Budget panto goes wrong

Monday, 19 May 2014   State of the parties   37 comments 

Now having reached the ultimate ritual of the Budget, and economic management, through which the last thirty years political unravelling has been understood, the depth of the government’s problems are finally becoming apparent to all.

Instability

Thursday, 29 July 2010   State of the parties   13 comments 

the real deciding issue of this election is stability – or, to put it more bluntly, which party can show it’s the least dysfunctional to run the government.

Flashpoint

Tuesday, 23 June 2009   Tactics   5 comments 

The whole fuss shows the degree to which the political class has become so insecure in the last few years, that what would have passed for normal political activity has become almost impossible.

What a crisis looks like – an update

Thursday, 14 May 2009   State of the parties   5 comments 

So if the downturn is unprecedented, why has then Treasury chosen this time to change its methodology to more allow for the experience of past economic recoveries than ever before?

The coming non-event – 2009 edition

Monday, 11 May 2009   Tactics   7 comments 

Predictions of some officials in Washington, London and Paris that the economy would begin to recover within a year, are based on no other reason than they wouldn’t know what to do if it didn’t.

Gently falling apart – a further update

Thursday, 22 May 2008   Tactics  Comments Off on Gently falling apart – a further update 

A strangely unsettled mood seems to have settled over national politics in the last week. Debate over the Budget is still rattling around but with no coherent theme having emerged from either side while the media keep worrying over it like a dog with a bone.

The New Sensitivity

Wednesday, 14 May 2008   Key posts, Tactics  Comments Off on The New Sensitivity 

Turnbull was dead right on Sunday that the government has a political strategy, not an economic one. Unfortunately, Turnbull doesn’t seem to know what it is.

The coming non-event

Thursday, 1 May 2008   Tactics  Comments Off on The coming non-event 

There is starting to be some fairly tortured analysis doing the rounds in the press in the run up to next Tuesday’s Budget.

Listening very carefully

Monday, 7 April 2008   International relations  Comments Off on Listening very carefully 

At the bottom of this conundrum is Labor still trying to make an economic argument when it has already admitted that an economic policy is no longer possible, something Rudd has confirmed by motivating his world tour as an alternative to watching the economic crisis unfold on CNN.

Why Swan is nervous

Friday, 22 February 2008   Political figures  Comments Off on Why Swan is nervous 

Saying your opponent’s spending plans are just a political ruse is one thing, saying the same for those of your own party is something else.

Earlier posts →