from Peter hartcher

Abbott offered an "action contract" to the Australian electorate, but every point on it is a repudiation of Labor and not a positive alternative.

This is his mantra - he promises to "end the waste, repay the debt, stop new taxes and stop the boats".

Abbott likes this so much he ran through it no fewer than three times. But it's a mantra for an opposition, not a government. He failed to mention any positive offerings on education or health. Abbott did play up his plan for a more generous paid parental leave, but a single initiative is not a plan for government.

Gillard's performance was not compelling, but she was positive, self-possessed, at ease, and, vitally, she had a plan.

Where Abbott chanted his four-point repudiation, Gillard pitched positives.

She listed the government's six-point economic plan, plus its new offerings on education and health. Taking a tip from US presidential debates, she repeatedly declared herself an optimist, a sunny contrast to Abbott's dark clouds of concern.

The bottom line? Abbott ran as an insurgent, not a potential prime minister. Gillard ran as a leader with a positive plan. That is why she won the debate.

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Gus: Abbott's "action contract" is not worth the loo paper it's pencilled on. His "CONtract" would make your life — and that of Australia — a misery, except for the richest of us, of which I am not one of them...

 

Abbott pledges end to marine park expansions

 

The Federal Coalition has announced it would suspend Labor's marine protection process if it wins the election.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott outlined his policy at Mackay's waterfront in central Queensland in the seat of Dawson.

Fishing industries in Queensland and the mid-north of New South Wales have been campaigning to ease proposed extensions to marine parks and bans on fishing.

Mr Abbott says he would start consultation with the fishing industry about sensible marine park boundaries.

"All of us want to see appropriate environmental protection, but man and nature have to live together and it's very important we don't do anything as a government that unreasonably threatens the livelihood of fishing industries and the tourism industries," he said.

Mr Abbott says the issue of marine parks is not one that often gets coverage in major metropolitan media.

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Gus: what an idiot! A very fishoo-i policy... The place needs more protection not less!!...

It's a bit like in the desert... A single tyretrack can stay there, like a scar, for another 50 years... Add a hundred-4W drives and the place becomes a giant refuse tip... Except, when underwater, we don't see it... All this to win the support of careless red-necks...

There is plenty of room for fisherpersons and for more parks. It's in the interest of the fisherpersons to have reserves where fish stocks can replenish without interferences...

North Queensland river — picture by Gus.

 

From Ross Gittins

Rant rant rant

...

In economics, however, there are no free lunches. Everything comes at an (opportunity) cost. So successful has Costello been at demonising all government debt - state and federal - that we've failed to invest in enough economic and social infrastructure. Our debt level is minor, but we're living in the worst house in the street.

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Yes Ross, but this expose does not go far enough... The lessons of the past stare us in the face:

Learn from the fiscal mistakes of 1991, Mr Abbott

The recessions Australia has experienced since the early 1980s have mainly had their origins overseas. The latest, now known as the global financial crisis, the worst since the Depression, was bequeathed to us by the unconscionable ''fiscally conservative'' gentlemen of Wall Street and the financial sector in the US, who pumped up massive private spending and debt. There could still be a ''double dip'' as international sovereign debt is run down.

In the 1991 recession, when I was treasurer, Treasury advised the government of the wisdom of letting ''automatic stabilisers'' work to restore the economy. Treasury thought interest rates were too high and was opposed to any large fiscal stimulus.

The government's budget strategy for 1991-92 was based on the need to attack inflation. The Reserve Bank, by then virtually independent, was not inclined to reduce interest rates quickly.

The consequence of this advice was that there was no fiscal stimulus in the 1991-92 budget. It was estimated that up to 150,000 people lost their jobs as business contracted.

In 2008, both the Treasury and the Reserve were well prepared and the government acted promptly. Lenore Taylor and David Uren's book Shitstorm has more than useful details. The Labor government's action saved us from a recession, but opportunities for some essential public investment have had to be put on hold.

The Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, recently said there was ''virtually no net public debt in the country''.

Despite this, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey promise to cut federal government spending by $45.8 billion if the Coalition is elected. How many unemployed and business bankruptcies do they plan on?

John Kerin Garran (ACT)

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John Kerrin was a honest Treasurer who had to balance social responsibilities of keeping people employed versus keeping government money to his chest. He admits he made the wrong call, under wrong treasury advice at the time.

By now we should all be aware that Tony wants to burn the house down —especially yours — to save money... Don't say I did not warn you....

The present Labor government has protected your private potatoes from rotting.

Most of the rot that has engulfed overseas economies, comes from private conservative outfits — neo-cons in the US, some "conservatives" in Australia, who have run financial companies and transactions credit and betting tabs the size of small countries so they could salt themselves with lavish bonuses.

Sure it would be intersting to have a government in a light surplus, but not at the expense of socially necessary work. And if you believe Tony is socially responsible, you've got to be kidding. Costello, Howard and Tony had it somewhat much sweeter when the world economy was illusionary running hot. Meanwhile, they did nothing of any social concequences, but cut most services from health to education... all in order to post a 40 billion surplus.

That $40 billions got wiped off the plate, not by Labor, but by the vagaries of the world money market...

What good is money when you're dead, or when savings that should have been spent of socially responsible issues goes up in smoke? This is the true state of the Costello-Howard accounts when one digs below the dirt of complex economic papers...

Abbott is still the same liar as he was when he made rock solid promises to be re-elected back in 2004 — rock solid promises that became seas of shifting sands... Abbott is still part of this lying cabal that took us to war in Iraq... Wait for his flip-flop, should he be anointed. He would blame Labor of course for his ineptitude. That would smell of sociopathy: lie to get to the top and blame others for one's crap.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey has ignited speculation the Coalition may make changes to its levy on big business to fund a paid parental leave scheme.

The Coalition has previously committed to funding paid parental leave by imposing a 1.7 per cent company tax levy on the nation's biggest businesses.

But the move has been aggressively targeted by the Government, which claims the levy will flow through to consumers and push up food prices.

Today the Opposition unveiled plans to lower company tax by 1.5 per cent for all businesses, even though the levy would remain in place.

Releasing the Coalition's small business policy today, Mr Hockey said the Opposition would have "more to say" about the levy during the election campaign.

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Making so much "policies" blancmange on the hop-hop, Tinkerbellockey is looking more like a flee-bitten kangaroo. If you believe any of this would stick, you'd have to be a moron  —  but then I would be over-estimating you... I believe you are cleverer than Abbott and his lot of lying fairy tales characters... I hope we wont have to test their gall.

from the SMH

Ian Verrender

...

At 2.7 per cent on an annualised basis, underlying inflation in the June quarter was sitting well within the Reserve Bank's ''comfort zone'' of between 2 and 3 per cent.

That has put the lid back on mounting speculation that the inflation ogre was lurking in the background, requiring immediate attention from the central bank.

Such a prospect clearly had the Reserve Bank governor rattled. And just to ensure there would be no avenue for accusations of political meddling, the bank last week outlined in a clear form the conditions required for it to lift rates at its monthly meeting next Tuesday.

Until the 2007 election, both sides of politics had assumed there was a moratorium on interest rate movements during a federal campaign.

They assumed wrong. Stevens blind-sided the Howard government with a rate rise - from 6.5 per cent to 6.75 per cent; way above the current 4.5 per cent - right in the middle of the campaign, just as the government was promising even more tax cuts to woo a disenchanted electorate.

The Reserve Bank governor will probably not be high on the Opposition Leader's Christmas card list.

In recent months, he has defended the government's stimulus packages and dismissed the Coalition's increasingly alarmist view of the national debt.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/with-the-bar-set-so-low-abbott-has-no-place-to-go-20100728-10w5c.html

And while Abbott lies from his little bigoted mount, Julia is accused of atheism as if atheism was a sin or a disease:

 

Julia Gillard says she respects the church and other religious groups in the wake of comments from a Catholic archbishop suggesting Christians may not vote for her.

Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey said Ms Gillard's atheism could influence Christian voters not to vote Labor at the August 21 poll.

''While there is no indication that the present prime minister will undermine the special privileges that churches enjoy, some wonder what the future will bring,'' Archbishop Hickey told The West Australian.

''Many Christians are concerned that someone who does not believe in God may not endorse the Christian traditions of respect for human life, for the sanctity of marriage and the independence of churches, church schools and church social welfare agencies.''

Ms Gillard said she was someone who respected the religious views of others.

''In terms of the work that the Catholic church does, that other churches and religious groups do in our society I am a big respecter,'' she told reporters.

''And my history has been to be a big supporter.''

 

This should be able to bring Australia into line with regulated responsibility in reporting.

Isn’t it amazing that the "Mad Monk de-frocked Priest”, who recently said he would easily defeat Kevin Rudd - another Roman Catholic - has now decided to exploit the Religious "Neutral" attitude of the Prime Minister Julia Gillard? And of course his Corporation’s media supports him!

“Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey said Ms Gillard's atheism could influence Christian voters not to vote Labor at the August 21 poll”.

Should I be over zealous in being quite happy about this when I wrote in this forum on 27th July 2010 viz:

Don't let racism return to Australia. (Read religion for racism)

“God Bless Australia and lets hope that Abbott will finally make the mistake of arrogance so inherent in the conservatives.  Do any Australians truly believe that he has changed? NE OUBLIE.”

Well, it certainly has come to pass.  A reverse use of the infamous Roman Catholic bastardry in trying to take over the Labor Party by splitting its religious loyalty to foster a Vatican controlled Democratic Labor Party of Australia in 1954. It put the “neutral” Labor Party in the wilderness and Australia suffered because of it. Yet a recent quote from Wikipedia reveals..

“DLP has re-formed state parties in Queensland (2007) and NSW (2008) with a view to reregistering for and contesting state and local elections. Both the QLD and NSW state parties will be contesting the Senate and House of Representatives 2010 Federal Election. The secretary for Qld is Tony Zegenhagen. The acting secretary for NSW is Nick Williams[3]

At the 2004 Federal Election, the DLP received 58,042 first preference, or 1.94% of all votes, in the Victorian Senate election.[4] These votes assisted in the election of Steve Fielding from Family First to the Senate, even though the DLP vote was higher than the Family First vote. It also contested the federal divisions of Ballarat,[5] and McMillan.[6]”

However, in this case, another such divisive bastard like Abbott is using his ONE VOTE stabbing-in-the-back of HIS Leader for a similar objective! This caused a major split in the so-called TEAM presented by the “Mad Monk”.  So the story of Archbishop Mannix and Santa Maria is reborn?

Do any of you readers know a "born again Christian"? Fair dinkum. I wish Abbott would stop using one of our most lasting questions/statement - Fair dinkum - because he is certainly not.

And now with Abbott confident that his financially wealthy and blessed supporters – can nothing stop him?

Well Abbott, this O.B.E. (Over Bloody Eighty) Australian has the experience to know where you are coming from.

I have also tried to explain to people that the true story of the Liberal Party has been since Menzies changed its name (what’s in a name indeed) and that is to convince our population that a minimum service to the people and maximum to the Corporations is a good “Liberal” economy and should excite us to favor the Corporation’s due to their kindness, and who may give our people a job (like Abbott/Hockey’s WorkChoices) which they sometimes do in all third world countries.  They are, after all, the beneficiaries of our taxes and war deaths - are they not?

Since being a forced captive to one particular religion is abhorrent to me, I must say that IF our objective is like Rudd and Gillard have said viz; “to bring the people with us”, the uneducated world religions like Christianity; Judaism  Islam Judaism Hinduism Sikhism Budhism et al - demonstrates in part the spread of Religions by time from 3000 BC to 2000 AD. (the latter by Wikipedia).

Religious freedom is supposed to be sacrosanct in a democracy but, as we know, that is not the case. To divide and conquer this wonderful country we should all vote for a party which DOES NOT USE RELIGION as a justification. 

Better to vote accordingly for a government led by a Prime Minister who at least is not beholden to any religion. This is the meaning of “bringing the people, all of them, with the government of this Lucky country.

So bring it on Abbott “this new game is on” - you have opened the door to religious bigotry and you will certainly suffer for it as will all of your bigoted Coalition. Without any acceptable legal ability, I would hope that all of the major parties are forced to declare their costs in this election.  Abbott will depend on the time dishonoured inactivity of keeping the poor uneducated.  I kid you not.

Now Abbott, since you see the “neutral” attitude of Julia Gillard as unacceptable, will you take us even further back in time to when signing up for anything required you to nominate you religion?  Please?

God Bless Australia and for “whatever it takes” let us rid ourselves of the Abbott cancer to our democracy. Fight Julia, fight for us.  NE OUBLIE.

 

 

 

The power of the biased press is surely known to all Australians and unfortunately, some depend on those edited reports for their understanding.

It is an undeniable fact that the foreign Corporation's media depends on the foreign Corporations to buy their advertisements and also our assets at the bargain basement prices provided ONLY by the Corporation's Liberal government. But, who is to tell the public?  Who will give an alternative view to that of the Corporation's government?  Or even, god willing, the truth?

Does any middle to lower class Australian really believe that the "Mad Monk leopard" has changed his spots? So is the power of the unregulated media.

Regarding the Oakes' leaks, the planned and timed allegations were and still are a typical Liberal blot on the Australian nation of a "fair go" in our Courts of Law

Why did he wait until the obviously damaging, anonymous allegations could have maximum effect? In the Howard national interests?

Why did Downer wait three years and Bishop eight years to make their allegations? And how many “ordinary Australians” (as the Liberals consider us) really remember the massive irresponsible stewardship of the Howard “New Order”?

Let it be a lesson to our young people that their very education and chances of a bright future is still dependant on the Whitlam/Rudd/Gillard policies of fairness and education for all.

Private schools are probably a sectarian example of wealth but, Labor wants to “build on the rocks” and that requires recognition of the rights of young but not wealthy Australians.  Close the gap.

God Bless Australia and may our society lead the way for appropriate regulation of the abuses of the Murdochracy and others. NE OUBLIE.  

 

Submitted by Ernest William ... on February 6, 2007 - 10:26am.

After some eleven years of scandals, lies, incompetence, moving targets and multiple diversions - let's have a reality check on what the Howard Liberals' "Job" really means.

The American Karl Rove has a great deal to do with Howard's "multi-purpose" policies, as indeed he has with Bush himself (and his boss Cheney?)

We know that the objective of the U.S. is the financial and military control of the entire world so, just perhaps, the Big 8 may constitute some sort of "what about our powers that be".

Not so with the Howard "New Order" Liberals however, with their Leader complying with every U.S. demand without respect for anything Australian.

The ultimate aim can ONLY be the "coralling" of the world's remaining resources for those very "powers that be" at the ultimate expense of the majority of ordinary citizens - even their own?

There should not be any doubt that, "back in Australia" the last decade has been spent in privatising anything for which the Howard government IS responsible and blindly following the dictates of the U.S.

While Howard continues to muddy the waters (with media corporate assistance) by having "two bob each way"; creating diversions: blatant wedging and carrying out his normal "backflips" before an election - those who realise the catastrophic future that this depraved government will force upon our coming generations are looking for an alternative to disaster.

Just take a deep breath and REASON what the Howardist catch cries REALLY mean.

"Getting on with the Job" - "Not leaving until the Job is done" - "Any job is better than none" - "Underemployed is not Jobless" et al. All as false as the debt ridden economy.

We need only to fear the "New Order" Liberals and their unwarranted claim to the continuation of the Hawke/Keating prosperity - without burgeoning debt.

When Howard cheekily claims his "record" to stand by - let's have a reality check on that, because the list of stupidity and foreign "investment" in our Nation seems endless.

There is no truth other than that which the Corporations want us to believe.

(End of quote and is intended to show that, IMHO, Abbott has certainly not changed.  EWG.)