The Morrison Government’s pitch to voters at the upcoming election looks set to rely on one key idea: that this is not the time for change.
With war in Europe and growing security threats, this is not the time to veer off course or change the plan.
Especially given everything Australians have experienced in the past few years.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg ended his budget speech with stirring words about “sticking to the plan”, outlining what he described as a “vision for the future” — that will take us forward, without… changing the past.
“Australians have been tested,” he said, noting floods, bushfires and the pandemic.
It’s true that Australians have certainly been tested, particularly in terms of the leadership we may have expected to have seen at the helm of a crisis period.
But Australians have also seen firsthand the lack of any actual plans from the Morrison Government.
There were no plans for the vaccine rollout. No plans for a bushfire response. No plans for outlining an emissions reduction target — until the final days before the Glasgow climate summit in November last year. (Tonight we know the price tag on securing Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals’ support on that minimal commitment: $20 billion in promises on regional infrastructure.)
There had been no plans for women’s safety — not until the Morrison Government found it was without any other choice but to at least throw some money to help in ending violence against women and children.
On that note, the Coalition has unveiled $1.3 billion women’s safety package, highlighting support for more frontline services, emergency accommodation, alongside support for accessing legal and health service for women and children.
Indeed, Frydenberg spoke about the one in four women who’re subject to domestic violence in Australia, and the woman who is murdered by a current or former partner every 11 days — comments that make the clear lack of planning on women’s safety prior to the past 12 months ever more difficult to consider.
All up, there is a total $2.1 billion in extra measures announced as part of the “women’s economic statement”, including the $1.3 billion on domestic violence, as well as changes to the paid parental leave scheme and further women’s health announcements.
Once again, funding on childcare and paid parental leave have been positioned as a “women’s issue” rather than a family issue, with funding supplied in these areas wrapped into the $2.1 billion in spending.
There have been changes announced in paid parental leave, described as achieving more flexibility in the system, with single parents able to access the full 20 weeks a couple can share (up from previously being able to access 18 weeks). This announcement appears token and lacks ambition. Indeed, it could actually have unintended consequences of seeing less fathers taking any paid parental leave at all.
Still, Frydenberg described these paid parental leave changes as “a key solution”, when outlining the “more work to do” on women’s workforce participation.
The words “climate change” also appeared in the speech — yet not next to any real kind of plan or vision for the future.
Rather, this pesky issue was addressed with the curious and creative announcement of minimal investments in microgrids to support regional and communities that don’t otherwise have access to the grid, assisting them with small-scale renewable energy projects around solar and wind.
That’s it?
Addressing climate change, just like addressing women’s economic security don’t appear to be a huge part of the Morrison Government’s vision.
Rather, the vision is centred around more traditional forms of national security, where record investments have been announced in the navy, army and airforce.
There’s a plan for submarines, as we know. To be delivered at some point within the next couple of decades.
As for the short term? The government has gone for small-scale, immediate cash splurges. Enabling low and midde-income earners to access further tax offsets worth a few hundred dollars. The Treasurer announced cuts to the fuel excise, in play for six months. These cuts will benefit Australians who drive in the short term, but at a cost of 1 per cent of total GDP, it’s sparked concerns about inflation — an issue these same families will then have to contend with later on.
Frydenberg declared: “We look to the future, ambitious for our country and our children, optimistic about what we can achieve.”
And yet once again, the Morrison Government lacks any kind of vision beyond keeping itself in power.