Does Anthony Albanese have the courage to balance the budget?
This opinion piece critiques the Australian government's economic management, arguing that 'cost of living' support measures are ineffective and contribute to national debt. The author suggests these policies fail to address the root causes of persistent inflation.
Why it matters
It reflects growing public and media frustration regarding government fiscal policy and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in Australia.
Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Share A A A Australians live anxiously under a volcano of economic disruption. We tremble at every rumble.
Are the cost of living gods angry? Is the volcano about to erupt again? Are interest rates about to go up again? What about the price of petrol?
Our anxiety is measured in the consumer confidence surveys and expressed in the political polls .
Illustration by Simon Letch It’s no coincidence that only 6 per cent of Australians expect “good times” in the year ahead at the very moment when despair is leading us to Pauline Hanson’s siren call to self-destruction in record numbers.
The Albanese government, and the states, offer us baubles and charms which are supposed to appease the volcano gods. They call them “cost of living support”.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in