The Abbott Government

[CanOz]

The Global Warming debate has its own thread, please take any more discussion in that regard to the allocated thread.

 

[sydboy007]

That's a bit low, do you work for the ABC ?

How can you belittle a mans efforts fighting fires as a volunteer by bringing tax into it ?

Charity event or not a tax deduction is a tax deduction, Abbott contributes more than you I expect and wouldn't cheat on his taxes intentionally, he's too high profile and probably too honest.

Did I mention his fire fighting? Nope. I doubt he's made it an electoral business expense.

Not sure what your tax deduction argument is all about. Never claimed Abbott was cheating on his taxes.

Some politicians participate in charity events and pay their own way. Abbot has on many occasions smiled for the cameras and billed the tax payers for the privilege. I used to believe he was doing the charity events as something of his own personal contribution, but he didn't see it that way, otherwise why bill it as electoral business?

If you're happy for politicians to do charity events and bill it as "work" then maybe it needs to be like for radio and TV presenters where they declare it's a cash for comment, or in this case, electoral work for charity. That way the public can see the action for what it is - work or real charity. I dare say a lot of the general public would be quite happy to have all their expenses covered if they did some charity work, though not sure how an iron man contest is considered a charity event.

 

[wayneL]

Oh FFS Syd, our Tones is deserving of a few extra perks. In fact he deserves a medal, perhaps even a Nobel peace Prize... (well.... Obama got one before doing a godamm thing and Al Bore got one for producing mendacious propaganda).

 

[MrBurns]

Did I mention his fire fighting? Nope. I doubt he's made it an electoral business expense.

Yes you did you rode in with your comment on the tail of his firefighting efforts.

Not sure what your tax deduction argument is all about. Never claimed Abbott was cheating on his taxes.

You said he was wrongfully claiming expenses, same thing.

 

[Julia]

Did I mention his fire fighting? Nope. I doubt he's made it an electoral business expense.

For god's sake, syd, give it a rest. How would you go out there fighting fires most of the weekend?
Imo Mr Abbott is leading by example in terms of contributing to his local community, especially in a time of considerable need.
It seems paltry and especially nasty to me that you should, in these circumstances which are dreadful for so many, continue to deride Mr Abbott's contributions.

Your contribution here seems rather like that from Adam Bandt and Christine Milne: happy to sit in their inner city safety and hurl abuse. Maybe consider actually getting out there yourself and making a worthwhile contribution to your community instead of incessantly pulling down the efforts of others.

 

[IFocus]

Did I mention his fire fighting? Nope. I doubt he's made it an electoral business expense.

Not sure what your tax deduction argument is all about. Never claimed Abbott was cheating on his taxes.

Some politicians participate in charity events and pay their own way. Abbot has on many occasions smiled for the cameras and billed the tax payers for the privilege. I used to believe he was doing the charity events as something of his own personal contribution, but he didn't see it that way, otherwise why bill it as electoral business?

If you're happy for politicians to do charity events and bill it as "work" then maybe it needs to be like for radio and TV presenters where they declare it's a cash for comment, or in this case, electoral work for charity. That way the public can see the action for what it is - work or real charity. I dare say a lot of the general public would be quite happy to have all their expenses covered if they did some charity work, though not sure how an iron man contest is considered a charity event.

Abbott has rorted the system but is it for the better good or to further Abbotts ambitions? Still dare run a critique here and the spears start coming.

As for the fire fighting thing I live in a live fire zone my house has sprinklers on the roof two fire pumps with two fire water tanks etc.

Come a 40 degree + day and a strong north easterly all will go up in flames we get about 2 to 5 occasions of these conditions a year.

Would I want Abbott fighting fires in my area saving my house would it add value? I think for the vollies it would be a moral boost, for the full time fire fighters they would be cynical.

Fact is I would prefer politicians to be working on funding, equipping and coming up with real strategies on how we can cope with the fires and the fire starters.

 

[MrBurns]

Would I want Abbott fighting fires in my area saving my house would it add value? I think for the vollies it would be a moral boost, for the full time fire fighters they would be cynical.

No firefighter would be cynical of Abbott he has been a volunteer for many years.

 

[sails]

...Fact is I would prefer politicians to be working on funding, equipping and coming up with real strategies on how we can cope with the fires and the fire starters.

Well just maybe his experience as a firefighter for so many years will give him insight that he wouldn't get sitting in his plush office.

Bandt and Milne are happy to sit back and criticise. But what do they really know about the fires and what needs to be done to help protect life and property in the future?

Good on Abbott and shame on you lefties for trying to score political points while people are losing everything.

If a labor PM had done the same thing as Abbott, politics aside, I would commend them. How about giving a little credit where it is due? It seems you guys have learned nothing from the last six years and continue to bag Abbott no matter what he does. How did that work out for you guys in the last election?

 

[basilio]

The Global Warming debate has its own thread, please take any more discussion in that regard to the allocated thread.

Wasn't interested discussing global warming here. (Waste of time really ? )

Was interested in pointing out the perfidy of trying to pin the bushfire tragedy on the the only party that tries to take the issue seriously.

But did that go over everyones head ?


Bye

 

[basilio]

Fact is I would prefer politicians to be working on funding, equipping and coming up with real strategies on how we can cope with the fires and the fire starters.

Agree. Which is why we elected them in the first place and is their most important responsibility.

Nothing wrong (and quite praiseworthy) with TA doing voluntary fire fighting activities. But in the big picture he is elected to manage the country.

 

[basilio]

And lastly.

If we don't believe that gratuitous insults are good form on this forum why not simply cut them out of the discussion ?

They trash these conversations and poison the discussion.

 

[Logique]

The Victorian Greens and prescribed burning,
http://vic.greens.org.au/sites/vic.greens.org.au/files/policydownloads/Bushfires Policy rev3-w_0.pdf

The precautionary principle,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle
In other words, they are against it unless it can be proven it is not harmful to the environment.

Neat trick isn't it. Publicly support management burning, while working privately to undermine it.

Bushfires in the spring season are ecologically catastrophic. Plants are in flower, birds and mammals are breeding. It's been massively destructive over a large area of NSW.

 

[MrBurns]

Abbott has rorted the system but is it for the better good or to further Abbotts ambitions? Still dare run a critique here and the spears start coming.

As for the fire fighting thing I live in a live fire zone my house has sprinklers on the roof two fire pumps with two fire water tanks etc.

Come a 40 degree + day and a strong north easterly all will go up in flames we get about 2 to 5 occasions of these conditions a year.

Would I want Abbott fighting fires in my area saving my house would it add value? I think for the vollies it would be a moral boost, for the full time fire fighters they would be cynical.

Fact is I would prefer politicians to be working on funding, equipping and coming up with real strategies on how we can cope with the fires and the fire starters.

Ahh sydboy you poor misguided socialist bludger, if you had any sense you'd know better then to try to attack a man who is doing an unselfish public service, he's been a volunteer fire-fighter for at least as long as you have been reaping the benefits of what Liberal Govt's have provided for Australia while you criticize them from behind your latte'

Would do you good to go fight a fire yourself or move to a country where it's being run by the likes of your heros Rudd and Gillard, Afghanistan or North Korea see how you go then.

 

[Calliope]

Was interested in pointing out the perfidy of trying to pin the bushfire tragedy on the the only party that tries to take the issue seriously.

And I was interested in the perfidy of Adam Bandt trying to pin the blame for the current NSW bushfires and future bushfires on Tony Abbott. It's only natural that you would support your party's policies, but as yet no one has tried to blame Bandt's party for these fires. Moreover I don't think the eco-nuts hold the same sway in NSW as they did in Victoria in 2009, with disastrous results.

It will all come out in the wash.

 

[basilio]

Not trashing the Greens regarding the bushfires ?

Really calliope ? Is that why you quoted and bolded statments that wanted to see Greenies swinging from lamp posts ?

That is your way of not associating Greenies with bushfire disasters?

Give us a break. You mess your own nest on this discussion.

____________________________________________________________________________________

And just to quote someone who knows what he is talking about with regard to bushfires in Australia.

the former rural fire services commissioner Phil Koperberg says this kind of fire emergency in October is unprecedented.

"It's not the worst, but it is the earliest. We have never had this in October," Koperberg said. "This is a feature of slowly evolving climate. We have always had fires, but not of this nature, and not at this time of year, and not accompanied by the record-breaking heat we've had," he told the Australian

.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-bushfires-and-climate-change-if-not-now-when

 

[basilio]

It's interesting to see Tony Abbott fighting the bush fires.

I suggest it's a good metaphor for how his government will tackle climate change or any other pressing problem that may occur. No reflection of what the causes may be and no planning to limit problems in the future. They will just attempt to fire fight the immediate issue.

 

[wayneL]

As Canoz said basilio, there is a thread for you climate change evangelism.

Take it there and leave this thread for the purulent and putrid Abbott bashing in general, lest it goes off topic.

 

[waza1960]

Although a TA supporter I don't agree with him fighting fires while he is PM.
This is not to say that his volunteer work over the years is not to be commended just that
being a PM is a full time job and he should be totally focussed on that.
BTW what happens with his protection detail whilst he is fighting fires do they fight fires as well?

 

[basilio]

As Canoz said basilio, there is a thread for you climate change evangelism.

Take it there and leave this thread for the purulent and putrid Abbott bashing in general, lest it goes off topic.

Not off topic at all Wayne. Well certainly no more than the usual free wheeling range of conversations we have here.

Analyzing Tony Abbotts penchant for immediate action versus bigger picture analysis is a fair comment on how this government appears to be working. This is a thread to discuss The Abott Government. In what way is it out of line to discuss how the government approaches climate change policy ?

I also I see some glaring double standards in your comments. There is no way most posters stick to the nominal topics in these forums. But your very quick to have a stab at me if I connect the dots on climate change and how it will affect our future on any number of topics.

 

[McLovin]

Although a TA supporter I don't agree with him fighting fires while he is PM.
This is not to say that his volunteer work over the years is not to be commended just that
being a PM is a full time job and he should be totally focussed on that.
BTW what happens with his protection detail whilst he is fighting fires do they fight fires as well?

I think it was OK. It was a weekend, and fighting fires probably does a bit more to help the community than going to open a new Westfield.