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Labour= tax tax tax......and tax again
Labour= tax tax tax......and tax again
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Andrew Bartlett has been active in politics for over 20 years, including as a Queensland Senator from 1997-2008. This blog started in 2004 and reflects his own views, independent of any political party or organisation.
May 26, 2010 Are the Liberals becoming another Tea Party? For the last few months, I’ve found it hard to shake the idea that the Liberal Party’s overriding approach to politics and policy has deteriorated to a level little better than where the US Republican Party now finds itself. I think the reason why things have sunk this low has a lot to do with the perverted nature of the so-called culture and history wars which were embraced with such fervour by the Howard government. The public and policy debates engendered by the culture/history wars were driven by political point-scoring opportunities and a desire to reframe public perceptions in a way which fitted a hardline conservative worldview. It is no wonder Malcolm Fraser resigned from the Liberal party – a decision I am sure he would not have taken lightly. Facts have been an optional extra in any of the arguments used to advance the culture/history war positions. Once a group of people engaging in political debate no longer feel the need to adhere to a reality based framework, and even basic tenets of logic and rationality are readily dispensed with if they get in the way of a desirable slogan or soundbite, then we are really are faced with a very different type of politics. Just as the Republicans seem to think that, by definition everything Barack Obama is automatically another part of his socialist, big government, big spending, high taxing, pro-Muslim, anti-American, anti-religious, pro-abortion, gun-hating, pro-terrorist plot to destroy America from the inside – so the Liberal-Nationals now seem to feel every action by other parties, no matter how mundane, straight-forward or rational, must immediately be seen as another example of a fundamental threat to whatever it is they decide they believe in this week. Julie Bishop’s latest bizarre attacks on the very middle of the road decision by the Rudd to eject one Israeli diplomat from Australia in response to that country’s action to forge Australian passports and steal the identities of at least 4 Australian citizens is a small but telling example. Expelling a diplomat in this sort of circumstance seems like a very stock standard, almost tokenistic going-through-the-motions type of action by Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. Yet Ms Bishop immediately tried to portray this as some sort of anti-Israel action aimed at currying favour with Arab nations. So desperate was she to take a pro-Israel approach, and to suggest that what Israel did was no big deal that she stated that the Australian government (or our spy agency) did the same sort of thing when it came to passport forgery and identity theft. There is plenty to criticise the Rudd government for, but replacing coherent critiques with knee-jerk shrieking sloganeering is not a good sign. It may even be that this low road approach of manically pushing every negative button in sight could work well electorally – but heaven help us all if it does. I am not convinced that the Tea Party movement will achieve much politically in the long run other than splinter the Republican vote, but in the mean time they are making any attempt at coherent, rational policy debate in the USA almost impossible. The Liberal’s incoherent, self-contradicting approach on a whole range of policy issues – most worryingly even on economic and tax policy – might be sufficiently obscured by their continuing inchoate war on everything as to provide electoral benefits for them. But once rational thinking is no longer required – in fact becomes an impediment to launching the latest barrage – then there is no guarantee it will ever be returned to at some stage down the track. |
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Pretty close to the mark...imo....except for that bit about plenty to critise the Rudd Govt for. LOL.
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Wowzers, the insightful words of Andrew Bartlett.
Write your own comments AFL, if I wanted to read from Bartlett, I'd go to his blog page.  Its common political logic that the Coalition, coming off the 2007 election loss have been rebuilding, its only natural, the Labor Party spent 11 and a half years in Opposition during the Howard years rebuilding and keeping mum on policy until election campaigns.  And your mate, Kevin, got elected in 2007, not even 12 months in the leadership role (clearly politics can change very quickly), on the back of the mood for change - and a whole heap of hot air ideas that have NOT been delivered, policy-on-the-run & projects undertaken have been shambolic - yet to you lot, desperate to sway the spotlight onto the Opposition, complain the Coalition has no policy.  ROFL. Bartlett is a bit outlandish to rule a line between the Republicans in the US and the Liberal/Nationals here in Australia. Like ruling a line between Barack Obama & Kevin Rudd - both elected on hype, both promised heavily & campaigned on the future & hope without substance, both have failed miserably and their respective constituents are waking up to the fact that behind the mountains of heart-warming talk, there is ... N O T H I N G  The ALP have always had the approach in politics, its alright for us, but not alright for them. AFL, its easy to cherry-pick commentators rants favouring either side - we all have different opinions, views, thoughts & passions on politics - ultimately the swinging voters that tune in to the political scene only during the election campaign will decide the fate of Mr Kevin Rudd & Mr Tony Abbott. A 2.5% swing away from the Government is not a big ask, Rudd certainly didnt get elected in a landslide, and with the current dissatisfaction, no wonder ALP HQ are in frantic mode. Also, look back down the line, history has shown first term governments, whilst rarely get beaten, often suffer swings against them. Bring on the campaign. |
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So I suppose, to avoid contradiction.
You can draw some lines between US & Australian politics. The dynamics can change in a heartbeat & Substance beats spin any day of the week. |
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As I have previously said on here that the NEGATIVE OPPOSE EVERYTHING CAMPAIGN from the Libs is a smokescreen devised because they have no policies of substance.
Talk about Cherry picking lol....and you claim that because you know of one school that is unhappy with the building programme, that that constitutes a failure of that programme. I know you will come back and say that many more were in that position....just like Channel 7 did when breaking this STORY LOL . Well what about the Thousands of schools that are happy with their building programe, that channel 7 conviently forgot to mention. The amount of good this programme did for those schools AND THE ECONOMY, FAR FAR OUTWEIGHS THE small...perhaps 1% - 3% of schools that their P&C'S were not happy with the building, including the amount of builders that may have overcharged for this work. WHAT ABOUT THE BENIFIT TO THE ECONOMY THAT THIS WORK PRODUCED, AND GAVE WORK TO ALL THE HONEST BUILDERS AND ANCILLARY INDUSTRIES. But you would convientley forget this in your haste to claim that this was a failed policy on the basis of a SMALL PERCENTAGE and MEDIA CAMPAIGN to dis credit the GOVT and building industry and all the ancillary industries because of your dislike for Labour and Rudd. |
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And all you LIBS cry over a deficit as if it's the end of the world lol, FFS, Labour have a plan to bring the Budget back to surplus, whilst still bringing in new initatives. All the LIBS have is the LIE that things are really really bad at the moment and they will have to CUT,CUT,CUT....with no vision for the future.
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Even the LIBS have admitted that they would have had to go into deficit during the GFC, so why didn't they have enough put aside in the FUTURE FUND to avoid going into deficit? Must have been a FAILED POLICY. LOL.
Why is the LIBS UNPROVEN method of avoiding the GFC and Stimulus Package, better than LABOURS PROVEN METHOD of avoiding the GFC and STIMULUS PACKAGE. |
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 Some of the comments you make AFL are fanciful & ludicrous, to say the least. The Coalition are using negativity as a smokescreen because they have no policies of substance? Newsflash matey - the Coalition are in Opposition! You do know what that means don't you? You remember when Labor were in Opposition for 11 & a half years? Remember the opposing done. Tax cuts, bank regulation, tax reform....C'mon AFL, wake up to yourself! The Coalition can talk policy until its blue in the face, the fact remains Rudd Labor, can create policy & IMPLEMENT it, as the elected party - but so far, we have seen little - and any that has been pushed through has been a SHAMBLES! Your Labor comrades are in power, and you lot will do anything to divert attention away from the facts - waste, mismanagement & broken promises delivered by Rudd Labor over the past 2 and half years. Just as both political parties have done, forever and a day, the Coalition will drip-release policies when the majority of the population switch on, closer to the campaign proper. It isn't rocket science. Kevin Rudd tells us earlier this year, beware for the mother of all scare campaigns from the Liberals - next day we have the Workchoices scare campaign launch on TV & another attack ad on Tony Abbott - seems like double standards pal. I'm not arguing against the stimulus AFL or indeed the positive affect it had in areas of the economy - my issue is with waste, mismanagement & incompetence from Rudd Labor - it seems to be a recurring theme from this government (eg. insulation, education revolution shambles, etc). And I thought the buck of responsibility stopped with KRudd? And AFL, I know you like to avoid the facts of the Rudd Labor Government and concentrate on the Opposition benches - but enlighten us on the Rudd Labor vision for the future, besides the 2013 "budget back to surplus" plan? |
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?
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All you fanatics have your heads so far up your a**holes it is amazing.
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Labor and Surplus do not belong in the same sentence, AFL.
C'mon, be honest. Your kidding yourself. If ya believe they'll get the budget back into surplus in 2013, you must still also believe in the tooth fairy.  |
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Well isn't it amazing that we can have all this mis management and waste you claim, AND STILL AVOID THE worst GFC. since the depression...LOL, LOL, THAT PUTS LABOUR IN THE REALMS OF BEING THE GREATEST GOVT of all time.
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Not sure about that PA - but I know a lot of my mates extremely dislike politics, which is fair enough.
Its like anything that your passionate about - and I'm sure AFL would agree on this.  Sport, Finance or Politics? Whatever floats your boat, I suppose. |
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HEY PA, lol, it's all good, lol, this sort of argument would be going on in many many pubs, homes workplaces etc across the country, espically in an election year.....I respect Jez's views....just a bit of winding up going on from my end at least...lol
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JEZ.....We will agree to disagree...lol or should that be disagree to disagree lol, cheers.
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AFL - I'd be wary of saying that in public anytime soon.
The population have switched off to Rudd Labor spin & rhetoric. The facts are this nation has gone from $22 billion in surplus to over $188 billion in debt within 18 months of a Labor Government. Labor’s out-of-control and undisciplined fiscal management doesn’t end at spending mate - over the same 18 months since the last election, Rudd Labor has introduced tax hikes which increase revenue by $26 billion The Coalition bequeathed Kevin Rudd a country in tip-top economic shape, with a tightly regulated banking sector & a generous surplus along with future funds to cushion against any economic storms. Labor pretends the destruction of our nation’s balance sheet is an unavoidable consequence of the global recession. But Labor has lost control of the public finances. Rudd Labor represents the biggest tax-and-spend binge in Australia’s peacetime history, driving an explosion in the size and scope of the public sector not seen since the Whitlam years. The Australian people are the real losers of this Kevin07 experiment - will pay a high price, in terms of higher future taxes, higher future real interest rates, higher future foreign debt and higher unemployment. |
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PS, I know Bartlett was a bad choice....lol, just got sick of typing lol
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I respect AFL's views as well.
But he is dead wrong. JK......good to have robust debate. |
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JEZ, ....don't take everything i say on here..... at face value....I've been under a bit of pressure lately and in the heat of the argument.... i might have said some things that i might not have said, had i had some time to consider them.
ABBOTT 101......lol |
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lol
Yes AFL, that line will feature heavily through the campaign. Though, Labor has its worries as well!  This story has just broken this afternoon, this could be damaging for Labor. Remember Kevin Rudd's....."there will be checks & balances on government advertising". |
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abc.net.au/news
28th May 2010 The Federal Government has granted itself an exemption from its own advertising guidelines to start rolling out ads promoting its resource super profits tax. The TV and radio commercials are designed to counter the campaign being waged by mining companies against the changes. Under the advertising guidelines the Government introduced, campaigns worth more than $250,000 had to be approved by a panel of three retired public servants. But Treasurer Wayne Swan wrote to Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig nearly three weeks ago to seek an exemption from the vetting process. The exemption was granted on Monday but only announced quietly today. In his media release Senator Ludwig says he can grant an exemption on the basis of a national emergency, extreme urgency or other compelling reasons. Mr Swan says the ads will counter the Minerals Council's "active and coordinated campaign of misinformation" against the tax. He was unavailable comment. The shadow special minister of state, Michael Ronaldson, says the decision is outrageous and the Government has been misleading. "At Senate estimates yesterday the activities of the Government's Independent Communications Committee were discussed," he said. "The Minister failed to notify the committee he had given an exemption to the Treasurer despite having the opportunity to do so over two hours. "This morning, after Senate estimates is finished, where there will not be an opportunity until November, they have snuck out the information in relation to this exemption. "They are treating the Parliament and, more importantly, the taxpayers with absolute and total contempt and I think people are absolutely gobsmacked at their actions this morning and they must be held to account for this." |
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Typical sneaky, cunning, deceitful Labor.
Writing their own rules. |
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Hope this item is a top story on the 6pm TV news bulletins tonight.
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AFL Joined: 21 Jul 08
Replies: 379 28 May 10 05:59 JEZ, ....don't take everything i say on here..... at face value....I've been under a bit of pressure lately and in the heat of the argument.... i might have said some things that i might not have said, had i had some time to consider them. ABBOTT 101......lol lololol AFl, don't tell me its finally dawning on you that dudd is a disaster? Maybe some of the posters are making you see the truth.Congratulations to you if your big enuff to admi t you changed your mind and are getting on the sack dudd boat. |
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LOL.
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Let me pose a question : If Abbott and the Liberals were to oppose and/or repeal Interactive Gaming legislation if say Labour allowed In-play betting in full- Would you still vote Liberals ? or vice versa if the opposite applied ?
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The Liberal Party stands for individual freedom & responsibility AP.
Very much a hypothetical question that I doubt would ever come to fruition based on the party's beliefs. |
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I know it's a hypothetical Jez , and I would of thought the Libs were more likely to allow it , but Im not so sure with T Abbott because the Libs seem to be ultra-conserative than Liberal at the moment.
For the record, whatever party came out and gave it the tick would get my vote Cheers AP |
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AUssie P, my personal desire for live betting is much lower than my desire to see a govt that will not send every working person broke.I do not want high burden taxes, I do not want a massive budget deficit,I do not want boat people and I do not want 16 million more immigrants.I do not want a govt that needs people to work till they are 80yo just so they can continue reckless spending.I don;t want a fake pm,I don;t want a pm who promises the world but delivers a garbage can.
So I'm willing to forgo interactive betting yes. |
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lABOUR HAS FINALLY "GROWN A PAIR " ON WHALING ISSUE.Their taking the Japanese Govt to the International court.
Pity their is no International police to enforce it lol |
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Yeah, I'm quite socially conservative myself - I prefer the party to hang more to the right socially. I'm pretty much spot-on with Tony Abbott's views, though I'm not a catholic.
I just hope that Tony Abbott has a good dose of pragmatism in his pocket - like he said last week - true conservatives move with the times. The Liberal Party is a conservative party, make no mistake, I think the whole business of Malcolm Fraser quitting the party is BS - his an arrogant bugger - he is more of a leftie than Kevin Rudd....but anyway  I think the Liberal's would amend the IGA and if done by Labor, they would not repeal it. The Liberals are about individual freedom/responsibility - less red tape - & choice. If it happened that the Coalition opposed changes to the IGA or campaigned to repeal it..... For me its not the most central issue in my mind - I would vote Liberal. |
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MrBen : You make some relative points their. The Scientist Tim Flannery I think is name is, wrote a paper basically explaining that whilst Australia per sq kilometre has a very small population , he argued that because a lot of it is uninhabitable the optimun population that our eco-system or environment can sustain is maximum of about 25 million along the coastlines. Labour could do well to take this on board, as the Libs for that matter with their "dig - baby-dig " love affair with the miners.
Also , would much rather see GST go to 15% and personal tax slashed to maybe flat 10-15% so those who do take up 2nd jobs aren't copping it in the a... in trying to get ahead |
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Rudd Labor knows no bounds in manipulation & spin.
On the day it is revealed they have exempted themselves so they can throw away taxpayers cash to counter the anti-mining tax campaign...... Its time for a diversion story..... Whaling! We're taking the Japanese to court. The stench of desperation from Rudd Labor is remarkable. |
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With you all the way AP - Spot on!
John Howard should of gone the whole way with the implementation of the GST - but baulked. Higher tax rate on goods & services & a lower personal tax rate - further tax reform is definetely needed in Australia. |
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Jez,
Would absolutely fire the country on all cylinders: Social Security payments would slash , buisnesses could employ more , slash payroll tax ( which I maintain is totally unnecessary and should be challenged in the Supreme Court ) I could go on and on... |
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just read an interesting article from BRW re Kev Rudd is our richest ever prime minister with estimated net worth of $56mil, Malcolm Turnbull is the richest pollie worth $186 mill.
Further to this the average worth of a Liberal Politian is $4.9 mil while average Labour pollie is $1.7 mill (i believe this was not taking into account Rudd and Turnbull). The average australian household wealth is $218,000. So the people that we have elected to represent us you would have to believe are quite out of touch with the average aussie? You would also think that they dont have a massive financial incentive to keep their positions but are enjoy the power and privliege that comes with it? In looking at this i cant see any possible way that we will ever reduce our spending or taxing in this country while these power junkies are at the helm. Unfortunately... |
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how about this- make the gst 20% and get rid of personal tax altogether.JUst gts and public company tax.Watch the welfare budget go into free fall then as the bludgers realise there is a buck in working.Oh and tax boat people on arrival, if they can give some criminal 16k to get on the boat they can stump up an "entry fee" when the boat docks.
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gatespeed- your spot on there.My parents are filthy rich and they can't understand why people think 50$ bottles of wine and
10$ for three stops on a train is expensive. |
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Kevin Rudd's wife Therese, made a fortune from the flexible industrial relations laws introduced by the Coalition early on in it's period of government - and again on the introduction of Workchoices.
The funny thing with Kevin Rudd is, not only is he fake & incredibly out of touc with his "working families", but he is the worst Prime Minister this country has ever seen. Time to go Kevin. |
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*touch
Mmm. One issue I do have with the Liberal Party - not enough diversity in its ranks. The best & brightest young people to lead this nation are not necessarily the wealthy. Australian politics is no where near the cash-driven US political scene - and lets hope we stay away from that! |