Stimulus package

Anonymous

The package did help but a lot of people that did get it blow it, They need to stop handing out money and start fixing our schools, and give more people work,
I understand that it did help a lot of people out, but our future children will be paying for it in the long run

spog777

The package was a handy quick fix but in the long run we're going to pay for it now that the Government is trying to reduce the budget deficit

stretch

it is a strange thing but your argument will only work for the business holders owners
most of us that work for an income will be worse of
sorry but look at the argument again you are running up the wrong track
not a supporter for any of the political circle at present
they had 5 years to get ready for the floods and did nothing to help the people of australia

Hughie

I notice that while those in receipt of the Stimulus Package were very pleased to accept it, not much has been said about Abbotts plans to replace welfare (including Aged Pensions) with a system of food vouchers and some small amount of cash. Liberals have always been stingy with welfare payments, they seem to prefer to keep the poor poor and the rich richer. That includes giving Parliamentarians huge increases is salary on a regular basis.
Is there any way that we can get the two "tribes" working together instead of shouting ridicule at each other ?

opunake

no it did for a start,butis know a big rip off

Deno

Australians....particularly on the eastern sea-board need to know where the countries wealth is coming from.. Western Australia is currently carrying the rest of the country. Every other state in Australia got back the majority of their GST money. Western Australia got back only 63 cents in the dollar. We are supporting the disgracefully managed labour states in the east. Start living within their means and balance their own budgets. We are sick of baling them out. KRudd needs to realise it is not his money he is squandering. It belongs to ALL Australians, particulary those who pay their taxes all their lives and then see his stupidity wipie out their Super.

none

Australians....particularly on the eastern sea-board need to know where the countries wealth is coming from.. Western Australia is currently carrying the rest of the country. Every other state...

Deno, I agree. The rest of Australia does not even know anyof that. It is sad that half the country does not realise this or even question it!!!!

Lynjoywal

I agree with the overall idea but agree that it should only have been issued to Australian residents and there should have been some control over what people spent it on (pokies and alcohol should have been definite no no's). I agree that it helped the Australian economy but I think we are feeling the financial downturn more now that the money has all been spent. Retailers have reported a really slow period recently. I am on a Widow's Allowance and I certainly didn't get the package despite living on less money than age pensioners.

Stekel

It appears that Australia was onre of the first Country's out of the problems which were created by the super rich trying to get richer, the stimules packages have helped to get the economy going and it has now been stated that the Deficit created by these packages have been reduced by the creation of many more people into work ( see the financial review of the middle of this month) the country will be again in the black as from the middle of 2014, something that would not have happened if the Liberals were still in charge.

queenie

the government sux they do nothing but talk

supababe

What about the 14,000 dead people that recieved the package?
The problem is, because most people are struggling and I'm sure that the 14,000 families that recieved those packages could think of 100 ways to spend it. You certainly wouldn't knock back money that the government gives you with no strings attached.
Like most things, the media has gone on and on about it, now it has most Australia's worried about what lies ahead for us.
Every other year the government has millions of dollars surplus just sitting around doing nothing.
Like the recession that we had to have with Paul Keating, we will just have no surplus for a few years.
As for the Stimulus package, its probably keeping quite a few small businesses afloat a while longer.

Kate S

What about the 14,000 dead people that recieved the package?
The problem is, because most people are struggling and I'm sure that the 14,000 families that recieved those packages could think of...

In regards to the stimulus package that we recently received. I feel it could have been better spent on an internal rail system from Melbourne to Brisbane. Infrastructure is the key to ongoing employment, this would generate allot of jobs and down the track the agriculture sector would be able to get the food to the cities allot quicker. As it is when they do have a bumper crop it will take months to get the crops off and out.
As for the debt we will be paying it off for the next 100 years. It wont be short term that is for sure if you work it out the interest at today's rate is 20 billion a year which works out to be $700 per year for every person in Australia. They will only be paying the interest on the money not paying any of it off. Think again.
At least when the Liberals were in we did not have any debt and they managed it alot better. We all new that as soon as the Labour government got into power they would spend spend spend. the only thing is they think the economic downturn is an excuse to get into debt.
I think this below is a good wake up call to everyone in Australia.
Right now the Federal Government is at pains to tell everyone - including us the mug-punters to the International Monetary Fund that it will not exceed its own, self-imposed, borrowing limits. How much? $200 billion. And here's a worry. If you work in a bank's money market operation; or if you are a politician; the millions turn into billions and it rolls off the tip of the tongue a bit too easily.

But every dollar that is borrowed, some time, has to be repaid. By you, by me and by the rest of the country.

Just after 5 o'clock tonight I did a bit of maths for Jason Morrison. But it's so staggering its worth repeating now. First though ... here's what Chairman Rudd has been saying about - what he calls - these temporary borrowings. Remember those words ... temporary deficit ... but the total Government debt could end up around $200 billion.

So here's a very basic calculation ... I used a home loan calculator to work it out ... it's that simple.

$200 billion is $200,000 million. The current 10 year Government bond rate is 4.67 per cent. I worked the loan out over a period of 20 years.

Now here's where it gets scary ... really scary.

The repayments on $200 billion come to more than one and a quarter billion dollars - every month - for 20 years. It works out we - as taxpayers - will be repaying $15.4 billion in interest and principal every year ... $733 for every man woman and child - every year.

The total interest bill over the 20 years is - get this - $108 billion.

And remember, this is a Government that just 18 months ago had NO debt ... NO debt. In fact it had enough money to create the Future Fund to pay the future liabilities of public servants' superannuation ... and it had enough to stick $20 billion into the Building Australia Fund last year ...

jo

i agree but for the fact that even the people brought over here to work from overseas are getting it and sending it straight back home to their families there, so please explain how that is helping anyone except overseas government.