Treasurer Wayne Swan has fired the latest salvo in his battle with some of the country’s richest people, this time attacking Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for "singing for his supper".

The Treasurer has told the National Press Club that Mr Abbott's opposition to the mining tax and a carbon price "is about more than his reflex for negativity". 

"He is of course singing for his supper - we can see that in the donations from the likes of Clive Palmer that have flooded into the Coalition's coffers in recent years," Mr Swan said. 

"In choosing to kneel down at the feet of the vested interests, rather than stand up for the interests of Australian workers, Mr Abbott has encouraged them at every turn." 

Mr Swan fired the first shot in the row last week with an essay in The Monthly in which he accused "vested interests" of undermining Australia's democracy and sense of equality.

Hiring intentions have reached their highest level in more than three years as a report shows the jobs market has posted solid growth for the second consecutive month.

The monthly ANZ job advertisement series shows the total number of positions advertised rose 3.3 per cent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, driven by a strong 3.8 per cent rise in online job ads.

This follows a solid upwardly revised jump of 7.5 per cent in January.

ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan believes the labour market will see gradual improvement throughout 2012 based on this result.

"This offers up the prospect that our unemployment rate is likely to move sideways over the next six months, rather than rise," Mr Hogan said.

Overall, there were 10 per cent more jobs advertisements last month than in October last year.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-05/job-ads-hit-three-year-high-survey-shows/3869114

Obviously the federal government is totally inept... There should be some real pain out there... Wait for Abbott the slasher to come and trim your wings, you — the little dorks who don't like Labor because they pulled Rudd's pants down and want to punish Julia... Slash goes the NBN, slash goes your entitlements, slash go your eco-carbon footprints, boom goes climate change, tank goes the economy... That's Abbott the cocky-budgie promises with a squawk...

The Opposition has rejected Wayne Swan's accusation that it has been bought by powerful vested interests as "insulting".

They say the Treasurer is trying to distract attention from the increasing cost of living for ordinary Australians.

In his battle with some of the country's richest people, Mr Swan turned his sights on the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, accusing him of "singing for his supper".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-05/swan-waging-war-on-middle-class3a-opposition/3869734?WT.svl=news1

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Of course Swan is correct on this point and the opposition is doing everything it can to swat its own fires while blaming others. Nothing new can be expectd from them the Liberals (conservatives) except more bilious venom... Joe Hockey could not run a piss-up in a pub, nor could his acolyte Robb... Abbott hasn't got any idea of what's what either — but he's Mr Popular because the media, led by the Merde-och press, says so.... Should the media be fair on political statures, Abbott would be way below the plimsol-line frolicking with barnacles while Julia would be recognised for what she can do... Swiftly (some would say sneakily) adjust to the situation as much as possible while fighting ther inertia of her own colleagues, that of the opposition and that of the "people", to benefit most of them and inprove the future of this country without being afraid of "changing course" for which she'll be called a liar to her own detriment, while minimising the expenses (Swan is very astute at this level).

No-one's perfect... But some of us are better than others or less problematic. Some of us are just pain in the butt, like Abbott, Pyne and others...

Queensland's Liberal National Party (LNP) says it will not be sacking one of its candidates despite his involvement in a pornographic website.

Mortgage broker Mark Boothman remains the registered administrator of the site, which he says was hacked and had adult content uploaded to it.

The site was shut down in 2006.

The LNP began investigating his involvement and has deemed he is a suitable candidate to run against Labor MP Margaret Keech in the northern Gold Coast seat of Albert.

Ms Keech holds the seat with a 6.5 per cent margin.

Two other LNP candidates for the Gold Coast's Broadwater electorate have already been stood aside: one for drink driving and the other for going to a swingers party.

Mr Boothman has not spoken to the media but said in an LNP statement that he was embarrassed by the incident.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-08/lnp-porn-guy-stays/3877336

A Queensland MP has condemned an attack on his Gold Coast electorate office.

The Liberal National Party (LNP) member for Coomera, Michael Crandon, says a bullet was fired through a window of the building at Hope Island last night.

He says no-one was inside at the time.

"The bullet came through the window, through the venetian blind, struck the ceiling and ricocheted off the wall," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-08/bullet-fired-through-gold-coast-mps-office/3877074

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Do I smell a rat?...

COMPLAINTS about the rising cost of living appear to have little basis in fact, a new study reveals.

It shows that incomes have more than kept up with prices, and in 2009-10 the average family was $224 a week better off than in 2003-04.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/battered-by-rising-prices-nonsense-youve-never-had-it-so-good-study-reveals-20120501-1xxa3.html#ixzz1tf2BQNFN

Just a summary: in 2004, Rattus was giving you hell and trying to screw you...

In 2010, Labor has delivered a better outcome for your home budget — by a whopping $224 a week in adjusted dollars.

All this was done while Labor FACED ENORMOUS pressures from the global financial crisis, still infecting many western countries...

So, of course YOU (according to the polls) want to go back to the Rattus days (daze), with Rattus the second (or the turd) in charge, reintroducing Work Choices and other nasties to make sure your pay packet is reduced... You know you're being paid TOO MUCH...

I know YOU're a bunch of masochists outthere, evidently according to the polls... 

If you don't believe the Liberals (conservatives) would reintroduce Work Choices (under whatever other name) or start robbing you, YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED PETER REITH and SOPHIE MIRABELLA on Q&A last Monday... An eye opener if you had your eyes closed for the last couple of years...

See toon at top...

A circus in Germany has been scrambling to replace a troupe of fleas that was entirely wiped out by this spring's freezing weather.

Robert Birk said he found some 300 fleas dead inside their transport box earlier in the week.

It was the first time the cold had killed a whole troupe in one go.

A university insect expert Professor Heinz Mehlhorn managed to provide 50 replacement fleas in time for a performance at an open-air fair.

Training began immediately for the new recruits. "I worked solidly for two days," said Mr Birk, according to the Online Focus website, noting that the replacement team lacked a little pazazz.

Michael Faber, who organises the fair in the western town of Mechernich-Kommern, told the Associated Press news agency that he hoped the new fleas would get through the show without suffering further casualties.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21991622

We definitively should export our Clowns of the Absurd (see toon at top) to replace the vacancy created by the death of the German flees... The Liberal (conservative) party, led by Tony Abbott can do very good impression of the blood sucking critters... The only problem is that they cannot be trained other than blurt hot air...

NSW Premier Mike Baird said the party needed to boost its dwindling membership.

"The way we can attract more members is by empowering existing ones — giving every single member a view and a say in this party on an ongoing basis," he said in a video message.

"There can be nothing more important than having a say for every member on who their member of parliament should be."

Mr Turnbull is the latest in a phalanx of current and former leaders backing an overhaul, including former prime minister John Howard.

The moves to slash the influence of corporate lobbyists and powerbrokers is seen as directed towards a number of key individuals.

These include moderate faction powerbroker Michael Photios and Nick Campbell from the centre-right faction, who jointly own lobbying firms Premier State and CapitalHill Advisory.

The issue could come to a flashpoint next weekend at the NSW Liberal Party annual general meeting.

"What we need is all of those prime ministers, all of those premiers, barracking for democracy … at the AGM next Saturday," Mr Abbott said.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-15/tony-abbott-malcolm-turnbull-in-favour-of-nsw-liberal-overhaul/7935892

As a clown infestation seems to be plaguing the world, the Liberal (CONservative) Party is recruiting more NSW clowns to replace those who went on entitlement junkets such as Joe Hockey. See toon at top.