Australian Politics--The Abbott years

[arthwollipot]

But don't tell the Murdoch fanboys and Alan Jones lovers, they would not believe you.

They're welcome to come to my place and check for themselves.

On another note, this is a mildly amusing romp down Analogy Lane:

Patriot or Traitor: take our Tony Abbott Quiz!

 

[sonofgloin]

Wombatwal>> The Labor's NBN was not, and I repeat was not taking money from the budget on cancer patients, roads, rail etc. This is also a big furphy from the anti NBN crowd.<<

Wal stop playing with semantics, both services are funded with borrowed money. Labor did not cut back funds to the NBN, Labor did cut funds to cancer care, they also ditched the dental scheme. Being factual and pragmatic it is true to say that Labor cared for the technology and not the citizen.

 

[wombatwal]

Wombatwal>> The Labor's NBN was not, and I repeat was not taking money from the budget on cancer patients, roads, rail etc. This is also a big furphy from the anti NBN crowd.<<

Wal stop playing with semantics, both services are funded with borrowed money. Labor did not cut back funds to the NBN, Labor did cut funds to cancer care, they also ditched the dental scheme. Being factual and pragmatic it is true to say that Labor cared for the technology and not the citizen.

I am not playing with semantics.
The NBN was funded by government bonds, The NBN company borrowed this.
It was off budget. It did not have any effect on the budget.
The dental scheme may have been cut, I am not sure but that was a budgetary decision. Cancer care, as far as I know is a State Government responsibility. I am not defending what the current opposition did in government, just trying to keep things factual.

 

[Reaver]

Can you learn to use the quote feature? I find your posts hard to read on my phone.

 

[sonofgloin]

I am not playing with semantics.
The NBN was funded by government bonds, The NBN company borrowed this.
It was off budget. It did not have any effect on the budget.

Wal you are correct re the conduit to the funding and the cancer and dental programs I mentioned were federally funded.

Reaver......no worries.

 

[wombatwal]

Wal you are correct re the conduit to the funding and the cancer and dental programs I mentioned were federally funded.

Reaver......no worries.

ok.
It is all immaterial now, we have no idea where the Coalition are taking us with communications in this country.
They stuffed it up under Howard.
Will they do any better under Abbott, I doubt it. With Turnbull, maybe.

 

[uvar]

Tony Abbott repays travel claim as Malcolm Turnbull defends Liberals questioned over wedding expenses

...Mr Abbott has paid travel costs he claimed to attend the wedding of former colleague Sophie Mirabella in 2006...
...In 2011 mining billionaire Gina Rinehart flew then opposition frontbenchers Julie Bishop, Barnaby Joyce and Teresa Gambaro to a wedding in India. All three claimed overseas study entitlements for the trip home...
..Last month Mr Joyce denied any wrongdoing after reports said he used taxpayer funds to attend a different wedding. Fairfax Media reported both he and Coalition frontbencher George Brandis claimed travel expenses to attend the nuptials of radio presenter Michael Smith in 2011...

Oops! But it's all okay now, some of them have paid the money back, so there's no need to go on about it any more or consider punishment! Everyone makes mistakes, and they did have perfectly good reasons for claiming, and it was only a few thousand dollars, after all. And it's not like they're paying it back because somebody noticed, they're just really nice and want to clear up any confusion!

It wasn't all fun and games on the trips. Some incredibly in-depth insights from Joyce's report (available from this article):

The five main findings/outcomes from my visit to Malaysia included:
1. Malaysia has recently experienced high levels of economic growth which has created urban cities comparable in wealth to cities in developed countries.
2. Nonetheless, economic disadvantage remains in some areas, particularly rural areas...

...Notwithstanding these developments there remain cultural misunderstandings which may limit engagement between the two countries. Indeed Malaysia authorities identify that the biggest impediment to Australia achieving stronger bilateral relationships in the region was our propensity to as times come off as patronising...

...During the meeting my hosts were somewhat surprised about my inquiries of the capacity for private enterprise to deliver infrastructure on the promise of a commercial return for its operation. The Malaysia government sees that essential infrastructure is the realm of government and unless the government builds it in the more disparate areas then it will not be constructed. They also see it as a key to overall national development and an increase in economic output...

That last quoted paragraph seems oddly familiar to me... can't quite put my finger on it.

(I should admit, lest I get accused of stripping context, the report was from 2011 and any patronising would have presumably been from the Labor government. At least there's no chance of that continuing now Tony's in charge! Oh. Oh. Oh.)

 

[a_unique_person]

No. I think they should be prosecuted by the police. If it's good enough for Slipper, it's good enough for them. Slippers amount was something like $300, Abbott paid back over $9000 of taxpayers money he used to promote a book he wrote.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...rabellas-wedding/story-fn59niix-1226733650631

"When the matter was brought to his attention, he immediately sought advice from the Department of Finance," Mr Boyce said.
"The advice received said it was not possible to determine if the travel was within entitlement.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, Mr Abbott has repaid all costs associated with this travel totalling $1,094.64 and the matter is resolved."
It is the second time Mr Abbott has repaid travel entitlements he had claimed from taxpayers.
In 2010 he repaid $9400 he had claimed for a 2009 book-tour to promote his book Battlelines.
- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...y-fn59niix-1226733650631#sthash.XqrJIsYN.dpuf

 

[a_unique_person]

Former Speaker Peter Slipper has weighed into the expenses scandal, saying it was “breathtaking” that other politicians were allowed to pay back inappropriate entitlements while he faced court for his.
Mr Slipper, who could be jailed if found guilty of a taxpayer-funded tour of wineries using his government Cabcharge card, says he tried to repay about $1000 of expenses, but was not allowed to do so.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ntitlements-20131007-2v3gp.html#ixzz2h0QePw2H
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There is a stench of something in the air.
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[a_unique_person]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed more than $600 of taxpayer money to attend Peter Slipper's wedding in 2006 - a claim he has reimbursed in the wake of the past week's scandals. Speaking to reporters in Bali on Monday, Mr Abbott mentioned discovering that he had billed taxpayers for a "couple" of weddings.
Fairfax Media understands the two weddings were those of his former colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Mr Slipper.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ers-wedding-20131007-2v3yg.html#ixzz2h0hNkkIW
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Yes, that's the stench I'm talking about.
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[The Fool]

There is a stench of something in the air.
[/COLOR][/LEFT]

I think the difference with slipper is that he didn't put what he was doing on the claim he put in.....he just charged un-named stuff to cabcharge, at least thats what I remember. So its a bit rough for slipper to claim its the same thing.

 

[wombatwal]

So the leader of the PUP, Clive Palmer, or should his party be called the ACP (Australian Coal Party) not only wants to repeal the carbon tax but wants all money to be paid back to the big polluters, that they have already paid in carbon tax.
Abbott will have to negotiate with this mob now. Remember Abbott said he would not make deals with minor parties or Independents, uhm.
Lets see how this new PUP party pans out. Will it be a party for the sole benefit of Clive (The LNP are a Stalinist Party) Palmer.
Interesting times ahead.

 

[LoudHoward]

Wildy>> Also his views on climate change are more aligned with the deniers than with actual science.<<
Yes it changes.... it is the weather for christs sake, the cycles in accordance with the suns activity.

But the point, surely, is that it currently isn't.

 

[wombatwal]

Abbott and Hunt telling porkies about the carbon price impact on Australians.

Experts have rejected claims by the federal government that household expenses would be significantly smaller after a repeal of the carbon tax.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Environment Minister Greg Hunt said on Monday average households would be $550 a year better off with the scrapping of the tax.

​

Hugh Saddler, a principal consultant for energy analysts Pitt & Sherry, said it had been ''almost impossible'' to see the carbon price footprint when it was introduced, and it would be no easier if it was removed. The Australian Bureau of Statistics agreed.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...say-experts-20131016-2vn3r.html#ixzz2hvMBoNrr

In addition.

Meanwhile, Mr Abbott might have a more pressing challenge than convincing Labor to abandon its carbon price: keeping his own senators in line over issues such as his paid parental leave scheme.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...say-experts-20131016-2vn3r.html#ixzz2hvNB7X25
Abbotts scatter brain idea about Parental Leave may come back and bite him on the bum, by his own Coalition.
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[wombatwal]

Much is rotten in Parliament regarding parliamentarians entitlements.
The problem is on both sides of parliament. But it seems it is performed at it's most flexible in the Conservative side of parliament.
Just look at the latest "rort" by Liberal MP Don Randall.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is refusing to take action against a Liberal MP who has spent more than $10,000 of taxpayers' money on questionable expenses, including travel that appears to be linked to his Cairns investment property.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...tful-claims-20131016-2vn3u.html#ixzz2hvNt1DIU
This rorter(is this a word) flew to Cairns, bought an investment property and claimed it as an electoral expense. His electorate is in Western Australia.

Meanwhile, the South Australian Labor senator Don Farrell has admitted he repaid almost $1000 in travel allowances several months ago after billing taxpayers for accommodation he accepted free.
Senator Farrell blamed an ''administration error'' for the trip to last year's AFL grand final.

Those damn administration errors. Someone should do something about those pesky administrators.
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[wombatwal]

National broadband provider iiNet has published an extensive list of questions it still has regarding the Coalition’s plans to alter Labor’s National Broadband Network strategy, noting that details ranging from points of interconnect to who would build the network are still unknown, a month after the Federal Election.

The telecommunication industry are very much in the dark over what is happening. The Coalition have no idea as far as I can see. This could be turning into a debacle like their telecommunication debacle under Howard.
http://delimiter.com.au/2013/10/17/coalition-nbn-plans-lack-detail-says-iinet/

The ISP pointed out that the Coalition had not yet announced key details of its plans, such as who would build its infrastructure (with candidates including the current outsourced construction industry model, in-sourcing the construction to NBN Co or even handing a large portion of the construction work to Telstra).

If they want Telstra to build it they had better hurry, because Telstra are getting rid of workers as fast a a socialite gets rid of last years fashions.

 

[The Fool]

Those damn administration errors. Someone should do something about those pesky administrators.
[/COLOR][/LEFT]

Just last weekend I went out to Mow the yard and by some administration error ended up at a Pub.....it can happen.

 

[arthwollipot]

Extreme Coalition schemes to sell Australia Post and HECS debts herald the “Age of Unreason”

(Australian Greens press release, just to declare bias)

"Keep in mind these privatisation schemes are ideological - not practical. There is no ‘budget emergency' - even the Coalition has dropped that hoax. We don't need to sell the family silverware or throw students to the wolves."

 

[wombatwal]

Just last weekend I went out to Mow the yard and by some administration error ended up at a Pub.....it can happen.

Oh, no, how awful, what a nightmare, the pub!
would not be caught dead in one.

 

[Wildy]

The ABC has written about it as well.

As someone who has a HECS debt, I for one strongly oppose the privatisation of it.

Also, Rob Mitchell has asked the AFP to investigate Liberal travel claims.

I wonder how well that will work since the people in question have already paid it back?