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]

Chaotic Govt -  Tax Reform White Paper & Intergenerational Report release delays. Business groups and economists criticisms as well as Labor and the Greens.

Political chaos' blamed for delay of key tax and intergenerational reports until March

Political chaos in the Abbott government has delayed crucial papers about tax reform and Australia's booming population - which could hit 38 million by 2050 - business groups, economists, Labor and the Greens say.

The delayed release of the tax reform white paper and the intergenerational report, both of which will play a key role in framing the government's economic narrative, its budget, and the Coalition's economic policies heading into the next election, are now not expected to be released until March.

In December, Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government was "working on" releasing before year's end the tax discussion paper that will inform the creation of a white paper review of Australia's tax system.

That timetable was subsequently shelved.

And last week, Mr Hockey breached the Charter of Budget Honesty Act when he failed to release the Intergenerational Report [IGR] on time.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/political-chaos-blamed-for-delay-of-...

[debra9275]

FGS, do they know what they're doing???

here's another one, more confusion about the co-payments

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/is-tony-abbotts-gp-copayment-scrapped-or-no...

There are further signs of disarray within the government with frontbenchers publicly contradicting each other over whether or not the GP co-payment has been scrapped. 

Shortly after staring down an attempt to oust him from the Prime Ministership, Tony Abbott pledged that "good government" would begin this week.

[cherry*135]

Yep. some of them are saying the co-payment is gone, dead - others are saying its still on the table. Wouldn't be hard to get that right before you speak publicly I wouldn't think.

[cherry*135]

Protest at Christopher Pyne Sydney speech turns violent as students pepper sprayed

A protest by university students opposing the federal government's education reforms has turned violent.

Police used pepper spray to deter about 40 students who were trying to enter a lecture by Education Minister Christopher Pyne in Sydney's CBD on Friday morning.

The air of the centre's foyer was thick with pepper spray, as some of the students sat crying in the gutter, while being comforted by fellow demonstrators.

The protest, at the first annual Hedley lecture at an education conference at the Sydney Masonic Centre in Goulburn Street, suddenly erupted and police acted to keep the students from storming the building.

The protest had up to then been a typical university demonstration, a rag-tag bunch of students protesting against various injustices.

Chants rang out such as, "Chris Pyne f--- you, we deserve a future too."

"It demonstrates the lengths the NSW Police will go to to defend the Education Minister Christopher Pyne from the people he rules over," said Ridah Hassan, education officer of the nation union of students, her face covered in a milk like substance to ease the burning of the police spray.

"It was a peaceful protest to protest at the government's  deregulation agenda and we were pepper sprayed when making that point,", she said.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/protest-at-christopher-pyne-sydney-speech-turn...

[vicr3000]

Welfare rent a crowd in full swing

Same lot who protest at G8 and G20 and then go to Maccas for lunch

[debra9275]

---

@am*3 wrote:

Yep. some of them are saying the co-payment is gone, dead - others are saying its still on the table. Wouldn't be hard to get that right before you speak publicly I wouldn't think.

---

well when they finally figure out amongst themselves what they're doing , I hope they let the rest of us know 

never before seen such a shambles of a govt. 

[cherry*135]

Chaos is too mild a word for them I think.

Remember when Pyne got all sooky alledging  students assaulted  Julie Bishop on a campus? (general push & shove) Then for the PM & himself (?) it was decided not safe for them to go to another campus as planned that week.

Don't know why he thought he could step on a campus now without protests.

[cherry*135]

More waste of public money. Next the new building will be half empty because Abbott Govt's massive public service job cuts.

Finance Department slammed over plans to move to new building

The Department of Finance's hopes to move almost all its staff to a swish new building appears shaky after the proposal came under fire from parliament's public works committee.  

Finance's preference to consolidate employees into 1 Canberra Avenue at the foot of Parliament House would be $66 million more expensive in the next 20 years than staying in existing office space, the committee was told Friday morning.   

Coalition and Labor politicians on the committee, which will hand a report to parliament, seemed unconvinced Finance's impending move represented value for money.  

Nationals senator Matthew Canavan said the department was setting a bad example to the federal bureaucracy.  

"How can you expect other departments and agencies to make choices on a whole of government basis for the cheapest cost when clearly you're not doing that here? You're meant to be in charge, you're meant to set the example as a central agency in charge of expenditure across the Commonwealth," Senator Canavan said.

"Frankly you haven't really given us a comprehensive answer about why you've chosen an option which is $60 million-plus more expensive.

"You've got some other benefits like consolidation but it's not clear to me they get anywhere close to $66 million."

The department's top bureaucrats said they would prefer to answer him in a private hearing but the senator said "this is about the benefits to you as an agency, to me that doesn't seem confidential".

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/finance-department-slammed-over-plans-to-mov...

[monman12]

Gosh A3, you have decided to have a go at the Public Sevice now  (Treasury) ?  Canberra is a union bastion  city !!!!

Did you appreciate this, in  your C&P ?

"Coalition and Labor politicians on the committee, which will hand a report to parliament, were unconvinced Finance's impending move represented value for money.  

[vicr3000]

Monman

They don't know who they hate ! LOL

Anyone with LNP, money, does well for themselves, gets on in life .........