Diary of our stinking Govt.

As it's more than 100 days now, it has been suggested that a new thread was needed.  The current govt has been breaking promises and telling lies at a rate so fast it's hard to keep up.Woman Happy

 

This below is worrying, "independent" pffft, as if your own doctor is somehow what? biased, it's ridiculous. So far there is talk of only including people under a certain age 30-35, for now. Remember that if your injured in a car, injured at work or get ill, you too might need to go on the DSP. They have done a similar think in the UK with devastating consequences.

 

and this is the 2nd time recently where the Govt has referred to work as welfare???? So when you go to work tomorrow (or tuesday), just remember that's welfare.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-20/disability-pensioners-may-be-reassessed-kevin-andrews/5400598

 

Independent doctors could be called in to reassess disability pensioners, Federal Government says

 

The Federal Government is considering using independent doctors to examine disability pensioners and assess whether they should continue to receive payments.

 

Currently family doctors provide reports supporting claims for the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

But Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews is considering a measure that would see independent doctors reassess eligibility.

 

"We are concerned that where people can work, the best form of welfare is work," Mr Andrews said at a press conference.

 

Message 1 of 17,615
Latest reply
17,614 REPLIES 17,614

Diary of our stinking Govt.

thanks bella, I just read through that.

 

it sounds like it is pensioners that will be targeted in this budget

 

It all seems so hypercritical to me when I read about their promised paid parental leave and even today's announcement of what  they.ve spent on defence

 

did I hear right on the news, that TA said that Australia's been saving for this defence spend for over 10 years???

 

 

surely it can't be labors fault  Cat LOL

Message 91 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

I missed that bit Debra 🙂  Hopefully someone else will come along and answer.  Did you the see the bit about "ongoing and relentless focus on fiscal discipline".  Do you think its like budgets in years gone by, they psych everyone up for the worst cuts ever and in the end its never that drastic or do you think Hockey will follow through with a tough budget?

 

It will be interesting they did however to their credit mention that they would also be cutting co-oporate welfare.  That should be interesting!!!

Message 92 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

I hope it's just hype Bella, we'll have to wait another couple of weeks to see. If you watched the 7.30 report, soul eastlake gave some interesting analysis of it.

Those jets, Howard locked in and they were supposed to cost 40 mill each but that blew out to 90 mill and abbott just ordered another 54.
Message 93 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

abbott and co are <removed>

 

 

the worst of the worst pathetic lying cowardly cringe inducing vile 'things

 on 2 legs

Message 94 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

well put Fiestas*girl. Woman Happy

Message 95 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

http://www.cpa.org.au/guardian/2014/1635/01-abbotts-savage-cuts.html

 

 

 

We are constantly being told about a budget crisis and referred to a “blowout” in the budget deficit. The Abbott government has worked hard to inflate the budget deficit, even giving the Reserve Bank of Australia $8.8 billion to put in its reserves. This is a bank that looks set to make $6 billion or more in profits this year.

 

There is no shortage of money for some budget items. Abbott is set to pour billions more into an already bloated military budget. He shows no concern about the rapidly growing 30-40 percent private health insurance rebate.

 

Dan Harrison (Sydney Morning Herald, 10-01-2014) notes that its “annual cost has risen faster than any other component of government health spending, from $1.4 billion in 1999-2000 to $5.5 billion in 2012-13.” It is now estimated to be $6 billion per annum – an indirect handout (corporate welfare) to an otherwise unsustainable private hospital system.

 

Apparently we can afford another round of corporate tax cuts. But the “ageing population” is unsustainable! Rising costs of health services, the aged pension, aged care, public education, the national disability insurance scheme, unemployment benefits, etc, are also portrayed as unsustainable. And we are told that it is necessary to sell off what remains of the Commonwealth’s assets – to fund more tollways.

 

The “budget crisis” is not only being used to slash social spending and privatise everything in sight, but it is being used to argue for an increase in the GST (see Editorial).

 

Hiding behind the smokescreen of budget deficits and unsustainable payments is a government hell-bent on a major transformation in the role of government. The democratic processes and sovereign powers of the state are being handed over to the big corporations, including foreign-based ones. This is occurring on many fronts.

 

For example, Trans Pacific Partnership and free trade agreements with Japan and south Korea, give foreign corporations the power to sue the Australian government for damages if their profit-making capacity is or might be reduced by government laws or regulations. The removal of “red and green tape” gives developers and mining corporations a free hand.

 

The government is withdrawing from its responsibilities to provide for the well-being of people. Hockey repeatedly reminds us that “the age of entitlement” is over, meaning the destruction of what is known as the welfare state. In the place of government provision of services and pensions, will be “self-provision” by individuals. If you can’t afford to pay to see a GP then you won’t see one. Any pensions or benefits paid by the government will be a “safety net”, carrying a stigma of “charity”, or portrayed as undeserving.

 

This involves a fundamental philosophical and ideological shift in the government’s role. If this agenda is enacted, the days when people paid their taxes during their working lives and had certain entitlements during different phases of their lives will be over.

 

The corporate sector does not want to pay taxes on its profits. It has nothing to do with people’s needs being unsustainable. If there were a political and ideological will, they would be very sustainable. There is no shortage of money; never before in our history has so much wealth been created.

 

Who pays the taxes and how the income is distributed is a class question. The company tax cuts, an increase in the GST, privatisation and cuts to social spending are in the interests of big business. The struggle to defend the public sector and its services and social security is in the interests of the working class. The budget deficit line is a smokescreen to cover up the government’s pro-big business agenda.

 

In its short period in office, the Abbott government has already sparked a number of protests some, such as against the treatment of asylum seekers, ongoing. Last month’s actions in cities around Australia were a direct response to the government’s slash and burn in next month’s budget..

 

As the government’s vicious austerity program bites ever deeper, the imperative to grow opposition on the ground will take on great urgency and momentum.

Message 96 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

Yes I hate to admit it,fiesta,but a dozen or so chaff bags wouldn't go astray.This country's dying of shame.
Message 97 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

well worth reading if your interested.......


  http://delimiter.com.au/2014/04/17/turnbull-lies-nbn-triple-j-listeners/

 

Turnbull lies on NBN to Triple J listeners

 

Malcolm Turnbull yesterday made several statements on the ABC’s Triple J radio station regarding financial projections for Labor’s National Broadband Network project which the Communications Minister is aware are false, with the former investment banker inaccurately conflating investment capital and government expenses for the project as well as exaggerating financial figures.

 

 

Message 98 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

to bellaagain ref.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-23/hockey/5407462

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................

the comments say a lot more :

 

How about we tax churches and leave the elderly and the most vulnerable out of this. It is supposedly the responsibility of the church to look out for the most vulnerable in society. Since thier numbers are increasing as the wealth divide continues to grow, obviously they aren't doing their job. Time they paid their way like every other person or business (and the church is a business) giving the government more money to spend on those who need it.
Next, cut the pensions for ex-politicians......

 

....If elderly people are forced into reverse mortgages to keep their homes, the biggest winners will be the banks.....

.....Current and future governments need to shift from the antiquated economics simplicity of "asset testing", "taxing" and "paying", to something more challenging such as "citizens' asset management". The latter should not be unmanageable by governments given modern technology. ....

 

.....The unfortunate thing about Mr Hockey's statement about all of us doing the "heavy lifting" is laughable. Politicians in this country like Joe and the current government are all on the old Parliamentary Super Scheme. They will never have to worry about being on the pension! There retirement salaries will be indexed to the cost of living and something most of could only dream about. They really need to take a reality check here. Its great to stand there and pontificate about getting the budget back in surplus and hit the most vulnerable in our community, pensions who have worked all their lives and payed more that there share of tax only to be dumped on by the government. The only reason they do it is because its easier to hit pensioners than to do some lateral thinking about how they can generate alternate income streams and stop all the waste there is in government spending. I know, how about taking on all the multi national companies who operate in Australia and pay little or no tax...

.

....One thing is for sure, I'm sick of various Government ministers claiming to want to have 'national conversations'.  You're not paid to talk, you're paid to govern so get on with it and stop trying to offload the blame for unpopular policy.  That said, leave the family home alone.  By all means take into account other investments, but no one should be forced to have to sell their house because a treasurer can't balance his books (ie. removing industry tax income streams while introducing nanny bonuses)....

 

...Including the home as an 'assessable' asset for pension eligibility not only removes a large part of that security and peace of mind it also raises the question of just how the home is to be assessed.   Is to be assessed on the original purchase price? On length of tenure? Current market value? If so who is going to asses the value? With ever rising house prices valuations how often will valuations be required? What about the changing demographics of an area? A person who bought a home in a run down part of town because that was all they could afford now finds themselves in a trendy millionaires precinct. Why should they be penalised and be assessed the same as their millionaire neighbours? 

There is also the spectre of corruption being rampant in the assessment process. How will this be controlled? This proposal on attacking pensioners says more about the morality of its advocates and no amount of rhetoric of 'being in the countries interest' can hide that.

 

 

Message 99 of 17,615
Latest reply

Diary of our stinking Govt.

Hands off our homes Hockey

 

I doubt the pollies will be doing any 'heavy lifting" for our country

 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3990961.htm

 

Message 100 of 17,615
Latest reply