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Tens of thousands March against Unnecessary Austerity Budget
by staff report via sal - ninemsn Saturday, May 17 2014, 11:13pm
international / prose / post

Aussies are acutely aware of the failed demonstrations in Europe over these exact issues but have learned that persistence pays -- the Oz nation must conduct a PLEBISCITE to REMOVE deceitful LIAR TONY ABBOTT and his cronies from office. Abbott has in the shortest space of time proven himself to be a scoundrel, LIAR and DECEIVER of the first order. Treasurer Joe Hockey throws $50,000 dinner functions but attempts to impose AUSTERITY on the nation. If Abbott does not call a double dissolution, then the people would EXERCISE THEIR DEMOCRATIC PREROGATIVE and CONDUCT A PLEBISCITE -- are you reading this, Mr. Bill Shorten? If you are not part of the solution you are part of the PLUTOCRAT SERVING PROBLEM!

Government revenue problem is solved with simple Oz 'fair go' principle; "Those that benefit most (Trillions of dollars) from the nation ( Banks, Transnationals and mega-corporations) should return most to the nation," REVENUE PROBLEM SOLVED!

Tens of thousands of people around the country are taking part in “March in May” to protest against the Abbott government’s budget.

Police estimate 8000 people turned up to demonstrate in Sydney alone with tens of thousands more taking part in Victoria and Queensland and reports of as many as 15,000 in Adelaide.

Sydney March organiser Loz Lawrey told the SMH he had expected the large numbers as the budget had created "a lot of disgruntled people".

"It's a bit like riding a tiger. You are never quite sure what direction it's going to take off with," Mr Lawrey said.

Thousands of people gathered in Sydney's Belmore Park from 1pm bearing anti-government signs and chanting slogans including “one term Tony”.

The budget was repeatedly cited as a source of anger and concern with accusations levelled at the government for “lying”.

“The Lying King,” one sign read with another proclaiming “Liar, Liar, speedos on fire”.

Organisers expressly forbade politicians from speaking at the event with offers by the Greens, Labor and the Socialist Party turned down.

Speakers who did address the event included Greenpeace Australia CEO David Ritter, journalist Antony Loewentstein and indigenous poet Ken Canning.

Like its predecessor the March in March protest the organisers made extensive use of social media to organise and publicise the event with #marchinmay and #bustthebudget beginning to trend on Twitter.

The protests come as state and territory leaders call for an urgent meeting with the Abbott government to discuss the controversial cuts.

The leaders were highly critical of the budget during their calls for a COAG meeting after emerging from their summit in Sydney on Sunday.

Only Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett missed the meeting to discuss $80 billion in health and education funding cuts in Tuesday's budget.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey have justified the cuts by saying hospitals and schools are a state and territory responsibility, and they should find their own sources of funding.

After the meeting, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman told reporters the cuts were "completely unacceptable".

"There needs to be an urgent meeting of COAG before the 1st of July this year because we need to, on behalf of Australians, sort this out," he said.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said the country's budget problem couldn't be outsourced to the states.

"We can't afford it. It's a pretty simple equation," he told reporters.

The impact had already begun to trickle through, affecting hundreds of hospital beds in NSW, he said.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said the cuts would hit ordinary Australian families - and the blows would start immediately.

"These are simply unaffordable and unsustainable from the states' point of view," he said.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill disputed suggestions from the prime minister that there was no funding emergency facing the states and that the cuts started at the end of the four-year forward estimates.

Mr Weatherill said South Australia would have to close 150 hospital beds at the beginning of July.

"What the commonwealth did in the budget the other day is that they decided to push something across the table to us. We're pushing it right back to them," he said.

"Start again. Meet with us."

Mr Newman said the states weren't going to let the Abbott government force them into a conversation about tax increases.

"I have a belief, and I think it's shared by the first ministers, that the federal government want us to talk about tax increases," he told reporters.

"Sorry, we're not going there."

Increases in GST and income tax were not the focus of discussions, he said.

With AAP

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