Hi all, I’m trying to find YouTubers covering Australian politics and news. My issue is a lot seem too preoccupied with enraging one side or another of the political divide over fringe comments and the like.

For context I enjoy friendlyjordies’ content, but I feel like he rarely covers any short-fallings on the labour side and I’m only getting a limited POV.

I don’t care if the person leans to one side or another, I don’t care what their personal ideals are, so long as you believe they have informed, non cherry picked content.

Hoping some of you have favourites you’d like to shout out?

There is a strong possibility that neither Labor nor the Coalition will gain a full majority following the elections. If this happens, which alliance or coalition do you expect to form the government?

Note: this is not asking which government you would prefer, only what you think is more likely.

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I'm frankly tired

Of seeing labor and liberals finding someone

Then parachuting them into the seat,don't know the local issues,aren't part of the community.

I think it's one reason why a lot of MPs are not passionate about the job,they aren't a part of the community,they only there cause the party placed them there.

Thoughts?

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Article:

Economists say Labor has a realistic chance of posting a shock third budget surplus as soaring tax revenue delivers Treasurer Jim Chalmers a $14.5 billion windfall that could allow the government to promote its economic credentials or spend more cash during the election campaign. Booming income tax from a strong jobs market and a weak Australian dollar that is turbocharging company taxes on US dollar-priced commodity exports have halved the budget deficit, according to Department of Finance figures. The deficit in the five months to November 30 was $14 billion, versus an expected deficit of $28.5 billion to that point in the year.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the pre-election campaign in Queensland this week. Nine News Budgets typically start the early months of the fiscal year in deficit and move towards surplus as more tax revenue flows through in later months approaching the June 30 financial year-end. Former Treasury economists say the full-year deficit is on track to be much smaller than the $26.9 billion deficit estimated in the December budget update, with a surplus a realistic possibility based on the current trajectory. The surprise turnaround will provide an opportunity for Dr Chalmers to trumpet Labor’s financial management as the party approaches an election due by May 17 and could give it more flexibility to spend on new promises to woo voters. Canberra-based Outlook Economics director Peter Downes said the budget was heading for another windfall and a surplus was within reach in 2024-25 if the current economic trends persisted for the next six months.

Advertisement “If the unemployment rate has a 3 in front of it, the iron ore price is still around $US100 a tonne and the exchange rate is still around US62¢, then there will probably be a surplus,” Mr Downes told AFR Weekend. “That’s assuming they don’t go on an election spending binge, and the election promises will probably mainly be [after this financial year] for 2025-26 onwards.”

The Coalition and some economists have criticised Labor’s rise in spending, such as a $26 billion blowout in aged care, disability, medicines and childcare costs compared with its maiden budget, as The Australian Financial Review reported this week. But the unprecedented revenue windfalls from an extra 1 million workers paying income taxes and high commodity export prices have been even larger than the additional outlays. Total budget revenue is cumulatively more than $380 billion higher over five years compared with Treasury’s forecasts on the eve of the May 2022 election, economist Chris Richardson calculates. Much of the election spending, such as the $7.2 billion pledged by the prime minister for the Bruce Highway in Queensland this week, will be for future years over the longer term and will not affect this year’s budget outcome. Asked about the prospect of a stronger budget this year and the possibility of a third surplus, Dr Chalmers said on Friday that responsible budget and economic management had been a hallmark of the Albanese government’s first term. ‘Lot of volatility’ “We delivered back-to-back surpluses in our first two years and almost halved the deficit we inherited in our third,” he said. “The budget position is already $200 billion better than at the last election, debt’s down $177 billion and that means we’re paying less interest on it in the years ahead. “There’s a lot of volatility in the global economy playing out here but we haven’t seen anything that would materially change the estimates from a month ago.” A much smaller deficit or third surplus would boost Labor’s fiscal credentials in an election campaign, although the final budget result won’t be known until after the election and the June 30 year-end. The Coalition leads Labor on a two-party-preferred basis by 51 per cent to 49 per cent, which would put Labor into minority government, according to The Australian Financial Review/Freshwater Strategy poll in December. The Coalition leads Labor as the best party to manage the economy. In the five months ended November 30, taxes drawn from companies, individuals, superannuation and goods and services were all higher than anticipated in the May budget. Personal income tax payments are running $7.6 billion higher due to the unemployment rate being a low 3.9 per cent, boosted by strong female participation in the care economy. A strong sharemarket has pushed up superannuation taxes by $1.8 billion and company tax collections are tracking $400 million higher. GST collections, which are passed on to the states and territories, are $1.6 billion higher than expected. Total expenses in the first five months of the financial year were $3 billion lower than forecast, largely due to lower grants to the states. Westpac economist Pat Bustamante said the fiscal result to the end of November showed luck continued to shine on the budget. “Stronger than expected labour income and company profits have seen tax collections track ahead of expectations,” he said. “Going forward, the falling Australian dollar will boost Aussie-denominated profits for exporters, providing some further upside.” Labour shortages Mr Bustamante also noted that some payments, such as grants and subsidies for infrastructure projects, were lower than expected, perhaps as a result of labour shortages pushing out project milestones. “Should these dynamics continue, a third consecutive surplus is a possibility but will depend on how the government manages its finances over the remainder of the fiscal year,” he said. Mr Downes and Mr Bustamante, both former Treasury forecasters, were two of the first private sector economists to tip the budget to shift from deep deficits during the pandemic to a surprise surplus in 2022-23. The $22.1 billion surplus delivered by Labor was the first since Liberals John Howard and Peter Costello were in power 15 years earlier. Dr Chalmers delivered a second surplus of $15.8 billion in 2023-24. Weak Aussie dollar boosts budget The Department of Finance figures to the end of November were published on its website the day before Christmas, but the marked improvement has not previously been reported. The government’s separate mid-year budget published a week earlier on December 18 appears to have been overly conservative on revenue forecasts in the near term compared with the actual revenue inflows so far. Treasury’s forecasts will be updated in a scheduled March 25 budget, if an election hasn’t already been called by then, or in the official Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook to be published within 10 days of the election being called. The slump in the Australian dollar, which dipped below US62¢ on Friday, boosts national income and government tax revenue. The local currency is about 3.5 per cent lower on a trade-weighted index (TWI) basis than forecast by Treasury. A 5 per cent lower TWI boosts the federal budget by about $11 billion in a year. Major commodity exports, including iron ore, coal and gas, are priced in US dollars, delivering higher Australian dollar returns to miners such as BHP and Rio Tinto, and higher corporate tax payments. The higher national income also flows through to higher prices and a bigger revenue base for income tax and GST.