Tony Abbott for PM

[Julia]

Actually, the situation lends itself for Tony to take a leaf out of Kevs book and say me too.

He could say we will honour the PNG agreement, we will get rid of the carbon tax and you know unlike Labor, we will back it up.
Unlike Labor who have proved they change their position on a whim. We will stand by our word.

Agree. He is already halfway there by supporting the PNG announcement today.
He would be on strong ground to say the Coalition would do everything Labor has promised, with the added certainty for voters that the Coalition has a history of successfully implementing policy, as opposed to Labor's inevitable stuff ups.

 

[sptrawler]

Agree. He is already halfway there by supporting the PNG announcement today.
He would be on strong ground to say the Coalition would do everything Labor has promised, with the added certainty for voters that the Coalition has a history of successfully implementing policy, as opposed to Labor's inevitable stuff ups.

Yes it's a no brainer, pull a Kev on Kev.

 

[sptrawler]

Agree. He is already halfway there by supporting the PNG announcement today.
He would be on strong ground to say the Coalition would do everything Labor has promised, with the added certainty for voters that the Coalition has a history of successfully implementing policy, as opposed to Labor's inevitable stuff ups.

Further to that, we are yet to see how the Labor party react to Kevs 'Big Bang' theory. He has undermined everything they have professed for the last six years.
He is basically redefining Labor as a Liberal conservative party, or he is full of BS. Time will tell.

 

[sydboy007]

So Tony is fighting the Goverment on the way it will tighten fringe benefits tax (FBT) guidelines on car leasing and salary-sacrifice packaging.

My understanding of how the changs will work are set out below

The only way I can see that someone signing up with a novated lease in future would be worse off is if they had previously been able to claim back more than they were really entitled to.

So unless I've missed something, to me it seems Abbott is supporting people being able to claim back more than they are really entitled to, which is generally caled tax evasion.

Why is it wrong to ask taxpayers to provide evidence for their claim?

 

[moXJO]

So Tony is fighting the Goverment on the way it will tighten fringe benefits tax (FBT) guidelines on car leasing and salary-sacrifice packaging.

My understanding of how the changs will work are set out below

The only way I can see that someone signing up with a novated lease in future would be worse off is if they had previously been able to claim back more than they were really entitled to.

So unless I've missed something, to me it seems Abbott is supporting people being able to claim back more than they are really entitled to, which is generally caled tax evasion.

Why is it wrong to ask taxpayers to provide evidence for their claim?

While Im not really against it, the fact remains that business do not have stable conditions under labor. All of their policy on the run has knocked any confidence and put a few industries through the wringer.

 

[sydboy007]

While Im not really against it, the fact remains that business do not have stable conditions under labor. All of their policy on the run has knocked any confidence and put a few industries through the wringer.

So basically Labor has made a small move to make the tax system a bit fairer and less of a revenue drain, but past mistakes mean you can't quite fully support it?

The media campaign against this change makes me fear we'll get nowhere with whoever wins the next election. Labor isn't even removing the tax break, just making you provide some simple evidence to justify the claim. I hate to think what would be happening if they'd tried to kill off some wasteful spending.

Anyone who can't see that Abbott is being purely partisan on this needs to get their blinkers off. Is the Govt responsible for an industry that set up shop purely to milk a tax loophole? That's what Abbott seems to be arguing. If he can't bring himself to support this change, then really, besides sacking a minimum of 12000 public servants, Joe Hockeys words, or letting them leave via natural attrition, Abbotts words, how does he have a snowballs chance of getting the budget back to surplus?

I certainly wont be voting Labor at the next election, but certainly wont be giving Abbott my vote either with this kind of populistic vote grabbing. I just hope it backfires on him.

 

[Logique]

Sorry haven't been keeping up with the political discussions.

With the demise of the Gillard Govt, what's my default thread now? Well anyway, a familiar refrain from me...nobody says it better than Miranda: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/ (My bolds)

A well developed bullsh*t detector has always been a quintessential element of the Australian character, part of a cynical, anti-authoritarian streak that perhaps stems from our convict roots.

..In internal Liberal polling, and in my own straw poll in the marginal western Sydney seat of Chifley, people who voted for Kevin Rudd with gusto in 2007, now just see him as a big bullsh*t artist.

'We love you, Mr Rudd. But please stay out of office,' says Barhoumeh, whose shop has been a social hub in the middle of Rooty Hill for 17 years.....Australians do not rejoice at the despair of the people who answered Labor’s siren call for a better life. We resent the burden of their pain on our consciences. It was Rudd who placed us in this position by dismantling Howard’s border protection in 2008. If he thinks that will be forgotten at the ballot box he has a big slap in the face coming.

 

[moXJO]

So basically Labor has made a small move to make the tax system a bit fairer and less of a revenue drain, but past mistakes mean you can't quite fully support it?

The media campaign against this change makes me fear we'll get nowhere with whoever wins the next election. Labor isn't even removing the tax break, just making you provide some simple evidence to justify the claim. I hate to think what would be happening if they'd tried to kill off some wasteful spending.

Anyone who can't see that Abbott is being purely partisan on this needs to get their blinkers off. Is the Govt responsible for an industry that set up shop purely to milk a tax loophole? That's what Abbott seems to be arguing. If he can't bring himself to support this change, then really, besides sacking a minimum of 12000 public servants, Joe Hockeys words, or letting them leave via natural attrition, Abbotts words, how does he have a snowballs chance of getting the budget back to surplus?

I certainly wont be voting Labor at the next election, but certainly wont be giving Abbott my vote either with this kind of populistic vote grabbing. I just hope it backfires on him.

Way to grab straws and run with it.
This is just a small part of a larger labor failure when it comes to business. Im not keen on abbott either, a lot of his policy direction needs work (or ditching). Someone needs to tackle tax reform or say goodbye to any chance of future surplus.

 

[Zedd]

I certainly wont be voting Labor at the next election, but certainly wont be giving Abbott my vote either with this kind of populistic vote grabbing. I just hope it backfires on him.

^^ This is my biggest concern for the election. I think Australia would be better off with Labour, Liberal, or the Liberal-National coalition, irrespective of PM, rather than a minority parliament again strung together with independents and greens.

Regardless of which direction we go, we definitely need to go in a direction. Treading water, and bull**** compromises of the last 4 years will get us nowhere.

EDIT: Not an attack on you Syd, and I'm struggling to decide on my vote a.t.m. but the one thing I have decided is I need to vote major parties this time round.

 

[sptrawler]

^^ This is my biggest concern for the election. I think Australia would be better off with Labour, Liberal, or the Liberal-National coalition, irrespective of PM, rather than a minority parliament again strung together with independents and greens.

Regardless of which direction we go, we definitely need to go in a direction. Treading water, and bull**** compromises of the last 4 years will get us nowhere.

EDIT: Not an attack on you Syd, and I'm struggling to decide on my vote a.t.m. but the one thing I have decided is I need to vote major parties this time round.

+1 agree 100%.

 

[Calliope]

I certainly wont be voting Labor at the next election, but certainly wont be giving Abbott my vote either with this kind of populistic vote grabbing. I just hope it backfires on him.

Of course you won't. You are obviously a disciple of Bob Brown and Christine Milne. Don't be ashamed to admit it.

 

[sptrawler]

Of course you won't. You are obviously a disciple of Bob Brown and Christine Milne. Don't be ashamed to admit it.

IMO The problem with the greens is, they have great ideas, that aren't practical. The end result is we all end up like Tasmania a welfare state.
The problem with that is, when we are all on welfare, who pays the bill.

It seems a bit like the magic roundabout party, where everyone lives in a beautifull world. But who pays for it, who produces anything, when you shut everything down.

If we want to live that, ideal at one with nature, life on earth. We probably have to cull 60% of the population, to make it viable.

 

[sydboy007]

Of course you won't. You are obviously a disciple of Bob Brown and Christine Milne. Don't be ashamed to admit it.

evidence?

At least I'm happy to question the policies put forward, and do my own research before making up my own mind.

You seem to have blind faith in your liberal / Liberal (can't quite work out if Tony is an l or L) saviour. It's just sad you've yet to provide one policy of Abbotts that you support.

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^^ This is my biggest concern for the election. I think Australia would be better off with Labour, Liberal, or the Liberal-National coalition, irrespective of PM, rather than a minority parliament again strung together with independents and greens.

Regardless of which direction we go, we definitely need to go in a direction. Treading water, and bull**** compromises of the last 4 years will get us nowhere.

EDIT: Not an attack on you Syd, and I'm struggling to decide on my vote a.t.m. but the one thing I have decided is I need to vote major parties this time round.

It will be interesting to see hwo things settle after the election. If Abbott doesn't win by a decent margin then I wonder what's going to happen to his double disollution election. It's a blood promise so if he doesn't do it then he'll pretty much have shock jocks baying por blood, but I doubt his fellow party members will want to fight another election so soon after, especially when their funds will be depleted.

So is a vote for Tony really a vote for someone else, because the only way I can see the Coalition can avoid a double disolution election is to sack Tony so that there is no longer a blood promise to be broken.

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If we want to live that, ideal at one with nature, life on earth. We probably have to cull 60% of the population, to make it viable.

You're about right. From what I've read they estimate the planet can only support around 2 billion people at a first world level. Possibly more if we find a cost effective way to produce renewable energy.

 

[sydboy007]

Way to grab straws and run with it.
This is just a small part of a larger labor failure when it comes to business. Im not keen on abbott either, a lot of his policy direction needs work (or ditching). Someone needs to tackle tax reform or say goodbye to any chance of future surplus.

How can you cal this grabbing at straws?

I always take actions over words, and Abbott is showing himself to be a populist who's unable tp support even basic changes to limit the leakage of tax revenue.

For everyone getting a higher level of tax refund from old statutory method compared to the log book method, means that another tax has to be higher, or spending has to be lower.

You can't honestly say that Abbotts behaviour over this issue has impressed you?

 

[moXJO]

How can you cal this grabbing at straws?

I always take actions over words, and Abbott is showing himself to be a populist who's unable tp support even basic changes to limit the leakage of tax revenue.

For everyone getting a higher level of tax refund from old statutory method compared to the log book method, means that another tax has to be higher, or spending has to be lower.

You can't honestly say that Abbotts behaviour over this issue has impressed you?

FBT is just a smaller part of a bigger issue. Im happy enough for it to go but it is yet another policy on the run by labor which is leaving the business community with zero confidence. Id also add that it is to cover labors costs of their other stuff ups.
Tony is no better and has stupidly wedged himself on a few issues. I find both lib/ lab to have some policies that I like and a lot that I dont. Im finding it hard to say one is clearly ahead of the other overall

 

[sydboy007]

Im finding it hard to say one is clearly ahead of the other overall

Pretty much how I feel. I just think people are so focused on Labors failing that Tony is going to get in and turn out to be as big a dud purely because he wasn't challenged on his way to the lodge.

 

[Calliope]

evidence?

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.

At least I'm happy to question the policies put forward, and do my own research before making up my own mind.

As long as you are happy.

You seem to have blind faith in your liberal / Liberal (can't quite work out if Tony is an l or L) saviour. It's just sad you've yet to provide one policy of Abbotts that you support.

And now you are sad?? Nothing blind about it. It's just that your persistent nagging questioning and long-winded posts are boring. And what gives you the right to think that I have to provide you with anything?

If it's a debate you want, then have it with you fellow greenie, basilio, on the best way to root the economy.

 

[basilio]

Why is it necessary to have to be able to quote policies of particular parties as reasons for your support of them ?

For a start surely we don't actually believe what the pollies say before an election ? Haven't we all been around long enough to remember the "core and non core promises" "Fistful of dollars" "Reds under the beds" and a myriad other pre poll fairy tales that turn into fairy dust 24 hours after the results ?

I think Calliope represents a sizable group of voters who simply decide who they like or hate and vote accordingly. No need to get more complex than that is there ?

 

[Calliope]

Why is it necessary to have to be able to quote policies of particular parties as reasons for your support of them ?

For a start surely we don't actually believe what the pollies say before an election ? Haven't we all been around long enough to remember the "core and non core promises" "Fistful of dollars" "Reds under the beds" and a myriad other pre poll fairy tales that turn into fairy dust 24 hours after the results ?

I think Calliope represents a sizable group of voters who simply decide who they like or hate and vote accordingly. No need to get more complex than that is there ?

+1. As I've said before, the alternative to the Coalition is too scary. So you could say that I vote for the party that scares me less, but supports small business. A government consisting of union leaders, union hacks and lawyers led by an egocentric clown scares the hell out of me.

 

[sptrawler]

Why is it necessary to have to be able to quote policies of particular parties as reasons for your support of them ?

For a start surely we don't actually believe what the pollies say before an election ? Haven't we all been around long enough to remember the "core and non core promises" "Fistful of dollars" "Reds under the beds" and a myriad other pre poll fairy tales that turn into fairy dust 24 hours after the results ?

I think Calliope represents a sizable group of voters who simply decide who they like or hate and vote accordingly. No need to get more complex than that is there ?

I think you are right, most people tend to vote from their own personal life experiences, gained while the different parties were in office.
There has to be a reason, for people to generaly question that belief.