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.

[cherry*135]

The lady’s not for turning: Peta Credlin vows to stay put

John Lyons

PETA Credlin has decided to ­remain as Tony Abbott’s chief of staff, rejecting calls from within the Liberal Party for her resignation.

Ms Credlin recently told colleagues that if she resigned it would send the wrong signal — that it would suggest she had done something wrong.

The 43-year-old has become the invisible woman of Australian politics. These days she rarely ­appears in public, preferring to stay in the bunker that is her office.

One of the criticisms of her by some Liberal MPs has been that her profile has been too high — and she has taken note.

Ms Credlin invited The Australian into her office to try to answer many of the criticisms being levelled at her. For a woman who has been at the pointy end of media and political firepower for months, she is holding up reasonably well. When told she had not been sighted for so long that journalists in the press gallery upstairs were wanting “proof of life”, she laughed and said: “I am alive and working hard.”

Ms Credlin’s decision to continue in the job means that her role is likely to be the source of continuing tension between the Prime Minister’s office and many of Mr Abbott’s ministers and backbenchers.

During the backbench revolt two weeks ago, in which 39 members of the parliamentary party voted for a leadership spill, one of the demands of those supporting the motion was that Mr Abbott remove­ Ms Credlin.

Many also wanted the removal of Joe Hockey, claiming his performance as Treasurer had been poor and that he should not be allowed to prepare another budget.

Liberal sources have told The Australian that Mr Abbott will not sack Ms Credlin, out of loyalty.

Anger in the parliamentary party has built — rather than subsided — since the leadership spill, which was defeated by 61 votes to 39. The main source of the new anger is that very little has changed in the running of the government since Mr Abbott said “good government starts today”.

That anger has been exacerbated among some in the party by Mr Abbott’s decision to sack Philip Ruddock as government whip.

Ms Credlin has made it clear that she believes the government can recover in opinion polls as it has, she has told people, “retained our base”.

But one senior Liberal said: “What does that mean? Of course we retain our base or else we don’t have a party.”

While Mr Abbott’s supporters believe they can “tough out” the current difficulties, his detractors say he cannot recover and now the issue is how they engineer a smooth transition to frontrunner Malcolm Turnbull.

Many Liberals are becoming increasingly nervous about how the party will fare at the NSW elections next month.

Although the NSW Premier Mike Baird is a popular figure, many Liberals are worried that Mr Abbott may be a negative factor in several seats.

But others argue that a leadership change and the turmoil involved with that could cause major damage to the chances of a Baird re-election.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/the-ladys-not-for-turning-peta-credlin-vows-to-stay...

[myoclon1cjerk]

I think Baird will be re-elected which will give Tony reason to gloat,but the national polls won't do him any favours.He'll bang on about terrorism (like Howard) to try and move the focus away from other issues.About the only state that's supporting him is W.A.One wonders why the Libs are popular there.All that mining revenue squandered.

[vicr3000]

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@myoclon1cjerk wrote:

I think Baird will be re-elected which will give Tony reason to gloat,but the national polls won't do him any favours.He'll bang on about terrorism (like Howard) to try and move the focus away from other issues.About the only state that's supporting him is W.A.One wonders why the Libs are popular there.All that mining revenue squandered.

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Would you prefer he didn't do anything ?

What Abbott said is exacgtly as it should be said.

Assessments too often "give the benefit of the doubt" to the person.

I would suggest the Gov't go one step further.

If you are come onto he radar of any security agency for any reason, then that immediatetly triggers a big red flag

and is cross checked against any welfare support that you or your family is receiving. If you are being radical,

then that welfare is immediately cut off until the person can prove they are not a threat. Put the emphasis back

onto the person to prove they deserve the welfare and are doing what is required in getting it.

[myoclon1cjerk]

Who said anything about doing nothing.Strawman

[vicr3000]

You make it sound like "he'll bang on" for no real reason, hence my comment.

When it fact he has hit the nail on the head AND needs to keep on about it so the culture of

giving the benefit of the doubt and not offending anyone is changed and quickly.

"One wonders why the Libs are popular there."

Might have something to do with Brian Burke, the Corruption Commssion and various other issues to do with Labor.

The mining tax for one.

[vicr3000]

I see the word "Leaners" has made inroads into the thread.

No, not in diagram or graph form which some of you seem to object to.

WHO PAYS WHAT INCOME TAX AND WHO TAKES WHAT WELFARE IN AUSTRALIA

- Households in the top quintile receive only 2 cents in government support payments for every $1 of income and

consumption taxes paid.

- Those in the bottom quintile receive $2.50 for every $1 in income and consumption taxes paid.

- 45 per cent of those filing a tax return paid less than 4 per cent of all income tax.

- a 6th of all individuals filing income tax returns paid nearly two-thirds of all income tax.

Significantly, the taxable income threshold to fall within that two-thirds was $80,000

- 2 per cent of individuals paid about 26 per cent of all income tax

 It looks to me that the top people pay their way in Australia.

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Debra posted a few pages back

"I also think that the economy has struggled with confidence since the abbott govt. Talked the econmy down"

The Gov't hasn't talked the economy down.

I heard a very good comment on the ABC the other day, that come election time, the Gov't can easily say that

they have not been allowed to implement the structural form that they were elected to implement because

of Labor and Green hinderance in the Senate.

"i still have the opinion that large companies should be paying more tax"

Large Companies pay what they are legally obliged to pay, no more, no less. If you have an issue with

what the Company tax rate is, suggest you take it up with your local MP.

Or ask why LABOR did not implement the tax reforms the report suggested ?

[debra9275]

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@myoclon1cjerk wrote:

I think Baird will be re-elected which will give Tony reason to gloat,but the national polls won't do him any favours.He'll bang on about terrorism (like Howard) to try and move the focus away from other issues.About the only state that's supporting him is W.A.One wonders why the Libs are popular there.All that mining revenue squandered.

---

I think so too. Antony Green is predicting an 11% swing against the coalition in NSW  with a coalition win. He's usually pretty spot on with his predictions

[debra9275]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-S...

For years, politicians wanting to block legislation on climate change have bolstered their arguments by pointing to the work of a handful of scientists who claim that greenhouse gases pose little risk to humanity.

One of the names they invoke most often is Wei-Hock Soon, known as Willie, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who claims that variations in the sun’s energy can largely explain recent global warming. He has often appeared on conservative news programs, testified before Congress and in state capitals, and starred at conferences of people who deny the risks of global warming.

But newly released documents show the extent to which Dr. Soon’s work has been tied to funding he received from corporate interests.

He has accepted more than $1.2 million in money from the fossil-fuel industry over the last decade while failing to disclose that conflict of interest in most of his scientific papers. At least 11 papers he has published since 2008 omitted such a disclosure, and in at least eight of those cases, he appears to have violated ethical guidelines of the journals that published his work.

climate change deniers being bought??

[vicr3000]

Must have taken a leaf out of the Climate change pushers who have
been lining their own pockets for years.

Or "modifying past climate data to fit an agenda" - Australian Bureau of Meteorology for one and probably a few others around the world.

[vicr3000]

Yep, the Gov't can't be doing anything right.

Lend Lease delivers $315.6m profit

Global developer and funds manager, Lend Lease has delivered profit after tax for the half year ended 31 December 2014 of $315.6 million. Lend Lease Group chief executive and Managing Director, Steve McCann said Lend Lease had delivered a strong start to the 2015 year. The Australian and UK residential markets have remained strong.

BlueScope Steel profit jumps by 62%

BlueScope Steel has reported a 62 per cent jump in underlying half-year profit to $79.6 million as the lower Australian and stronger steel margins boosted earnings. Group sales rose 9 per cent to $4.35 billion for the six months ended December 31.