The Abbott government’s first budget was the least popular and most extreme in forty years, and was handed down during an almost unprecedented May heatwave
By most accounts, the first budget of the Abbott government was the least popular and most extreme in forty years, and was handed down during an almost unprecedented May heatwave of ten consecutive days above 20 degrees.
The pantomime of the federal budget took place in Australia last Tuesday, auspiciously on the 13th of May. As a piece of political theatre, the budget is generally viewed as one of the most important set pieces of the year by political and media elites. The accepted wisdom is that the budget is an opportunity for the government to set the agenda for the remainder of the year. If this is true, then the Abbott government has sent a strong message that its agenda is resolutely regressive for almost every policy area.