There have been lots of election promises in this campaign, and most of them have been about increasing the role of government. It can be hard to keep track. I’ve certainly lost count of all the promises, but I thought it might help to provide a short list of some of the many promises from each party so far… starting with Labor.
* $2.2 billion to upgrade Bruce Highway
* 20 per cent renewable energy target by 2020
* $500 million for solar panels & rainwater tanks
* $69 million for volunteer grants program
* $3 million for Leichhardt Oval
* $1 billion for stormwater harvesting & desalination projects
* $361 million on roads in south/west WA
* $200 million to protect Great Barrier Reef
* $20 million for national centre of water excellence
* $4.1 billion for seniors to pay utilities
* $150 million for more public housing
* $1.9 billion boost to disability spending
* $510 million for dental health for children
* $33 million for medical care for Defence personal
* $480 million on AusLink fund for Qld roads
* $1 billion to turn all schools digital
* $540 million on new training places
Many of these groups are very deserving. We all want the Great Barrier Reef to be protected, high quality education and disabled people to be looked after. But that doesn’t mean the best solution is to keep throwing more and more federal government money at all of these issues. The government doesn’t create wealth. They are only able to move funds into one area by taking those funds from elsewhere. And in the process they actually destroy wealth.
The virtue of a small government is that (1) there is a bigger pie to go around; (2) people are able to put their money in the places they think are most valuable, and people often know better than the government; and (3) services are more efficient and effective. Only the LDP believes in small government.
Posted by John Humphreys 
Posted by John Humphreys 
