Federal Coalition discussion

[springhill]

I wouldn't go that far. Open for discussion providing actions are bi-lateral is far from agreeing to it. It's support for Rudd calling for bi-lateral action, while giving the opposition room to argue their solution is possible. Given the Coalition's stance on tow backs it allows for further talk, no action, and removes the need for any aggressive talk directed at Indonesia. Well played politics is all it is.

Even in the event an agreement is reached, I'd bet that it would require the asylum seekers to be on their original Indonesian vessel when they arrived back in port. Solution - they scuttle the boat as soon as an Australian vessel is within sight. Chances of Indonesia accepting asylum seekers off an Australian vessel is extremely unlikely.

No, this is a clear change in dialogue content from the Indonesians.

It has gone from 'out of the question' to the Foreign Minister actively talking about it.

The Indonesians do not mince words.

It has obviously been discussed at the highest levels.

Rudd's solution is yet another talkfest.

Abbott has stood on his digs on this policy the whole time and the Indonesians are finally taking it seriously.

Play it down all you wish.

Thanks for your opinion regarding if Indonesians will take asylum seekers off an Australian ship, but I will wait to hear what the Indonesians have to say.

 

[sydboy007]

No, this is a clear change in dialogue content from the Indonesians.

It has gone from 'out of the question' to the Foreign Minister actively talking about it.

The Indonesians do not mince words.

It has obviously been discussed at the highest levels.

Rudd's solution is yet another talkfest.

Abbott has stood on his digs on this policy the whole time and the Indonesians are finally taking it seriously.

Play it down all you wish.

Thanks for your opinion regarding if Indonesians will take asylum seekers off an Australian ship, but I will wait to hear what the Indonesians have to say.

The USA has had a tow the boats back policy for 30 years.

It's been a raging success. Not sure why it's still running after 30 years, but it's been terribly successful in towing boats back.

 

[springhill]

The USA has had a tow the boats back policy for 30 years.

It's been a raging success. Not sure why it's still running after 30 years, but it's been terribly successful in towing boats back.

Well done champ, comparing apples and oranges.

You propose that one size fits all?

It doesn't work elsewhere, so it can't work here, even though it has a proven history of success in Australia?

I guess a talkfest is the only solution left then.

 

[Julia]

The USA has had a tow the boats back policy for 30 years.

It's been a raging success. Not sure why it's still running after 30 years, but it's been terribly successful in towing boats back.

Sarcasm duly noted.
Are you quite happy, syd, for the present, exponentially increasing influx to continue?

 

[sydboy007]

Sarcasm duly noted.
Are you quite happy, syd, for the present, exponentially increasing influx to continue?

As i said before, this is a complex area and a one line slogan wont help

Australia already takes more refugees per capita than pretty much any other country in the world.

Far better to get other countries to increase their humanitarian intake, set up regional processing centres that can process claims quickly, and make the system work. I know it's not a catchy slogan and takes a lot of effort, but to me it's the only way to sort this issue out. Throw in some opening up on trade so that poor countries can actually generate economic growth and cut down on the number of economic refugees out there, and we might make some gains in solving this issue.

I fear we will put the Indonesians so off side that we will not be able to work with them.

 

[sptrawler]

I fear we will put the Indonesians so off side that we will not be able to work with them.

What a bit like the live cattle fiasco.
Now Rudd is giving them $millions to set up their own cattle business, as they won't take ours.
Your selection criterea, for what constitutes upsetting the neighbors, seems party focused, not policy focused

 

[drsmith]

I fear we will put the Indonesians so off side that we will not be able to work with them.

I don't think that bothers a Labor government trying to make running-on-the-spot look like doing something.

 

[sptrawler]

I don't think that bothers a Labor government trying to make running-on-the-spot look like doing something.

IMO Rudd will run on the spot, rub his tummy and patt his head if Indonesia ask him to.lol

Similar to what the Greens and Independents had Gillard doing.
We can all see where that got her, talk about a fiasco.

We were once called the 'white trash of Asia', it is starting to make some sense. Sad just very sad.

 

[Julia]

As i said before, this is a complex area and a one line slogan wont help

Australia already takes more refugees per capita than pretty much any other country in the world.

Far better to get other countries to increase their humanitarian intake, set up regional processing centres that can process claims quickly, and make the system work. I know it's not a catchy slogan and takes a lot of effort, but to me it's the only way to sort this issue out. Throw in some opening up on trade so that poor countries can actually generate economic growth and cut down on the number of economic refugees out there, and we might make some gains in solving this issue.

\
I'm sure no one will argue with that. But it hasn't even looked like happening for now several years since Rudd dismantled Howard's successful policy.

What I'm asking you about is what should happen in the meantime? Just let them keep coming? Note that we now have boatloads coming from Vietnam, hardly a country in a state of mortal peril for its citizens.

I fear we will put the Indonesians so off side that we will not be able to work with them.

You and the government together, it seems. It's about time someone stood up to the Indonesians who are playing us for the fools that we are.

 

[sydboy007]

So Andrew Robb now believes Australias AAA credit rating - rated stable by all 3 agencies - is not important.

Hmm. It is important should any future Government want to borrow to build infrastructure in the future.

Strange it's no lomnger important when it was something the prvious coalition Govt used to trumpet on about. Strange the NSW Govt thinks it's something important. Oh wait, it IS important because those who lend money use it to determine the interest rates they will charge.

Why trash something that is inherently good for the country? I don't have much faith in the ratings agencies, but untill the pension funds and large mutal fund companies no longer have mandates to invest in only AAA rated paper, it doesn't really what I, or Rob, think about the rating agencies. I'm sure if one of them was looking to downgrade Australia Robb would believe it was the end of the world.

I just hope Robb will never mentions them as a positive should be be a member of a Coalition Government!

 

[drsmith]

Why trash something that is inherently good for the country?

After the failure of Wayne Swans's so-called delivered budget surpluses, is there now panic at the station about the revised surplus timeframe of 2015/16 ?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...-surplus-promise/story-fn59nsif-1226685248384

 

[sydboy007]

So now Hockey says treasurey can't be trusted.

Once wonders how many staff in the department will have to be sacked for incompetence should he become treasurer.

For months he's been saying the coalition wont release policies till the PEFO is released, and now he says he wont base his policy forecasts on this.

I suppose after a coalition magically the treasury forecasts will magically become reliable again?

 

[sptrawler]

So now Hockey says treasurey can't be trusted.

Once wonders how many staff in the department will have to be sacked for incompetence should he become treasurer.

For months he's been saying the coalition wont release policies till the PEFO is released, and now he says he wont base his policy forecasts on this.

I suppose after a coalition magically the treasury forecasts will magically become reliable again?

He has got a point, it wasn't long ago, Swan was going to have a surplus. Then wasn't it revised to a slight deficit $2-3B, revised to $12B, revised to $17B, then $20B.
Now revised by another $8B, all that in a period of 6 months, it would make planning and estimating somewhat problematic.
The change in treasury forecast, is just about equal to the forecast of the NBN install cost.

One would think stable decission making regarding policy, may flatten some of the Labor induced swings.
MRT expected income V actual, Carbon Tax expected V actual, Live cattle export tax income V actual, Asylum seeker costs projected V actual. Income tax reciepts projected V actual.

 

[Julia]

So now Hockey says treasurey can't be trusted.

Once wonders how many staff in the department will have to be sacked for incompetence should he become treasurer.

For months he's been saying the coalition wont release policies till the PEFO is released, and now he says he wont base his policy forecasts on this.

I suppose after a coalition magically the treasury forecasts will magically become reliable again?

Mr Hockey's remarks are entirely justified imo. Treasury forecasts have been for some time off the mark.
What we don't know is how much government may or may not be pushing them to produce what they want to hear.

 

[sydboy007]

Mr Hockey's remarks are entirely justified imo. Treasury forecasts have been for some time off the mark.
What we don't know is how much government may or may not be pushing them to produce what they want to hear.

Treasury has been having a problem with their forecasts for the last 8-9 years.

I'd argue it's primary due to the big changes in the terms of trade.

Treasury was way off the ball when the terms or trade were rising strongly, and the same now the tide has turned against us.

We've prob got 2-3 more years of decent falls in the ToT, so whoever is in next election is going to have to make the best of it.

By the sounds of it treasury might finally be facing up to the fact that real GDP growth has flat lined, real income growth has dropped to near zero, and I'd say per capita income growth is nigh on negative. We had about 7 years off effortless increases in income and now we're paying a lot of it back.

The thing is, practically no other forecasters have been much better than treasury, so not sure if the Coalition will have much better forecasts. How many in treasury are they going to have to sack now that they've declared them tainted?

 

[Calliope]

Anything William and Catherine do, we can do better



Kev and Therese in Afghanistan for a photo shoot.

 

[dutchie]

Anything William and Catherine do, we can do better


View attachment 53589
Kev and Therese in Afghanistan for a photo shoot.

Good to see Krudd taking care of his wife. Pity about the spare helmet or flak jacket!

 

[Knobby22]

Warren Truss is going to be minister for infrastructure as well as deputy PM.
His plans for Infrastructure Australia sound excellent and he has a good record in government. Hopefully he will succeed in getting infrastructure planned for Australia in a successful and significant way.

Hopefully also he can turn Abbot around on his declaration that he will give no money to urban public transport projects regardless of merit.

 

[Country Lad]

Anything William and Catherine do, we can do better


View attachment 53589
Kev and Therese in Afghanistan for a photo shoot.

Kev has the protective stuff so Therese can be the target?

 

[Calliope]

Kev has the protective stuff so Therese can be the target?

No, that one was taken just before departure and shows Rudd's last steely eyed, well rehearsed, "make my day" Clint Eastwood look reserved for battle grounds and not school grounds. Therese is amused, she knows he is all bullsh!t.

This pic shows them arriving. I doubt if the Therese flak jacket would be of much use. They didn't have one quite big enough. I also doubt if Therese will ever again take on Joe Hockey in a race to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro.