Need for balance, can’t do everything, resistance to paying more tax…the excuses for budget shortfalls against community expectations are increasing in the lead-up to the May budget release by the federal government.
This situation gets worse each year as the distrusted political class attempt to persuade a cynical electorate that they, and only they, can manage the complexity of our country’s budget.
There is a ready solution to help end this annual political agony – ask the public to help sort through the trade-offs in a transparent deliberative forum. After all, they consume the services and pay the bills!