Evening Times & False Luck

These were the evening times, when even I could catch a glimpse of things beyond the here and now. It was an old time operation, professional, with Fairfax billboards and demonstration an old fashioned protest. Bile and vile sentiment continue to circle outside the door, driven by money and conflict, chaos theory in full reign. Revenge. Not served cold. I was pleased one cycle was coming to an end.

Rudd looks shell shocked after the budget, washed by a tidal government blitz that has left him bleatingly cornered. But no matter how devious the twist, the election was coming, inexorably. These were remarkable events.

As if the answer was contained just out of reach. As if the glance in the street meant something. As if, when the stopped and looked back, everything could change, the walls of sad isolation broken, water, or was it love, flooding everywhere, excitement back in your step. Get a dog.

THE BIGGER STORY:

An election cometh:

TREASURER Peter Costello has accused Labor of giving tax cuts to foreigners in preference to Australian families.
Mr Costello was less than impressed with Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's alternative Budget pitch to the nation, which included extra funding for technical education, a plan to fix leaky pipes around the nation and money to encourage the study of Asian languages.
He accused the Labor leader of being short on vision and failing to do the hard work to grasp the economic detail.
"It had no really new initiatives, he had no economic plan," Mr Costello said after Mr Rudd delivered his Budget in reply speech last night.
"Economic management takes a lot of effort and a lot of work.
"Mr Rudd was caught out because he hasn't done the work and he hasn't done the thinking."
And he castigated Mr Rudd for outlining no tax cuts for Australian families - but giving them to non-residents.
Mr Rudd said Labor would halve the withholding tax on distributions from Australian managed funds to non-residents from 30 per cent to 15 per cent - costing $30 million a year.
"Apparently he would rather give tax relief to foreigners than to Australians," Mr Costello said.
"I think that's a misguided priority."