Wintry Woes- Budget time!

This last week or so is the time of the annual State and Federal Government Budgets. So along with the change to a cold and wintry weather, we have the various governments fiscal woes.
Last night the Federal Opposition Coalition Leader Tony Abbott gave his rebuttal of the governments budget.
The Federal Labor Government has made a mess - promising a surplus and delivering a resounding deficit for the next ten years, or so the commentary goes.
Mr Abbott promises to keep all the Governments savings and slash Public sector Jobs, abolish the Carbon and Mining Profits Tax, but keep paying out compensation to the Electricity and other large companies hit by the Carbon Tax. Various other  "savings" will occur so we can have paid parental leave, a scheme somewhat more generous than the current one. Other cuts include low income offsets to superannuation, and a delay of increasing superannuation contributions, all of which hit low income earners more.

At the same time, reports that the CO2 levels in the atmosphere has reached 400ppm and indications from various sources that the Carbon Tax, Solar and Energy Efficiency measures are working to not only cut emissions but also saving $$ in normal home owners pockets.
The Business Spectator reports that SP Ausnet's figure show Home Energy Efficiency Regulations  in Victoria are helping to reduce household gas usage. A measure the Queensland Government recently scrapped.
So what do you want? $600 in savings from taxes to spend on whatever you want, who cares about carbon pollution? Or a Carbon Tax that hits you each year through electricity prices, while watching regulations, solar and other efficiencies measure save you a similar number of dollars in living costs?

The Carbon Tax is less invasive than the GST was, has had a smaller effect on the economy as a whole as the GST and is a tax on pollution. The big miners are saying Australia is uncompetitive (I'm not linking to her speech here!). The high Australian $$, caused by the mining boom, have certainly helped wreck the small business exporters.  And those on the lowest income levels certainly are uncompetitive, in earning a living!
Lucky country indeed!