Today in Politics...
The latest from Canberra.
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After I received a letter from Tony Abbott, my local member, I decided to write back…
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The Budget:
Tony Abbott’s justification for opposing the budget handouts to families - the ‘schoolkids bonus’ - was because the government could not guarantee it would be used for education rather than squandered on the pokies. When challenged to explain how this was any different to the baby bonus (or numerous other middle-class handouts that the Howard government turned into an artform) his explanation was ‘It just is’.Joe Hockey’s explanation was equally convincing: ‘Because one is for babies’.
It is admittedly rather comical that they continue to get away with such vacuous nonsense in lieu of actual policies. What’s less funny is the fact that - aside from the $70 billion hole that Treasury found in their costings - if/when they win govennment they’ll now have to plug an extra $2.9 billion hole because they have now supported additional payments to families funded by the mining tax they say they’ll repeal.
The only way the Coalition can make the magnitude of savings they’ll need to is by savage cuts to services. Those who think the ‘smaller government’ mantra is a catchy slogan will be in for a very rude shock when they see the reality under an Abbott government.
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Interesting views from average Australians.
I spent all day yesterday yelling at everything because politics in this country is so fucking stupid. It fills me with so much dispair that it actually keeps me awake at night. I actually can’t bear to watch it anymore; journalists are stupid, the ALP is stupid, Tony Abbott is a fucking moron and the debasement of our public dialogue has gone on for far too long. The ALP never learns from its mistakes (and it has had so many opportunities to, from so many mistakes). It’s the definition of crazy, isn’t it? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The Liberal party is doing it’s best to exploit fear, racism, homophobia and sexism to win government. Which, because the ALP is so staggeringly stupid, they will. We will have Abbott for 6 years or more and, for at least some of that time, he will probably control the upper house. Do you know how far back he could pull this country if he had control of the upper house for even 3 years? And I can’t bear to watch it anymore. There is nothing I can do to stop this from happening and it actually keeps me awake at night.
Meanwhile:
- Gay people are still treated as second class citizens; unable to marry and discriminated against by everyone from the government down. How can we be surprised that queers (I use the term affectionately) are bullied, discriminated against, and have a far higher suicide and depression rate if from the very top of our society we are telling them that they are less than heterosexuals?
- The planet continues to warm and Australia remains the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gasses in the developed world. We have an obligation to cut our greenhouse emissions and we need to do it yesterday.
- People drown at sea as the desperately flee persecution in search of a better life in Australia. The ones that do make it Australia without drowning are locked up, treated with suspicion and used as a political football. They came to Australia because they want to share what we have, and we put them behind barbed wire.
- The mining boom continues to put pressures on jobs in our manufacturing sector by pushing our dollar up, and sucking skilled labour away from other areas of our economy. Our government lacks the courage to slow the mining boom down because of powerful voices with endless amount of money that they made from digging up rocks that belong to the Australian people.
- The gap between the wealthiest Australians and the poorest Australians continues to grow. The inequality begins in our schools and continues right through to adulthood.
I could go on forever, but you get my point. There are things we need to do, right now, and we need to be talking about it. But instead we are stuck in the bullshit vortex of Newspolls, leadership speculation, Abbott’s relentless negativity and making political hay out of every passing issue.
The Gillard government has not been a bad government, but they just keep getting bogged down in bullshit. It is not entirely their fault, the media is to blame just as much for the debasement of our public dialogue as the politicians are, but they don’t learn. The ALP keeps doing the same thing and expects things to change. They are going to lose and they are going to lose badly, right now it just looks like that is what they are trying to do.
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Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard has predicted that Kevin Rudd will replace Julia Gillard as Labor leader and Prime Minister before the next election. Having been defeated by Rudd himself in the 2007 election, Mr Howard today told reporters that Labor’s lust for power will drive them to oust Gillard to stop a potential repeat of the landslide loss felt by Labor in the Queensland State election. -
Post reblogged from A Lamp, a Tub and Some Onions
shows how much he really cares for Australian jobs and the Australian economy by getting his Titanic II built in China by a Chinese company.
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Clive Palmer has today revealed that he plans to stand against Wayne Swan in Swan’s home seat of Lilley. The mining magnate has long been criticised by the Treasurer and others for harbouring wealth and doing damage to the state of equality the “fair go” in Australia.
If all goes ahead, Palmer will stand for the Liberal National Party (LNP) in the Brisbane seat of Lilley at the 2013 federal election.
He said the reason for the stunning move is that he and the Treasurer “have clear different visions of where this country should go”. He went on to say that he wanted to grow the economy, creating more wealth, rather than the redistribution of wealth that Wayne Swan seeks for Australians.
Social Liberals have criticised the move, fearing that this sort of ultra-capitalism will result in the poor getting poorer while the super-rich like Clive accumulate more wealth.
Palmer tried for pre-selection in the seat of Fischer in 1984 but was narrowly defeated by under-fire Speaker, Peter Slipper.
Wayne Swan has responded that he “relished the prospect” of fighting vested interests and redistributing wealth to the poor, despite Mr. Palmer’s wishes to make the rich richer.
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Photo reblogged from Still searching for...
Human caused global warming…
Despite scare-mongering from the Liberals, there is no down-side to the Carbon Tax. The so-called economic ramifications are non-existent. A dozen separate inquiries have said so.
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Julia Gillard has asked MP Craig Thomson to quit the Labor Party and told Speaker Peter Slipper to accept a longer suspension as she moves to dispel what she says is a “dark cloud” hanging over the Federal Parliament.
Peter Slipper has agreed not to return as Speaker on May 8.
Andrew Wilkie had said he would move a motion of no-confidence in Mr. Slipper if he was in the Speaker’s chair on Budget Day.
Mr. Thomson will act as an Independent MP for the time being, but has said he will vote with the Government.
Labor and Coalition are now formally tied for numbers in the House of Representatives.
However, key independent MPs are downplaying talk of an early election.
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Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, has told SkyNews that he supports the Prime Minister’s stance on whether or not Speaker Peter Slipper should return to the job before civil actions against him are resolved.
Allegations against Peter Slipper from a former staff member that he sexually harassed him and misused cabcharge waivers surfaced during the week and Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has told the media that he will move or support a motion of no-confidence in Mr Slipper’s Speakership if he is in the Speaker’s chair when Parliament resumes on Budget Day, May 8, unless all the matters against Mr. Slipper have been resolved.
The Prime Minister has expressed concerns that, while the matters of the cab fares cam be handled in a matter of days, the civil suit against Slipper could take months to be resolved. And without Slipper in the high-chair, a Labor deputy will take his place, thinning Labor’s majority.
It is likely that Ms. Gillard will have to take a second look at Mr. Wilkie’s poker machine reforms, in order to secure his support and maintain her majority. Otherwise, we could be headed to an election much sooner than anticipated.
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An historic day in Australian parliament in February as Greens MP Adam Bandt introduces the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2012 (Cth) to the House of Representatives. This bill will amend the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) to remove the section of the definition of marriage which indicates it to be “between a man and woman” which was added in by the Howard government in 2004, thereby legalising same-sex marriage.
The changing of the definition of marriage has also been official Labor policy since the ALP national conference in Sydney last year. As of now, the Tony Abbott is not allowing a conscience vote for his members, and this will make it difficult for the Bill to pass the Lower House, as there are several Labor members who are expected to vote against the Bill.
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It’s undeniable that Tony Abbott is highly critical of the Gillard government. And with scandal after scandal within the government, it’s to be expected. But, does he present any credible alternative to Gillard’s policies. After repealing the Carbon and Mining taxes, what will be Abbott’s next move?
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Link reblogged from
# Gillard is a figurehead of an ideology, her personality and personal viewpoints do not dictate all decisions made by the labour party.
# Abbott claims Gay Marriage is not a large concern in Australian society and in the public consciousness is not a pressing issue….when the issue is currently…
