If a yokel like myself could figure this one a day before it hit the press, it's a worry.  I've become suspicious that governments might be spinning the economy collapse to their advantage, and I have only one example to present as possible evidence. 

Our South Australian Treasurer reckons that our economy is out of whack by two billion dollars, and has gravely gone to the press to tell them that infrastructure projects might be delayed.  The trouble is that the reporter of that information posted a piece at the start of the month suggesting which projects would be applicable to getting a slice of the Federal  twenty billion dollar infrastructure progam.  On March 3rd Kthe Advertiser suggested that the cost of those projects was around two billion dollars.

 After Treasurer Foley's announcement yesterday, planted on ABC Local radio in the morning and moved through the media over the day, our Premier and our Infrastructure Minister trotted themselves out on the telly overnight to suggest the possibly that abandoned projects might be saved by Federal funds.

The closing date for the infrastructure funds was the day before this hopeful announcement of salvation.

If a State government is prepared to media-manipulate a foregone conclusion in the wake of the global financial cataclsym, it might be reasonable to suggest that other governments  across the world are milking spin (or is that spinning milk?) to maximise their political advantage.

Some people care, some people pretend to care.  It's important to spot the difference.

Two billion lost, two billion found, without the use of much rocket science.  It's hard to doubt there will be more.   Any suspicions will be gratetfully received.

Epilogue: As I was writing the above, what's below was being published online:

[AdelaideNow extract] [1]

Mr Foley has said that only the desalination plant, the Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital and the super schools were not under threat as part of his plan to cover a $280 million black hole in the Budget brought about by the world crisis.

SA outlined a $2 billion transport infrastructure spend in the June Budget which included extending the tram line to the Entertainment Centre, electrification of the metropolitan rail network and a new tram line to Port Adelaide and Semaphore

Disclosure:  Acrross the road from the abovementioned Entertainment Centre  beside the juncture of what's intended to be the first tram/train line in Australia, you'll find my family's pub.