The Daily Mail reported on May 15 that Australian voters said they had decided to abandon the Labor Party in the next federal election because it proposed a budget that was criticized as "the most irresponsible in recent years".
Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled this year's federal budget on Tuesday night, which promised that each household would receive a $300 subsidy on electricity bills, regardless of household income, to ease the pressure of rising electricity bills. While this is undoubtedly a necessary relief for many, experts fear it will only drive inflation up further, while Australians with higher incomes are questioning why they would accept this extra cash subsidy when they are not short of money.
(Image source: Daily Mail)
"The one-off $300 energy subsidy is a sloppy and reckless policy," one voter commented online.
"Wealthy Australians don't need this money at all, while a lot of struggling Australians need more assistance." Another voter said: "I don't need a $300 reduction in electricity bills, people who rely on Centrelink grants really need living expenses." ”
"Why is everyone getting the $300 energy reduction? There are some people who are struggling right now, while others are doing well. "Why give money to those who have money, while others have to make the difficult choice between choosing food and heating?" An angry Australian sent a direct attack to the prime minister, saying the money should be better spent to tackle the housing crisis.
"Hey, Anthony Albanese, thank you for giving me a $300 reduction on my electricity bill, but the problem is that I don't have an electricity bill at all because I can't afford a home," he scolded.
Steven Hamilton of George Washington University said he couldn't believe his eyes when he first skimmed the budget, which he described as the most irresponsible he had ever seen.
"Under normal circumstances, this kind of budget would be enough to surprise people," he wrote in a column for the Australian Financial Review on Tuesday.
(Image source: Daily Mail)
"In the midst of the inflation crisis, and at a critical time when the RBA is preparing to raise interest rates further, this approach can be described as extremely reckless."
"Thinking back to the October 2022 Budget, when the government was still in its early stages, people within the government assured me that 'the finance minister knew what he should do', although there was no clear fiscal strategy." "However, this budget confirms that he either doesn't know what he can do or just doesn't care."
Chris Richardson, an independent economist, is also concerned that the cash payout will have the opposite effect.
"My biggest hope for the budget is that it doesn't stimulate inflation. I don't think it passed this test," Richardson wrote.
"The government has said it will be cautious and will not pay the new fees in advance, but in fact it does, and the amount of new money allocated by the government is very large and the disbursements are fast."
"Over the next year, the size of these funds will be eight times larger than in 2027-28, so this budget gives the RBA more limited room to maneuver in controlling inflation."
(Image source: Daily Mail)
He explained that the government's large spending in the budget could make it harder for the country to break even in the long run.
"On budget night a year ago, I predicted that we would have another surplus this year, but today I can't say that anymore."
The Albanese government's senseless "splurge" of electricity bill reductions, including those who don't need them, has angered even Labour's loyal voters.
"I'm sorry, I've always been a voter in the Labour Party, but they're going to lose at least one of my votes in the next election, and honestly, I don't even know where to start complaining." Another voter wrote.
"I feel like people who sleep under the air conditioner with a duvet over should be excluded from the $300 energy reduction, and they don't deserve this." Another voter wrote.
Another said: "I'm sure Gina Rinehart is sure she's happy she can pay $300 less on her electricity bill." Another voter wrote: "I make about $90,000 to $100,000 a year. ”
"I'm single and have no family to support and I don't need a $300 reduction in my electricity bill, as do many people who are wealthier than me, and that money should be better distributed to those who really need help paying their electricity bills."