Unions
Most unions have criticised the budget for attacking public health and education. Some have also condemned the promotion of individual agreements on campuses and anti-union funding.
Victorian Trades Hall secretary Leigh Hubbard blasted the budget, describing the government's priorities as, "using the nation's resources to go war at a moment's notice to defend US global economic interests and to help [the government's] corporate mates make even more money by avoiding tax."
National Tertiary Education Industry Union Victorian secretary Matthew McGowan described the proposal to force academic staff onto individual agreements as "bringing the waterfront to Australian universities", and vowed his union would resist.
Martin Kingham, the Victorian construction division secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, condemned the millions of dollars of funding allocated to pursuing unions. "They can spend all they like but we won't be buckling under to their big money and bodgie tactics", Kingham said.
The ABC
"Steady as she goes, dismantling the ABC", was Friends of the ABC spokesperson Terry Laidler's description of the federal government's budget allocation to the ABC for the next three years.
Laidler pointed out that 1996, the government cut the ABC's triennial funding by $66 million, which has never been replaced.
"In full knowledge there will be cuts to ABC programs if the ABC is forced to continue with insufficient funding, the government has refused to grant even a moderate increase", Laidlaw said. "The government has even failed to commit the funds required for the ABC to continue its increased regional production and programming."
Disabled Australians
"The sixth budget surplus, yet still 6000 people with disabilities are stuck in nursing homes, 8000 in residential institutions and 15,000 more urgently need accommodation and support services", said Disability Action chairperson Phillip Beddall.
While welcoming some "small changes", Beddall had other criticisms. "The bad news for young people is the hikes in higher education fees and an insidious, but significant small change to the Pensioner Education Supplement: People with disabilities who study will lose their $60 per fortnight during the long summer breaks."
From Green Left Weekly, May 21, 2003.
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