weekender the western
Printed on 100% recycled paper
FRI 16 MAY 2014 • Issue 1153
Time to have a Ball
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
Business Advice, tips and profiles on the best local businesses p.30-31
Budget cuts deep “Age of entitlement” over as Joe Hockey makes his mark CASSANDRA O’CONNOR
Mike Baird exclusive p.10
Man stabbed Police looking for answers at Colyton p.12
I
t will cost you an arm and a leg, should have been the warning from Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey, when he delivered his first Budget on Tuesday evening. That’s because the Federal Government has run a chainsaw through social welfare and health in order to bring the Budget back to surplus. But the Budget does have some highlights, at least for western Sydney, with local infrastructure to receive a major boost. Heralding the end of the “age of entitlement”, Mr Hockey said in his Budget speech that, “this Budget is not about self-interest, this Budget is about the national interest”. “We know that for some in the community this Budget will not be easy,” he said. 178,000 residents in Penrith are nodding their heads in agreement as they are about to be hit with a $7 fee every time they visit the doctor – roughly 6.8 times per year. Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebates will be reduced by $5 for standard doctor consultations and on top of that, GPs will be able to collect a patient contribution of $7 per visit from July 1, 2015. In the first year, conservative estimates show that co-payments will cost the Penrith community $8.495 million. “Health services have never been free to taxpayers so patients are being asked to make a modest contribution towards their cost,” Mr Hockey said.
Story continues on » p. 3
Joe Hockey has delivered his first Budget. Illustration: Paul Dorin
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Charity event to be held this weekend p.18
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