The Abbott Government

[SirRumpole]

I thought the adults in charge was supposed to give the consumer a bit of pep in their step?

This definitely doesn't bode well for consumption propping up economic growth going forward

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sample size is 26000.

The government makes a big noise about small business packages increasing business confidence, but it will do no good unless the consumers are willing to open their pockets and start buying, and that doesn't look likely to happen anytime soon.

 

[sydboy007]

The government makes a big noise about small business packages increasing business confidence, but it will do no good unless the consumers are willing to open their pockets and start buying, and that doesn't look likely to happen anytime soon.

Yes, blow out the trade deficit in the interest of kicking the can a bit further.

Funny how no one mentions the ATO targeting Tony's tradies for roughly $2.3B in tax.

Hundreds of thousands of building industry contractors who may have dodged their GST or income-tax obligations have been hit with $2.3 billion in tax bills.

But there could be billions more outstanding, as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) continues data matching information reported to it to identify operators in the cash economy.

A reporting system was introduced in 2012-13 that requires businesses in the building and construction industry to report payments they make to contractors.

The ATO had so far contacted about 250,000 contractors. As a result it has identified income tax and GST liabilities of $2.3 billion for 2012-13.

They may find the new holden / ford ute with the full bling bling may have to wait as they pay their fair share of tax.

 

[sydboy007]

Little in the way of agricultural access to the USA market. Now it seems the TPP will be blocking further access to generics, making the situation post US FTA even worse as we have the cost of the PBS some $200M a year higher due to increased patent terms.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbrinkley/2015/07/07/tpp-still-has-a-long-way-to-go/

The governments of several TPP countries are incensed at the U.S. government’s insistence on protecting American drug patents against encroachment by generics. They say the Obama administration is putting the profits of the American pharmaceutical industry ahead of the protection of public health – a claim that’s hard to refute.

Politico reported last week that a leaked copy of the TPP’s intellectual property chapter included a provision restricting foreign governments’ rights to approve generic drugs that copy American brands. According to Politico, the provision would allow American pharmaceutical companies to claim patent infringement at the drop of a hat.

U.S. patent law allows for copies of all manner of patented consumer products – watches, musical instruments, computer software and many others – under certain circumstances, with one exception: prescription drugs. Now, the Obama administration is trying to force that regime on the 11 other TPP countries…

The pharmaceutical industry says rigid enforcement of its patents is necessary to recoup the high cost of developing new drugs and getting them through the government-approval process. But they spend more on 60-second TV commercials and lavishing doctors with money and largesse than on R&D.

This is what DFAt had to say last month

The Government is negotiating intellectual property provisions in the TPP within the framework of Australia’s existing laws and policies and does not support any proposals that would require changes to Australia’s current intellectual property arrangements, including our copyright and enforcement regimes…

The Government has stated clearly that it will not accept an outcome in the TPP which adversely affects the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or our health system more generally, or an outcome that increases the price of medicines for Australians.

Does anyone believe that the Govt would walk away from the TPP even though it's not going to benefit farmers and will increase the cost of pharmaceuticals and music / movies / software??

 

[luutzu]

Little in the way of agricultural access to the USA market. Now it seems the TPP will be blocking further access to generics, making the situation post US FTA even worse as we have the cost of the PBS some $200M a year higher due to increased patent terms.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbrinkley/2015/07/07/tpp-still-has-a-long-way-to-go/



This is what DFAt had to say last month



Does anyone believe that the Govt would walk away from the TPP even though it's not going to benefit farmers and will increase the cost of pharmaceuticals and music / movies / software??

Heard from one of Joe Stiglitz's lectures that Big Pharma managed to push through one line of restriction in some bill that forbid the US gov't, yea, forbid the US gov't, from negotiating drug prices with them.

So the largest buyer of drugs cannot use its purchasing power to negotiate for a better deal, something you and I could do when we buy two of anything.

That one line costs US taxpayers $1 Trillion over 10 years. With a T.


I wouldn't be surprised if that same line will be pushed into the TPP somewhere. That and extending their patent by a further 15 years on top of the current 20 - for innovation of course.


But of course we got other more important topic to talk about, like what's up with Q&A and whose side is the ABC on.

 

[sptrawler]

Yes, blow out the trade deficit in the interest of kicking the can a bit further.

Funny how no one mentions the ATO targeting Tony's tradies for roughly $2.3B in tax.



They may find the new holden / ford ute with the full bling bling may have to wait as they pay their fair share of tax.

I wonder if that is a result of the stimulus incentive, where small business could write off a vehicle, up to $50k or something like that ?

When Labor were in office.

It was a bit of a rope the dope carrot.

 

[sydboy007]

I wonder if that is a result of the stimulus incentive, where small business could write off a vehicle, up to $50k or something like that ?

When Labor were in office.

It was a bit of a rope the dope carrot.

Not sure what you're talking about.

I do remember Labor had a slightly less generous version of instant tax writeoff to what Hockey has launched

Small businesses with less than $2 million in turnover were able to write off each business asset, including laptops and office furniture, costing under $6500.

That was back in the 2012-13 tax year iirc.

I'd say it's just generally due to the fact the construction industry has been full of tax cheats for a very long time and it's only recently the ATO has started to collect the information required to force those who wont play by the rules to pay the appropriate amount of tax.

 

[sptrawler]

Not sure what you're talking about.

I do remember Labor had a slightly less generous version of instant tax writeoff to what Hockey has launched

Small businesses with less than $2 million in turnover were able to write off each business asset, including laptops and office furniture, costing under $6500.

That was back in the 2012-13 tax year iirc.

I'd say it's just generally due to the fact the construction industry has been full of tax cheats for a very long time and it's only recently the ATO has started to collect the information required to force those who wont play by the rules to pay the appropriate amount of tax.

It is certainly interesting especially with the amount they are talking about. They must have sprung a lot of tradies.

The incentive vehicle tax write off I think may have been this one.

http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliam...ary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201112/CarTax

A lot of tradies bought the ss utes and 4x4's. I actually thought it was a bit earlier, because the guy over the road jumped in, couldn't wait to show off the new 4x4.

Alarm bell rang in my head when I saw it, one minute he was screaming poor, next minute he is making enough to make it worthwhile to buy a car for a tax write off. Weird

 

[Tisme]

It is certainly interesting especially with the amount they are talking about. They must have sprung a lot of tradies.

The incentive vehicle tax write off I think may have been this one.

http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliam...ary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201112/CarTax

A lot of tradies bought the ss utes and 4x4's. I actually thought it was a bit earlier, because the guy over the road jumped in, couldn't wait to show off the new 4x4.

Alarm bell rang in my head when I saw it, one minute he was screaming poor, next minute he is making enough to make it worthwhile to buy a car for a tax write off. Weird

Yes that was my immediate thought ... a Trojan horse that roots out tax evasion

 

[IFocus]

What a extraordinary bad government Abbott is leading.

Budget emergency..........remember, how can debt double yet its no longer issue.

How is it Abbott standing in front of a zillion flags and says the baddy's are coming to get each and every one of us and we need a new force in fancy uniforms and further loss of freedoms. (Turnbul made a mockery of this)

Is this done to protect us....no its because Abbott believes it will influence polling and save his neck what a shocker.

So how come 2 women die every week from domestic violence and the minister for women (is it still Abbott?) is silent?

How is it Abbott runs grubby royal commissions against his political opponents with commissioners prejudiced proceedings wasting money yet allows the mafia to flourish and gain political influence in this country?

How is it Abbott and his agriculture minister allows coal mining over a significant farm land water table?

What a bunch of losers only reason they continue to govern is because of an inept and ineffectual opposition.

 

[Tisme]

I must admit even the stony faced inquisitor having a go at Billy isn't enough for me to take the commission seriously as anything but yet another an attack on Labor at our expense.

You'd think the Obeid inquiry would have put the LNP off having them, as it seems the LNP do pretty much the same or worse things when it comes to finagling.

Anyway I hope they pursue the building and construction companies through the courts for breaking the law and they should be made to pay heavy fines for their complicity ....if any of it's true, which it probably is given the industry has been doing deals for like ever.

 

[SirRumpole]

I must admit even the stony faced inquisitor having a go at Billy isn't enough for me to take the commission seriously as anything but yet another an attack on Labor at our expense.

:

Now there is a novel thought !

 

[sydboy007]

while I don't think getting a company to pay for your staff is a good idea, there seems to be relative acceptance by the LNP of the below shuffling between interest groups and government staff. How can one argue there's no influence on Govt policy from this?

there doesn't seem to be any problem with a LNP Govt providing a free casino license to packer in NSW, estimated to be worth around $1B if it had been auctioned.

There also doesn't seem to be any issue with the LNP buddying up with AGL on providing a Govt stamp of approval for AGL pensioner accounts. Once again no tender or consulting with competitors was done.

Hockey doesn't seem to believe that selling membership to the North Sydney Forum and providing privileged access to himself and treasury officials in any way compromises himself. We also don't have a right to know who's been getting that privileged access. If you're ponying up $22K one has to wonder what the expectations are. At a minimum certain points of view are more likely to be heard than from those who can't afford to buy their way into meetings.

Yup, Labor does similar activities. Does that make it right, or does it just show how corrupted our political system is?

 

[SirRumpole]

Yup, Labor does similar activities. Does that make it right, or does it just show how corrupted our political system is?

The second of those.

The advent of the Internet allows political parties to communicate with the public at a much cheaper rate. There is much less requirement for high cost blanket advertising which should be banned anyway. Parties can maintain their web sites and if people want to know their policies, they can access the party website.

Funding for election expenses, up to a cap, should come from the taxpayer or membership fees and donations (maximum $500 per member per year), with other donations from corporates (including unions) and individuals illegal.

This is the only way we can get credibility back into the political system.

 

[sydboy007]

lambie ranting, but for once actually makes a bit of sense. What is the point of the nationals being a member og the Govt when they seem to have no voice

[video=youtube_share;xNgLQmuGK-c]http://youtu.be/xNgLQmuGK-c[/video]

 

[SirRumpole]

lambie ranting, but for once actually makes a bit of sense. What is the point of the nationals being a member og the Govt when they seem to have no voice

[video=youtube_share;xNgLQmuGK-c]http://youtu.be/xNgLQmuGK-c[/video]

Onya Jacquie !

Very clever (surprisingly) and very pertinent.

 

[noco]

Onya Jacquie !

Very clever (surprisingly) and very pertinent.

Lambie is making out that the agriculture land will be forfeited for a coal mine..

The coal mine is in territory not used and cannot be used for agriculture purposes....The mine will only be using 1% of the underground water.......

Where is the conflict?......The farmer is happy as he will receive heaps of dough.

A big beat up by the loonie left and Barnby Joyce and now Tony Windsor wants to get into the act to enhance his bid for reentry into the political scene....Lets not forget Tony Windsor sold his farm to mining interests.

 

[SirRumpole]

Lambie is making out that the agriculture land will be forfeited for a coal mine..

The coal mine is in territory not used and cannot be used for agriculture purposes....The mine will only be using 1% of the underground water.......

Where is the conflict?......The farmer is happy as he will receive heaps of dough.

A big beat up by the loonie left and Barnby Joyce and now Tony Windsor wants to get into the act to enhance his bid for reentry into the political scene....Lets not forget Tony Windsor sold his farm to mining interests.

I see at least two conflicts:-

1. The rights of property owners to say how their properties are used

I don't know if the property owner has given his consent, but if he hasn't then its his land and if he says NO, then that should be end of story. I would have thought that only Commo's and Fabians would support compulsory seizure of land.

2. Potential contamination of a common asset, ie the groundwater system

This is a serious issue and unless there is some way it CAN'T happen, there is no reason to suppose it won't.

 

[sydboy007]

Lambie is making out that the agriculture land will be forfeited for a coal mine..

The coal mine is in territory not used and cannot be used for agriculture purposes....The mine will only be using 1% of the underground water.......

Where is the conflict?......The farmer is happy as he will receive heaps of dough.

A big beat up by the loonie left and Barnby Joyce and now Tony Windsor wants to get into the act to enhance his bid for reentry into the political scene....Lets not forget Tony Windsor sold his farm to mining interests.

So you support a communist controlled company building a new mine at a cost that's unlikely to be economic to bring further supply into a market that already has tens of millions of tonnes in excess capacity. Interesting.

So you're 100% certain that the mine will in no way endanger the groundwater in the area?

You consider Alan Jones part of the conspiracy as well? Farmers in the area opposed to the mine are also part of the loonie left?

Considering how CSG companies have provided numerous guarantees and then been found to try and hide water contamination, or at best being very tardy in alerting the authorities, forgive me for being a bit sceptical.

Funny how a wind turbine within 3KM of a house is a site for sore eyes to the Govt, but a massive coal mine that close to the town of Breeza is good for humanity.

The coal mine is quite large.

 

[noco]

I see at least two conflicts:-

1. The rights of property owners to say how their properties are used

I don't know if the property owner has given his consent, but if he hasn't then its his land and if he says NO, then that should be end of story. I would have thought that only Commo's and Fabians would support compulsory seizure of land.

2. Potential contamination of a common asset, ie the groundwater system

This is a serious issue and unless there is some way it CAN'T happen, there is no reason to suppose it won't.

I believe the owner has consented and received monies in return.

I also believe a strict environmental study has been carried out.

So ask again....where is the conflict?

 

[SirRumpole]

I also believe a strict environmental study has been carried out.

Strict in your eyes may not be strict enough if the powers that be want the mine to go ahead regardless of what any environmental study says.