The Gillard Government

Julia · 27 September 2010

Explod, whilst I'm not suggesting the Coalition would be any better, don't you think some disrespect is deserved by the Gillard government for so very obviously backtracking on e.g. putting a price on carbon.

She clearly said this was not going to happen in the foreseeable future, but now that she had to do a deal with the Greens to get their preferences in the election campaign, she has no choice but to keep her end of the deal and give them what they want. So we're going to have a Committee on Carbon Tax which is going to be secret from the people apparently. And participation in this committee is limited to those who already are convinced we have to have a price on carbon.

What is the point of a committee when the outcome of its deliberations is already set in stone?

The Libs may not participate as long as they continue to suggest that a cleaner, greener atmosphere can be addressed by direction action, rather than just another revenue raising tax.

Democracy?

Doesn't this sort of nonsense give you some cause for concern?

explod · 28 September 2010

Absolutely Julia. The whole political business is a shambles at the moment. However to say one or the other side would do any diffrently at the moment when there is so much uncertenty is not correct.

The carbon tax is just one issue of many troubling things at the moment. A lot of change is, and has to take place in a fast changing world and I would challenge anyone to aproach it with answers in concrete. It has been politics on the run from both sides for some years now. We just have to wait with bated breath to see what pans out.

Today will be interesting.

sails · 28 September 2010

If a carbon tax is simply an excuse to extract more spending money for the government from working families, then it is disgraceful, IMO.

From what I have read, there seems to be conflicting arguments on the need for carbon tax. So there is a possibility that the government could be inflicting hardship on those already struggling financially for no reason at all. What if climate does simply cycle itself and nothing we do actually makes any difference?

And all this committee secrecy only gives more cause for concern and doesn't look good when the PM states this will be the most transparent government in history - I think those are the words she used.

IFocus · 28 September 2010

So now Abbott determines whats in the national interest from opposition

Tony Abbott gets tough on pair for Julia Gillard

Sources confirmed last night that Mr Abbott had told Labor he would not give Ms Gillard an automatic pair, and would expect her to be in parliament to vote unless she could demonstrate her proposed trips or meetings were in the national interest. Earlier, Labor's caucus meeting heard it was traditional for the head of the government to be granted an automatic pair.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...or-julia-gillard/story-fn59niix-1225930323480

sails · 28 September 2010

IFocus said:
So now Abbott determines whats in the national interest from opposition

Tony Abbott gets tough on pair for Julia Gillard

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...or-julia-gillard/story-fn59niix-1225930323480

Isn't it the opposition's job to oppose?

Isn't it their job to try and look after the will of around half of Australia who didn't want Gillard's policies and potential excessive spendings?

IMO, they have an equal mandate to oppose as Gillard has to govern.

And if the boot were on the other foot and the Independents had sided with the Coalition to form minority government, don't you think Gillard would be up to every trick in the book (and some of her own) to undo them? And you would be applauding her...lol

joea · 28 September 2010

Sails.

I suspect "you have not seen nothing yet" as the saying goes.
But you can be assured we will be taxed to the hilt from all sources, to achieve the so called surplus.

While we are being governed by a government that uses a lot of experts I believe we are in big trouble.
The carbon tax committee has 4.

Now I have been told that a expert is a combination of....
x... an unknown quantity and,
pert...a drip under pressure.

However I am sure that they are very well paid.

We are about to have some of the best entertainment you have ever seen,
courtesy of the tax payer.

Logique · 28 September 2010

My state of NSW refuses, under Keneally Labor, to build any more coal-fired power stations. It would equally refuse to build nuclear power stations. In southern NSW, a reserve for dam building has been turned over, at Green urging, to national park (no good building a dam you see, it would never fill up). So that's the hydro alternative down the gurgler.

Just how are we to meet our expanding industrial and domestic baseload power requirements? Are there enough wind turbines and solar panels in the world? And at what price?

Electricity will be the new luxury commodity, with a price tag to match. Brought to us by the 'Friend of the Worker' Labor Party.

In a word - exasperating. A slow motion train wreck.

Calliope · 28 September 2010

sails said:
And if the boot were on the other foot and the Independents had sided with the Coalition to form minority government, don't you think Gillard would be up to every trick in the book (and some of her own) to undo them? And you would be applauding her...lol

The poor little pet wants that nasty Abbott to be nice to her.

IFocus · 28 September 2010

Harry Jenkins elected speaker

Harry Jenkins has been re-elected unopposed as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Labor's nomination of Mr Jenkins means it will be forced to govern with a majority of just one vote on the floor of parliament - 75 to 74 votes.

The coalition last week walked away from a reform deal that would have seen the Speaker paired and the government maintain a two-vote buffer.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/harry-jenkins-elected-speaker-20100928-15uuh.html

Mofra · 28 September 2010

sails said:
Isn't it the opposition's job to oppose?

I would hope they see their job as to provide an alternative government - Abbott unfortunately doesn't see it that way.

IFocus · 28 September 2010

Qld independent MP contemplating federal seat

Independent Queensland MP Peter Wellington has threatened to run against the Liberal National Party (LNP) if there is an early federal election.

Mr Wellington says the Federal Opposition is being bloody minded and not cooperating for a workable Parliament.

He says he would run as an independent in a Sunshine Coast seat to give the Liberal National coalition something to worry about.

"My first responsibility is as a State Member of Parliament and I want to stay there," he said.

"But quite frankly I feel very angry with the way the Liberal Nationals are carrying on at the moment.

"Tony Abbott is letting the party machine, letting the politicking, take precedence over what I believe is his first responsibility and that is let the Parliament have a chance of working."

Calliope · 28 September 2010

PARLIAMENT is a blood sport and there is no respect for rats in the ranks on either side, says Niki Savva.

FEDERAL parliament is no place for namby-pamby cry babies or sooks. Nor should it be.

Neither is it a place that offers solace to rats. The side from which they rat despises them and sets out to destroy them, and the side to which they rat also despises them and never trusts them.

Rodents might roam the corridors of the press gallery with impunity, but it would be about the only place in that building where rats were given refuge.

So when parliament sits tomorrow, after the formalities of today, it will not be beautiful, and promises to get very ugly.

So what? Parliament should be robust and boisterous and occasionally disrespectful. It is the place for people to fight over ideas, not roll over.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/just-bring-back-the-biffo/story-e6frg6zo-1225930216219

IFocus · 28 September 2010

Mofra said:
I would hope they see their job as to provide an alternative government - Abbott unfortunately doesn't see it that way.

And to hold the government to account which is not whats happening, Abbotts behavior will have heavy implications down the the road should he remain leader, I suspect there will be some very uneasy coalition members with this kamikaze approach.

Still entertaining from a spectator point of view

Julia · 28 September 2010

IFocus said:
So now Abbott determines whats in the national interest from opposition

Tony Abbott gets tough on pair for Julia Gillard

I don't think there's anything unreasonable in that. I heard him interviewed on this. He stated that of course they will provide a pair if the PM is travelling overseas etc on business that is in the national interest..

What he is unprepared to co-operate about, it seems, is offering the same facility if she is swanning about doing purely Labor Party business.

As others have observed, Mr Abbott is going to have to tread a pretty fine line between being rightfully tough in opposition and being seen as petty and obstructionist. Given his personality, I doubt he'll find this easy.

sails · 28 September 2010

IFocus said:
And to hold the government to account which is not whats happening, Abbotts behavior will have heavy implications down the the road should he remain leader, I suspect there will be some very uneasy coalition members with this kamikaze approach.

Still entertaining from a spectator point of view

...So is Abbott supposed to just smile sweetly and say "whatever you want, dear?"

As I said before, if it were the other way around, you would be applauding Gillard's tactics to get rid of the Abbott government.

sails · 28 September 2010

Mofra said:
I would think NBN meets the definition of imaginitve and visionary legislation.

Mofra, for me the trouble with NBN is the fuzziness of information. Here are just some of my concerns:

Where is the detailed financial business plan – cash flows etc?
What is the realistic cost going to be to the end user before and after introductory phase?
What contingency plans are in place should this extremely expensive product be outdated before it is finished being installed?

To ask Australians to blindly accept such a huge cost of taxpayers funds without a proper and transparent business plan does not inspire confidence.

Abbott on the other hand has shown nothing but unimaginitive opposition. He can campaign very very well - I just don't think he can lead.

Rather funny that Abbott is now getting credit for campaigning well when, throughout the campaign, there was so much criticism ranging from speech issues to policy from conservative knockers. Maybe he will surprise with leadership too.

Mofra · 28 September 2010

sails said:
Rather funny that Abbott is now getting credit for campaigning well when, throughout the campaign, there was so much criticism ranging from speech issues to policy from conservative knockers. Maybe he will surprise with leadership too.

Given his blanket opposition to everything before the election now appears to be repeated, and he's reneged on his previous parliamentary reforms agenda and the arrangement for a paired speaker, there have been no surprises so far.

wayneL · 28 September 2010

Mofra said:
Given his blanket opposition to everything before the election now appears to be repeated, and he's reneged on his previous parliamentary reforms agenda and the arrangement for a paired speaker, there have been no surprises so far.

So you don't remember Mr No? (Pig Beazley?)

So much grist for the "leftists have no objectivity" mill.

I mean all of us political animals are a bit hypocritical, but the left takes it to new, unheard of levels.

Julia · 28 September 2010

sails said:
Mofra, for me the trouble with NBN is the fuzziness of information. Here are just some of my concerns:

Where is the detailed financial business plan – cash flows etc?

What is the realistic cost going to be to the end user before and after introductory phase?

What contingency plans are in place should this extremely expensive product be outdated before it is finished being installed?

To ask Australians to blindly accept such a huge cost of taxpayers funds without a proper and transparent business plan does not inspire confidence.

These are my concerns also. I'm surprised that not more business leaders have insisted on the above due diligence being done. It's almost as if the government has mesmerised people with their pictures of distance medicine etc where people no longer die from eg heart attacks because their GP can access fast internet. What nonsense.

A good example of this has been Tony Windsor's saying that one of the deciding factors for him supporting the Gillard government was the NBN.
It was later reported that he doesn't even currently use the internet, and further, that one of the 'experts' from whom he received advice before making his decision was a Telstra tech who had lost his job.

Rather funny that Abbott is now getting credit for campaigning well when, throughout the campaign, there was so much criticism ranging from speech issues to policy from conservative knockers. Maybe he will surprise with leadership too.

I'm not sure how he will go. He needs to find a fairly delicate balance between providing genuine and justifiable opposition, and simply being obstructionist. We will see if he has these skills.

I actually think Julie Bishop (who has been performing very well) might be more suited to the Leader of the Opposition against Ms Gillard. The two women would certainly be in contrast of styles and background.

todster · 28 September 2010

sails said:
Mofra, for me the trouble with NBN is the fuzziness of information. Here are just some of my concerns:

Where is the detailed financial business plan – cash flows etc?

What is the realistic cost going to be to the end user before and after introductory phase?

What contingency plans are in place should this extremely expensive product be outdated before it is finished being installed?

To ask Australians to blindly accept such a huge cost of taxpayers funds without a proper and transparent business plan does not inspire

Have you read the Mckinsey report on NBN?

The Gillard Government

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explod

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sails

IFocus

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joea

Logique

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Calliope

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IFocus

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sails

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Mofra

wayneL

VIVA LA LIBERTAD, CARAJO!

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