Well, it’s budget time for the biggest state in the Commonwealth. NSW is set to hand down its post-election budget and what do we get? Nothing more than the same — the classic fingerprints of the spin-and-rinse cycle in Governor Macquarie Tower.

So, Treasurer Michael Costa claims success by saying government expenses have blown out from their 06/07 estimate by only 0.4%. Well, I’m sorry Mr Costa, 0.4% can buy you a fair bit of tax reform, or better still, tax cuts — a whopping $200 million of it, actually.

And, suggesting the spinmeisters are out of their box, what is conveniently ignored is that according to the 2006/07 half-yearly budget review, projected government expenses for 06/07 were estimated to be up 6.7% on the previous year, with a large swag of this increase being attributable to the $181 million downpayment on the WorkChoices insulation legislation. 

That old warhorse PJK, insisted that listening to the old Beazley firm will do Rudd no good. Perhaps, that advice should extend to the new firm from NSW as well. Because being handcuffed to spin dusted with tax-and-spend economics isn’t going to help your new friend in Canberra, Kevin Rudd, one little bit.