The Abbott Government

[sydboy007]

Then there is the minority of us who don't forget the misery from high interest rates in the eighties caused by gross economic mismanagement during the late seventies. Us who don't forget how trade pacts negotiated by the ALP govt between our Asian neighbours were hijacked by the LNP because of overt racial bias and pro USA sentiment. Us who don't forget the troops sent to a war that had no foundation in Iraq. Us who don't forget the lies on election eve about babies overboard. The lies that economic management of selling public owned institutions (established by a nationalistic ALP) to pay down debt is good economic management, and now the cupboard is bare there is nothing else to sell so lets have a go at state assets.

We don't forgive or forget the "propaganda machine" that is News Corp and it's manipulation and exclusion of facts and fairness.

We don't forget how stupid and naïve this govt and the previous govt is/was. We want maturity of governance for Australians where we are allowed to be traditionally politically incorrect and allowed to have a go without all the fricken trade restrictions from govt red tape and permissions. That's really what we true blues want = to be left alone to make a quid and enjoy life don't you think?

Why is it the Abbott Govt is about the only one fully gungho on signing the TPP?

Why is it the Australian parliament is one of the few to not have actually seen the draft texts of the TPP. Even the Malaysia parliament has been read in. The only info that Australians have is what Edward Snowden has leaked. How is that a way to treat a democracy?

Now there's rumours that the USA wants further access for yankee beef into the country. Yeah, as if we want the risk of the odd mad cow entering the food chain here.

Will be very very interesting to see if the Nationals have the cajones to actually stand up for the rural voters they're supposed to represent, of it it will be just another rubber stamp on what the Liberals put in front of them.

Our best hope is the US senate continues to Kibosh Obahma's fast track approval which would hold up the TPP well into the presidential race and pretty much kill it off for a couple of years - at least.

Considering we know how well the AUS US FTA has been for the country, with PBS costs over $200M higher every year and the trade deficit with the USA ballooning, surely the Libs don't need to bend the country over yet again fro another good rogering via a dud (mis)managed trade deal???

 

[explod]

Tisme and Sydboy, for recent posts.

Some of us older codgers just cannot believe the way of Guvmint today. And probably why we do not post much, we are aghast.

Just listening to the enquiry into abuse of youngsters by the Catholic Church in the 80s covering Ballarat today. The Bishop and Police knew but turned a blind eye five years prior to the greater abuse that led to multiple suicides.

The youngsters, stired up by Liberal propoganda to defy (as youngsters do) and returning from overseas as they now see their error. I have no doubt these kids would not have involved themselves if Governments had the sense to not flood the news with this rubbish. Let them come home, they are just full of juvinile beans.

And our best trading partner now, China being slapped in the face by allowing the US to upgrade its arsenal in Darwin. Chineses buying farms and helping to hold the property market up, top officials out here playing golf. What's going on.

And boat people drowning at sea and no one gives a fiddlers. The give 300 of them 500 acres, food for 6 months then they have to feed and look after themselves (chooks and vegitables) water of course and I betbin 2 years they would be selling excess.

We are in such dreamland now that no one can see the way to help each other and our fellows.

CCuumoorn noco, where are the jobs actually coming from. 6th prompt.

 

[noco]

Tisme and Sydboy, for recent posts.


CCuumoorn noco, where are the jobs actually coming from. 6th prompt.

Have patience dear Liza, have patience...They are on the way.

But I would not depend on the Queensland government...They are destroying jobs.

 

[explod]

What is on the way noco, is it somesort of trade or security secret.

We are just talking about jobs, and if pointed the right way with some government investment they would reduce the deficit.

Noco, the jobs, 7th prompt??

 

[trainspotter]

Bit early to be hitting the sauce bottle plod?

Where are the jobs coming from ....... Hmmmmmmmmmm let's think about that now shall we

The government has placed an emphasis on the creation of jobs in Australia. A big part of this is the announcement that small businesses will get an immediate 100 per cent tax write off for assets costing less than $20,000, as well as the reduction of tax for small business owners - those with annual turnover under $2 million. This will allow startups and SMEs to stimulate jobs growth, as they can improve their cash flow and create new employment opportunities.

The SME sector is the biggest employer in Australia and offers significant potential for innovation and the creation of new jobs and industries in the coming years. The stimulation package that has been announced is likely to have a positive impact on jobs by freeing up cash flow to enable these businesses to grow and invest in their future.

In addition to this, the treasurer has announced the Australian Infrastructure Facility, will 'unleash our nation’s potential'. With $5 billion available for concessional loans for infrastructure in the north of the country, as well as $101.3 million in funding over four years to improve road infrastructure for cattle supply chains, these investments in the North will create jobs. More importantly, it will create an infrastructure that will enhance Australia's capability to interact with Asia and maximise the job potential the free trade agreements have created.

http://www.randstad.com.au/workforce360/articles/2015-federal-budget-the-good-and-bad-for-jobs

Now that would be the government pointing in the right way for you ?

*hiccup*

 

[explod]

Rabbit was at Longreach last week, the country for grazing was stuffed in the late 60's eaten out and conitinual droughts to this day means they are throwing good money after bad just to appease a strong CP Lib support populace there.

Housing is on the verge of a huge collapse and Tradies in outer ares are just not able to get enough work to make ends meet. Out of work car industry and mine workers with slumped shoulders everywhere. The figures not fully reflective yet but its clear why suicide and ice use is on the rise.

I am involved in voluntary work among underprivileged and regardless of Rabbit's incentives they are not getting thier heads round the big picture. In fact if you have not lived on the other side of the tracks you cannot understand and as I am beginning to appreciate, if you are ok Jack then you do not give a fig either.

 

[sptrawler]

Rabbit was at Longreach last week, the country for grazing was stuffed in the late 60's eaten out and conitinual droughts to this day means they are throwing good money after bad just to appease a strong CP Lib support populace there.

Housing is on the verge of a huge collapse and Tradies in outer ares are just not able to get enough work to make ends meet. Out of work car industry and mine workers with slumped shoulders everywhere. The figures not fully reflective yet but its clear why suicide and ice use is on the rise.

I am involved in voluntary work among underprivileged and regardless of Rabbit's incentives they are not getting thier heads round the big picture. In fact if you have not lived on the other side of the tracks you cannot understand and as I am beginning to appreciate, if you are ok Jack then you do not give a fig either.

Just how many jobs do you think were lost with the dumb carbon tax?
Remember that tax? you know the one Qantas nearly went broke, $300million loss $100million carbon tax, lots of job losses. lol memory lapse or what?

Now you have the audacity to talk about miners with slumped shoulders, after your dumb mining tax, get a grip of reality. Jeez

 

[trainspotter]

I googled "Tony Abbott is the devil" for you plod because Tony Abbott stopped the rain in Longreach in the 60's, caused the housing boom in Melbourne and Sydney ... no wait ... it is on the verge of a "huge collapse" according to plod, Tradies out of work in the outer areas (mebbe they should't have charged so much in the first place ) and of course it was his fault that Ford, Toyota and Holden (GM badge from USA) decided to leave the country because he came to power (elected by the people) read this plod for more info on the car industry http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-new...y-once-the-factories-close-29726#.VVsZ_bmqqko and WHY it has left our shores AND FINALLY he has caused the iron ore prices to drop GLOBALLY !!!!!!!

Explaining Wood Mackenzie's short-term outlook in more detail Mr Emslie says: "Iron ore prices may be languishing at their lowest level for nearly six years, but it remains difficult to make a positive case for prices in the short term. Chinese steel mills have cut production in recent weeks due to a combination of weak demand and planned maintenance and this is feeding through directly to iron ore requirements. With the Lunar New Year holidays just a few weeks away Chinese steel production will get worse before it gets better. Steel mills will not re-stock in a falling or stagnant market and when they do there should be plenty of slack in the system, as shown by the high level of inventory held at Chinese mines. Outside of China the picture is similarly uninspiring due to a combination of seasonal and structural factors. Other than the Middle East and India none of the major iron ore importers have shown any meaningful improvement in demand, a situation that is unlikely to change in the short term."

http://www.woodmac.com/public/media-centre/12526191

Yep you are right plod ... he is the Devil.

 

[noco]

Just how many jobs do you think were lost with the dumb carbon tax?
Remember that tax? you know the one Qantas nearly went broke, $300million loss $100million carbon tax, lots of job losses. lol memory lapse or what?

Now you have the audacity to talk about miners with slumped shoulders, after your dumb mining tax, get a grip of reality. Jeez

SP, I think you are wasting your time responding to Plod.....When there is a reduction in unemployment he either won't be satisfied or will try to give credit to his Labor union comrades.

Plod would sooner blame the Abbott government for the demise of the car industry and lots of other manufactures who have either gone broke or shifted their business overseas rather than blame his union comrades for their outlandish demands over the past 60 years....

Plod you should be redirecting your questions on jobs to the Queensland and Victorian governments who have not only destroyed jobs in their respective states but they have not created any.....Palaszczuk won't have an infrastructure plan for another 12 months...So please ask her what happens in the meantime....She has gone to sleep at the wheel.

NB. Plod's disrespect for our Prime Minister is appalling and shows the hatred he has for Tony Abbott.

 

[explod]

Just how many jobs do you think were lost with the dumb carbon tax?
Remember that tax? you know the one Qantas nearly went broke, $300million loss $100million carbon tax, lots of job losses. lol memory lapse or what?

Now you have the audacity to talk about miners with slumped shoulders, after your dumb mining tax, get a grip of reality. Jeez

Not at all, mistakes were made and not saying the current demise is that of the present Government. Most has occurred due to world financial change, cheaper labour overseas, robotics, computer sales. The world is changing very fast and Governments need to be ahead of it. The inner governmental research abilities have gone, now input is outsourced and that input has its own vested interest. Like some of the offshore retraining programmes with thier offices most often located next to Centre_link offices, training people for jobs that do not exist but collecting fat payments from taxpayers. We were vastly better off with TAFF colleges, only talkingto an ex teacher on such aspects today.

I know who needs to get a grip. The Government and its suporters here need to move on from the past and the blame game to come up WITH REAL ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE. Or they will be soon be seen to be as bad if not worse than the last mob. People forget quickly and as times are deteriorating will punish those in the chair come next election.

Cummooorn, where are the ideas for actual work ideas. Get rid of overseas ownership of primary industry, stop exporting livestock will rejuvenate countless country towns and cummunities and reduce the dole payments very substantially. Compared to what farmers recieve there are huge profits being made on meat by the middle men. And I could go on.

 

[noco]

Not at all, mistakes were made and not saying the current demise is that of the present Government. Most has occurred due to world financial change, cheaper labour overseas, robotics, computer sales. The world is changing very fast and Governments need to be ahead of it. The inner governmental research abilities have gone, now input is outsourced and that input has its own vested interest. Like some of the offshore retraining programmes with thier offices most often located next to Centre_link offices, training people for jobs that do not exist but collecting fat payments from taxpayers. We were vastly better off with TAFF colleges, only talkingto an ex teacher on such aspects today.

I know who needs to get a grip. The Government and its suporters here need to move on from the past and the blame game to come up WITH REAL ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE. Or they will be soon be seen to be as bad if not worse than the last mob. People forget quickly and as times are deteriorating will punish those in the chair come next election.

Cummooorn, where are the ideas for actual work ideas. Get rid of overseas ownership of primary industry, stop exporting livestock will rejuvenate countless country towns and cummunities and reduce the dole payments very substantially. Compared to what farmers recieve there are huge profits being made on meat by the middle men. And I could go on.

The Abbott Government have come up with alternatives and savings, even $6 billion of Labor's saving which they refuse to pass in the senate.
The Green/Labor left wing socialist coalition are hell bent on destroying the government and this great nation of ours......If they had any respect for the welfare of Australia, they would do the right thing and stop holding up some $30 billion in savings the government want the senate to approve.

 

[Tisme]

Well one thing I have to applaud with the latest budget is the try before you buy with 4 weeks work experience to dole recipients, free to employers. I think we came up with that one a while back (I think we suggested a little longer) so that's another thumbs up for ASF.

Now if Tony and the rest can stop playing the blame game and get on with the job we might get back into nation building mode. He and his cohorts need to understand that the ALP spend was readily accepted by just about any citizen that was eligible..... I would have too if I had been allowed ... greed is good.

 

[sydboy007]

Just how many jobs do you think were lost with the dumb carbon tax?
Remember that tax? you know the one Qantas nearly went broke, $300million loss $100million carbon tax, lots of job losses. lol memory lapse or what?

Now you have the audacity to talk about miners with slumped shoulders, after your dumb mining tax, get a grip of reality. Jeez

Do you have any figures? Qantas went through a cyclical bad patch brought about by it's insistence to keep the 65% line in the sand capacity on the domestic market. So for every seat Virgin added QF had to add 2. Now look at the profitability as the 2 airlines have reached a gentlemans understanding and adding capacity far more in line with demand growth, along with the plunge in oil prices. You're trying to pull an Abbott pensioner bill doubling hoodwink on us.

I know Abbott tried to link the carbon tax to closures, but not one company ever mentioned the tax as a reason. I'm still waiting for BHP to start the olympic dam expansion that Abbott pretty mch promised would occur with the resource tax and carbon tax killed. How's that going? Why isn't my electricity bill falling? Why is my gas bill more expensive after the carbon tax was removed? Wouldn't a gas reservation policy have more hope of helping local manufactures, just like the USA has, rather than allowing every molecule of gas to be hoovered up and sold offshore unless we're willing to pay export parity prices?

How many jobs have been lost due to the stalled renewable energy investments? The gutted RET will see something like $6B less invested by 2020. It seems likely the only way the Govt meets it's 5% reduction target is by seeing local manufacturing decimated.

But that's all good, as we keep the coal mines digging, the coal fired power stations burning, all while leaving the profits in the private sector but the real health costs borne by the individuals affected and tax payers footing a large chunk of the bill.

 

[sydboy007]

OMG. I am surprised to be saying this, but Hockey has surprised me in a good way. Now if he could make similar good policy moves on NG, super tax concessions, affordable housing he might have a chance to build a better Australia.

Hockey's supporting South Australia in moving towards a broadly based land tax. Now if he could cajole the other states into similar policy moves. Stamp duty is far to pro cyclical. Provides the states wth a lot of funding in the good years, but when things slow down the states find themselves facing some lean times.

As Hockey would know, well if he's read his own tax white paper - http://bettertax.gov.au/files/2015/03/TWP_combined-online.pdf

Stamp duties are some of the most inefficient taxes levied in Australia… they are levied selectively on activities or products and are taxed on the total transaction value, rather than the ‘value added’ component. Such transaction taxes are more likely to discourage turnover of taxed goods, as taxpayers attempt to reduce or avoid paying the tax…

Because revenue growth is driven by property prices and numbers of transactions, stamp duties on conveyances are a highly volatile tax, with revenue collected from stamp duties on conveyances fluctuating by over 50 per cent in previous years. Stamp duties on conveyances add to the costs of buying and selling property and can discourage businesses from undertaking productivity enhancing purchases of existing land and capital. The outcome can be retention of land for relatively unproductive purposes…

Stamp duties also impact on consumers by increasing the cost of buying and selling houses. As house prices increase over time, unadjusted progressive tax rates also increase the tax burden associated with stamp duty. For example, the burden of stamp duty on a median-priced house in Melbourne has almost doubled over the past 20 years ”” from 2.67 per cent of the sale price in 1988 to 5.16 per cent in 2011.

This clearly adds to transaction costs and contributes to Australia’s high (by international standards) costs of moving. These costs can discourage householders from moving to housing that best suits their needs and can be an important barrier to labour mobility. A number of reviews have found that, by dampening the number of house sales, stamp duties can also add to commuting times.183 Stamp duty can also be inequitable ”” those who move more frequently face higher costs than those who move less frequently, even if their circumstances are otherwise similar…

Modelling also suggests that broad-based land taxes, such as municipal rates, have a low economic cost (Chart 2.9). This is because land is immobile (unlike other capital) and cannot be moved or varied to avoid tax. The model applies this assumption to both domestic and foreign ownership of land. Land taxes paid by foreign and domestic landowners are only redistributed to the domestic households, providing a benefit to Australian households and generating a negative marginal excess burden for a broad-based land tax shown in the chart.

 

[SirRumpole]

Just how many jobs do you think were lost with the dumb carbon tax?
Remember that tax?

Yes, and I also remember one called fuel excise indexation that Abbot wants to bring back that was knocked back by the Senate.

 

[Tink]

The surprise findings of who's backing who in the colourful Senate chamber

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...colourful-senate-chamber-20150521-gh6bj9.html

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/feral_greens/

 

[sptrawler]

Not at all, mistakes were made and not saying the current demise is that of the present Government. Most has occurred due to world financial change, cheaper labour overseas, robotics, computer sales. The world is changing very fast and Governments need to be ahead of it. The inner governmental research abilities have gone, now input is outsourced and that input has its own vested interest. Like some of the offshore retraining programmes with thier offices most often located next to Centre_link offices, training people for jobs that do not exist but collecting fat payments from taxpayers. We were vastly better off with TAFF colleges, only talkingto an ex teacher on such aspects today.

I know who needs to get a grip. The Government and its suporters here need to move on from the past and the blame game to come up WITH REAL ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE. Or they will be soon be seen to be as bad if not worse than the last mob. People forget quickly and as times are deteriorating will punish those in the chair come next election.

Cummooorn, where are the ideas for actual work ideas. Get rid of overseas ownership of primary industry, stop exporting livestock will rejuvenate countless country towns and cummunities and reduce the dole payments very substantially. Compared to what farmers recieve there are huge profits being made on meat by the middle men. And I could go on.

The first thing to do is to put a brake on accelerating debt, then spend to create jobs.
Apparently Bill is talking promises costing a further $40b, if they don't create jobs, deeper $hit.
I don't now how you run your budget, but you would go broke, if you were self funded with that outlook.

 

[explod]

The first thing to do is to put a brake on accelerating debt, then spend to create jobs.
Apparently Bill is talking promises costing a further $40b, if they don't create jobs, deeper $hit.
I don't now how you run your budget, but you would go broke, if you were self funded with that outlook.

Increasing debt, yes, a lot due to decreasing revenue from mining.

However this banging on and noise about debt is norrowing the minds from the bigger picture. Home investors think nothing of only 10% equity. In 1948 just after the war Australia's debt to GDP was 140%, today it is only 30%.

So how about some reality, stop exporting livestock and process ourselves, develope some of the amazing medical innovations from our universities instead of US companies taking them over. And I could go on and on at what we could do. In fact post 2nd WW the Liberal Government did amazing things.

Lets get off our ar..es and do something instead of winging with head in the sand as this current guvinmint is doing.

 

[IFocus]

Always a relief to see who is running this country...........hint not the Coalition but their masters

How a non-existent inquiry hurt Twiggy and Abbott

Both Tony Abbott and Twiggy Forrest have come out of this failed push for an iron ore inquiry looking a little dishevelled. Perhaps it's time to remember the adage: when you're in a hole, stop digging. Peter Ryan writes.

After a week of spin, broadsides and dummy spits, you get the impression that Andrew Forrest always knew his tilt for an inquiry into the iron ore industry was a 50-50 chance at best.

So after being knocked back in a terse two-paragraph statement from Treasurer Joe Hockey late yesterday, it should be no surprise that the Fortescue Metals chairman has championed the very public rejection as a small victory for democracy.

While Mr Hockey says the Federal Government will not entertain an inquiry "at this time", Mr Forrest is convinced ordinary Australians are better off because he has taken on the might of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto in accusing them of manipulating the iron ore price.

"The cat is out of the bag. The Australian people know they can ask the questions. They should be asking the questions. They should be expecting the answers. So eventually this will all come out and I'm looking forward to that day," Mr Forrest told me on AM the morning after the night before.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-22/ryan-how-a-non-existent-inquiry-hurt-twiggy-and-abbott/6490144

 

[SirRumpole]

Now you have the audacity to talk about miners with slumped shoulders, after your dumb mining tax, get a grip of reality. Jeez

There were two dumb things about the mining tax

1> They spent it before they got it

2> They let the mining companies off easy, they should have gone in a lot harder.

People don't seem to realise that we have had an oil and gas RRT for decades and investment in gas is this country is booming.

Non renewable resources are always going to be in demand. Sure there are other countries that mine minerals but there is also a lot of demand. If we don't make the most of our resources before they disappear then we are fools. Which is a pretty good description of the current government.