Plumbers unimpressed by election pitch The Australian 2004

John Stapleton

AS debate raged in parliament over who would and would not benefit from the Budget; the plumbers being held up as the archetype of the working Joe were largely unimpressed.

There is the full range of political views at Mr Drains, from die-hard Howard supporters to die-hard Latham supporters. Most of the 14 staff at the small but thriving plumbing business in Sydney's north are united in one thing however: the Budget is a yawn, doesn't benefit them personally and isn't going to change their vote.

The only exception is a young father with three young children. He thinks the extra cash payments - $600 times three in his case - will be very handy indeed.

Plumbers were high on the political agenda yesterday when Shadow Treasurer Simon Crean tried to embarrass Peter Costello in question time over who would benefit from the Budget. Crean cited the example of a plumber on $800 a week who got no tax cuts this year, while a high income earner like Costello would. Why should the plumber pay for Costello's tax cuts, Crean wanted to know.

Mr Drains himself, otherwise known as Bill Miller, 37, says the Budget doesn't much benefit the eight full-time plumbers he employs.

Most plumbers, he said, earns around $52,000 a year. The fact that they will benefit in coming years from the shift in the 42% tax bracket to $63,000 a year was not playing large on their minds.

``Your average plumber is not going to be helped with this new Budget,'' Mr Miller says. ``There's not a lot of interest in the Budget because it doesn't do a lot for them. It has not been greeted with enthusiasm.

``If they were about to have a baby, which they're not, they might get excited. That would be the only area.''

And while Mr Drains, who has two young children, says he is a staunch Howard supporter, the budget doesn't help his family. ``If I had twins every year I could possibly be better off,'' he said.

Also working at Mr Drains, Warwick Gartrell, 48, who is on $50,000, says the budget doesn't help him at all. His wife works part time and they have two children, including a teenager, still at home. He says he has not voted for Howard ``for a while'' and nothing in the Budget has changed his mind.

``We are over the threshold for the family allowances on a joint income basis because we both work, but because our incomes are below the average we don't come anywhere close to getting a tax cut,'' he says. ``What I find amazing is the budget doesn't help Joe average.

``The majority of the workforce that earns from 35 to 50,000 a year get no help whatsoever. They have been totally ignored.

``I do not feel better off after eight years of Howard. I feel worse off. With the GST, every year we pay more. We pay more on our gas electricity and telephone. We pay more at the supermarket. It's a tougher and more transient work force.''

The most ardent supporter of the Budget at Mr Drains is plumber Daniel Moran, 29, who has three children under four.

``It is quite good for me with the payments for the children and the tax breaks,'' he said. ``We are eligible for Tax Benefit A, and will therefore receive $1800 cash for the kids.

``I think we will also get some tax breaks. I don't think the budget is too bad. I vote Liberal anyway, and after this I'll stay with Johnnie Howard.''