I love how Tasmania is ticking down at $3 every 5 seconds - every other state is whizzing down! And no, I'm not picking on our Tasmanian relatives.and for the latest figures on national debt ..
http://www.debtclock.com.au/index.html
It appears you are correct, Australia doesnt have a dollar to its name ... just a lot of debt.
I love how Tasmania is ticking down at $3 every 5 seconds - every other state is whizzing down! And no, I'm not picking on our Tasmanian relatives.
It's not entirely correct though - I just paid off my credit card bill (it is due at the end of the month).
Senator Cory Bernadi has a message for the people of Australia with a petition to stop the levy.
http://www.stopthelevy.com/
actually, that link has the following information ...
Stop The Levy is a project of Menzies House, a grassroots, independent online community for thinkers, writers and activists. We are not affiliated with any political party.
I cant see any message from Senator Cory Bernardi ... do you think the dear Senator is bandwagoning on what appears to be a popular cause ?
None of which changes the fact that we have already paid more than enough to cover this which was simply wasted on school halls we didn't need, faulty insulation and so on.Its fascinating watching the anti political, anti tax, anti Labor, anti.......well basically anything giving attitudes in the thread.
The excuse list for not paying a miserable minor amount of money is really funny the repairs to infrastructure will directly affect the economy and the well being of all Australians.
The RBA governor whats his name said the government should borrow the dough which of course is correct it has the least effect on the balances affects the economy and is more predictable.
Of course with the Wreak-er in full cry like his disciples here that's politically impossible.
Personally I think a levy and keeping the budget to a surplus 12/13 is the way to go the world is a dangerous place and we should pay as we go.
And before the hanging posse turns up screaming stimulus waste blah blah it was borrowings repeat borrowings not normal revenue for gods sake there is no pot of gold it went to the middle class welfare.
The money has to come from borrowings or tax there is no frigging money tree this would apply to any government at any time should an amount of money on this scale be required for fixing infrastructure resulting from one of the biggest natural disasters in Australia's white history.
To QLD-ers apologies for the mean spirited anti Australian attitudes expressed on the thread the aggressive nastiness dished out to Nokia and the absence of any support from others was / is particularly shame full (you mostly all failed this simple test) and really sums up many here.
Thanks for the links, sinner. IFocus, you could just as easily have quoted the following from Michael Pascoe's piece:EDIT: IFocus selectively quoting Michael Pascoe, why don't you link the article so readers can make up their own minds and read the links that Michael has provided to Jessica Irvines article?
http://www.smh.com.au/business/gillards-weak-politics-let-canards-fly-20110128-1a7g5.html
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/polit...e-come-hell-or-high-water-20110127-1a6s4.html
Sadly, though, you wouldn't be up for drawing attention to anything which in any way derides your government. Can't help wondering if you are really too obtuse to see what a disaster they are, or whether pride just won't allow you to admit you've backed a losing horse.There is real damage though in the opportunity cost – the government's failure (again) to deal honestly with the population, to put in the hard kilometres necessary to progress the nation's economic understanding against the headwinds of its own populism and the opposition's mindless obfuscation. In a worst-case scenario, you have to begin to wonder if Wayne and Julia simply don't know any better. It's a worry.
First and foremost is the government's ineptitude in continuing to worship at the altar of the surplus cult, of endorsing the economics-by-slogan mindlessness of Hockey and Abbott, of letting the all-deficits-are-evil canard fly. In the context of the federal election, Swan might have thought he was being clever by occupying the sloganeering high ground through promising an early end to the reasonable and not-all-that-big deficit. It was certainly easier than building the credibility to cut through the anti-Labor cheer squad.
Now, that tactic is just plain dumb, a straitjacket of the government's own making if ever decision must be viewed through the prism of surplus worship.
Sadly, yes, it does make sense. Amongst the floods here I was aware of the events in Brazil which were much worse. I briefly thought "oh, how awful" and switched off.To me, if a cyclone, fire or flood directly affects my family or town I would give freely but the further away emotionally or geographically these events happen then I feel less affinity to those "experiencing" them.
Does that make sense.
Hah, noco, Senator Bernadi may not need to worry. With the massive public opposition, the Greens' fury with the elimination of the various Green initiatives, the opposition's implacable determination to vote against the levy, and now the resistance from Bob Katter and Tony Windsor, it's hard to see that the bill will get through.Senator Cory Bernadi has a message for the people of Australia with a petition to stop the levy.
http://www.stopthelevy.com/
On closer inspection...I love how Tasmania is ticking down at $3 every 5 seconds - every other state is whizzing down! And no, I'm not picking on our Tasmanian relatives.
We can't have a super-duper La-Nina plus without the Lake Eyre fill-her-upperer.Oversight on my part about the link
I thought the whole lot was very good as it covered all the points from most angles.........still baffled about the squealing.
Fact is the levy approach is conservative.
Any way need to start talking about the second levy.............LOLROTF
.
Believe me there is greater demand for coal from overseas than ever before. The Aust. government now have to play a juggling act between meeting carbon emissions control responsibility and hefty tax income from coal extractors and the large employment base both direct and indirect. Jobs is money is jobs. It's a vicious circle.This can't happen because it would enrage the Greens who blame the coal industry for the floods.
We can't have a super-duper La-Nina plus without the Lake Eyre fill-her-upperer.
There are arguments for and against the levy, myself, i think taxpayer money (our money) that is currently being used on other projects can be redirected for the rebuilding effort. I think rebalancing the budget for the flood rebuilding can surely be done without missing too much. For example: Maybe the military will just have to do without the F35's for awhile ........ what a pity that would be
I saw Tony Windsor and a fly being interviewed on the 730 Report last night and for once the fly made less sense than poor ole Tony.
He is against a one off knee jerk reaction and seeks a permanent Disaster Fund. He further pointed out that revenue from the levy tax would not land in Treasury coffers for another 18 months. So he argued that a deficit strategy may be worthwhile considering.
gg
Thanks for the links, sinner. IFocus, you could just as easily have quoted the following from Michael Pascoe's piece:
Sadly, though, you wouldn't be up for drawing attention to anything which in any way derides your government. Can't help wondering if you are really too obtuse to see what a disaster they are, or whether pride just won't allow you to admit you've backed a losing horse.
Michael Pascoe has a good summery
"Gillard's weak politics let canards fly "
On one hand, the levy itself is painted by some as an economic disaster – by implication, middle-and-above Australians must still “be doing it tough”. On the other, it raises so little in the general scheme of revenue, you might wonder what the screaming is about.
Gillard needs to start kicking heads
This damage though is only political and self-inflicted, Julia Gillard shooting the government in the foot through weak politics when presented with an opportunity to be strong. Contrary to some of the scare mongering, it's hard to find any other victim.
... senior Labor figures were shaking their heads at the lack of consultation with Cabinet.
For the last few years every man and their dog, including the Opposition and a Reserve Bank board member, have called on this government to tighten its fiscal belt given the original stimulus was sized for a recession that never materialised.
So the Prime Minister prudently does exactly this. Instead of allowing the deficit to blow-out, which was what most economists expected, she surprised by funding two-thirds of the Commonwealth’s $5.6 billion tab via spending cuts or deferrals, and the remainder through a tiny, once-off levy on higher-income earners unaffected by the floods. She also liberated stretched labour supply by expediting the processing of 457 visas and doubling the number of places in the job seeker relocation program. This all sounds like sensible stuff.
The response of financial markets was emphatic: the probability of future interest rate hikes was instantly cut. Investors with real cash in the money markets decided that the government’s package was anti-inflationary, and would relieve some of the monetary policy burden on the Reserve Bank.
WAlian :
28 Jan 2011 11:13:28pm
Proud of my WA Premier he came out and supported generosity of spirit, and economic good sense rather that running with the herd.
Fantasic when the volunteers came out right when needed, as no government could have done what they did. Great that we all donated $ to charities and the Premier's fund, so that money can go straight to people who need it. And great we have an Aust Gov't to assist States with roads, bridges and I dont mind in the least paying via my taxes to get the Eastern States up and running OK.
Shocked at the nasty mean manipulative political stance Tony Abbott is taking. I vote Liberal, but I don't want that type of Liberal thanks.
One of our grand national delusions is that we are a stoic people, unflinching in the jaws of hardship and disaster, unique in all the world. Knock us down and we dig into bottomless reserves of character to dust ourselves off and get back at it. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.
Interesting this is a trading site yet this seemed to have been missed
"Financial markets applaud Gillard’s flood package"
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