Federal Budget tonight....

**Olive** · May 13th, 2014, 10:09 AM

Yay.... can't wait to see the result

What are peoples feeling about this?

**Lenny** · May 13th, 2014, 10:45 AM

Hoping they don't cut their 5 hours funding for 4 yo kinder. That would be bad for all children. Considering the funding that some countries give pre school education (40 hours in some countries, 20 even in NZ).

**Cass72** · May 13th, 2014, 10:48 AM

This is the first time that I'm actually going to be glued to my seat waiting for the outcome of the budget. There are so many "possibles" that will have a directly adverse affect on my family. Mr Hockey said this morning that if people are looking at what they are getting out of the budget as an individual then they would be disappointed. He wants us to look at the bigger picture.

Well, Mr Hockey, sorry to say but my family is already on a tight budget and I'm not looking forward to tightening it anymore.

**SammyRo** · May 13th, 2014, 01:04 PM

As a parent of a child with a disability, I really don't want them to change the rollout of the NDIS. That is my main concern. Therapy is pricey, and when you are talking 2-3 therapy sessions a week, the NDIS is something we really need.

**AnyDream** · May 13th, 2014, 08:23 PM

Utter dread. So vehemently opposed to the ideology that is driving this whole process. I fear good things will be dismantled in permanent ways and the nation will be poorer as a result.

**Liviam** · May 13th, 2014, 08:31 PM

For the first time I am actually really nervous what is going to happen in this budget.

**Olive** · May 13th, 2014, 08:43 PM

For the first time I am actually really nervous what is going to happen in this budget.

Me too

**AnyDream** · May 13th, 2014, 09:03 PM

Plus our family sits in a place where we will be taking hits from many different directions (uni fees, HECS/HELP, FTB, petrol, GP fees, medication & pathology & scan copayments on top of our already huger than normal medical expenses) and that's without looking at the bigger systemic changes that will make life harder for our children when they are setting out in life.

**Amaunet** · May 13th, 2014, 09:12 PM

We will be affected by the universal things such as the GP payment and petrol prices etc. We have never been entitled to FTB or any other payments except the Child Care Rebate so no changes for us. I was very worried they would means test the CCR and we would lose that. Thank goodness they didn't!

**leckert** · May 13th, 2014, 09:18 PM

does anyone know of a simple, plain english version of what's happening? I saw part of the official budget via twitter but struggled to make sense of it. I wasn't looking forward to much of it being positive, particularly for education (and looking at getting a permanent teaching job)

ETA - does it still have to go through the senate? and take effect from July 1? or am I totally forgetting something - TV's been stuck on ABC4kids for too long and my brain's going (if it's not that it's a sports channel for DH or cooking channels for the boys after ABC4kids finishes for the day)

**wysiwyg** · May 13th, 2014, 09:21 PM

Google - "Infographic: Federal Budget at a glance - The Conversation" (is high level but at least is a starting point)

**leckert** · May 13th, 2014, 09:35 PM

thanks wysiwyg that helps as a starter. Now to find the time to actually read the paper at school tomorrow (being trying to do that for the past 2 weeks and succeeding once in that time - too much to do)

**2CheekyMonkeys** · May 14th, 2014, 06:14 AM

Hmmmm... I kind of understand the idea of reducing debt but sheesh people still have to live. I'm not impressed with the gp co payment. I don't think they realise how much $7 actually means to some people!

**leckert** · May 14th, 2014, 06:17 AM

Hmmmm... I kind of understand the idea of reducing debt but sheesh people still have to live. I'm not impressed with the gp co payment. I don't think they realise how much $7 actually means to some people!

Agree on that, particularly if you get a bad run like we did last year with ds2 about 5 visits in 7 weeks for ear infections

**Melbournemumma** · May 14th, 2014, 07:36 AM

It seems everyone but the pollies are sharing a burden of the debt.

**Floweryfields** · May 14th, 2014, 07:42 AM

Hmmmm... I kind of understand the idea of reducing debt but sheesh people still have to live. I'm not impressed with the gp co payment. I don't think they realise how much $7 actually means to some people!

I'm confused, are there still GPs who bulk bill? I've had to pay $70 every time I go to the GP for a long time - I wish it was only $7! Unless you hold a HCC or other concession card you pay $70 and claim back your medicare rebate - so it still ends up costing $35 or more.

**wysiwyg** · May 14th, 2014, 07:55 AM

To me it didn't matter what they did, the rational behind it is not sound - so was never going to be happy.

I think the changes regarding the young unemployed are particularly concerning - and where do they get this age of 30 from? What is that based on?

Family Tax Benefit - apart from the reduction in the threshold for part B to 100,000 and limiting it to families with children under 6 - are there any other changes to FTB apart from the fact it will be frozen for 2 years?

I am reading alot about the movement of health and education back to the states - I really am a bit clueless on what this means, the whole state vs federal situation confuses me anyway (apart from having to learn who looks after what on the citizenship test - I have very little knowledge in these areas).

**wysiwyg** · May 14th, 2014, 08:00 AM

Also I think alot of the media focus on broken promises - misses the point a bit. Really we should want a government to do what is right for the time irrelevant of what they have promised in the past (I don't think this government has done the right thing).