Diary of our stinking Govt.

[boris1gary]

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.

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.

[boris1gary]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/axing-of-renewable-energy-agency-would-add-to-...

Axing of renewable energy agency would add to broken promises, clean energy industry says

The planned axing of the primary agency supporting clean energy in Australia by the Abbott government would break pre-election commitments and send investment in emerging technologies off-shore, an industry group says.

Fairfax Media is among outlets reporting on Monday that the federal government will axe the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in Tuesday's budget as part of efforts to curb spending.

The Abbott government, which had already sought to cut ARENA's budget back to $2.5 billion to 2022, will reportedly strip the agency of the $1.3 billion in funding that it has not already allocated to renewable energy projects.

[boris1gary]

http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/16000-public-service-jobs-to-go-as-federal-agencies-fa...

16,000 public service jobs to go as federal agencies face budget chop

The budget will also reportedly announce the axing of 16,000 federal public servants instead of the government's pre-election target of 12,000 positions.

This would be, in effect, an extra 1500 job losses, as it takes in the 14,500 positions that the Coalition said it had discovered were being cut by Labor efficiency dividends.

Among the organisations being targeted for sell-off by Treasurer Joe Hockey are Defence Housing Australia and the Royal Australian Mint, which could be sold to raise funds if supported by a scoping study.

Privatising these entities was recommended in the National Commission of Audit - a document brutal on the bureaucracy which the Community and Public Sector Union estimated would cost at least 25,000 public service jobs.

While many political observers have been debating which of the audit recommendations would be implemented, the latest news suggests the Coalition will take many of the public sector related suggestions on board.

[freakiness]

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@monman12 wrote:

Facts.

The ALP NBN fudged their figures apropos costs, and to show that most remote customers would be covered, when in fact the satellite supply of NBN is now saturated due to ALP NBN  miscalculation.   New customers can not sign up, those connected will have restricted speeds, and they will have to wait until the launch  of 2 more satellites in 2015-16 for better service. In the meantime fixed wireless will be expanded in an attempt to service the "remote areas"

NBN Co needs another $1.4bn from taxpayers

NBN Co has asked the Federal Government for up to $1.4 billion more in taxpayer funds to adjust its fixed wireless and satellite business.

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The Libs spent 3 years mocking Labor for going overboard and wasting money on their interim satellite solution, saying it woyuld not be needed, it's overkill.

Now they're saying Labor didn't order enough capacity and whinging that they'll have to pay for more.  It was not a miscalculation as such but an under estimation of how much people would increase their usage when the service allows.  Thye ISS is still superior to the previous offering.

The NBN satellites have not been launched yet. They will be launched next year. 

Meanwhile Mike Quigley said the line between satellite service and fixed wirelss was blurred due to terrain and accessability.  He also said that there would be scope for more fibre.  

Why do they need to ask for more money? They haven't spent what has already been allocated yet.

[fourandsixpants]

Why do they need to ask for more money? They haven't spent what has already been allocated yet.

Coalition are greedy, greedy greedy.

A whole lot of hogwash IMO

[izabsmiling]

We Are All Connected

On this 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's March On Washington, let's remember what we have in common. People around the county are rising up, together. Join the rallies in North Carolina now!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWt2XY5HCEs

ALEC

lets not blindy follow...the Corporate greed path

[fourandsixpants]

i like the comment foll:

The only way to save America Australia is to take corporate donations out of politics. Have all donations go into a non-partizan anonymous fund for all parties (or some sort of corporate tax).

[boris1gary]

http://www.theage.com.au/business/federal-budget/whats-driving-the-budget-it-isnt-newstart-family-or...

What's driving the budget? It isn't Newstart, family or disability benefits

Newstart, family tax benefits and the disability support pension – all targeted in the budget – are growing far more slowly than other government spending, a new analysis finds.

Prepared by the Australian Council of Social Service from estimates used by the Commission of Audit, the analysis finds total government spending on track to grow 3.7 per cent a year above the rate of inflation for the next decade.

But spending on the disability support pension is projected to grow only 2.8 per cent, spending on unemployment benefits only 1.1 per cent, while spending on family tax benefits is expected to slide in real terms even before any budget cutbacks.

Even the age pension is only expected to increase in cost by 4.7 per cent a year above the rate of inflation.

[boris1gary]

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/budget-pain-not-for-millionaires-who-pay-no-tax-20140512-zr9o3.html

  Budget pain? Not for millionaires who pay no tax

“Pain all round” will be the rallying cry of the night. Joe Hockey says this first budget - tonight - will hit everyone from high earners to politicians to Australians too poor to pay to see the doctor. All of us will have to “contribute budget repair”.

Except that we won’t.

The latest tax statistics show 75 ultra-high earning Australians paid no tax at all in 2011-12. Zero. Zip.

Each earned more than $1 million from investments or wages. Between them they made $195 million, an average of $2.6 million each.

The fortunate 75 paid no income tax, no Medicare levy and no Medicare surcharge, even though 60 of them had private health insurance.

The reason? They managed to cut their combined taxable incomes to $82. That’s right, $1.10 each.

Cutting taxable income that far doesn’t come cheap.

Forty-five of the uber millionaires claimed a total of $64.4 million for the “cost of managing their tax affairs”. That’s a staggering $1.4 million each. (As a point of comparison an entry-level H&R Block consultation costs $49.)

[boris1gary]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/strike-fighter-scientists-among-casualties-of-deep-defence-cu...

Strike Fighter scientists among casualties of deep Defence cuts

Nearly 40 of Australia's top military scientists and engineers are to be thrown on the scrapheap as the Defence Science and Technology Organisation cuts costs.

The jobs cull is expected to  cut from six scientists to just two the DSTO's technical team for the $24 billion Joint Strike Fighter, the nation's largest ever defence purchase.

Illustration:Cathy Wilcox.

[fourandsixpants]

thanks for posting this Boris -

"...It’s easy to get the impression Tuesday night’s budget will do anything to restore the nation’s finances so long as it doesn’t hurt the

really well off..."