When surprises lie in wait, no excuses please

Tim Colebatch Save the budget or save the economy? That may be the conundrum that tests the Coalition's mettle.

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Treasurer's faith in theory is touching

Tim Colebatch Why can't we believe the budget forecasts? Why were they so wrong over the past decade? Does Wayne Swan decide the forecasts, as the Liberals imply, or does Treasury?

The forecasts don't lie - but that doesn't mean you can trust them

Tim Colebatch Why can't we believe the budget forecasts? Why were they so wrong over the past decade? Does Wayne Swan decide the forecasts, as the Liberals want us to think, or does Treasury?

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Politics of transport delivers only gridlock

Tim Colebatch Only a diverse, timely and merit-based set of transport solutions can meet the needs of fast-growing cities.

Boost for the unemployed

Tim Colebatch About 150,000 tipped to benefit when budget increases amount they can earn without losing benefits.

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The 70 mega rich who don't pay tax

Tim Colebatch If you earn enough money, paying tax can be optional. Tax Office data reveals that 70 Australians with incomes of more than $1 million each in 2010-11 paid no income tax.

'Tough decisions' needed before ageing sinks budget

Tim Colebatch Healthcare, pensions and aged-care services will eat up almost half of all federal and state government spending by 2050 without reforms to create a more sustainable system, a report for the Business...

One certainty: NDIS is no waste of money

Tim Colebatch Increase in the Medicare levy will make us pay more tax. Is there a better way to foot the bill?

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10 ways to fill the budget hole in order of plausibility

Tim Colebatch How to fill a budget hole

Cutting tax breaks risks voters' wrath

Tim Colebatch Mr Treasurer, you want to fill a $12 billion a year shortfall in your revenue? It's simple.

Mr Swan, it's simple to save $12b

Tim Colebatch Mr Treasurer, you want to fill a $12 billion a year shortfall in your revenue? It's simple. You could save twice that by scrapping tax breaks on super - to give you enough to fund the deficit, Gonski...

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Tim Colebatch

Before we tackle the budget, let's clarify a few points

Tim Colebatch Distorted media analysis obscures the ways to confront a budget deficit. Some of our media brethren are convinced the deficit is all due to excessive spending by the Labor government.

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Cheap as chips - unless government has hand in it

Tim Colebatch Taxes and government-regulated charges have played a key part in pushing up inflation.

Inflation at mercy of taxes and charges

Tim Colebatch Taxes and government-regulated charges have played a key part in pushing up inflation over the past decade, indirectly increasing interest rates and making Australia less competitive, a Fairfax Media...

Rethink as GST slumps

Josh Gordon and Tim Colebatch The GST is not the growth tax it once was. State government finances are in trouble as consumers pare back discretionary spending or increasingly buy goods online from overseas websites.

Farewell to good times, something's gotta give

Tim Colebatch Thank you, Joe. Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey scored a vital win for fiscal sanity last week when he finally persuaded Tony Abbott that the Coalition should drop its pledge to have the budget in...

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PM to go one-on-one with premiers for schools deal

Mark Kenny and Tim Colebatch Julia Gillard's massive $14.5 billion school funding package has been rebuffed by all states and territories forcing the self-styled ''education'' Prime Minister to go to plan B: protracted...

Worrying economic signs

Tim Colebatch The Coalition's back-down on budget surplus promises, mining pressures and falling company tax revenues are further signs the economy is under increasing risk of recession.

Coalition backs down on budget

Peter Martin, Tim Colebatch The Coalition has abandoned its plan to quickly return the budget to surplus.

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