Budget 2014: Three Word Budget Protest Starts on Twitter

People turned to the social media Twitter to express their thoughts in form of protest after Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey delivered the first budget under the government of Prime Minister Tony Abbot on Tuesday night.

Competing with the unpopular budget 2014 tweets is a hashtag #threewordbudget which goes trending in Australia with as it amassed 25,862 tweets within just one day. Netizens uploaded various pictures and accompanied by three words expressing their thoughts on the cuts in the Abbot government.

Largely affected by the budget cuts are public servants, prospective university students and graduates, unemployed, sick, disabled, motorists, solo parents and families, pensioners, and senior citizens. To this, one Twitter user Lord Finnigan posted a few sets of three word tweets: "don't get sick, don't be old, don't be young, don't be unemployed, don't be students, don't have families, and don't have cars."

Another user replied to his post "Just be rich" while another user kellyB posted a photo of Paris Hilton wearing a white sleeveless printed with "Stop Being Poor."

Some people turn to the social media in a satirical tone. One Twitter users Simone posted "Conchita for Treasurer" with a picture of the Eurovision runaway winner Conchita Wurst. Ben Hoad also posted "Don't Blame Me" with an accompanying photo of the Simpsons.

Another user Margo Kingston also tweeted "Who bought Joe" with an accompanying picture of Treasurer Joe Hockey captioned "Treasurer for Sale." Still another user Interrogatives tweeted a picture of the Australian treasurer with the words "Hockey Top 10" with a list of the user's interpretation on the budget night.

Some also of the reactions on the social media focused on food. One user named Kaydee posted: "Here's your dinner" with a picture of a special fried noodles. Another user Justine Davies posted a placard which states "Work for Food."

There are also serious reactions posted on the social media. One user Paul Pitchers posted "Levy, Co-Payment, Excise." One user Gemma Munro posted "really quite unnecessary" and Martin Hirst stated "pissed off much" as both refer to the graph with a caption "horror budget delivered."

Criticisms on the unpopular budget are also very common. One user referred the budget as "Spineless, Gutless, Heartless" and another user stated "thousands more homeless."

With more and more people joining the three word budget trend in Twitter, it remains to be seen whether the social media will create impact on Australia's politics.

Read the tweets below:

* dont get sick * dont be old * dont be young * dont be unemployed * dont be students * dont have families * dont have cars #threewordbudget
— Lord Finnigans 平大王 (@Thefinnigans) May 13, 2014

@Thefinnigans Just be rich. — Block Supply Bills (@geeksrulz) May 13, 2014

Uhm .... wow ... RT @KieraGorden: Paris Hilton presents the Coalition's #ThreeWordBudget! #AusPol pic.twitter.com/bV6Fs8GEwx
— kellyB (@Velixious) May 13, 2014

Gave me a good giggle "@TheNoongarMan: @HutchisonGeoff @720perth "MiGoreng, Yum Yum" #ThreeWordBudget pic.twitter.com/sztkpKp6HN" — Kaydee (@BorreliaBuster) May 14, 2014

Who bought Joe #threewordbudget pic.twitter.com/sLXZ1NLfUh
— Margo Kingston (@margokingston1) May 13, 2014

@HutchisonGeoff #ThreeWordBudget How about this? pic.twitter.com/TTGMUhvKNq — Justine Davies (@Justine_Davies_) May 14, 2014

Hockey Top Ten #threewordbudget pic.twitter.com/VDFiXW2i2R
— interrogativus (@interrogativus) May 13, 2014

Really quite unnecessary pic.twitter.com/FzHlFr4j7O HORROR BUDGET DELIVERED #ThreeWordBudget via @methusheilah — Gemma Munro (@gemmamunro1) May 13, 2014

Conchita For Treasurer #ThreeWordBudget pic.twitter.com/kdfbuSaTTP
— Simone (@StatesofNature) May 14, 2014

Don't blame me #threewordbudget #budget2014 pic.twitter.com/MgHEo2T6q7 — Ben Hoad (@benhoad) May 14, 2014

Really quite unnecessary pic.twitter.com/FzHlFr4j7O HORROR BUDGET DELIVERED #ThreeWordBudget via @methusheilah
— Gemma Munro (@gemmamunro1) May 13, 2014

Pissed off much? Kick Tony out RT @methusheilah: #ThreeWordBudget pic.twitter.com/hhwCs3i73N HORROR BUDGET DELIVERED — Martin Hirst (@ethicalmartini) May 13, 2014