Judging by your findings either Howard can become an American citizen and stay over therwe,or we have an election ASAP and get rid of the arrogant..........

A little hemarroid on George Bush's bum doesnt belong here. Maybe he should be sent to Narau for processing.

Slowly but surely under the Bush/Howard regime the every day battler's in this country are slowly being squeezed of life.
I listened to Condaleza Rice's address to Parliament when she visited Australia and she refered to Australia as being a wonderful democratic state....last time I checked the atlis Australia was a Country or has Howard already sold us out to America?

A key factor for people's view of the budget is whether they have a mortgage. If not, and if they are also investors (these are likely to be directly related) then upward interest rates might work in their favour and provide a more benign view of the budget.

I have to agree with D.H...Howard is way past is retirement date..and personally I am tired of seeing him take Bushes advice and pander to his wishes, whenever the US needs some help.This latest trip to the U.S. is a waste of Taxpayers money. Howard if you want to remain PM, then look after the domestic side before you go running all over the World.
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Well, the little weasel has done a good job on our first peoples hasn't he! Not even a mention in your survey, and no concerns expressed in the replies. The Australian Council of Social Service
estimated it would take only $4 billion of our loudly touted surplus to really make inroads in Indigenous affairs. Even with only $12 billion
then left, isn't it the height of economic and social irresponsibility not to be spending it now
when current and future needs are so great?

What good is a budget that does little or nothing to overcome the crippling effects of an already out of control economic and social environment? I would think that a fair budgets aim would be to create less division between those who have and those who have not rather than streaching already streached limits. I believe more numbers of Australians will be joining the ranks of the have nots, many of these will be women and children. Our government needs to have a rethink about this growing group of people and how, when the numbers are to large and the scales of power begin to tip what that might do to this country.

All those in favour of a new heart in politics remember Julia. Go girl go!

I am tired of those people who are worrying about the environment. When God created the earth, He set boundaries for the oceans and seas. Instead of being concerned whether we have enough to go around in 10 years, consider where YOU will be in 10 years!
As a people, we should be caring for each other instead of killing each other through abortion, war, murder, you get the idea!
Instead of blaming some else, have a good look at yourselves and then see if you can do anything to help those who are needy, sick, poor, etc., etc.
Next time you go to watch the new year eve fireworks, think of the cost and then think how that amount would help our failing hospital systems, cheap housing and so on.
I am a Vietnam Veteran, and as a part of the veteran community am appalled at thr way the government treats us, but I must accept there discision whether it is good or bad. Remember, you, as a voter, hold the key to who is in government.

It is good for me to see that among Liberal voters Costello is only slightly preferred to Malcolm Turnbull. I would seriously consider preferencing a Turnbull led Liberal party over a Beazley led ALP, IR reforms or no IR reforms.

Having said that I am now going to go into damage control to avoid losing the few friends I will now have remaining.

Wow boy! In the 60s! Get with the present. In the 60s social problems still existed, just less obvious and in smaller numbers. Free trade agreements and modern technologies have taken us into a time when supporting others has become a social issue for many reasons. Living and thinking in the present with an open and creative mind is what will change our future, not bleeding all over the past.

All the posted comments are certainly relevant to today's Australia in some shape or form but probably the one that strikes me the hardest was the lack of provision in the Budget to get our aboriginal peoples into the 21st century. In view of the latest outrages and although we have to agree that Clare Martin has a very hard job - we should all be ashamed of ourselves. Native law is not the answer nor is harsh Aussie law - re-education, caring, and stopping the unscrupulous liquor providers from operating is. Deep seated, ongoing improvement measures are urgently needed so that our friends and neighbours can hold up their heads - we are after all - ALL AUSTRALIANS!

I would like to speak up for pensioners who were totally overlooked in this budget. How can this government give tax cuts - in some cases more than $13,000 when pensioners exist on less than that. There is absolutely no recognition of the long term financial and social input that past generations have provided.

The curent Fedral Government is rotten to the core. (AWB) It is in the pockets of big business, this is obvious from the IR Legislation recently enacted. Foreign Policy has been handed to Bush, I thought that we were an independant country. Howard's current visit to the US makes me cringe. In the past we were accused of tugging the forelock to the Royals, now we can be seen as a bunch of brown nosers with the Americans. Shame on us.

I find the waste of taxpayers' funds abysmal - the blunders in defence spending alone would have rescued the health system. When it comes to accountability, no one seems to be able to identify the culprits who made the 'crook' decisions. We seem to have developed a culture of no one to blame for anything!!

I am a disabled person, runs a voluntary, psychosocial, rehab, recovery, group. set up by the mentally unwell people who are ( those with extremely difficult to treat illness), To give them the place to belong, and a place to learn new skills etc.
I sit on many committees, by request, for my expertise in life and the battling pensioners, who for no fault of their own, truly cannot work in the general paid work enviroment, the fast track etc.
I have 13 grandchildren, and 4 of my own children( all married).
I do my hard , but loved work to make a difference in some way, to enable a better future for my family.
Having a job to go to when they leave school. having braces on their teeth, having access to bulk billing doctors a good hospital, where they will have a bed when the need arises.
Dental work done etc.
I have waited 6 years for a dental visit, beurocracy and red tape says I have to stay with out teeth for another year or so, cos they have no time.
I facilitate meetings and workshops educating the community, get asked by the health service to sit on their committees etc, yet here I am , doing all this voluntary, and with no teeth.
Surely government, must allow all in Australia the same rights, to equally good health services and education.
Surely they must see that pushing aged and disabled to despair, re working, is going to also put young people and those already unemployed, in worse position.
We should have the right to work if we wish, as a disabled person, and or an aged or retired person, but not bullied and cohersed into doing something they cannot or don,t any longer wish to work.
Its putting so much pressure, I can assure you, suicide is and will continue to plague our families.
This Government, the wealthy, TAKE A LOOK , SEE Around you.SHARE your wealth, stop telling us all how much profit you made, each year, stop wanting to shout it out, its killing many people, pushing families over the edge, our people are living under the poverty line, homeless, cannot afford good health food at times, yet govt push to eat healthy , PEOPLE LOOK AROUND, open eyes, LISTEN.
People are crashing.
Depression, heart attacks, strokes, caused by STRESS.
Awareness raising, prevention, yes the TREND.
But ATTENTION TO, helping families in Australia to SURVIVE, let alone LIVE.
NOt even asking to live COMFORTABLY, JUST TO SURVIVE.and hopefully be able to smile without
bursting into tears, tears of despair, and opression.Frustration, at where our country and its academics are pushing us into.