The Abbott Government

[drsmith]

Back Flip with triple pike, The Liberals Education Lie.

Labor gave them the opportunity with their budgetary gymnastics and I'm glad they took it. The Gonski deals negotiated with individual states were almost as badly compromised relative to each other as where Labor stood on border protection.

A watering down of the NDIS I suspect won't be too far behind.

 

[drsmith]

Did they or did they not know prior to the election that WA, NT and Qld hadn't signed up?

Did Labor advise they had stripped Gonski funding from those states prior to the election ?

That's the real question.

 

[banco]

Did Labor advise they had stripped Gonski funding from those states prior to the election ?

That's the real question.

Again you are making plain you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about as if you'd followed this issue at all you'd know the answer to your question is "yes". The fact that they had removed the $1.2 billion due to WA not signing up was in their pre election budget statement which was released publicly.

 

[drsmith]

Again you are making plain you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about as if you'd followed this issue at all you'd know the answer to your question is "yes". The fact that they had removed the $1.2 billion due to WA not signing up was in their pre election budget statement which was released publicly.

Link ?

 

[banco]

Link ?

Here you go:

Gonski hold-out states are saving Canberra $1.2b
By Daniel Hurst
Aug. 13, 2013, 1:24 p.m.

The federal government will bank more than $1 billion in budget savings as a result of three conservative leaders failing to sign up to school funding reforms.

Fairfax Media has learnt the pre-election economic and fiscal outlook, to be released on Tuesday, will show Canberra has saved $1.2 billion due to stalled talks with Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

http://www.northerndailyleader.com....d-out-states-are-saving-canberra-12b/?cs=3275

 

[Julia]

Do you think SBY was embarrassed. I think he was. I think Abbott said something along the lines of he regretted the embarrassment cause. Maybe he could have said he regretted the distress it caused.

I don't think SBY had any reason to feel embarrassed. It is Australia who obviously feels embarrassed about Snowden's revelations, courtesy the ABC and The Guardian.

It is not a perfect policy as their are downsides and risks. However I don't see a perfect risk free policy.

Yes, you're right. Whatever Mr Abbott might have done there will be room for criticism. It needs to have been what least exacerbates the situation imo.

SBY has backed us then we get busted (publicly) tapping his and his wife's phone.

If he is our friend then Abbott needed to give him a face saving message immediately proving he is a friend this is not just for SBY but for future Indonesian leaders believing Australian politicians wont hang them out to dry.

But as you say we don't know what else is going to pop up from Snowden.

The issue is Abbotts dismissive and lack of urgency to respond.

Camel Dung. The Abbott response has been correct. The only response that has been inappropriate is the leftists zeal to hang it off Abbott.

I agree with IF on this. Initially, SBY made it clear he didn't regard the issue as one which would cause a total breakdown in the relationship as long as Mr Abbott gave him some sort of neutralising response. This probably needed to be only something as simple as "As we were not in government at the time, we'll need to review what the intelligence practices were at that time".

SBY has at no stage that we are aware requested an apology, contrary to much of the hysterical assertions that this had been asked for and refused by Mr Abbott.

Instead Mr Abbott made what could only be seen as a somewhat dismissive comment about the issue in the parliament, failing to contact SBY directly. This then exacerbated SBY's position domestically and internationally, and genuinely offended him.
Why would the neighbour who continually asserts that they have no greater friend than Indonesia fail to demonstrate that friendship by a phone call to calm the troubled waters?

Now, we await SBY's response to Mr Abbott's letter. Hopefully the tone of the letter will have mollified some of the hurt feelings which, yes, are over the top, but unless Australia is happy to see thousands per week of boat people arriving here, we just have to accept in this instance imo.

 

[drsmith]

Here you go:

That's just media speculation on the pre-election economic and fiscal outlook.

What did it actually show ?

 

[drsmith]

Now, we await SBY's response to Mr Abbott's letter. Hopefully the tone of the letter will have mollified some of the hurt feelings which, yes, are over the top, but unless Australia is happy to see thousands per week of boat people arriving here, we just have to accept in this instance imo.

Indonesia's public banging on about this issue I'd suggest is for domestic political consumption. The issue was never going to be settled in the public domain. There, both leaders catered for their domestic audiences and that aspect I suspect isn't over yet.

We won't see thousands per week of boat people arriving here.

 

[banco]

That's just media speculation on the pre-election economic and fiscal outlook.

What did it actually show ?

Page 36 dummy:

http://www.treasury.gov.au/~/media/...cal Outlook 2013/Downloads/PDF/PEFO_2013.ashx

You are still going to maintain your bull**** position that the Coalition didn't know about the $1.2 billion prior to the election?

 

[drsmith]

http://www.treasury.gov.au/~/media/...cal Outlook 2013/Downloads/PDF/PEFO_2013.ashx

Not for publication.

We can now see why.

 

[banco]

Not for publication.

We can now see why.

I give up. You can't even admit you were wrong you partisan hack.

Coming back to your original question:

"Did Labor advise they had stripped Gonski funding from those states prior to the election ?"

The answer is yes and you would have known that if you actually had a clue what you were talkign about.

 

[Julia]

Indonesia's public banging on about this issue I'd suggest is for domestic political consumption.

And it goes to SBY's standing internationally. A friend in Canada tells me the squabble has been quite widely covered there.

The issue was never going to be settled in the public domain.

Which makes Mr Abbott's failure to quickly and personally contact SBY less than helpful.

 

[Whiskers]

You need to get more sleep Whiskers. The tip on Andrew Bolt's blog was spot on.

The latest Essential Report (26/11/2013) has the Coalition at 53% 2PP.

http://essentialvision.com.au/category/essentialreport

You really ought to stop doing what ever it is you do with those gadgets when you are in bed, doc... so you can get more sleep. You might be able to join up the dots a bit easier. They are pretty close together, and not that hard to join up.

Apart from the Essential poll not indicating on which day the poll was done... AND that it is "2-week averages" ... IT ALSO STATES "Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results".

So, by simple maths... if 40% voted Coalition and 40% voted labour and 20% voted 'don't know'... and you ignore the don't know you get 50, 50. Then spread preferences as from an ancient 2010 distribution rather than actually asking them who their actual second preference is now you probably arrive at a number flattering for the coalition.

BUT WAIT... there's more!

Have a look at the maths in their first preference chart.

What more does one need to say? No wonder no one in the real world takes that or what Bolt has to say, seriously.

http://essentialvision.com.au/category/essentialreport

 

[Whiskers]

Which makes Mr Abbott's failure to quickly and personally contact SBY less than helpful.

Good to see you coming around, Julia. If more don't start doing so and leaning on their MP's to tone it down and get real, the government will be gone before they know it.

But, the biggest issue is still to come. It revolves around another financial sleight of hands, trying to emulate the Howard & Costello 'good fiscal managers' myth which was actually an erosion of the structural budget.

 

[Julia]

Good to see you coming around, Julia.

Forget the patronising tone, Whiskers. Further, my view of the Labor Party's behaviour throughout this mess is beyond comment. Just woeful.

My view has not changed since we first learned of this situation so I am not 'coming around' at all.

Just appearing on the ABC website is the first sign of a possible decrease in the hostility:

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has spoken about the Australian spying scandal three days after recieving a letter from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Speaking at a meeting convened to discuss the subject, Mr Yudhoyono said in the letter Mr Abbott had committed not to take any action in the future to damage relations between the two countries.

The Indonesian president called for calm on the issue, but said bilateral cooperation would not resume until the Australian Government signs up to behavioural protocols and a code of ethics.

Former Army chief Peter Leahy hand-delivered the letter on Saturday, a move the Government labelled a sign of respect, and a presidential spokesman earlier today said the letter was "in accordance to our expectations".

The president's comments are likely to be welcomed by the Abbott Government, which has come under increasing criticism over its handling of the situation.

The diplomatic rift erupted following revelations that in 2009 Australian spies tapped Mr Yudhoyono's phone and the phones of those in his inner circle, including his wife's.

An angry Mr Yudhoyono last week said all military and intelligence cooperation with Australia was on hold until he received a proper explanation.

The comments are the first positive indications for a way forward on the issue, which has also begun to impact on Australian commercial interests in the country.

 

[sails]

"Yudhoyono tweets this picture of himself studying Abbott’s letter."



http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...magine_if_gillard_had_been_in_charge_instead/

 

[Whiskers]

Just appearing on the ABC website is the first sign of a possible decrease in the hostility:

Yeah, I've head this and more, including that they are considering withdrawing all trade with Aus including live cattle imports... subject to...

The Indonesian president called for calm on the issue, but said bilateral cooperation would not resume until the Australian Government signs up to behavioural protocols and a code of ethics.​

Don't know the full detail of what they are demanding... but I suspect it's going to be a too bitter pill for Abbott to swallow at least very soon.

Also, as if there are not enough defections and dictatorial behaviour in coalition ranks around the states, the loss of trade with Indonesia will p!ss off Nationals, no end... that's before you even consider the economic impacts.

 

[Knobby22]

Just appearing on the ABC website is the first sign of a possible decrease in the hostility:

I agree your view hasn't changed, Julia.
Good to see the above. I would expect the Foreign Minister to now visit Indonesia to have a heartfelt discussion and get us back on track. I think it may be a bit tough for the economy this time next year and we really don't need this.

 

[Calliope]

Good to see the above. I would expect the Foreign Minister to now visit Indonesia to have a heartfelt discussion and get us back on track. I think it may be a bit tough for the economy this time next year and we really don't need this.

'
Much to the disappointment of the ABC, Fairfax press. the Greens and Tanya Plibersek it's now only a matter of time before normal relations with Indonesia are resumed thanks to Abbott's diplomacy. Those wishing for ructions with the Nationals over disruption to the live cattle trade will also have to pin their hopes on other things.

However, Mr Gita made clear Indonesia was not considering any reimposition of quotas on Australian live cattle, citing "the need to maintain stability of prices". Indonesia has issued permits for an additional 120,000 head of Australian cattle to be imported during the current quarter, as the government battles to drive down market prices for beef from near-record levels.

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...y-fn59nm2j-1226769119408#sthash.cviAXWdj.dpuf

 

[Knobby22]

Hmmm, I would use the word "despite' rather than "thanks to".
They are a new government though and this incident will ensure a similar mistake doesn't occur again.
At least they aren't kowtowing like the previous government.