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.
November 16, 2007 at 1:28 am |
So why are you preferencing the ALP in some House seats and Senate races? Only kidding!
When I was young, I was an ALP supporter, specifically a Paul Keating supporter, mainly becaue I liked his leadership style and admired Labor’s reform programme. I was disappointed when the Liberal Party were elected, even though I hadn’t discovered my libertarian ideals in 1996, all I could imagine was an episode of small minded, limited vision social conservatism, which is what came to pass. Unfortunately, Howard’s success at being in charge during a period of economic growth and stability, together with some moderate, but important reform regarding the RBA independence and labour law reforms, probably means that we are in for another bout of do little, reap the tax rewards, bribe the electorate. This basically means that in 3 years time, the government will be bigger, spending will be bigger, even if we continue to see a period of growth and stability. the problem is that any government, Labor or Liberal, will be dipping their fingers deeper and deeper into the very fabric of Australian society, clutching at not just our hard earned wealth, but our very humanity. Richer, wealthier, healthier, we may all become under the wing of the state, but more whole as human beings, more able to enjoy existence, to dip our cup into life, take a sup, and say “Yes, Hallelujah, that is what nourishes me!”, I think not.
Bah humbug on the ALP, and I tip my hat to the LDP for favouring neither the ALP or Liberals consistently, big governmetn statist parties that they are.
November 16, 2007 at 10:41 am |
http://www.theage.com.au/multimedia/pork-o-meter_oct07/
While the major parties offer to spend more and more of your pork, the LDP is the only party dedicated to letting you not only bring home the bacon, but keep it, too.
November 16, 2007 at 11:21 am |
Shem, that sounds like a press release…
November 16, 2007 at 11:35 am |
[...] list of shame Following on from Labor’s list of shame, here is a Liberal version. Once again, I’ve only picked out random examples of government [...]