I'm getting sick and tired of seeing people write about fiscal policy, tax, government spending and the Budget without any appreciation of the facts.
"Labor addicted to tax; feeble fiscal policy; painful side-effects of the fiscal stimulus".
Has anybody who has uttered or written these words bothered to do a cross-check on the historical data?
So to one and all, here it is. It's no secret. Print off this link, read the tables. If you need help to interpret the numbers, give me a call and I'll gladly help.
http://www.budget.gov.au/2011-12/content/myefo/html/13_appendix_d-01.htm
Focus mainly on Tables D1, D2 and D4 and you'll never make a silly error again about the biggest taxing government or which side delivers spending cuts or whatever.
"Labor addicted to tax; feeble fiscal policy; painful side-effects of the fiscal stimulus".
Has anybody who has uttered or written these words bothered to do a cross-check on the historical data?
So to one and all, here it is. It's no secret. Print off this link, read the tables. If you need help to interpret the numbers, give me a call and I'll gladly help.
Focus mainly on Tables D1, D2 and D4 and you'll never make a silly error again about the biggest taxing government or which side delivers spending cuts or whatever.
Here you have an example, courtesy of John Quiggin, who already commented on it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.afr.com/p/opinion/give_austerity_chance_6samDqB1QvlwmVz7iIoDAI
Note that we have two authors (one of them a Senior Research Fellow, no less) who produce an opinion piece without citing a single figure and it is entirely based on a work by Alesina and Ardagna.
I would have thought that an undergraduate (indeed a year 12 student) could do equally well.
Have fun.
Imagine what the surplus would be like if they didnt have all tht interest to pay.
DeleteHmmmm no wonder Swan is pushing for a surplus because a lot of people will think that it means the country has no debt.
Hopefully the coalition will remind them otherwise