. Not only were the cost carry-forward factors, which need to be offset before any PRRT is paid, seen as generous at the time, as the then government sought to do all it could to encourage investment in petroleum in Bass Strait, they were not designed for the gas industry with its longer lead times from exploration to production. Thus, generous cost carry-forward arrangements were applied to an industry to which they were extremely badly suited.

    The government’s changes mean that, after seven years of production revenue, companies will only be allowed to offset costs carried forward against 90% of their income for PRRT purposes; the costs that would have been offset against the other 10% are carried forward at the bond rate.

    Finally, I can think of nothing more damning than the fact that the fossil fuel cartel is happy with the changes …

    https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/chalmers-softens-prrt-on-budget-eve-to-relief-of-big-gas-20230507-p5d6ed

    The big gas producers can go back to what they do best – exporting huge amounts of Australian gas and printing money in times of global energy uncertainty – after securing a rare win in a battle over the petroleum resources rent tax (PRRT).

    …

    The natural resources extractors should have paid enough tax to just about balance the books, but they live in fear of further increases. Hence, why the gas sector is not kicking and screaming about paying an extra $2.4 billion in PRRT.

    In other words, Labor has decided that instead of making real substantive changes, it will just give a lovely tummy rub to the goose that lays those shiny, golden, but ultimately deadly, rotten eggs.

    Or, to put it even more simply: Business As Usual.

  24. I see that so-called MSM is not appreciative of Federal government budget.
    Murdoch rags, AFR and SMH are very critical of this budget.
    Read BK’s Dawn Patrol articles on budget and you will understand what I mean.
    They are so used to Tradies getting tax write offs on their assets. Nothing of that sort is shock to their system.
    IMO, governments are there to look after the most vulnerable in the society. I understand governments should provide environment where businesses have incentives and encouragement to do business. Also, I also understand businesses are there to make profit. But every person in a society cannot run a business and make a profit because everyone doesn’t have those skills or have that aptitude to run a business.
    But if the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ increases rather than decreases it is not good for a society. The prime examples of that are USA and UK.

    USA was most powerful when it had a large middle class and when it could project soft power. It could project soft power by pointing to its large middle class saying more people benefitted from its model of society.

  25. Over in the USA it is all happening today – George Santos has criminal charged on Federal charges. Not work as what they are but it is likely he will be in court tomorrow.

  26. B.S. Fairman @ #75 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:17 am

    Over in the USA it is all happening today – George Santos has criminal charged on Federal charges. Not work as what they are but it is likely he will be in court tomorrow.

    I’ve seen Ronald DeSantis’s approval rating plummet. I have been wondering if low information voters in the USA mix up Santos and DeSantis. Kind of like they did with Obama and Osama.

  27. ”
    Dog’s Brunchsays:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 8:43 am
    Would it be possible for the Labor members to sit opposite Dutton on Thursday each holding one of those large red and yellow popcorn containers from the cinemas?
    I’m just imagining the thoughts going through Spuds head as he approaches the chamber and it smells like Hoyts.
    ”

    Could one of the thoughts be how to include “sexual assault reference ” in the budget reply?

  28. ”
    Rex Douglassays:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 8:48 am
    The Howard Govt ran budgets like this that further enriched the wealthy and widened the inequality gap.

    I remember Labor people called them out for it too.

    So it seems this is now accepted. Lol.
    ”

    Don’t hold back calling federal ALP government as right wing government. I know you want to say it.

  29. SO a Labor surplus is a one-off;
    A piece of luck in ‘good’ times.
    Could have been delivered by a dog.
    A scary warning and test.
    A betrayal of the poor.

    A LNP surplus (almost) in much better economic times is an act of economic brilliance to be celebrated.

    As for a one-off, what if things improve this year and Labor has another surplus next year..and then the next? That will get awkward!

  32. Pueo @ #72 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:03 am

    A little more from that Sussan Ley speech – Peter Dutton’s line is that the opposition will examine the measures in the budget and respond on Thursday, when he delivers his budget reply.

    Ley:

    It should not surprise anyone here that the Opposition is not happy with the Budget.

    But Australian households and businesses will ultimately be the judges of it because Budgets are about priorities and delivering on promises and the Prime Minister has promised he will not leave anyone behind.

    So if your power bill goes up this winter you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If you can’t afford your rental bill and you end up on the streets, you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If your mortgage goes up again and again, you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If you can’t afford to run your business and have to lay off workers you know who to blame, Anthony Albanese.

    If you get caught out fiddling your expense account,you know who to blame Anthony Albanese.
    If you loose some unloosable by-elections,you know who to blame Anthony Albanese.
    If people laugh at you and shake their heads,you know who to blame Anthony Albanese.
    If people don’t trust you and think your’e a Karen,you know who to blame Anthony Albanese.

  33. In fact, the anti-Labor stream from commenters like Rex and P1 bears no relation to what is in the Budget.

    For example, the Barnyard dams program has been ceased, with $879m savings. Amongst other things, the $879m savings are being redirected in part to establishing a statutory Environment Protection Agency.

    Yes, we finally will have our own EPA, to raise the integrity of environmental decisions and practices.

  34. Mostly Interested @ #76 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:21 am

    B.S. Fairman @ #75 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:17 am

    Over in the USA it is all happening today – George Santos has criminal charged on Federal charges. Not work as what they are but it is likely he will be in court tomorrow.

    I’ve seen Ronald DeSantis’s approval rating plummet. I have been wondering if low information voters in the USA mix up Santos and DeSantis. Lind of like the did with Obama and Osama.

    No. Ron De Santis is being exposed as a Fake Wannabe Trump, without the charisma.

  36. The Age’s vox-pops article on the budget managed to find the world’s biggest caricature of a real estate agent to complain that there wasn’t enough tax breaks for the rich in the budget. No seriously. Because then the rich will invest it in property development and pay tradies with it, you see.

    So we know SOMEONE who’s still voting for Dutton.

  38. Why does Liberal party wants most of the Australian people to be small business owners? (Why do I ask that question? Because LNP government devised ABN mostly for that purpose)

    First of all they don’t have to give unemployment benefits to them.
    Secondly by providing some tax incentives you can make small business owners to vote for them. Prime example of that are Tradies. When there was no ABN and money is not thrown at them like drunken sailors, they were in Unions and were working on wages.
    Thirdly Most of the small business owners are conservative in their outlook for many reasons and hence mostly vote for Libs.

  39. sprocket_ @ #83 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:53 am

    In fact, the anti-Labor stream from commenters like Rex and P1 bears no relation to what is in the Budget.

    For example, the Barnyard dams program has been ceased, with $879m savings. Amongst other things, the $879m savings are being redirected in part to establishing a statutory Environment Protection Agency.

    Yes, we finally will have our own EPA, to raise the integrity of environmental decisions and practices.

    Sssshhh!!! Your FACTS are getting in the way of the Anti Labor narrative of Player One and Rex Douglas! 😆

    I bet Player One’s Eco Resort is even eligible for a Small Business Energy Bill relief payment. I mean, it never seems to have any actual paying customers, with Player One on the board all day, every day. 😉

  40. No Howard budget would have spent on climate change, Medicare, renewable energy, wage increases for employees in the aged care sector, the NDIS or the Voice among other things.

    Lest anyone think for a moment that the whining trolls have any credibility.

  41. It’s a budget that Ben Chifley would have been very happy to deliver. An end to the profligacy and cronyism of the Reactionaries. Social justice and real wage growth restored as the goals of government.

  42. Mitt Romney has probably been waiting a long time for this day:

    Occupy Democrats
    @OccupyDemocrats
    BREAKING: Republican Sen. Mitt Romney torches Donald Trump after he lost his sexual abuse lawsuit to E. Jean Carroll, says Trump is “just not suited to be President of the United States” and he cannot be the person we “hold up” to “our children and the world” as the “leader of the free world.”

    The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages and labeled Donald Trump a sexual abuser for the rest of human history.

    Romney also smashed Trump’s claim that the Carroll lawsuit was part of some “witch hunt,” saying that when “people who work with you, your cabinet secretaries, and juries” come to the conclusion that you’ve “done something severely wrong” it’s time to “recognize” that you are simply “wrong.”

  43. While the jury in Caroll’s suit found that Trump didn’t rape her,
    findings that he sexually abused & defamed her were quite momentous for a prick like him, who is the GOP presidential front-runner. And this is only the start of his legal troubles. I dare say his next appearance in court will be his direction to the
    Georgia A-G to find him 11,800 votes, and then there’s the possibility that he’ll be charged with conspiracy to commit sedition over the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol. Carroll may go down in history as the person who saved America’s democracy.

  44. Few things …. not sure whether to break them up into separate posts

    @D&M, thanks for your kind thoughts, well received, all good.

    Budget – I think the golden sparkling surplus, regardless of the economic whys and wherefores, is political genius. I’m interested in Arts funding – arts the framework whereby society reflects on itself and learns the lessons of history, or not. The ABC and SBS did well. Bought? Know your master! (Too cynical that thought I think). And some major institutions get some buckeroos. Nothing for the small locals which are the roots for tomorrow that I can see. There’s time. And there’s States, great Labor States, for that.

    Thanks to BK with Covid best wishes.

    Thanks to Mr Bowe for the RedBridge Group link. Empathy is the bottom line imo.

  45. C@tmomma @ #84 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:54 am

    Mostly Interested @ #76 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:21 am

    B.S. Fairman @ #75 Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 – 9:17 am

    Over in the USA it is all happening today – George Santos has criminal charged on Federal charges. Not work as what they are but it is likely he will be in court tomorrow.

    I’ve seen Ronald DeSantis’s approval rating plummet. I have been wondering if low information voters in the USA mix up Santos and DeSantis. Lind of like the did with Obama and Osama.

    No. Ron De Santis is being exposed as a Fake Wannabe Trump, without the charisma.

    True as well.

  46. The stage 3 tax cuts are about people who earn $200k not $45k and if Albo hit a journo not well enough informed to just laugh and that little bit of starmeresque dishonesty and spin he is very lucky, they don’t come that stupid that often, well except here, but here it is a deliberate, considered, devoted ignorance of all facts that don’t support the koolaid, not genuine deep stupidity leading to incompetence.

  47. I wish the stage three tax cuts started 1 July, they would literally pay for 4 economy returns to Europe early next year, but obviously not for someone on 45 or 50k.

  48. ”
    Rusty Stoogesays:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 10:05 am
    It’s a budget that Ben Chifley would have been very happy to deliver. An end to the profligacy and cronyism of the Reactionaries. Social justice and real wage growth restored as the goals of government.
    ”

    Not really because
    Banks are not nationalised
    S3 tax cuts will be delivered.

  49. sprocket_says:
    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 9:53 am
    In fact, the anti-Labor stream from commenters like Rex and P1 bears no relation to what is in the Budget.

    For example, the Barnyard dams program has been ceased, with $879m savings. Amongst other things, the $879m savings are being redirected in part to establishing a statutory Environment Protection Agency.

    Yes, we finally will have our own EPA, to raise the integrity of environmental decisions and practices.
    ______________________
    Not to mention another $160m for staffers.

    Curious logic isnt it:

    $160m for staffers
    $260m for a stadium
    $500m for homeless

  50. While it is incredibly satisfying to see Trump finally suffer some actual consequences for his actions, I doubt it will shift his support among the Republican party base very much at all. These lunatics didn’t care about the “pussy-grabbing” or him boasting about perving on underage girls at his beauty pageants or mocking disabled journalists or wanting to nuke a hurricane or suggesting people with COVID drink bleach or his publicly stated desire to date his own daughter or inciting an attempted coup or the way he blatantly scams untold sums of money out of his own supporters again and again, why would they be bothered about him being found guilty of sexual assault?

    Dude’s almost certainly still the favourite to win the Republican nomination.

Comments Page 2 of 42
1 2 3 … 42

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *