playing the Labor deficit card at the time the CONservative government (with Cormann) is running its biggest deficit ever...

cormann

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has responded via email to an article published by ABC Fact Check on a claim he made regarding Labor's record in balancing the budget.

Senator Cormann said that Labor turned a $20 billion surplus into "a record deficit".

Following advice from experts, Fact Check found that Labor's highest deficit as a share of GDP was not "a record", as Senator Cormann suggested, issuing a verdict of "wrong".

Senator Cormann's response to Fact Check has been published in full below:

Senator Cormann's response

"I absolutely stand by my factually accurate assertion that in 2007 Labor inherited a strong budget surplus from the Coalition and turned that into a record deficit.

"Indeed Labor in 2007 inherited a $20 billion surplus and by 2009-10 had turned that into a $54.5 billion deficit, which remains the largest deficit in our history.

"There was no larger deficit before and there hasn't been a deficit that size since."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-14/senator-cormann-responds-to-fact-check/7508218

One of the factor not included in the analysis by "fact-checker" is that at the time from 2007 till about 2012 and possibly beyond, the world economy was in a mess (the GFC — global financial crisis, REMEMBER?) which had been inducted by the CONservatives mates in the USA selling shit worldwide for profit. Some countries, like the USA, decided to alleviate some of the problem by giving cash to the banks to distribute amongst themselves, while the Labor Party in Australia gave the cash to the PEOPLE, so they could survive while weathering the crazy financial storm. So, in conclusion, fuck Cormann and his views. He is also a talker of shit when his government is also presently running a record deficit at the bar.

By Gus Leonisky at 14 Jun 2016 - 1:03pm
Gus Leonisky's blog
Login or register to post comments

the right to know the truth...

"Kevin Rudd also talked tough on border protection before an election only to put people smugglers back into business after election," Senator Cormann added.

But Mr Shorten said greater transparency around how asylum seekers are treated in detention would not undermine Australia's efforts to stop people smugglers.

"When it comes to transparency and the way that people are directly or indirectly in Australia's care are treated, I do not see why that has to be a secret," he said.

The union representing journalists, the MEAA, welcomed Mr Shorten's commitment.

Welcome commitment by @billshortenmp to allowing media access to Manus and Nauru. #qanda #MEAAmedia #vote4pressfreedom #ausvotes

— MEAA (@withMEAA) June 13, 2016

In 2014, just months after Tony Abbott won office for the Coalition, the Nauruan government raised the visa fee for journalists from $200 to $8000. The cost is non-refundable even if a journalist's bid to travel to the Island is not allowed.

Mr Shorten also promised to lift draconian provisions in the Border Force Act which threatens to jail for up to two years any teacher, doctor or social worker working with asylum seekers who discloses confidential information.

Both the Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg and the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton have said the provisions, introduced in July 2015, are not aimed at the media and would not stop whistleblowers who can speak out on the Public Interest Disclosure Act.

But it followed the actions of Mr Dutton's predecessor Scott Morrison, who in 2014, accused the NGO Save The Children of leaking information and encouraging asylum seekers to self-harm and ordered 14 staff off Nauru.

In May 2016, the Department of Immigration announced the government had paid compensation to Save The Children but both the Department and Mr Morrison have refused to apologise to the organisation.

In 2014 the private security company contracted to run the detention facility on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, G4S, confiscated Fairfax Media photographer Nick Moir's camera and deleted images, 14km from the site of the centre.

By Gus Leonisky at 14 Jun 2016 - 1:07pm
Login or register to post comments

more crap from the Libs (CONservatives)...

The recent comments made by the minister for justice, Michael Keenan, on Labor candidate for the Western Australian seat of Cowan, Dr Anne Aly, are an outrageous betrayal of his role and of the vital importance of rehabilitation for young men caught in these webs.

Aly is an internationally-recognised expert in deradicalisation. In her capacity as the chairwoman of the federally-funded body People Against Violent Extremism (Pave) provided a letter setting out her recommendations for the rehabilitation of two young men accused of travelling under a false name.

Julie Bishop steps up attack on Anne Aly in ‘hate preacher’ row

Keenan has described the letter she wrote as a “letter of support”, and showed “pretty poor judgment” on her part. This is a mischievous and deliberate mischaracterisation of Aly’s letter. By all accounts, Aly was just doing her job. The letter outlines her recommendations for the young men, including proposing they re-enter higher education and advising they seek mentoring and counselling services.

The fact that such a letter has been targeted demonstrates a hubris that bellies belief. Keenan clearly believes cheap political point scoring is more important than sustainable and effective solutions to serious social issues.

The federal government, in its own countering violent extremism portfolio – which sits under the attorney general’s department – makes clear recommendations for supporting young people at risk of radicalisation. Many of those recommendations are in line with the recommendations made by Aly in her letter to the court.

By Gus Leonisky at 24 Jun 2016 - 6:40pm
Login or register to post comments

Primary links

Search

Recent comments

Democracy Links

Member's Off-site Blogs