The Abbott Government

drsmith said:

What about the spending trajectory this government inherited from the former Rudd/Gillard governments ?

What about the saving measures Labor continue to block in the Senate including $5bn of their own ??

Happy new political year IF.

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+1.....The lefties know what you are talking about Doc but they will not admit it....They know the situation so well.

Shorten has no policies and has not got a clue....He does what his masters in the unions want, even though he does not hear or understand them but he still agrees with what ever they say....he is a real union puppet.

noco said:

+1.....The lefties know what you are talking about Doc but they will not admit it....They know the situation so well.

Shorten has no policies and has not got a clue....He does what his masters in the unions want, even though he does not hear or understand them but he still agrees with what ever they say....he is a real union puppet.

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Even past Prime Ministers from both sides of the camp agree, a bi-partisan approach is needed to urgently fix the budget.

Even cigar smoking Bob Hawke agrees so why doesn't that Bill Shorten do something useful in his life in the National interest?.......With Shorten it is self interest.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-...171540784?sv=7550444d46286cf42bd0a64a900c45f3

Former Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson has warned that Australia is living beyond its means, with too much spending on health, welfare and education. He called for “politically tough decisions” like those in the 1980s to *address the “structural problem at the heart of the budget”.

Mr Howard said Labor was being obstructionist, but he also set a key test for the Abbott government, struggling to gain public or parliamentary support for key budget measures. “We clearly have a budget problem that will get worse *unless we make progress … It has long been my view you can win public support for difficult reforms if you satisfy two criteria: it is in the public interest and it is fair.”

Mr Keating said the Coalition did not support all of Labor’s economic reforms, such as the *Accord or superannuation, but he recognised some bipartisanship. The *opposition should support the government’s program, provided it was credible and in the national interest, he said. “I think it is a good idea if the government knows what it is doing,” Mr Keating said.

“But without the government articulating a strategy — a saleable, doable, adoptable strategy — then you won’t have the co-*operation. This idea about letting people just read about structural changes in the budget is the pathway to ruin.”

Even cigar smoking Bob Hawke agrees so why doesn't that Bill Shorten do something useful in his life in the National interest?.......With Shorten it is self interest.

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How you can say such things with a straight face after Abbott's performance in opposition is quite staggering.

Syd, where is this article regarding divorce/marriage you are referring to, about Abbott.
I haven't seen anything mentioned.

If it has anything to do with family values, I agree with it.

chode84 said:

How you can say such things with a straight face after Abbott's performance in opposition is quite staggering.

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Abbott in opposition tried hard to curtail Labor's extravagant spending and money wasting on hare brain schemes.

Shorten is doing his best in opposition to stop Abbott paying back the $1 billion a month interest bill Labor racked up plus all the other money Labor borrowed.

Do you get the picture.....it was under quite different circumstances or don't you understand?.

drsmith said:

What about the spending trajectory this government inherited from the former Rudd/Gillard governments ?

What about the saving measures Labor continue to block in the Senate including $5bn of their own ??

Happy new political year IF.

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If Labors spending was so outrageous then I believe Abbott would have had the political capital to nominate those areas and stop the spending...................why hasn't Abbott done this?

The blocking of the so called savings has had wide public support and as the polls keep falling like a brick for the Coalition, there is absolutely no hope of them passing that I can see.

As clearly pointed out repeatedly the saving do not address the deficit but the increased spending measures of the Coalition.

Its fascinating that Howard and Costello set the trap of a structural budget black hole for Labor but its this Coalition government thats struck with it through Abbotts own blabber mouth.


As said before Abbott has increased spending why do people keep saying he is addressing the deficit when clearly he is not.

Thanks for feather must have lost it during the festive fire works

And wishing you a very Happy new political year DR all the best

IFocus said:

Its fascinating that Howard and Costello set the trap of a structural budget black hole for Labor but its this Coalition government thats struck with it through Abbotts own blabber mouth.

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I see. The time of Rudd/Gillard in office is best forgotten.

That's what Labor would prefer too.

Tink said:

Syd, where is this article regarding divorce/marriage you are referring to, about Abbott.
I haven't seen anything mentioned.

If it has anything to do with family values, I agree with it.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-07-14/abbotts-divorce-proposal-ludicrous/1352668

I'm half expecting Abbott to bring it out to try and get molify some of the right who've found him wanting

How can you agree with something before you even know what is being argued for

But let me ask you this, what do you think has a more detrimental impact on Marriage:

* Adultery / Infidelity

* Gay marriage

I'd argue adultery as it's certainly broken up more marriages than gay marriage has, yet one is illegal and one is legal.

Now on the topic of family values would you agree with with these family values

* He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. (Exodus 21;15)

* Stoning to death of a child who will not obey their father (deuteronomy 21:18-21)

* or how about buying a slave and giving them a month to morn the loss of their family then take them as your wife (no mention on if the woman has a right to refuse so one could argue about God sanctioned rape) - Deuteronomy 21:10-14)

I'm rather happy with the secular family values we've developed over the years, and the changes made to divorce laws in 1975, and the fact we never had adultery laws like the USA.

You can't use laws to make society moral.

drsmith said:

I see. The time of Rudd/Gillard in office is best forgotten.

That's what Labor would prefer too.

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Possibly in the same way those who voted for Abbott would like to forget 2014?

I'll go out on a limb and say Abbott's performance in 2015 will be no better.

sydboy007 said:

Possibly in the same way those who voted for Abbott would like to forget 2014?

I'll go out on a limb and say Abbott's performance in 2015 will be no better.

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Most lib supporters here thought hockey and abbott were crap before they won government. They were just better then anything labor could bubblegum together as an alternative. I disagree with you about Abbotts performance, I think it might be worse. I hope not.

Smurf1976 said:

I could make probably a hundred examples, same sex marriage was just one that's been in the news in recent times.

Personally, I find the 6 month wait for unemployment benefits to be a far greater issue - it's just un-Australian in my view to not help others in need. Fair enough to stamp out any abuses of the system etc, but we shouldn't be leaving people in potentially desperate situations for 6 months just to save money. There must be some better way than that. There just must. It's not as though it even saves that much money, it's just about harming a few and being seen as "tough". A bit like the shirt fronting nonsense.

I have never claimed unemployment benefits and hopefully never will. But the hard line approach taken is just not acceptable in my view. This is Australia, we should be helping those who genuinely need help.

From a personal perspective, I'm definitely not a conservative in terms of social matters. Never have been and likely never will be. So in that context, the only reason to consider voting Liberal is on the grounds of economics.

I maintain my view that the economic outcome won't differ greatly regardless of who's in power. Labor will do it one way, Liberal will do it another, but in both cases the markets will ultimately force their hand I expect. They may be on different pages, but both are reading the same book.

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I'm over the grandstanding do nothing social policies such as Gay Marriage being an issue(Just put it to a vote in parliament and pass it). In fact the Rudd Gillard years were full of dumb policy being dropped on an even dumber public weekly just to hold their attention. Then we have Abbott trying to get in on the mix with the PPL. Libs are lost trying to play that stupid game.


Im the opposite in the sense that I believe setting up trade, education, reforming taxation and developing industry delivers a better economic result. Not the current feel good social media hugging crap that they are currently churning out. Grow the F^&K up Australia seriously.

Smurf from what I have been reading Tas is slowly turning around in some areas through exports?
Any areas you see growing down there?

Thanks, Syd, I thought it was recent.

We have already been through the gay marriage debate.

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3680&page=38&p=854673#post854673

sydboy007 said:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-07-14/abbotts-divorce-proposal-ludicrous/1352668

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For god's sake, syd, that item is from 2009!!!

Reading the article I gather he must have made some mention of this 'fault' type divorce as an option in his book. Obviously it didn't ever gain any serious attention or we'd have heard about it without needing to read the book.

But, heavens, don't let that stop you dredging back through everything Mr Abbott has ever said in his life in the hope of finding more with which to discredit him.

sydboy007 said:

I'll go out on a limb and say Abbott's performance in 2015 will be no better.

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Of course you will.

moXJO said:

Im the opposite in the sense that I believe setting up trade, education, reforming taxation and developing industry delivers a better economic result. Not the current feel good social media hugging crap that they are currently churning out. Grow the F^&K up Australia seriously.

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+1. Just incredible that so much focus goes on gay marriage, gender neutral toys for children and other Left driven social hoohah.

However, as long as we have a completely obstructionist opposition and Senate the chances of taxation reform, industry development etc., are minimal.

Julia said:

+1. Just incredible that so much focus goes on gay marriage, gender neutral toys for children and other Left driven social hoohah.

However, as long as we have a completely obstructionist opposition and Senate the chances of taxation reform, industry development etc., are minimal.

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Can you point to taxation reform the current Govt has proposed that is currently being blocked by the senate?

The only one I can think of is fuel indexation, and if it was for an increase over the current term of the Govt, I would be condemning the senate for blocking it, but automatic indexation seems wrong to me since it makes for lazy Govt as you are providing ever increasing levels of tax. Shouldn't a Govt at each budget make the case for the level of taxation and spending it is proposing?

What industry reform has been proposed by the Govt? I know the Govt still has great secrecy shrouding the TPP negotiations, and the managed trade deals we've been presented with seemed to have gave our trading partners far more than we received - I don't view market access taking up to 20 years for some agricultural exports as being of much benefit to the the economy. What Govt proposals on industry reform are being blocked by the senate?

I feel the senate is being blamed for blocking things that have yet to be proposed by the Govt.

Why was the tax review white paper withheld from the public last month? The Govt gave no reason. Surely it would have been a good time to provide it to the public so that it could be digested over the summer break, especially with the political cycle in a far more sedate state. Wouldn't that provide the best opportunity for worthy ideas to gain traction?

Hockey has already disowned the Financial System Inquiry, and I'd argue that the changes recommended in it can gain voter support more easily than what will come via the tax white paper, though there's plenty of vested interests that will fight tooth and nail to protect the benefits they currently get.

So how about we apply more pressure on the Govt to bring out good policy that can be clearly shown to address the issues with the structural deficit of the budget, then we can apply pressure on the senate to not block this policy. Until then I'm relatively happy with the road blocks that the senate has applied because the Govt has not made the case for the policies, and in some cases has done exactly the opposite to what they said in opposition, so they cannot argue they have some form of a mandate, and even if they did, the senate was designed to stop a mandate from the larger eastern states overriding the wishes from the smaller states.

The senate can definitely be messy, and in some cases carve up good policy into not so good, but it also stops the Govt of the day from getting too extreme in what it tries to do.

I don't hear those currently complaining about the senate today saying it was bad that the senate blocked the original resource tax from labor, nor the original carbon trading scheme.

Can you point to taxation reform the current Govt has proposed that is currently being blocked by the senate?

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Sigh.
I didn't refer to anything being currently blocked. I was, as you know, simply endorsing moXJO's remarks which to me reflected overall long term policy aims that would be more useful for Australia than all the current airy fairy social stuff.

Julia said:

Of course you will.

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Considering Abbott's performance has consistently deteriorate over the year, with just maybe his statesmanship like period pre shirt fronting Putin's comments, can you point to anything from Abbott's performance through 2014 that makes you believe I'll be incorrect?

His flip flopping around the metadata retention was only surpassed by Brandis'. I mean, if you can't explain what you are proposing to do, maybe you should take a step back to think it through before trying to force it onto the public??

His tip toeing around semantics of is it / isn't it a tax when he campaigned so heavily on ethics.

I'm interested in what makes you believe I'm wrong in believing that Abbott is unlikely to perform any better in 2015 than he did in 2014?

I'm not saying this because I don't like the PM, I'm saying this because of his extensive poor performance over the last year, and that there has been nothing I can see that makes it appear likely he will turn things around. Obviously you do and I'd like to know what you think I've missed.

I doubt if things like this will improve Abbott's standing in the community

As tensions between the Australian and Indian cricket teams reach boiling point, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has revealed sledging was his only strength as a cricketer.

Speaking at an afternoon tea for the teams at Kirribilli House in Sydney on Thursday, Abbott spoke of his time as a cricketer during his student days at Oxford University.

"I couldn't bat, I couldn't bowl, I couldn't field, but I could sledge, and I think I held my place in the team on this basis and I promise there'll be none of that today," said the former captain of Oxford's Middle Common Room team of the Queen's College.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-01/tony-abbott-reveals-he-was-a-good-sledger/5996384

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I think that fairly sums up his political abilities as well

Julia said:

Sigh.
I didn't refer to anything being currently blocked. I was, as you know, simply endorsing moXJO's remarks which to me reflected overall long term policy aims that would be more useful for Australia than all the current airy fairy social stuff.

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I must have been confused since you said

However, as long as we have a completely obstructionist opposition and Senate the chances of taxation reform, industry development etc., are minimal.

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I would think the senate can only be obstructionist if the policy has been proposed and presented. I don't believe this has really happened.

I agree there's plenty of policy areas and aims that would be good for Australia, I just don't believe the current Govt has proposed any.