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.

[debra9275]

http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2015/02/28/higginson-leak-targets-abbott-credlin-an...

The whole episode illustrates that for Abbott little has changed. He is more comfortable attacking and creating enemies than in reaching out and making friends.

[debra9275]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/23/australia-secured-asylum-deal-by-staying-silent-on-righ...

Australia stayed silent on alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka in exchange for cooperation in cracking down on people-smuggling, Colombo’s new prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday.

Wickremesinghe said former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had agreed to help stop boats carrying asylum seekers leaving for Australia if Canberra kept quiet about alleged abuses committed by the previous regime.

In an interview with the Australian newspaper, Wickremesinghe said Australian prime minister Tony Abbott’s close relationship with Rajapaksa, who was voted out of power last month, was “a mystery” to Sri Lankans.

Colombo’s new premier also said that “people connected to the previous government” had taken part in people-smuggling operations.

awful!

[debra9275]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/disability-groups-granted-temporary-funding-re...

Federal government delays a 40 per cent funding cut to the disability sector amid allegations it was in breach of United Nations convention

The federal government has made a partial backflip on its cuts to disability groups, granting a temporary reprieve to eight bodies whose funding was due to run out on Saturday.

Last month the Department of Social Services announced it would cut funding to the disability sector by 40 per cent and support an alliance of just five representative bodies. It left eight bodies representing 200,000 people with disabilities under threat and sparked allegations that the government was in breach of the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people

[cherry*135]

Blergh..why can't Abbott just be 'normal'?

A wink from Tony Abbott ... he and New Zealand PM John Key settle in to watch the Cricket World Cup clash between NZ and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Picture: Ray Strange Source: News Corp Australia

[debra9275]

because he's not 

morning Am 

[cherry*135]

Morning debra.

Good answer!

"Federal government delays a 40 per cent funding cut to the disability sector amid allegations it was in breach of United Nations convention."

40% . Good the cuts are being delayed, hope they never eventuate.

[cherry*135]

The prime minister, Tony Abbott, who’s in New Zealand for talks with this counterpart John Key, said he was intent on protecting Medicare.

“It is a great system, a great system that I know and love,” Abbott told reporters. “We are consulting with the medical profession. Those consultations are continuing, but at some point in time I’d certainly expect to have more to say.”

The government wants the $5 co-payment levied on GP visits, after having initially flagged a $7 payment.

The oppositon’s health spokeswoman, Catherine King, said if Abbott scrapped the co-payment altogether, it would be a desperate measure to save his job and not due to concern for Medicare.

“Tony Abbott is only coming to the party very late,” King told reporters on Saturday. “If he dumps his GP tax, that will be a good thing. But people will remember he will be dumping it because he wants to save his job.

“This isn’t about the government consulting, it isn’t about the government caring about Medicare, caring about our health care system and caring about patients.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/28/abbott-frontbencher-flags-big-changes-to-medic...

[debra9275]

I knew it was the right answer, lol

this is an article from last year, but we are lobbying for a seat on the HRC  ( unreal isn't it) 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australia is a leading contender to win a seat on the United Nations' pre-eminent human rights body despite scathing recent criticism from the UN of the government's asylum seeker policies

If elected, it will be the first time Australia has held a seat on the council. Lobbying is already underway ahead of a vote in 2017.

Countries with questionable human rights records, such as Cuba, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia have previously been elected to the council

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-presses-for-human-rights-council-sea...

so for all the criticism now, we still want to be a part of it

[debra9275]

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/abbotts-medicare-backdowns-dont-spell-the-end-of-deliberate-blood-l...

After surviving the Liberal Party backbench revolt, Tony Abbott was reported as saying that when offered the option of believing a politician or a doctor, the public will back the doctor.

But when it comes to health and Medicare, what about backing the truth?

The Abbott government’s mission is essentially twofold: an ideological determination to destroy Medicare, and its desire to drag money out of health to solve its trumpeted budget crisis. 

In just five weeks over a hot summer, Abbott backed down twice on Medicare changes: first, dumping his May 2014 budget proposal to tax every patient an additional $7 dollars a visit; then, after a howl of protest, dumping his changes to time-based Medicare consultations, the $20 GP tax.

However, still on the table is the $5 optional co-payment scheduled for July 1 this year, and the four-year freeze on Medicare rebates. Confused government policy has gone from $7 to $20 to optional $5 and freezes. 

But why?

[cherry*135]

Because PM is a numpty - doesn't listen to others, and next week is only going to scrap proposed medicare changes to try and save his own skin.