Rally-goers protest budget measures, including cuts to health, education and the ABC as well as changes to jobless benefits
More than 2,000 people have turned out in Sydney’s CBD to protest the federal government’s budget.
The protest – billed as Bust the Budget – began forming shortly after midday on Sunday at Sydney Town Hall.
Rally-goers, waving trade union flags and budget-protest placards, planned to converge on St Andrews square on George Street.
Greens leader Christine Milne told reporters on the scene the protest was borne out of frustration against planned federal cuts to health and welfare spending.
“[Tony Abbott] is making life harder for people,” Milne said.
“He’s making life a misery for people who are unemployed and searching for work.
The Greens leader said incoming senators need to listen to the community and block budget measures.
“You need to join with us in busting the budget,” she said.
“Tony Abbott is a crash or crash through prime minister. We have to make sure that in response to this budget we make sure he crashes.”
Several of the government’s budget measures, including the $7 GP visit co-payment, changes to jobless benefits, a higher pension age and deregulation of university fees have been criticised as unfair.
Milne said the Greens will not support the GP co-payment scheme.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has said the criticism has “drifted to the 1970s class warfare lines” and his budget was about equal opportunity, not equality of outcome.
“Our duty is to help Australians to get to the starting line, while accepting that some will run faster than others,” he said in June.
Unions NSW secretary said there had not been such continuous outrage against a budget in 30 years.
He urged incoming senators to vote the budget down.
Similar rallies took place in cities across the country on Sunday.
A three-metre Tony Abbott puppet stood over protesters at an anti-budget rally in Canberra, with the prime minister the focus of anger at cuts to health, education and the ABC.
A few hundred people converged on the lawns in front of Parliament House.
The larger-than-life prime minister, with smoke emitting from his trousers, was greeted by protesters chanting “One term Tony” and “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”.
“We may have to call the fire brigade to put his arse out,” one protester yelled.