After all that pre-Budget heat in the national media over the last few weeks, a quick Google search this morning revealed a surprising level of what might be described as post-Budget apathy here on the NSW North Coast.
Two days after the Federal Treasurer’s 2013 Budget Speech the Nationals candidate standing for election in the Page fereal electorate in four months time, Kevin Hogan, had no post up on his Twitter account that even mentioned the budget. While his Facebook entry was barely more than a photo opportunity and a mention of a televised NBN interview. Hogan’s campaign website has one lonely post which merely responds to a pre-Budget Pacific Highway funding newspaper article and he had a brief highway funding quote in local media on 16 May.
Luke Hartsuyker, the National’s Federal Member for Cowper, had a single website post on Budget night and nothing else two days later. His Twitter account is still tweetless and the Facebook page carrying his name remains silent.
Curiously both men appear to have sent out almost identical media releases, which probably means that there was a Budget night Coalition cheat sheet for sitting MPs and candidates.
A point picked up by APN media the day after the Budget speech:
Similarly Janelle Saffin, Labor’s Federal Member for Page, was very low key post-Budget. With no media releases concerning the Budget posted on her personal web page by the morning of 16 May. Ms. Saffin’s Twitter account and Facebook page also had nothing to say on the subject. However, she was quoted in local media on 16 May concerning health and education measures contained in the 2013 Budget.
Labor's Richmond Federal MP Justine Elliot was quoted in The Northern Star as backing the Budget the day after its delivery, but appears to have had nothing to say on the subject on her Facebook site.
Matthew Fraser, the Nationals candidate standing in the Richmond electorate at the September federal election, was quoted by APN media the day after the Budget speech and was predictably staying on message allegedly big debt and broken promises. His campaign website has had nothing to say since 10 May. Fraser’s Facebook page links to that APN article and a campaign propaganda site, with one lonely post on alleged overspending.
By Wednesday 15 May 2013 ABC North Coast’s Facebook page could barely give ABC News a handful of budget quotes from local residents and the Clarence Valley Rate Payers, Residents & Business Owners had nary a mention of budget issues by Thursday morning.
Also on Thursday morning the Rural Doctors Association of Australia had what was essentially a generic response on budget changes to indexation of Medicare Benefits in a brief The Northern Star article and, in the same issue there was a mixed response to health, education, superannuation, housing and cash transfers by two members of the business and community sectors .
No local residents appear to have been so hot under the collar on Budget night that they fired off letters to editors in time for inclusion in Northern Rivers newspapers over the last two days and, the main online community newspapers haven’t caught up with the budget details yet.
Perhaps tonight’s Budget Reply Speech by Opposition leader Tony Abbott will draw more of a response from voters on the North Coast?
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