The Abbott Government

[Whiskers]

But apart from the expenses "RORT", which you well know has taken palce on both sides of politics and of which the lefties want to keep stirring, what has Abbott done wrong in your eyes

Give the man a break...he has only been in office for about 52 days....what are you expecting FGS? ?

Yes, but he has a lifetime history in politics and never been the 'darling' of his own party let alone the public. Remember, he's always been considered the best of a bad bunch, for PM.

That ought to... referring to my earlier analogy... cause you to want to keep a close eye on him until he earns his stripes. I don't know if you've ever employed anyone, or let contracts, but an employer worth his salt always keeps tabs on new employees until they have demonstrated, not just said, they are a 'good' citizen, 'good' firey or 'good' PM etc.

What's that old saying about when the kids are quiet... you can bet they are up to mischief. Particularly relevant here.

Remember his history of kicking heads and doing deals all sorts of dubious deals in back rooms... not too unlike Shorten in that respect.

Think like a cattle or guard dog. They have more acute senses than humans and never forget bad vibes about animals/people so that when the same animal/person comes around again... they are not fooled by a cheap food reward or uttered reassurance of I'm a 'good' guy, trust me.

Like I said, I hope he does what he says. But, he's the best of a bad bunch so I know from experience, he will renege given half a chance. A good cattle/guard dog has good senses and doesn't give them half a chance to do as they like.

“when there's an elephant in the room, you can't pretend it isn't there and just discuss the ants. ”
― Ellen Wittlinger​

or for the indoctrinated...

Love, like a chicken salad or restaurant hash, must be taken with blind faith or it loses its flavour.
-- Helen Rowland​

I guess the epilogue goes something like... don't say you weren't warned, to look before you leap... not to believe everything that comes out of a politicians mouth.

 

[trainspotter]

Meanwhile back at the camp ......

Norman Ornstein, an author and political scientist with the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said he ''winced'' when he read the interview in which Mr Abbott put the boot into the Rudd-Gillard government in unusually strong language for a foreign interview.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ct-us-links-20131027-2w9lv.html#ixzz2jB2SXDSW

Spade is a spade in Tony's world ... about time we had a PM who called it like he sees it and not sugar coat the unpalatable message that was the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd catastrophe !

 

[sydboy007]

When it comes to rorting the taxpayer, the Coalition guys are rank amateurs and have no experience in covering their tracks. Most of the Labor parliamentarians are ex-union officials or lawyers. The are well trained in rorting their membership and employers and the taxpayer ultimately picks up the bill . They are not interested in a trifling few thousand bucks. They aim for hundreds of thousands or even millions in the cases of Bruce Wilson, Michael Williamson and Eddie Obeid and their Labor cronies.

Labor legitimised the brutal, thuggish standover tactics of the CFMEU through the FWA. What possible reason could they have for doing this? And why are they opposing Abbott's proposed bill to make these thugs answerable to the law? There could be only one reason...kickbacks.

You rabbit on a lot about discrimination against minorities and your monotonous diatribes against Abbott, but never a peep from you about your mob discriminating in favor of thugs.

And while your "Electricity Bill" Shorten may may rave on about Abbott's shortcomings on rort control, Abbott's credibility in morals and ethics leaves Shorten's credibility in the gutter.

So let me see if i understand your argument correctly.

Coalition MPs are caught with questionable expense claims because they're so honest they don't know how to hide their rorting? labor MPs are so good at rorting it's just too hard to find them? So the absence of proof is in itself proof of Labor rorting. You'd have done well at the Salem witch trials Caliope. If you don't drown / burn you're a witch, and if you do, well sorry but at least your soul was saved.

So new Rudd PM tells ministers to not use the VIP jet as a bus and...not a single MP uses the VIP jet as a bus.

Previous Howard Govt had the VIP jet flying half it's journeys empty and on many an occasion just 1 MP in it. Not wasteful at all from your perspective?

Union thuggery, like corporate corruption, can be dealt with in the courts. Federal politicians corruption seems to have no sanctions against it, unless your party so turns against you they somehow force the AFP to investigate.

I see the rorting issues highlighted as Abbott's first true test of leadership and he's failed dismally. It's up to Abbott to come up with a solution. He's heading the current Govt, but still acting like he's in opposition. Maybe uncle Rupert needs to give him some new directives???

 

[trainspotter]

So let me see if i understand your argument correctly.

Coalition MPs are caught with questionable expense claims because they're so honest they don't know how to hide their rorting? labor MPs are so good at rorting it's just too hard to find them? So the absence of proof is in itself proof of Labor rorting. You'd have done well at the Salem witch trials Caliope. If you don't drown / burn you're a witch, and if you do, well sorry but at least your soul was saved.

So new Rudd PM tells ministers to not use the VIP jet as a bus and...not a single MP uses the VIP jet as a bus.

Previous Howard Govt had the VIP jet flying half it's journeys empty and on many an occasion just 1 MP in it. Not wasteful at all from your perspective?

Union thuggery, like corporate corruption, can be dealt with in the courts. Federal politicians corruption seems to have no sanctions against it, unless your party so turns against you they somehow force the AFP to investigate.

I see the rorting issues highlighted as Abbott's first true test of leadership and he's failed dismally. It's up to Abbott to come up with a solution. He's heading the current Govt, but still acting like he's in opposition. Maybe uncle Rupert needs to give him some new directives???

Heard of this guy ... Craig Thomson the federal Labor MP for Dobell? Great guy ... trust him with my credit card? NOPE !

$2 million for VIP military plane flights compared to $2.45 billion on ceiling insulation, a third of which appear to be faulty or dangerous according to a review of almost 14,000 homes earlier this year, taxpayers will be forced to pay another $424 million, if not more, to sort out the dangerous mess.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opi...t-costly-lessons/story-e6frg71x-1225939909818

 

[sptrawler]

Heard of this guy ... Craig Thomson the federal Labor MP for Dobell? Great guy ... trust him with my credit card? NOPE !

$2 million for VIP military plane flights compared to $2.45 billion on ceiling insulation, a third of which appear to be faulty or dangerous according to a review of almost 14,000 homes earlier this year, taxpayers will be forced to pay another $424 million, if not more, to sort out the dangerous mess.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opi...t-costly-lessons/story-e6frg71x-1225939909818

Another interesting aspect, is the people who were running the home insulation businesses, from memory a lot of familiar names were in the paper when the sytem imploded.

 

[Calliope]

So let me see if i understand your argument correctly.

Of course you don't. You are away with the fairies.

labor MPs are so good at rorting it's just too hard to find them?

It's because your favourite leftie media...the ABC, SMH, The Age and the Guardian are not outing them of course.

The SMH says;

Reporters are continuing to examine numerous expense claims made by politicians on both sides of politics, but that doesn't mean you can't contribute also.
Email us what you find, and please include a link to the specifc report you are referring to, details of what you have found, and how you think it breaches the rules. We will look further into cases that appear to have merit.

They know very well that their readership is not going to dob in Labor rorters. The SMH may as well offer a bonus for each Coalition scalp.

 

[noco]

Of course you don't. You are away with the fairies.



It's because your favourite leftie media...the ABC, SMH, The Age and the Guardian are not outing them of course.

The SMH says;



They know very well that their readership is not going to dob in Labor rorters. The SMH may as well offer a bonus for each Coalition scalp.

Yes, the lefty media never talk about the Labor rorts.....What happened to Simon Crean and his expenses rort to fly to Bob Hawkes 80th birthday aparty...did Crean pay it back? ....and Rudds speacial flight to be interviewed by Annabel Crab just to get his face on TV.......and Gillards VIP flight to attend a foot ball match.

A bit one sided if you ask me.

I believe Abbott will bring it up during the next Parliamentry sitting...

 

[sptrawler]

Yes, the lefty media never talk about the Labor rorts.....What happened to Simon Crean and his expenses rort to fly to Bob Hawkes 80th birthday aparty...did Crean pay it back? ....and Rudds speacial flight to be interviewed by Annabel Crab just to get his face on TV.......and Gillards VIP flight to attend a foot ball match.

A bit one sided if you ask me.

I believe Abbott will bring it up during the next Parliamentry sitting...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't NSW Labor in a bit of poo, over rorting. Also it wasn't many years ago W.A Labor politicians were sent to prison for rorting.
It really should be sorted out, one wonders if the rorts aren't a major enticement for the candidates, which would be a sad situation.

 

[Whiskers]

I believe Abbott will bring it up during the next Parliamentry sitting...

I hope he does. He promised to cut the waste. I know we trusted a generalised slogan, but he made it a high commitment. He'd better not start picking and choosing what he considers waste.

He complained of some $900 cheques that were apparently still being sent so I'd expect him to be just as judicious with the travel and expense rules for both sides of politics.

 

[sydboy007]

Heard of this guy ... Craig Thomson the federal Labor MP for Dobell? Great guy ... trust him with my credit card? NOPE !

$2 million for VIP military plane flights compared to $2.45 billion on ceiling insulation, a third of which appear to be faulty or dangerous according to a review of almost 14,000 homes earlier this year, taxpayers will be forced to pay another $424 million, if not more, to sort out the dangerous mess.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opi...t-costly-lessons/story-e6frg71x-1225939909818

Yes. But it's a right wing conspiracy all the media attention on Thompson, similar to the left wing conspiracy on the travel rorts. No ssure what we call the attention on Slipper, since he's technically from the right, but it was the right that attacked him the most. Maybe he's one of the rare bipartisan agreements

Abbott's PPL is $5B a year, and DA is $3.2B over 7 years, so Abbott has plenty of wasteful spending planned.

 

[sydboy007]

Yes, the lefty media never talk about the Labor rorts.....What happened to Simon Crean and his expenses rort to fly to Bob Hawkes 80th birthday aparty...did Crean pay it back? ....and Rudds speacial flight to be interviewed by Annabel Crab just to get his face on TV.......and Gillards VIP flight to attend a foot ball match.

A bit one sided if you ask me.

I believe Abbott will bring it up during the next Parliamentry sitting...

So you're saying uncle Rupert isn't able to crowd source a review of Labor's travel expenses and catch them out too?

If you're going to criticise Gillard at the footy then what about your Tony? He's racked up a few trips there too.

What about Tony's iron man events to get his face in the newspapers and on TV? Paid for by...drum roll..you and me A.K.A the tax payer.

Both sides do it, no one disagrees. I just don't understand why Abbott has decided to act like an opposition follower rather than the Government Leader he's supposed to be

Factor in his rank hypocrisy with what he said about Slipper and his truly dreadful defence of Randall and his credibility is starting to be lost over the issue.

Minchin principal out. 100% fine for amounts < $2000, with anything above that sent to a public review committee that will refer the matter to the AFP if there's even a small hint of rorting behaviour. Far more detail for each claim to justify it. All expenses fully itemised and available for public download for free.

Between a financial penalty, and the prospect of a PUBLIC GRILLING and AFP involvement, I bet the travel expenses system will find plenty of savings.

Throw in Y travel for ALL domestic trips, study trips in J instead of F and only after submitting a detailed pre trip plan outlining what you will learn and why you can't learn it in Australia with your report peer reviewed by a member of a different political party where both are up for public viewing (hopefully no more wiki fact downloads for reports and no rubber stamping peer reviewing), and the great unwashed might finally start to believe our Dear Leaders are starting to leave the age of entitlement behind them.

 

[waza1960]

Minchin principal out. 100% fine for amounts < $2000, with anything above that sent to a public review committee that will refer the matter to the AFP if there's even a small hint of rorting behaviour. Far more detail for each claim to justify it. All expenses fully itemised and available for public download for free.

Between a financial penalty, and the prospect of a PUBLIC GRILLING and AFP involvement, I bet the travel expenses system will find plenty of savings

Some good suggestions there Syd +1

 

[Calliope]

I don't think it adds to your credibility syd, for you to use that grub Slipper as your yardstick. It borders on an obsession.:shake:

Factor in his rank hypocrisy with what he said about Slipper and his truly dreadful defence of Randall and his credibility is starting to be lost over the issue.

No ssure what we call the attention on Slipper, since he's technically from the right, but it was the right that attacked him the most.

Coming down as hard on the rorters in his team as he was with Slipper.

Perhaps you could answer these questions, on his behalf, which were put to him by our local newspaper - The Sunshine Coast Daily.

1. What was the parliamentary or electoral business that led you to spend more than $6000 of taxpayers' money on taxis during a 15-day period between July and early August in 2009 when parliament was in recess and neither of the committees of which you were a member held any meetings?

2. In January 2010, again when parliament was in recess you spent $10,000 on transport at the public's expense.
That transport included 38 taxi trips in just nine days including 18 in Canberra in three days at a cost of $1948.26. What were you doing to justify charging those costs to the commonwealth?

3. Why did you book and then cancel 123 airline tickets for yourself and family members in a single month?

4. On October 12, 2010, you ran up a taxi bill for $189 for a fare that started at Parliament House and ended at a Canberra restaurant and took two hours and 19 minutes to complete. What was the parliamentary or electoral business that required the journey?

5. On January 30, 2012, you claimed at a press conference that you had been cleared of any wrong doing by a Department of Finance and Deregulation investigation into your entitlement use. Will you table evidence to support that assertion?

6. Can you explain why you consider the current legal case against you in relation to your entitlement use is unjust as you have implied in recent media statements?

 

[Calliope]

The G-G, Quentin Bryce is setting the bench mark for rorting the taxpayer.

G-G spends $280k on lawyers, consultants

http://www.news.com.au/national/bre...yers-consultants/story-e6frfku9-1226750504328

 

[IFocus]

Jeez Syd,

If you keep this hyperventilation up until Labor are next in office, you'll be able to breathe comfortably at an altitude of 40,000 feet.

A word of warning though. If you wish to debate boat arrivals, there's a separate thread for that.

There is nothing to debate as hide the boats and now hide the NBN and just dont tell BTW you cannot interview any ministers and Abbott still cannot do hard interviews you're right its very quite.

 

[IFocus]

Yes. But it's a right wing conspiracy all the media attention on Thompson, similar to the left wing conspiracy on the travel rorts. No ssure what we call the attention on Slipper, since he's technically from the right, but it was the right that attacked him the most. Maybe he's one of the rare bipartisan agreements

Abbott's PPL is $5B a year, and DA is $3.2B over 7 years, so Abbott has plenty of wasteful spending planned.

You forgot Hockeys $8.8 bil banked under Labors debt to be refunded in divs to prop up future budgets, where is the indignation of the 300 mil a year in interest payments, total BS.

 

[IFocus]

Meanwhile back at the camp ......

Norman Ornstein, an author and political scientist with the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said he ''winced'' when he read the interview in which Mr Abbott put the boot into the Rudd-Gillard government in unusually strong language for a foreign interview.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ct-us-links-20131027-2w9lv.html#ixzz2jB2SXDSW

Spade is a spade in Tony's world ... about time we had a PM who called it like he sees it and not sugar coat the unpalatable message that was the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd catastrophe !

View attachment 55015

TS his comments were a disaster and immature like the Hunt interview they are rapidly making laughing stocks out Oz

 

[drsmith]

There is nothing to debate as hide the boats and now hide the NBN and just dont tell BTW you cannot interview any ministers and Abbott still cannot do hard interviews you're right its very quite.

It's quiet because they're stopping the boats Labor started and sorting out Labor's NBN fiasco.

In other words, they're running the country instead of failing at running themselves.

 

[Whiskers]

There is nothing to debate as hide the boats and now hide the NBN and just dont tell BTW you cannot interview any ministers and Abbott still cannot do hard interviews you're right its very quite.

That's a good point.

He needs to be more candid... not always talking in the future tense, such as judge me on what I do not what I say. The 'trust me' approach will only last so long before the electorate will demand to see something or deliver a kick in the guts that he can't afford, popularity wise.

While it's good to see he's not knee jerking into issues like fresh issues of live sheep trade cruelty, the controversial issues are building up and will overwhelm him if he does not start taking a more open and informative approach.

Palmer is now set to give Abbott and Newman a real pain in the @r$e in the Parliament over corrupt officials in government. On that front Palmer does not seem to be able to put a foot wrong so far with his complaints about the AEC in particular. He either knows a bit of what he's talking about or he's very prophetical.

Either way, it's probably more likely he'll continue to gain more support while he rants on about and continues to be proven correct about pretty poor security in the AEC and the integrity of the count.

Abbott had want to have something pretty good up his sleave if he hopes to steal the march back, because with Newman starting to shoot himself in the foot showing extreme right wing tendencies of the Qld LNP trying to dictate half-witted law to the Judiciary and Palmer yet to get fully wound up... and not to mention the possibility of a renewed WA senate election if those lost votes aren't found and favour Palmer.

The fact they have been lost is prima facie good grounds for someone to petition for a fresh WA senate election... or who knows, given Palmers tenacity could it lead to fresh elections all-round if negligence (of security of votes) and or misconduct by AEC is established.

Don't dismiss vote rigging in Aus as impossible. There are plenty of party and business lobby 'plants' or just 'overjealous' party supporters in the public service. What has always been conducted as a silent war behind closed doors by the duopoly of political heavy weights is looking likely to be either opened to the public or used as leverage behind closed doors for Palmer to get what he wants.

But, never forget... Palmer wants Abbotts job. That's the result of the 'falling out' that caused Palmer to go public in the first place.

So, to suggest as dr does that "they're running the country instead of failing at running themselves" would be wishful thinking. Just because you are not hearing any internal conflict and they close the door to try to stop people looking in doesn't equate to them 'running themselves' with any great degree of success... it just means they are not opening themselves up to scrutiny.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

It's quiet because they're stopping the boats Labor started and sorting out Labor's NBN fiasco.

In other words, they're running the country instead of failing at running themselves.

Agree doc,

Adults in charge, running our country, none of your ALP dysfunction on the taxpayer.

Mr.Abbott is a very good PM.

gg