The Kerrigan family from the movie The Castle. Picture: Working Dog Productions Source: Supplied
THEY are a model family and while they were victorious in one of Australia's most famous court battles, they have not triumphed in this Budget.
The Kerrigans, the valiant home front defenders in the movie The Castle are fictional, but the ALP believes they represent the plight of real families under the Government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
And it's not just the vibe.
For example, take the decision to index fuel excise which will push up petrol prices.
The Kerrigans own four cars — a Camira, a Cortina, a Commodore and a Torana.
Labor calculates that if each vehicle required a full petrol tank refill every two weeks they would be paying an extra $80 a year in fuel tax.
The family also has a boat, which it is presumed is run on unleaded petrol.
If the family visits Bonnie Doon once a month, using one-tank of petrol (on a 25 horsepower motor with a 50 gallon tank), the fuel tax increase will cost an additional $21 a year.
As Dale Kerrigan once said of his father Darryl: "If there's anything Dad loved more than serenity, it was a big two-stroke engine on full throttle."
And it can't be forgotten that patriarch Darryl owns a tow-truck business, which at the end of the movie had eight trucks. The extra costs for this small businessman might be considerable.
In The Castle the Kerrigans showed how ordinary Australians could stand up for their rights.
These heroes are: Heads of the family Darryl and Sal; their children Wayne (serving time for armed robbery) Steve and Tracey; Tracey's husband Con Petropelous: Steve's girlfriend Kerri.
Plus Con and Tracey have a boy aged about four or five, and Steve and Kerri have a baby boy.
Measuring their Budget response is a one-sided set of calculations overall. The Kerrigans are not asked if they are prepared to make sacrifices for the good of the nation's finances, as the Government insists is necessary.
They are not asked their thoughts on Labor's management of the Budget during six years in government.
Actor Michael Caton (L) as Darryl Kerrigan and actor Stephen Curry. Source: News Limited
It might be, as Darryl said in another context, "The Law of bloody common sense."
Or perhaps he'd say: "Tell 'em they're dreamin'."
While Dale digs holes, he and Steve are likely to be looking for jobs. So a six-month suspension of the Newstart Allowance would cost a total of $13,000 in the first year alone.
Tracey has already qualified as a hairdresser at Sunshine TAFE but if Dale or Steve wanted to start a course at TAFE or elsewhere they would lose the Education Entry Payment ($208 each), costing an additional ($416).
Labor calculates increased health costs would amount to $67.70 a year for Darryl, Dale, Steve, Wayne and Con. For Tracey, Sal and Kerri it would be $74.40.
And then there are family payments.
Should Tracey return to work part-time after the birth of her child. Tracey Kerrigan gives birth to a baby. Following the birth of her child, she and her husband would be eligible for Family Tax Benefit B. But when their child turns six, they would lose this benefit, worth $3018 a year.
But she would get much better maternity leave with another child.
And there is a list of Labor programs now disappearing, such as the Tools for Tradies which would have gained Dale $5500 had he studied a trade, and the $1020 First Home Saver Accounts which might have helped Steve and Kerri buy a castle of their own.
The Kerrigans are made of stout stuff and would probably live within their means, as the Government is promising to do itself, and they might be looking forward to income tax cuts, while Darryl might be relishing the prospect of a company tax reduction.
As Darryl might say: "Suffer in your jocks."
However, $15 million has been cut from the Legal Aid Commission, possibly harming the family's defence of their home should it again come under threat, and should Laurie be unable to work pro bono again.
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