An important issue, possibly the most important issue facing Australia, has fallen from its deserved level of attention in recent months.
A series of major political and international events, from the ascension of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to the horrific terrorist slaughter in Paris and that city's subsequent hosting of climate change talks, has drawn attention away from Australia's lamentable budget situation. 
Unfortunately, that situation has become even worse in recent times. And today may come news that our budget is set for another massive hit.
Australia's midyear economic and fiscal outlook is expected to be darkened by news China's economic downturn and Australia's poor wage growth have combined to erase up to $40 billion from our national budget over the coming four years.
Considering the state of our budget even before these latest factors are included, and you can see why it is once again a matter of urgency for the government to focus intensely on budgetary matters.
This is not a matter of explaining the issue, as Prime Minister Turnbull is fond of saying, nor is it something that can be immediately solved by the Prime Minister's fondness for innovation. Rather, taking steps to repair the budget is a matter of cold, hard decision-making.
Spending must be cut. Politically, this will be difficult as the government enters an election year. But morally, ethically and logically, the government has no choice. Every moment cuts are delayed only increases our debt and deficit problems.
Those problems, of course, stand to be inherited by people presently too young to be employed or paying tax, but unless steps are taken now it will fall to future generations to make up for Australia's financial failures. It is the opposite of Christmas. We are building a gift of massive debt for our children.
Independent analysis is bleak. "The problem is you don't want to lose confidence around the economy but the task of budget repair is getting bigger," chief forecaster at Deloitte Access Economics Chris Richardson told The Daily Telegraph. "It is horrendous."Treasurer Scott Morrison has some tough calls to make - tough, but unavoidable.