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.
@lloydslights wrote:
@polksaladallie wrote:Simpson is the LNP ex speaker.
Couple of weeks out of date, wasn't I?
DEB
I was hoping she would be elected op leader, but no chance. We now have an op leader (three times before), male, who looks and sounds like an undertaker.
Now for some economic reality, sans political/economic Myopia.
(Those Medibank shares produced a nice profit)
Seriously, here is a source you can not argue with: World Socialist Web Site (SWOON😞
The RBA’s cash rate is now at an historic low—even below the level recorded in the depths of the 2008–2009 financial crisis. The Australian dollar fell to just above 76 US cents, its lowest point for more than five years, on the back of the news, amid predictions that further interest rate cuts will be made in coming months.
The RBA decision points to the deepening global downturn. In little more than a month since the start of the year, some 12 countries have now taken action, whether by cutting rates or other measures, to try to lower the value of their currencies as the struggle for markets intensifies and global growth declines.
Australia has been heavily impacted because of precipitous falls in commodity prices, most notably the halving of the price of iron ore, its leading export earner. The terms of trade, a measure of the relative value of exports compared to imports, have fallen by 25 percent over the past three years, leading to a contraction in real gross domestic income over the past half year. Real wages have contracted for the first time since 1991–92.
Having not experienced an official recession—defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth—for almost a quarter of a century, Australia is now being sucked into the vortex created by the ongoing breakdown of the global economy that began in 2008.
There must be someone else here who actually reads, analyses, considers, and manages their personal economics based upon the tides of Australian businesses and their overall economic fortunes. Because the "economic" posts mostly appear to be partisan claptrap based upon whatever can be found to C&P and support what appears acceptable, sans any thought.
I seem to remember POD had an interest in the ASX, and opinions based upon it and economics, are you out there?
If you do not have a grasp of fiscal matters use a well respected non partisan economist, my favourite is Kohler
This week's spill motion may have destroyed any chance of a decent budget repair for two more years, which is a worry because we need to deal with the structural deficit, writes Alan Kohler.
The awarding of a knighthood on Australia Day to the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, may go down in history as one of the truly great disasters of Australian fiscal policy.
It triggered this week's spill motion, which in turn may have destroyed any chance of a decent budget for two more years.
Further fiscal repair in the 2015 budget is in the process of being abandoned, and it's beginning to look like 2017 will now be the next opportunity to reset the budget strategy and deal with the structural deficit.
That's despite the fact that the deficit has continued to worsen since the MYEFO in December, which revealed a $31.6 billion downgrade to tax revenues over the forward estimates. Between then and the budget in May, another $10 billion at least has been added to this year's deficit.
n fact a succession of serious men and women with pursed lips and furrowed brows have been issuing the same warning for years. There is simply no excuse for politicians on either side of the Parliament to act surprised.
The key problem is tax - that is, there's not enough of it. Last year's Commission of Audit assumed tax receipts would remain around 24 per cent of GDP, and that's the assumption used in Treasury forecasts. In fact tax revenue is now falling.
But payments are at 26 per cent of GDP and rising, due to the population ageing, the NDIS and now the pending childcare package.
There are simply not enough viable spending cuts left to offset both the shortfall in tax revenue and the growth in spending promises.
As the governor of the Reserve Bank, Glenn Stevens, made clear last year, the main fiscal task of both sides of politics is to prepare the nation for higher taxes, and then to do it.
I agree, but with a majority of
