The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, told reporters on Sunday he was carefully considering changes to tax policy after a discussion on Saturday with John Howard in which the former prime minister urged Turnbull to be cautious about altering negative gearing concessions.

While blasting Labor’s policy to restrict negative gearing concessions to new housing investments from mid-2017, the government is leaving its options open on capping the losses that investors can currently claim.

Victorian Liberal backbencher Russell Broadbent told Guardian Australia on Sunday that he thought it was reasonable to look at both negative gearing and superannuation concessions to ensure they remained fair.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/28/negative-gearing-malcolm-turnbull-to-face-uneasy-liberals-in-party-room

As the Fairfax press is preparing for the 1996 comprehensive election win celebration gala dinner, by Rattus, it looks fondly at what made him stay in power so long (till 2007) when he was booted out and lost his seat. 

Rattus gives his check-list secrets to the reporter:

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/john-howard-reveals-his-secrets-on-the-art-of-longevity-and-political-leadership-20160227-gn5hgb.html

 

But of course, apart from never missing a meal, the tenure of Rattus (democracy down the john) was also due to his talent at lying, at double flipping, at conniving and at making sure he had some flat-footed idiots who could repeat "Saddam has Weapons of Mass destruction" about 8500 times in a couple years (Downer Lies?). As well, Rattus had the unreserved support from the merde-och press which lied with the same tune as the Rattus government.

These days apart from clearing the desk, (Keeping the opposition guessing...) there is the question of a social media, which most of it is where the pixies resides, but the most important investigative journalism is made there in some of the best reporting kitchens online such as Independent Australia and sometimes printed such as the Saturday Paper.

For Rattus, making time to think (The government robbing us?) often related to find solution to swindle the public on whatever issue, especially TAX.

After, having had a short session with Turdy (Tony Abbott) "keep the colleagues happy" (Behind the Scene at Punch and Judy) has become an impossibility. The extreme right in the Libs (CONservatives) is furious of having lost Tony, their god and liar extraordinary who was pumping so much fucups, doozies, SNAFUs, lies, porkies and incompetent drivel that the Australian embarrassment was starting to smell like a steptoe and son junkyard's dunny. So colleagues in the Libs (CONservatives) are basically living in hate of each others.

How can Turnbull maintain stability after having inherited a junkyard of dead wood from Tony (fast and furious...) — including some people like Mal Brough who is now taking the can for a lot of bad behaviour in the ranks of the still surviving as ministers like Roy and Pyne?

"Do something"... Great advice from the PM who went to war under false pretences (TWICE). We're still fiddling in Afghanistan — a bastard case — 15 years down the track. The other case was a complete deceit. May as well blame the ruskies for everything... This is what Turdy used to do all the time. 

 

 

Talking tax

A number of Coalition backbenchers are continuing to press the Prime Minister to provide more information about his tax plans.

Malcolm Turnbull has indicated he will unveil the Coalition's tax package before the budget in May.

Liberal Senator Chris Back says he expects the Prime Minister will provide more information before too long.

I would hope we would see some further information and enlightenment sooner rather than later - particularly on the expenditure side of the ledger because that is an area which needs to be strongly and strictly controlled.

 

 

Former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan has also weighed in on tax reform, telling reporters outside Parliament House that the Treasurer and Treasury have been excluded from the tax reform process, showing the breakdown in relationship between Mr Turnbull and Scott Morrison. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-29/abc-politics-blog-february-29/7206660

 

As the Libs (CONservtives) chief, Malcolm, calls upon Lazarus on how to mummify the economy, Scott Mo tells is like it is in parliament: "Labor approach would zombify the economy". 

The choice is clear: Mummy or Zombie? Mothballs anyone? At least there is still some movement in a zombie. While a Malcolm mummy has no organs left: the car industry? Kaput... Public sector? going, Gone... CSIRO gutted... Government integrity? Vamoosed... and so on... Political rectitude? Nil!... 

And Malcolm is still smiling like an angel syndrome child...

 

Howard told Sky News he counselled Abbott to consider sacking Credlin. “Look, I did give him advice on two personnel issues and that was one of them.”

A new book by the journalist Niki Savva released this week proposes Credlin was instrumental in Abbott’s downfall.

Howard, prime minister from 1996 to 2007, also confirmed he suggested Abbott install Malcolm Turnbull as treasurer over Joe Hockey.

Abbott was dumped as prime minister in September and replaced by Turnbull.

“I feel for Tony, because it was very humiliating and he had won an election,” Howard said. “But the people who have the authority to make the decision, made the decision and they clearly voted in a new leader. They are not going to review their decision.”

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/11/john-howard-confirms-he-advised-tony-abbott-to-sack-peta-credlin

 

 

See toon at top...

 

 

I condemn CFMEU's thuggish harassment of John Howard today. A reminder of why ABCC is needed. Bill Shorten should condemn CFMEU as well.

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 9, 2017

Brian Parker, the NSW secretary of the CFMEU, rejected Mr Turnbull's characterisation of the situation, saying Mr Howard was fine with it and so was he.

"For a start, it wasn't 'thuggish' behaviour, I've seen the footage of what took place," Mr Parker said.

"Even John Howard's people said John Howard is fine about it all. He seemed to be smiling through the whole process of it, and there certainly wasn't any thuggish behaviour, given John Howard was the first prime minister to introduce the ABCC.

Read more:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/former-prime-minis...

 

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The former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, should be behind bars, or at least facing an inquiry about the war on Saddam Hussein. This would show that the war on Saddam was based on a concoction of lies, in which Hoard played a big part... We know that politician lie but when war is involved and 500,000 people die, there should be a strong penalty to pay. 

So, whatever Turnbull says, has no weight and is embarrassing. Brian Parker deserves a bravery medal for being restrained. The ABCC is no more than a witch hunt. We should have a royal commission into the behaviour of banks that have been far less than honest.