Instead of building much needed public infrastructure, developing green spaces in working-class areas and rapidly transitioning to renewables, politicians are handing over precious water resources and continue burning fossil fuels to enable the profits of giant tech corporations.
The screaming about “tax grabs”, “death taxes”, “class war” and “communism” from the sorry brigade of start-up shysters, investors, small businesses, big capitalists, right-wing journos and politicians is an absolute festival of reaction.
The government’s talk of fairness and tackling inequality is empty noise. Yet in some ways, the budget is ambitious: it is characterised by an ambition to keep Australian capitalism’s winners rich and its losers poor.
Despite the broad-brush painting of increasing prosperity, the Australian working class has been ripped off, while a greater share of the tremendous wealth generated in the domestic economy has been distributed to those at the top.
If someone took $20,000 from you, you’d probably want it back. And if you and every single one of your workmates had that kind of money taken out of your pay packets it’s pretty likely you’d expect your union to try to organise to win it back.
