Welcome to Dr Lincoln's blog

Welcome for visiting my blog. Hope you enjoy the visit and always welcome back again. Have a nice day!

2011-01-17

Gillard needs leadership and spontaneity

Comments on Niki Savva “PM could make up for her passionless performance”, 17/01/2011, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/commentary/pm-could-make-up-for-her-passionless-performance/story-e6frgd0x-1225988984426

Most of the post and analysis makes sense. However, the casual statements don't appear to be sound:

"It will be hard to quibble with a temporary increase in tax if necessary to help fund the massive rebuilding program.

She will have to do that, or something like it, to deliver on her pledge, repeated even after the magnitude of the devastation became obvious, to bring the budget back into surplus in 2012-13, and Abbott, given history, will be hard pressed to oppose it." Why should it be a tax increase, given that the government has consistently argued that the level of government debt is very low? Why can't the government increase a bit of deficits, or rein in more spending?

Why is it so important to keep the pledge of returning the budget to surplus by 2012-13 when the circumstances have changed dramatically and the fact that she has broken so many of her pledges before just in order to get into power and stay as PM? Isn't it part of her lack of emotions or lack of spontaneity and also strategy at key and critical times?

This sort of advice does not appear to be terribly helpful to a prime minister struggling to find her own feet on the ground.

Gillard could say that the government will assist Queensland people and people in any other states who have been affected by natural disasters, even if it means it has to increase deficits and borrowing and will not be able to return the budget to surplus as earlier stated.

That would be much more passionate and compassionate than acting according to scripts.

No comments:

Post a Comment