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The Headlines: A $10 Billion Chopping Block — Here’s What Labor’s Cutting

If I had a dollar for every Monday, I would have zero bucks and thousands of more Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards. However, we’re not here to talk about my financial weaknesses. We’re here to go through today’s biggest headlines. So let’s get cracking on:

What’s Labor Cutting From October’s Federal Budget? 

The Labor Government has announced that it’s making some big changes in its first 2022 federal budget. This party is pocketing $10 billion worth of savings. These savings were achieved by cutting a whack of the previous government’s plans and promises. 

These cut payments include:

  • $475 million for the Monash rail project in Melbourne 
  • $110 million to upgrade Wellington Road in Sydney
  • $50 million to upgrade Napoleon Road in Sydney
  • $260 million to remove the Glenferrie Road level crossing in Melbourne 
  • $7.5 million to create more car parks around Sydney’s Revesby area

The Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, didn’t mince words when claiming why these costs were cut. She argued that these projects by the previous government were unnecessary. 

“The former government used taxpayers’ money to cynically buy votes before elections by politicising grants funds and used the budget to land political deals with the Nationals in the Coalition Party Room,” she said.

“That approach to spending ends in Labor’s first budget.”

Our Country’s Promise to Reduce Methane Emissions by 30%

In more government news, Australia has joined other 122 countries in a pledge to reduce our national methane emissions by 30%. The aim is to achieve this goal within the next ten years. 

“By joining the pledge, Australia will join the rest of the world’s major agricultural commodity exporters, including the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia in identifying opportunities to reduce emissions in this hard-to-abate sector,” said the Federal Climate Change Minister, Chris Bowen.

To help achieve this goal, the government has put $8 million towards making seaweed products for livestock more accessible. This is because when animals such as cows consume seaweed instead of hay, it reduces the amount of methane in their farts. No, I’m not joshing. 

Moreover, the government will put a further $5 million towards supporting new technologies that might reduce our methane emissions. 

Related: We’re Going to Need Cows to Stop Farting

Related: Is The Weather in Australia Our New Normal?

There Was a Top-Notch Sheep Parade in Madrid

On October 23, a multitude of sheep took over the streets of the Spanish capital of Madrid. Fortunately, this was not due to an animal uprising where this herd gained a human-like lust for power. It was instead a part of an ancient tradition of these critters following the old herding paths that the shepherds used to take. 

“We vindicate the use of royal cattle tracks because they are the legacy of Spanish farmers. We have the right to walk through the vast network of tracks that link the north with the south, east, and west,” said one sheppard.

“But we also vindicate them not only for us, but as a green corridor to promote life in towns.”

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