TREASURER Joe Hockey has called on all Australians to contribute and build the nation, but it seems to Wagga mum Jenny Stephens that families are being asked to do much of the heavy lifting.
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Mrs Stephens and her husband Ray are the parents of eight children, with a ninth expected any day.
What struck Mrs Stephens from Tuesday's budget speech were the $7 co-payment for previously bulk-billed patients to see a general practitioner, a hike in the cost of medicines, cutbacks in family tax benefits and the reintroduction of indexation on the fuel excise.
All these initiatives will slug the individual budgets of most families.
"They are just little things, but they all add up," Mrs Stephens said.
"It (the Budget) is certainly not family friendly in any way, shape or form.
"It just means families will have to tighten the belt even more.
"The Budget might look good in numbers, but it is not really looking after families."
