Andrei.Hicks wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 2:26pm:





It WASN'T a "criticism"

Simon Overland.

I forgot about that waste of space.

If you had to sum up in two words the ineptitude of the Brumby and Bracks years I would say

"Victoria Police"

Corrupt, thuggish and inept.

buzzanddidj wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 2:35pm:

Ted's tough love budget


Middle-class families were the big losers in the Baillieu Government's first Budget.

The Coalition has slashed spending on the School Start Bonus for 100,000 families and delayed financing to begin building a $250 million Monash Children's Hospital.

Every Victorian will still be saddled with a debt of almost $7000: the total public service debt is expected to hit $38.6 billion in the next four years.

Treasurer Kim Wells admitted that yesterday's Budget was all about financing the Coalition's $5.1 billion in election promises - including 1640 more police, 800 extra hospital beds, security staff for train stations, and stamp duty cuts.

The Coalition's first budget received a mixed response from Victoria's leading interest groups, who congratulated the Government on fufilling their election promises but warned the budget is short-sighted.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen welcomed funding for the Public Transport Development Authority but was disappointed at the lack of upgrades of tram and bus users.

Australian Medical Association Victoria president Dr Harry Hemley commended the Government for honouring many of their election commitments but said key areas of the healthy system required further investment.

Municipal Association of Victoria president Cr Bill McArthur said he was pleased with the funding for community infrastructure, with significant investment in roads, bridges, street lights and other local facilities.

One of the biggest blows is the lack of cash for a new children's hospital.

After initially promising $60 million to start work on a Monash Children's Hospital during its first term, the Coalition yesterday allocated only $8.5 million over the next four years to begin preliminary work on a 230-bed centre at Clayton.

During the election campaign, the Coalition pledged to match Labor's promise to build the hospital.

Former premier John Brumby promised that work on the hospital, to serve more than 27,000 children, would start next year and be complete within two years.

The wait for a new hospital will now be at least five or six years.

Teagan Wilkins, whose one-year-old son Levi is battling a rare brain tumour, said the lack of money for the hospital was a major disappointment.

"The hospital needs to be done sooner," she said.

"It is just so hard to travel in and out from the Royal Children's Hospital.

"I don't know how many times we've been in there and had to wait hours for a bed because they are inundated with sick children."

The Coalition has also attacked middle-class welfare, stripping almost 100,000 families of the one-off payment of $300 available to all students starting grade prep and year 7.

Mr Wells admitted it would be "painful" that from next year the Schools Start Bonus would be available only to families on pensions or healthcare cards, or to foster parents.

The measure cuts the number of eligible families from 135,000 to 39,000 and the bill from $39 million to $14.6 million. (So there is $24.4million of your cuts to education right there Buzz)
The Budget also includes:

$400 million to halve stamp duty by 2014 for first home buyers.

AN extra 1600 police and 100 more transit safety police.

NO new major projects.

My Notes
Shame about the delays in the new childrens hospital, however I at least can understand, you cant give everyone everything.
From a personal note I know first hand how brillant they are at the RCH, and every state and country would kill to have such a brillant facility that they have.

Not sure about the benefits of bringing forward the PSO's 12 month ahead of schedule when that money could have been allocated to the above project to kick it off sooner.  Wonder if they are hoping for a Feds kick in to make that happen?

The new cancer centre for Albury NSW will also have massive benefits for the Victorian health system as anyone south of Wagga needs to head to Melbourne for care.

I have made my views on speed cameras and Australian driving limits clear enough many times.

I see no need in repeating them.

buzzanddidj wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 2:58pm:


So you dont see it as a rude jesture on your behalf to fellow posters who dont see the need to color in and highlight unless wanting to make something specific stand out?

All it does Buzz is make the pages stretch out and you think your own words require more emphasis than anyone elses.

Arrogant much?

Think of the company you keep when doing such things, Woody (One sided nutjob with an Abbott fetish) and Deadhorse (living proof we need to do more for the mentally challanged in society).

Verge wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 2:56pm:







Melissa Jenkins
May 3, 2011



The first budget of Premier Ted Baillieu's administration has largely delivered on its election commitments, including stamp duty relief for first-home buyers and funding for armed guards on train stations.

A plan for guards in hospitals, however, has been scrapped, but Treasurer Kim Wells gave his strongest indication yet the troubled "myki" public transport ticketing system will stay.




http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/9305879/vic-govt-debt-to-rise-to-2...

buzzanddidj wrote on May 4^th, 2011 at 3:07pm:


Still its only 5% of GDP, hardly horrific stuff is it.