29 May, 2009

International politics at rural expense

29th May 2009

Few could doubt that PM Rudd is now showing his true colours, along with Labor's traditional urban-centric contempt for regional Australians.

At a time of continued drought, the threat of cheap imports and reduced quarantine standards,coupled with an annual budget deficit of $60 billion, Mr.Rudd no longer makes any pretence of giving a damn about the needs of rural communities.

Labor has made no secret of it's desire to see Australia return to a seat (albeit temporarily) on the United Nations Security Council. For an internationalist organisation like Labor, it's a veritable "holy grail" to be seen playing with the big boys on the international stage.

With sleight of hand, Messrs Rudd and Swan have managed to rip $60 million out of the agricultural budget while at the same time boosting so called "foreign aid" to four African nations to the tune of $464 million, in what many media outlets have claimed is an attempt to shore up the support of African nations in the UN for an Australian return to the Security Council.

One can only suspect the motives and allegiances of this government. While Rudd continues to play international politics with Australian taxes, regional services continue to be neglected, health and education sectors struggle, pensioners continue to scrape by and the Murray continues to die.

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