Shareswatch Australia

Well after a few weeks of uncertainty following the federal election in Australia, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has managed to pull together a ragged alliance and hold onto power. Some people say that a minority government will be a refreshing change and can work well, but I believe that the coalition that Julia Gillard has put together will result in few tough decisions being made and could end up damaging the Australian economy.

Quite clearly the debate regarding the Resources Super Profits Tax (RSPT) in Australia and abroad has not died down. Despite what the Government would like people to believe, it is not just the foreign mining companies that are opposed to this new tax, but also small Australian mining companies, business owners and the public in general.

Now that the major stock markets around the world are falling the Australian media have become obsessed with the concept of a “two speed economy”. I am not sure who first started using this term, maybe it was the gurus at the Treasury or the Reserve Bank, but in my view there is no such thing as a two speed economy. The situation we have now is that the economy has simply been mismanaged.

I have not focused on the Australian political landscape for a few months but the recent tragic deaths of 4 people installing home insulation as part of the Rudd Governments spend-a-thon, has reminded me of the dangers of a government obsessed with poll numbers and popularity.

For some time I have been saying that the Government’s economic stimulus spending spree will be wasteful, poorly directed and do little to make Australia a more competitive economy.  If this is not bad enough the chances are the reckless spending by the Rudd Government may also stir inflation again and cause more problems for the Australian economy than the global financial crisis ever did.

I do enjoy watching the Olympics from time to time, but I cannot help but think of all the money and resources that are needed to host the games in the modern era and question if these should have been directed elsewhere.