Cut broadband project to pay for floods?

Cut broadband project to pay for floods.

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has raised the prospect of a one-off tax to help pay for the devastation wrought by severe flooding.
...
"There will be spending cutbacks and there may also be a levy," Ms Gillard told ABC on Thursday evening.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott attacked the levy idea as unnecessary.

"There's a right way and a wrong way to find that money," he said, adding that the government should cut back its own spending before taxing Australians, and scrap the controversial A$36bn broadband network plan.

I wonder how people here would view that possible trade off?

[I did wonder whether this should be in FC but felt it was relevant here]

traditionally things like natural disasters and wars are funded from reserves then over time the reserves are replenished. As the Aussie national broadband plan is "controversial" it makes an easy target I suppose, like renewal of Trident submarines here.

Closing libraries while funding broadband in the UK would be another example of this kind of thing.

Who would be a politician !