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.
2000 jobs? 
..dream on. I think someone needs to keep abreast of new developments.
New owner of Gunns' timber assets commits to woodchip exports
April 2014
Woodchip exports out of Tasmania are set to ramp up, with the sale of Gunns' timber plantations to a Sydney-based investment company.
New Forests has bought 176,000 hectares of freehold land, including 100,000 hectares of timber plantations owned by the collapsed Tasmanian timber company.
It has also bought chip mills at Hampshire in the north-west and Longreach, on the Tamar River.
New Forests already owns softwood plantations in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.
Speaking from San Francisco, CEO David Brand told the ABC the aim is to ramp up woodchip exports and then possibly look at processing the wood domestically.
"We'll harvest trees, woodchip them and send them to Japan, China and potentially India," he said.
"Those markets are quite strong at the moment and then, over time, we'll look at diversifying, seeing whether there's other options in terms of developing processing within Tasmania."
The price of woodchips has rebounded to $170 per dry tonne after a low two years ago of $145.
Mr Brand expects the price to continue to rise, predicting the woodchip market will expand by 25 per cent in the next two years.
He says a new pulp mill has been built in China and India has started importing woodchips.
New Forests' purchase includes:
- 175,680 ha freehold land and roads
- 95,850 ha premium hardwood and softwood plantation
- Woodchip mills at Hampshire and Long Reach
- Large-scale nursery and laboratory
New Forests has not bought the building permits for the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill and Mr Brand is sceptical anyone will.
"We've seen no evidence that there's anyone progressing with the pulp mill."
The company has not disclosed the price, but the ABC understands it paid $330 million
Gunns' 32 staff will continue to be employed by a new management company, which will be set up after the sale is completed in June.
The sale also secures the jobs of 150 harvesting and haulage contractors.
Talks continue with potential pulp mill buyers
Gunns' receiver KordaMentha is still hoping a buyer can be found for the pulp mill permits.
Spokesman Michael Smith says several parties expressed interest in the pulp mill site and permits on a "standalone basis" and confidential negotiations will continue.
State Parliament was recalled before the March election in an effort to make the permits more attractive to investors.
Seven companies from Australia, the UK, the US and Asia made up the list of final bidders for Gunns' assets.
The Tasmanian Premier and Opposition leader want to meet New Forests to discuss the future of timber processing in the state.
Resources Minister Paul Harris welcomes the sale, but admits he would like to see more value added to Tasmanian timber.
"There can be, and there are better processes, we will drive that, we will work towards that."
Opposition leader Bryan Green disagrees that a pulp mill may never be built.
"There will be demand for pulp on into the future, that's been forecast, there will be other mills built around the world, we just hope it's built in Tasmania," he said.
Tasmanian Greens leader Kim Booth is pleased New Forests has not bought the pulp mill permits.
"I think for Tasmanians that'll be a good thing because I understand they're not interested at all in a toxic pulp mill proposal," he said.
Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne is not surprised the permits remain unsold.
"The reality is the market knows it is valueless," she said.
"There is no social licence for a pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, it is toxic, it always was toxic and so now we've got a reality check which is the value was only in the plantation estate."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-29/new-owner-gunns-assets-to-resume-woodchip-exports/5417338
@am*3 wrote:
Those wearing the dunce caps. Are they ALP voters?
directoutlet2000- you don't agree with the views in this post, posted in April 2014?
I am sure that list could be updated and extended majorly now that it is Jan 2015 
@boris1gary wrote:http://theaimn.com/2014/04/19/lest-we-forget-remembering-abbotts-past/
Abbott..........just what kind of a bloke is our PM..............
Trying to convert a lifetime of negativity into motivating inspirational leadership has been a bridge to far. To say the least he has been totality uninspiring. In fact I can think of no other person in Australian public life who has made a greater contribution to the decline in public discourse, the lowering of parliamentary standards and the abuse of our democracy than Tony Abbott.
But one should not use the aforementioned language without substantiating one’s claims. So, Lest we forget these indiscretions from his past.
None of these events are in chronological order. They are just as they came to mind and are listed randomly in order to build a character profile.
1 When the President of the US visited he broke long standing conventions by politicising his speech as opposition leader.
2 He did the same when the Indonesian president visited.
3 He did the same when the Queen visited.
4 He could not help but play politics with the death of an Australian icon in Margaret Whitlam.
5 He would not allow pairs (another long standing convention) so that the minister for the arts could attend the funeral of painter Margaret Olley. Another Australian icon. Malcolm Turnbull, a personnel friend was also prevented from attending. There have been other instances of not allowing pairs.
6 He refused a pair whilst the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard was on bereavement
leave following the death of her father.
7 Then there were the callous and inappropriate remarks he made to Bernie Banton.
8 At university he kicked in a glass panel door when defeated in an election.
9 Referred to a woman Chairperson as “Chairthing”
10 He was accused of assaulting a woman at University, and later acquitted. He was defended by a QC and the girl defended herself.
11 Another woman accuses him of throwing punches at her. And hitting either side of a wall she was standing against. He says it never happened but others corroborate her story.
12 He threatened to punch the head in of Lindsay Foyle who disagreed with him on a woman’s right to an abortion.
13 In 1978 a young teacher by the name of Peter Woof bought assault charges against Abbott. Abbott had punched him in the face. The charges never went anywhere. Abbott was represented by a legal team of six and the young man could not afford to defend himself.
14 And he did punch out Joe Hockey’s lights during a rugby match.
15 He established a slush fund to bring down Pauline Hansen and then lied about its existence.
16 He was ejected from the House of reps once in obscure circumstances. Hansard is unclear why, but it is alleged that he physically threatened Graham Edwards. Edwards lost both his legs in Vietnam.
17 In the year 2000 he was ejected from the House along with six others. Philip Coorey reports that he was headed toward the Labor back benches ready to thump a member who had heckled him.
18 Abused Nicola Roxon after turning up late for a debate.
19 Then there was the interview with Mark Riley where he had a brain fade that seemed like it would never end. I thought he was deciding between a right hook and a left cross. Something that I found mentally disturbing and worrying . After all, at the time this was the man who could be our next Prime Minister.
20 Together with Pyne he was seen running from the House of Reps to avoid embarrassment at being outwitted.
21 Being the first opposition leader to be ejected from the house in 26 years because he repeated an accusation of lying after withdrawing it.
22 The infamous “Sell my **bleep**” statement verified by Tony Windsor. Will Windsor ever release the mobile phone transcript?
23 The interview with Kerry O’Brien where he admitted that unless it was in writing he didn’t always tell the truth.
24 And in another O’Brien interview he admitted lying about a meeting with the catholic Cardinal George Pell.
25 During the Republic referendum he told many outrageous untruths.
