Instead of being viewed as an ageing 11-year-old-government,Kean and Premier Dominic Perrottet need to convince voters before next March that they are a new government. With that needs to come new ideas.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean in the budget lock up.Janie Barrett
Equally,NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has a big task in his budget reply on Thursday. Minns must outline a clear direction for the opposition and set the tone to convince voters that 2023 is the time for wholesale change.
Kean’s commitment to addressing women’s issues through significant reforms to childcare was overdue but bold.
Helpfully for Kean,the federal Labor government is prepared to overhaul subsidies for childcare,which will make care much more affordable for many families. That leaves the (cheaper) supply issue to Kean.
In perfect timing,Kean was able to distance himself from the government-ending failures of his federal Coalition counterparts with a suite of measures that demonstrated a real commitment to improving the lives of women.
Drawing on the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ review,which found one-third of people working in Commonwealth parliamentary offices experienced sexual harassment at work,the government will fund a taskforce to guide businesses on how to keep women safe in the workplace.
There was money for domestic violence services and street safety upgrades to make suburbs safer for women after dark. These are meaningful investments that will actually help women.
And in finally recognising the importance of early education,the Coalition’s decision to join with Victoria and deliver a universal pre-kindergarten year is significant,despite it still being many years away.
Interesting,however,was the drift away from the big building rhetoric the Coalition has usually turned to as its major selling point. Kean still insisted it was an “infrastructure government” on Tuesday but there were none of the usual boastings about big projects.
Instead,the budget confirmed a $6 billion blowout of the city and south-west metro. Funding was included for the second stage of the long-touted Parramatta light rail,but other megaprojects are on ice.
Kean insisted that “it is only a Coalition government that understands the value of taxpayers’ money and can deliver the strong economic and fiscal management needed for a strong and prosperous state.”
However,it did not stop the Coalition from embarking on a $27 billion cash splash and delivering a deficit of $11.3 billion,three times higher than forecast only six months ago.
This budget was a deliberate shift away from those delivered by Kean’s Coalition predecessors. It drew on the NSW government’s strengths but also sent a message that it was progressive and not going to make the mistakes of the Morrison government.
It was not a business as usual budget. If this was the Coalition’s last,it clearly wanted to go out with a bang.
Our Breaking News Alertwillnotify you of significant breaking news when it happens..