As I trawled through some 14?? separate documents that comprised the Appropriations Bill for 2021/2022 I asked myself late one night in my delirium what really is an ‘appropriation’?
A definition from the famous Dr Google says –
the action of taking something for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.
the artistic practice or technique of reworking images from well-known paintings, photographs, etc., in one’s own work.
a sum of money or total of assets devoted to a special purpose.
success in obtaining appropriations for projects
Well, if we take the first definition, we may all be in deep trouble as we should never be doing anything without your permission!! Though the reference to ‘the artistic practice or technique of reworking images’ could be translated to creative accounting? How I wish I could put a laughing emoji in here! However, let’s take number 2 for this purpose which if you look at the subsection of the definition is “success in obtaining appropriations for projects”, even if it incorporates large borrowings to do so.
To me a Budget, whether Federal, State or our own household, is taking what we earn, and spending this in the best way we can. To pay our bills, deliver good things for our family, resolve issues, and create the future we seek. Just like a household budget, we can’t have everything no matter how much we may want, and when borrowing, we need to ensure the capacity to repay, and that what we borrow for delivers multiple ongoing benefits through appreciation, whether as an asset, or initiative. So how do we as MP’s deal with Budget time?
Source the overall position from those stacks of papers, then trawl through line items with the grinding of teeth and bleary eyes. This to find whether what your community needs and seeks is within, or what avenues are available through funding ‘pools’ to get the job done. Not easy, as the broader outlook needs to be considered in the ‘our’ moment’ and as heard at a pre-budget meeting, including from economists, needs to be made a lot simpler.
We had 3 highly experienced and knowledgeable panelists who covered multiple items, and the one that resonated was from former MP and Minister for Finance, Rachel Nolan. Her message was simple. That MP’s and all Queenslanders should be provided with government financials and budgets in a clear way that leaves nothing to misinterpretation or mistrust, including what the debt is for, and how will it be repaid.
In addition, for MPs during our induction, that education and training be provided in analyzing a budget and its ramifications in the now and into the future.
I did say in my Budget speech the ‘devil is in the detail’, and we as MPs, and communities, need to understand what the devil may look like as it can be shiny wrapping covering an empty box?
However, on the surface, this State Budget has something for everyone with goodies in those boxes, including for Noosa, and I have posted a summary to www.sandybolton.com/noosa360 accessed by typing into the search bar ‘budget’. Through the Estimates process we will see what is beyond that shiny wrapper! Until next time, enjoy this beautiful winter and your own budgeting?
