The Abbott Government

[Whiskers]

seems the Coalition certainly know how to milk the tax payers

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...r-mps-bollywood-adventure-20131005-2v0wf.html

I do love the knowledge boom boom Barnaby gained from his single day in Malaysia. Certainly you couldn't have googled all that he found out within 30 minutes

It was terrible the way the Labor Minister for Resources didn't think it was appropriate to attend.

Let the justifications begin

Certainly not a good look, not that the flimsy criteria for 'study tours' and 'travel expenses' and claimed by 99% (can't recall the odd exception atm) of politicians is anything new...

BUT, this is the natural justice for Abbotts policy of a closed door government... the journos have plenty of spare time on their hands to catch up on some research.

I'm sure Abbott is familiar with the 50/50 and 80/20 rules of Advertising, but it could be more natural justice that he is unable to do two things at once... run the government as well as control or at least dominate the (political landscape) headlines with proactive content of his making, than reactive at best and negative content like this of a closed door government.

If he doesn't 'feed the chooks' a bit better he may become acutely aware of the consequences, that on average, 8 out of 10 people will read headlines but only 2 out of 10 will read the full story... which is particularly significant in terms of the vulnerability of only a 1.8% swing to the LNP (as in popularity) and most of the swing against Labor going elsewhere, mostly to the man who wants to topple him as PM, Palmer.

This headline is a bit benign, but cumulative negative headlines erode confidence in the absence of counter balancing favourable ones... or is Abbott confident his government has no really dirty linen at all that could be construed into good copy and politically damaging headlines?

 

[IFocus]

Whatever rocks your boat, IF, but I doubt many are listening. While Abbott performs so well you will only come across like a sore loser spewing hot air...

You would be talking about Abbott for the last 3 years there.

I wasn't sore or even wildly upset about Labor losing the election the leadership changes and the people involved needed to be sorted and that was never going to happen in government.

Certainly my disappointment is that some one with the past of Abbott and the form (non performance) of the Coalition front bench are now in government.

Why are you opposing the will of the majority?

Are you suggesting there shouldn't be a discourse over any government elected?

Why are you opposed to having our borders secured again?

Are they? We (you don't know)

Why are you opposed to repeal a tax the majority never wanted?

To show what a fraud Abbott is.

Why are you opposed to bring our debt under control?

You are kidding me the Coalition are proposing to expand the national Australia Government debt. WA has lost our AAA credit rating due to debt accumulated under a Coalition government is that what you call control?

These issues are of concern to Australia. Or are your political opinions more important than the best interests of this country?

I have yet to see how the best interests of Australia are served by an Abbott government, fascinating to see how Abbott had to rush off to Indonesia to patch up a mess of his own making being seen as a great success!

- - - Updated - - -

A new avatar for IF now his lot are in the wilderness.

Ah yes the memories when I was much younger....wild and reckless.

 

[13ugs13unny]

seems the Coalition certainly know how to milk the tax payers

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...r-mps-bollywood-adventure-20131005-2v0wf.html

I do love the knowledge boom boom Barnaby gained from his single day in Malaysia. Certainly you couldn't have googled all that he found out within 30 minutes

It was terrible the way the Labor Minister for Resources didn't think it was appropriate to attend.

Let the justifications begin

People will remember what Abbott said almost every day: "WE WILL END THE WASTE, pay back the debt, stop the big new taxes and stop the boats."

To end the waste? LIARS.

[But Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop and Teresa Gambaro collectively claimed more than $12,000 in ''overseas study'' allowances to pay for their flights home.]

 

[drsmith]

Ah yes the memories when I was much younger....wild and reckless.

In that case, feathers simply haven't come with age.

I have yet to see how the best interests of Australia are served by an Abbott government, fascinating to see how Abbott had to rush off to Indonesia to patch up a mess of his own making being seen as a great success!

He'll stop the boats Labor started.

A trip to Indonesia was always intended as an early priority.

 

[IFocus]

Starts at the top


Tony Abbott repays travel costs for wedding in Wangaratta

EXCLUSIVE: PRIME Minister Tony Abbott charged taxpayers for his travel costs when he attended the wedding of a Liberal MP in Victoria.

Mr Abbott's office said he had repaid $1094 for a 2006 trip to Wangaratta for the wedding of recently defeated Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella, after questions from the Sunday Herald Sun.

Mind you he is a serial offender yep the adults are in charge!

It is the second time Mr Abbott has repaid travel entitlements he had claimed from taxpayers.

In 2010 he repaid $9,400 he had claimed for a 2009 book-tour to promote his book Battlelines.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...ng-in-wangaratta/story-fnihslxi-1226733507793

 

[IFocus]

He'll stop the boats Labor started.

.

Hmmm from the Coalition propaganda machine

But these are early days. The government is sorting out new tactics and new chains of command. It was sobering that Abbott's success in Jakarta and Morrison's stumble at home coincided with the arrival of at least four boats carrying more than 250 people. On every level, Operation Sovereign Borders is a work in progress. -

See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...y-fn59niix-1226733194379#sthash.VcPpOTS5.dpuf

 

[drsmith]

Hmmm from the Coalition propaganda machine

See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...y-fn59niix-1226733194379#sthash.VcPpOTS5.dpuf

Isn't that from the rag that you regard as,

convoluted and bias with a complete disregard of historical fact the usual Murdoch sycophant speal.

With two maritime handovers of asylum seekers to Indonesian authorities before TA even went to Indonesia as evidence, I think you'll find the seeds for future success were sewn before the actual visit.

 

[noco]

A new avatar for IF now his lot are in the wilderness.

Doc If IF keeps squaking like this he will lose more than his feathers, I think someone will want to ring his neck.

As quoted by IFocus
"You are kidding me the Coalition are proposing to expand the national Australia Government debt. WA has lost our AAA credit rating due to debt accumulated under a Coalition government is that what you call control?"

I wonder why he has never criticised the Beattie/Bligh left wing socialist governemnt when Queensland lost its AAA rating. They
were borrowing money to pay public servants. Pot calling the kettle black.


No doubt the IF cheer squad will jump on Peter Van Onselen twisted comments about what Abbott has or has not achieved in three weeks...... what will they be like in the next 12 months?

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

 

[drsmith]

seems the Coalition certainly know how to milk the tax payers

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...r-mps-bollywood-adventure-20131005-2v0wf.html

I do love the knowledge boom boom Barnaby gained from his single day in Malaysia. Certainly you couldn't have googled all that he found out within 30 minutes

It was terrible the way the Labor Minister for Resources didn't think it was appropriate to attend.

Let the justifications begin

Some perspective,

http://www.news.com.au/national-new...ravel-perk-rules/story-e6frfkw9-1225993347272

 

[sptrawler]

Starts at the top


Tony Abbott repays travel costs for wedding in Wangaratta



Mind you he is a serial offender yep the adults are in charge!
[/url]

Yes at least they are not being investigated by the police and summoned to court, makes a pleasant change to the political climate.

 

[sptrawler]

Hmmm from the Coalition propaganda machine





See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...y-fn59niix-1226733194379#sthash.VcPpOTS5.dpuf

Well you have to admit, he has done more in four weeks than Labor did in six years.

 

[sails]

Certainly not a good look, not that the flimsy criteria for 'study tours' and 'travel expenses' and claimed by 99% (can't recall the odd exception atm) of politicians is anything new......

It's never been a good look. But people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones:

"Soon-to-be-ex Labor MP Simon Crean is in the news this morning after jetting off on a taxpayer-funded study trip to Europe with his wife. The trip?””?which comes after a sojourn to Cambodia in May, also with his wife?””?could include Italian cooking lessons and a trip to Venice."

Read more:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/07/10...em-on-overseas-sojourns/?wpmp_switcher=mobile


and


Senator Crossin went on a study tour with her spouse to France and the UK after she was sacked by Gillard and only weeks before she left parliament:


Read about it here:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...eaves-parliament/story-fnho52jp-1226677303788

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

The Abbott Government will be the best since Menzies.

And it is already proving so.

The Indonesians have been assured that meat will flow to their people, that migration of economic migrants through their country will be arrested and that Australia is a friend, not a rabble of leftie nut jobs.

gg

 

[MrBurns]

The Abbott Government will be the best since Menzies.

And it is already proving so.

The Indonesians have been assured that meat will flow to their people, that migration of economic migrants through their country will be arrested and that Australia is a friend, not a rabble of leftie nut jobs.

gg

Bloody oath

 

[noco]

The Abbott Government will be the best since Menzies.

And it is already proving so.

The Indonesians have been assured that meat will flow to their people, that migration of economic migrants through their country will be arrested and that Australia is a friend, not a rabble of leftie nut jobs.

gg

Yes GG, Abbott is like a breath of fresh air.

 

[basilio]

I think it's clever and good idea for Coalition Ministers to fess up now on various questionable expenses they have claimed. Coming out together they can disperse any credibility hit. And most importantly there won't be the steady drip, drip, drip of ongoing questions.

The next issue will be how Abbott handles ongoing expense claims. Nick Xenaphon had a refreshing insight on todays radio when he called for all MPS to write at least a couple of lines against claims to explain what they were for. He also suggested that MPS should go economy class for flights under 2 hours and save us a bundle of business flight charges. he pointed out he did this and his flight costs are half that of similar MPs. He also mentioned that MP's got an extra $50,000 a yeat pay rise in part to replace taxpayer funds O/S trips.

Andrew Hewson has chimed in with similar calls for the Govt to be vigilant with the expense claims of its members if it wants to be regarded as serious in its credentials as a responsible, careful economic manager.

And then to round it off Peter Reith offers the following comment

But former Howard government minister Peter Reith disagrees, describing the wedding expenses scandals as ''petty'' and arguing that politicians should be entitled to unlimited travel. ''I don't understand how you can have a system

which says that some things that ministers do are part of business and others aren't,'' Mr Reith said.

''I think it's ridiculous putting limits on where ministers can go.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...t-lift-game-20131006-2v2bf.html#ixzz2gzerFyVe

 

[dutchie]

Mr Reith said ,

''I think it's ridiculous putting limits on where ministers can go.''



What a ridiculous statement!

 

[13ugs13unny]

Yes at least they are not being investigated by the police and summoned to court, makes a pleasant change to the political climate.

Why not? If they are obfuscating the truth to the public - using taxpayer money to attend private or personal functions like Craig Thompson did, why should it be any more lenient.

Neither of these events that were attended were official state of national funerals or royal weddings, or official functions like the international fleet review, recently. Certainly no official study you can't poke sarcasm at.

It was not official business, they were private wedding parties. The return trip was to cloak the expense to make it appear as official business to study what exactly in one day? Lets disclose it for what it is, it was to make it appear as official business so the MP would not have to pay from their own pockets.

Its a disgrace that our MP's and elite people like Gina Rinehart are behaving like Russian oligarchs in what appeared to be courting Indian Billionaires at private non state sanctioned functions using taxpayer money on unofficial levels, that may result in business that will affect BHP, RIO or other ASX companies and their shareholders.

Its not a code of behaviour your constituents voted for. IMHO lift your game otherwise not fit to hold an honest office, get out.

 

[Calliope]

using taxpayer money to attend private or personal functions like Craig Thompson did, why should it be any more lenient.

I think you will find that Thomson allegedly used Health Service Union funds for "private or personal" functions. This is a union that represents mainly lowly paid health workers. FWA recommended that he be charged with"substantial misuse of members' funds".

 

[Julia]

I think it's clever and good idea for Coalition Ministers to fess up now on various questionable expenses they have claimed. Coming out together they can disperse any credibility hit. And most importantly there won't be the steady drip, drip, drip of ongoing questions.

The next issue will be how Abbott handles ongoing expense claims. Nick Xenaphon had a refreshing insight on todays radio when he called for all MPS to write at least a couple of lines against claims to explain what they were for. He also suggested that MPS should go economy class for flights under 2 hours and save us a bundle of business flight charges. he pointed out he did this and his flight costs are half that of similar MPs. He also mentioned that MP's got an extra $50,000 a yeat pay rise in part to replace taxpayer funds O/S trips.

Andrew Hewson has chimed in with similar calls for the Govt to be vigilant with the expense claims of its members if it wants to be regarded as serious in its credentials as a responsible, careful economic manager.

I just don't understand any politician, for some paltry sum, risking their credibility and laying themselves open to justifiable attack from the other side.

Bas, it's John Hewson.