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Why are we spending 11.5 million dollars over 4 years for a flat and an office in Rome when we have a perfectly good Australian Embassy 5kms away? Treasury estimates that the cost of the new post is $55,700 per week to for the new ambassador to Rome whose sole job is to lobby for Kevin Rudd's bid to obtain an Australian seat on the United Nations Security Council. Apparently the "position" is ... wait for it ... Ambassador to the Vatican.
Firstly, an apology.
This comment by our PM inspires anger in me...so I'll try to remain calm and apologize now if I don't succeed:
Mr Rudd stuck to his guns when quizzed on a comment he made earlier in the day when he said that, through the Budget, the Government had done "as much as we physically can" to help.
He said the price of petrol, which hit a record high of $1.62 per litre in capital cities earlier this week, was largely out of his control.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23745135-29277,00.html?from=public_rss
Wow! And in this man we trust to lead us into the future.
Sorry, but I think the man is a Luddite and possibly worse...though saying why may be slander.
Maybe on this point we should review an earlier PM on this issue:
JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER: The principal purpose of the meeting was to talk about the Government's target of 350 million litres of bio-fuels by the year 2010. I'm pleased to report that both the Government and the oil companies have agreed to work together to achieve that target.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1470594.htm
Well Mr Rudd what have you physically done/doing? Howard's proposition is certainly not one of those "silver bullets" but what is your Government doing??? We're further down that petrol price track now and we want you to wake up to the answers that have been around for 50 years now but were not "commercially appropriate" (to state a euphemism).
In that 7.30 Report I refer to, ethanol (a stopgap measure at best) was discussed as cheaper, legal and harmless to the engine (wonder who started the rumour to the contrary????). Yet in my town, this mix is not available to me!
Come on Mr Rudd. There have to be some of your believers reading this to forward this challenge: Show us you are no Luddite. Show us that you are doing something and not just interested in "talkfesting" in this matter.Try to wrest back some control.
rhen
Why are we spending 11.5 million dollars over 4 years for a flat and an office in Rome ....
Apparently the "position" is ... wait for it ... Ambassador to the Vatican.
In 1980, he said, the Vatican exchanged ambassadors with just over 90 countries.
By the end of 2002, the number had increased to 174, thanks particularly to the new nations and the newly democratic nations in Eastern Europe. But the expansion of the diplomatic corps also was due to the upgrading of relations with the United States and Israel
Sounds like a perfect description of Tim Fisher, lol ... especially the "character" bit."Many of the ambassadors to the Vatican are not career diplomats, but personalities in their own country. Most have a high level of education and culture," he said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world-yo...vatican-posting/2008/07/21/1216492312756.html
Tim Fischer gets Vatican posting
July 21, 2008
Newly appointed ambassador to the Holy See Tim Fischer has admitted that he is a less than perfect practising Catholic.
But echoing the late US president John F. Kennedy's famous words in 1960 he said he would be representing Australia in the Vatican and not the Catholic Church.
The former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader said he got a call from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd seven days ago on the mobile of his wife, Judy Brewer-Fischer.
The couple deliberated for a day before accepting the position but said it would be hard to leave the family farm in Wodonga.
In similar fashion to his colleague Amanda Vanstone, he admitted he might have to touch up on his language skills.
"It's been a long time since high school Latin," he said.
Carpe jugulum ..Translation: "Go for the throat."
Carpe noctem. ...Translation: "Seize the night."
Carpe pugam. ...Translation: "Grab ass."
Da mihi sis bubulæ frustrum assæ, solana tuberosa in modo gallico fricta, ac quassum lactatum coagulatum crassum. ...Translation: Give me a hamburger, french fries, and a thick shake.
Veni vidi velcro. .. I came, I saw, I got stuck.
Veni vidi visa. ..I came, I saw, I bought.
Veni, vidi, vegi. ..I came, I saw, I had a salad.
etc
I'm a bit confused about your posting this as though it's a new announcement. From memory Tim Fischer was appointed to Rome about a year ago, so it's hardly news....and wait for it!!! Guess who the first ambassador is???
Watch krudd playing partisan party politics again...jobs for the Labor hacks again...etc. etc. etc. (ad nausium)
Grumble...grumble....yeah...bloody commies......
BUT WAIT!!! That's right it's Tim Fischer?....Wasn't Tim Fischer past leader of the National Party?.....and wait....Weren't the National Party the junior member of the last coalition government???
Wonder what krudd's up to hmmm.
Am I missing some point somewhere?
Interest Rate Rises on Horizon
Thursday 30th July 2009
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned home buyers that interest rates will rise as the economic recovery gets underway.
The Reserve Bank slashed interest rates to 49-year lows from last October, as a global banking crisis froze credit and threatened economic disaster.
Since then, government stimulus packages have encouraged first home owners back into the market – but the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the average mortgage has gone up to around $282,000 for first home buyers.
Financial markets expect the cash rate to begin rising early in 2010 and to hit 3.4 per cent in a year's time.
The Prime Minister has warned interest rates may rise quickly, so home owners and property investors should be prepared for how they will cope when rates rise.
He speaks and acts like a second rate preacher from Gympie.
He inspires no confidence in me on how he will manage this life or the next.
gg
2020, the thread is asking does Mr Rudd inspire confidence. It is not asking for a blow by blow rake over of every policy decision made by the former government.
We can safely assume you are a great fan of Mr Rudd. Really don't need you to attempt to justify this with endless criticisms of the previous government, however well deserved they may be.
So, some of the gloss of the honeymoon period seems to be losing its lustre.
The folk are hurting. Pensioners are taking off their clothes in protest and hitting the airwaves in increasing numbers. They are on a roll now, with the medja on their side. A couple of days ago a thread on this forum was started about 'feeling the pinch'. Many of us have responded in agreement.
And I doubt too many members of ASF are exactly struggling financially.
So the difficulties are real for a lot of people. They will blame the government. We will hear more and more that phrase : "the gummint should be doing something to fix it".
Labor partly created this expectation during the election campaign. They bleated on about how people were being hurt by rising interest, petrol and food prices. They would have a committee (or something) to monitor petrol and supermarket prices. Translation of this in the minds of the populace?
If we elect them they will stop prices rising. Doesn't matter that they didn't exactly say that. We hear what we want to hear and if it's repeated often enough it becomes the popular truth.
If we had a halfway credible Opposition, they could be having a field day at present. Instead they are mired in their internal squabbling and competitiveness.
So, do I have confidence in Mr Rudd? No. Imo he's a very articulate, polished product of his background as a diplomat and a bureaucrat. But I have no confidence in the alternative either.
Tony Abbott has something to say about P.M. Kevin (squealer) Rudd
"I suspect what it is, is much greater political cunning and much more sophisticated political mechanics than anything we might have realised when he was simply the shadow minister for foreign affairs.
"But will that political cunning get Mr Rudd through until the next election?
"I don't want to sound like a head kicker but the fact is that, as was reinforced by the speech this morning he's never had an original thought. He's never said an interesting thing and he's never taken a tough decision,'' Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott was referring to Mr Rudd's opening address at Labor's 45th national conference, held at Sydney's Darling Harbour today.
"I am confident that as soon as he has to take tough decisions, such as saying `no' to all the multitudinous pressures of lobby groups with their hands out, his popularity will start to change.
"One of the reasons why I suspect he is very eager to have an election before next year's budget is because next year's budget I think is when many of the chickens will finally come home to roost.''
spoken like a possible Leader of the Opposition.
IS Kevin Rudd capable of governing Australia in a timely and effective manner? For some time questions about the Prime Minister's leadership qualities have been growing. At best, he is seen as a politician constantly seeking political cover for his decisions: national ideas summits, consultative forums, a tax review that excludes politically unpalatable options, and this week a vision of what Labor might do about our inefficient and at times dangerous health system. Less charitable observers discern timidity and prevarication. If Rudd had spent as much time turning promises into results as he has clocking up overseas air miles, he would have more to show for almost two years in office. His failure to make change happen has disappointed those who celebrated his ascent to power. His rudderless style induces a paralysis of hope, a loss of faith in our ability as a nation to resolve complex problems. One is reminded of the previous US president, George Bush, who dithered in his first two years in office and then found his feet after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But because of a lack of good ideas and political skills his presidency ended in ignominious failure on all fronts. If Rudd wants to avoid a similar fate, he needs to get his skates on now. We need decisive leadership, not rule by committee and media conference. Priming Australia to do well in the 21st century requires tough, politically unpopular decisions, not just easy ones.
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