The Gillard Government

[DB008]

Over on Reddit, they are saying that Gillard did great in that interview and that she was 1000 times better than Abbott last week.

 

[Calliope]

Even her staunchest defenders think she is all piss and wind. This from the Age.

Tim Colebatch of The Age is scathing of this unfunded dreaming of Big Government

But after nine months of reading and discussing the [Gonski] report, all she gave us yesterday was support for its key principles, mixed with undeliverable aspirations, syrupy platitudes, and heavy-handed, even absurd plans for more federal bureaucratic intervention in schools, university courses and teacher hiring.

There was no plan on how to finance her suggested $6.5 billion a year increase in schools funding - at a time when state governments are broke, and Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson has warned that the overloaded federal government faces years of low tax revenues…

In nine months, there has been only minimal consultation with the states - which run our education system and, the PM seems to expect, will foot much of the bill, even though they have no way to pay it.

There was no detail on the two parts of Gonski’s funding formula…

Yesterday’s speech was not so much a policy as a stunt. A policy would spell out where the money is coming from.

(my bolds)

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

 

[Knobby22]

I like Tim Colebatch.
He always says it like it is and unfortunately that is how it is with the education policy.
Very unimpressive policy from our Prime Minister.
I don't know how she thinks it will win her votes, it will do just the opposite.

If we get rid of the Age, maybe Bolt will have to think for himself?

 

[Calliope]

Very unimpressive policy from our Prime Minister.
I don't know how she thinks it will win her votes, it will do just the opposite.

It's a squeeze play. All her extravagant initiatives; the education crusade, national disability insurance and the revised dental scheme are all very expensive and a long way down the track and will cost billions we do not have. But the beauty of these schemes from the Labor point of view is that they are all desirable motherhood schemes.

All Julia has to do now is to sit back and let the Coalition play the bad guys by threatening their introduction. These are the centre points of Labor's re-election strategy. The more Abbott complains the better Gillard looks.

 

[Knobby22]

It's a squeeze play. All her extravagant initiatives; the education crusade, national disability insurance and the revised dental scheme are all very expensive and a long way down the track and will cost billions we do not have. But the beauty of these schemes from the Labor point of view is that they are all desirable motherhood schemes.

All Julia has to do now is to sit back and let the Coalition play the bad guys by threatening their introduction. These are the centre points of Labor's re-election strategy. The more Abbott complains the better Gillard looks.

Maybe, I think it might cement her rusted-on voters (now that's mixing metaphors!) but swinging voters aren't going to convinced.

 

[Julia]

It's a squeeze play. All her extravagant initiatives; the education crusade, national disability insurance and the revised dental scheme are all very expensive and a long way down the track and will cost billions we do not have. But the beauty of these schemes from the Labor point of view is that they are all desirable motherhood schemes.

All Julia has to do now is to sit back and let the Coalition play the bad guys by threatening their introduction. These are the centre points of Labor's re-election strategy. The more Abbott complains the better Gillard looks.

Yes, that's exactly what I've been trying to say over a few days now.

This from Tim Colebatch's article;

In nine months, there has been only minimal consultation with the states - which run our education system and, the PM seems to expect, will foot much of the bill, even though they have no way to pay it.

possibly raises another tactic she's using, i.e. to pick a fight with the States. She knows they can't pay for any of these schemes, that's just the reality, but she will use their non-participation to accuse them of not caring about people with disabilities, about children's education, about the dental health of the nation.
Then this will be extrapolated to suggest that all Liberals, very much including the federal opposition, are uncaring bastards who will never look after the health and education of the nation.

I wonder if many will actually be sucked into this stuff? Hopefully most will see it for what it is.
For me, at least, it increases further my disgust at the manipulative, shallow person that is Ms Gillard

 

[sails]

Now it's an education "Crusade". An odd term for an atheist. I liked the way Leigh Sales took her apart on 7.30 tonight. She cut through all the bullshit and exposed Gillard for the fake that she is. I doubt that Gillard will be back. She looked very annoyed.

And yet not once did Sales suggest that Gillard is "loose with the truth" as she did to Abbott. I still think she was lighter on Gillard than on Abbott and yet Gillard is the one whose lies and unwanted decisions affect every Australian and is the one spending taxpayers like a drunken sailor (to quote Abbott).

Even so, it was good to see her make Gillard squirm even if it was just a bit.

 

[drsmith]

Economic dark clouds in the distance becoming more publically visible would be a worry for Labor,

http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/companyInfo.do?by=asxCode&asxCode=FMG

aAlthough Julia Gillard still maintains a brave face, as one would expect she would.

It adds more weight to the potential for an early election.

 

[Tink]

Agree with your post, Julia.
I was guilty of giving her the benefit of the doubt at the start, she knows her days are numbered.

 

[sails]

Agree with your post, Julia.
I was guilty of giving her the benefit of the doubt at the start, she knows her days are numbered.

Tink, you were more generous than me. After the way she knifed Rudd when vehemently giving him full support until the knife was in made me feel she could not be trusted. She certainly confirmed that when she blasted the airwaves in the days prior to the last election with her "no carbon tax' commitment and then told a journalist on the eve of the election she would view victory the next day as a mandate to price carbon. That showed she didn't mean a word of her promise, imo.

Still, I was hopeful she would be some improvement on Rudd, but it seems she took this country from the frying pan and into the fire.

 

[sptrawler]

Well it will be interesting now the miners are pulling down the shutters, Swan and Gillard will look like a right pair of dicks.
The massive intake of overseas workers, will now be saying "why me" when the mining companies want to down size.
Six months ago the government was saying we have a shortfall of workers in the region of 500,000.
Today Fortesque metals is talking about laying workers off.
This government is full of it.
$300billion of debt and not a job to show for it. LOL
The new clean energy future, can someone please post a link to a clean energy programme that is booming.LOL
How is that clean energy power station, in outback N.S.W going.LOL
I read today, Costello was saying an investigation into banks solvency, maybe should include super funds. That will have some, wad punching their undies.LOL

 

[MrBurns]

What a hopeless bunch of clowns really, they cant even get their own policy right

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-...ans-to-shut-down-dirty-power-stations/4243888

Govt scraps plans to shut down dirty power stations

by chief political correspondent Simon Cullen

Posted 5 minutes ago

Talks on closing down some of the country's highest polluting power stations have collapsed, with the Federal Government saying it could not reach an agreement on compensation.

The government has been negotiating contracts for closure with five power generators - three of which are in Victoria - as part of its carbon tax package.

But Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says the talks have failed to agree on the appropriate level of compensation, and the negotiations have been cancelled.

"There remains a material gap between the level of compensation generators have sought and what the Government is prepared to pay," Mr Ferguson has said in a statement.

The Government was hoping to close down 2,000 megawatts of carbon-intensive power generation by 2020, although it never disclosed how much money it was willing to put on the table.

The five generators that participated in the negotiations include: Alinta Energy in South Australia, HRL in Victoria, Hazelwood power station in Victoria, RATCH-Australia in Queensland, and the TRUenergy plant in Yallourn, Victoria.

 

[Calliope]

It is not surprising that Abbott and Gillard are running neck and neck in the popularity stakes. They are also competing in who can be the most irresponsible in reckless spending of public monies. A pox on both of them.

The government has pledged to fund the bulk of a schools package that could cost $6.5 billion a year. A new dental scheme has a $4bn price tag. Trials of a national disability insurance scheme are costing $1bn. If the NDIS is to be fully funded, it will cost $6.5bn a year on top of $7bn already spent on disability services.

The opposition has its own costly promises. The "direct action" climate change plan is costed at $3.2bn, but the Grattan Institute suggests it could cost $100bn to meet its targets. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has promised to find $6.5bn to fund the NDIS. His promised $60bn-$70bn savings target must be met while promising to cut taxes, including the mining and carbon taxes. The opposition will levy businesses to fund a $2.7bn parental leave scheme. When the opposition put forward its policies at the last election, Treasury found an $11bn hole. There is little to suggest voters should have any confidence in the government or the opposition to fund their policies within the fiscal parameters available to them over the forward estimates.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ade-to-win-votes/story-e6frg71x-1226465045753

 

[DB008]

Joe Hockey was pretty good last night on the 7:30 Report.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3582926.htm

 

[alphaman]

It is not surprising that Abbott and Gillard are running neck and neck in the popularity stakes. They are also competing in who can be the most irresponsible in reckless spending of public monies.

Seems inevitable. If not buying votes, what else can they try?

 

[drsmith]

It is not surprising that Abbott and Gillard are running neck and neck in the popularity stakes. They are also competing in who can be the most irresponsible in reckless spending of public monies. A pox on both of them.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ade-to-win-votes/story-e6frg71x-1226465045753

From the above article

A serious government, or a responsible opposition, would turn the debate to fiscal restraint rather than hope for an endless boom.

We can only hope that under the surface, this is something the current opposition actuallly realise.

Joe Hockey was pretty good last night on the 7:30 Report.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3582926.htm

I thought so too, but Leigh was a bit more of a softie in that interview.

She might have been told to ease up a bit.

 

[Calliope]

We can only hope this is something the current opposition come to realise when they are returned to office.

Yes. Joe Hockey's responses to Leigh Sales did not give any indication that the opposition even knows the meaning of "fiscal restraint". If they want to gain some credibility they should ditch their "direct action" climate change plan for starters. I think that would gain them more votes than they would lose. As stated above in The Oz editorial:

The "direct action" climate change plan is costed at $3.2bn, but the Grattan Institute suggests it could cost $100bn to meet its targets.

 

[Julia]

It is not surprising that Abbott and Gillard are running neck and neck in the popularity stakes. They are also competing in who can be the most irresponsible in reckless spending of public monies. A pox on both of them.

Yes. Joe Hockey's responses to Leigh Sales did not give any indication that the opposition even knows the meaning of "fiscal restraint". If they want to gain some credibility they should ditch their "direct action" climate change plan for starters. I think that would gain them more votes than they would lose. As stated above in The Oz editorial:

Agree. So stupid to accuse the government of fiscal recklessness yet display the same themselves.
A clear ditching of the 'direct action' plan, especially in the wake of the government dropping the floor price for the tax and now the coal fired power stations effectively being given the go ahead to keep doing what they have always done, would probably be well received by most, other than, of course, the Greens.

Joe Hockey was pretty good last night on the 7:30 Report.

I actually wondered if he was sick. His voice was scratchy and he was overall less than his usual self imo.
Leigh Sales certainly soft pedalled.

 

[DB008]

Labor bringing in internet, data retention laws

Critics of the Federal Government's plan to store the internet and phone data of every Australian say it amounts to constant surveillance.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon yesterday announced the controversial plan, which would see internet and phone companies storing the data of every user for up to two years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-05/data-retention-plan-likened-to-gestapo-tactics/4243402


THIS

Reasons to be worried about Data Retention

Another huge concern is security.

The stored records, which would be vast in size, are supposedly to be kept by ISPs. These aren't companies trained in privacy issues or who are required to background-check employees - they're businesses who have naturally spoken out against having this storage burden dumped upon them at huge cost (a figure of $700m per year has been mooted with any figure most likely being passed on to the public). However, of enormous concern should be security.

Just last night Anonymous hacked an FBI operative's laptop (alarming in itself) and discovered full customer details and Unique Device Identifying numbers for some 12 million Apple products (what the FBI was doing with this information is another issue). The number of high-profile hacks on government and companies is growing all the time. Barely a month ago, hackers published reams of customer information from Australian ISP AAPT.

It's not like companies learn from being hacked either. After being repeatedly hacked last year and despite protestations on each occasion that it had learned from its mistakes, Sony got hacked yet again just a few days ago. Are we expecting ISPs to suddenly become military-grade privacy protectors? Even the military gets hacked - witness the Stratfor (US Defence contractor) debacle plus the entire Wikileaks saga.

http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2012/09/05/3583350.htm

 

[McLovin]

Labor bringing in internet, data retention laws

More civil liberty stripping. Why not just put a camera and microphone in everyone's home on the off chance that they commit a crime and then it can be used as evidence?

This time they haven't tried to hang it on catching child pr0n on the internet, instead now we have to worry about terrorists. What a load of cr@p. When was the last time someone died in Australia as the result of a terrorist attack? The Hilton bombing?

Surprise, surprise the only people supporting this move are the ATO and the AFP. The ATO already has more investigative power than ASIO but it's not enough.