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]

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@debra9275 wrote:

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/view-from-the-street/view-from-the-street-government-endorses-slaver-s...

One of the things that the government has been very careful about discussing too much in recent times is industrial relations - specifically, how unfair they think it is that employers are still expected - indeed, obligated! - to pay staff.

After all, these captains of industry already generously provided the chattering classes with work - and now they want money as well? Bunch of grasping ingrates.

Fortunately relief might be in sight for our nation's struggling bosses as the government has flagged an exciting new idea: slavery!

While addressing business leaders in Brisbane this morning Prime Minister Tony Abbott outlined the government's new strategy under which unemployed folks can be farmed out to businesses for free for four weeks apiece without said businesses having to pay a cent - flagged as a "try before you buy" scheme. You'll note that the things the PM is suggesting should be tried before being bought are, in fact, people.

"I think this is good for you," he enthused to the future slavers. "It gives you the opportunity to get staff who want to have a go."

Now, one imagines that there will be some sort of monitoring in place to ensure that businesses don't just turn over their staff for new free labour every month. Although there may not be: after all, it'd be more of that ghastly regulation and red tape that this government is so gosh-darn worried is strangling business.

There are bigger problems, like the uncomfortable fact that all of the available evidence about Work For The Dole schemes suggests that they don't work.

is this true??    

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Current laws - any trials  for prospective employees - they must be paid for all the hours worked. Is the Govt going to pay for these 'free' four week trials? If so, how much is that going to cost.

Open to abuse as mentioned above - turn over of staff using free labour - 

The Australian

"Tony Abbott has come under attack for “dehumanising” remarks about the unemployed after he. ... “It gives you a chance to have a kind of try before you buy look at ..."

[cherry*135]

Abbott

"“That person can do up to four weeks of work experience with your business, with a private sector business, without losing unemployment benefits so it gives you a chance to have a kind of try-before-you-buy look at unemployed people,” Abbott said."

[debra9275]

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@am*3 wrote:

Abbott

"“That person can do up to four weeks of work experience with your business, with a private sector business, without losing unemployment benefits so it gives you a chance to have a kind of try-before-you-buy look at unemployed people,” Abbott said."

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Unreal!!

[gleee58]

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@debra9275 wrote:

from what I read about Matthew Gardiner,.. he had a Kurdish friend and perhaps he was trying to help or save someone so I would expect that he wouldn't be charged with anything... the other man, I don't know anything about

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The whole issue has so many blurred lines I think all cases should be individually dealt with.  

Some of these people have grandparents and other rellos in Syria and have been concerned for a long time about the state of things over there.  Not so long ago Assad was the enemy and we supported those who wanted to fight against that regime.  Now they don't look so bad compared to some that we aided.   

The fact is that none of us have the level of understanding that people who have family there do.  One of my friends has been travelling to Syria for years because he has family there.  Some of them feel obligated to help their grandparents, aunties and uncles.  They go there to work in health and education. Some others go to help their rellos because the enemy is on the door step and their rello's lives are at risk.

Then of course there are the numbnuts who join the IS mob through ignorance and because they're sucked in by the glorification of the fight and ideal of inclusion in something bigger than themselves.  I don't think young people truly grasp the nasty, dirty, terrifying reality until they face it.

[debra9275]

You've got a good point there Gleee, i don't agree with allowing back in the people who've gone to fight with ISIS.. But it should be different for those who've gone to protect family from ISiS

[monman12]

"You've got a good point there Gleee, i don't agree with allowing back in the people who've gone to fight with ISIS.. But it should be different for those who've gone to protect family from ISiS "

"The Foreign Fighters Bill passed Parliament in October, making it illegal to travel to areas declared as terrorist zones, without a specific humanitarian or family purpose."

[debra9275]

https://theconversation.com/bill-targets-foreign-fighters-before-departure-and-after-return-30095

However, this still places the onus on individuals to satisfy an evidential burden that travel was for a legitimate purpose. This leaves open the possibility of conviction where a person fails to discharge this burden, even if their travel was for a legitimate purpose. The offence is likely to have the chilling effect of discouraging people from travelling to designated areas, even when they have no intent of participating in foreign conflicts.

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Mediareleases/Documents/140923-EMCTForeignFightersBill2014.pdf

The Bill implements the Government’s res

ponses to the evolving national security

landscape and in particular, the threat posed by Australians engaging in, and returning from,

conflicts in foreign States.

The latter category of persons, collectively referred to as ‘foreign

fighters’, may have fo

ught alongside listed terrorist organisations in overseas conflicts and

return to Australia with enhanced terrorism capabilities and ideological commitment.

This

heightens the likelihood of the commission of terrorist acts on Australian soil

[debra9275]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/kohler-modern-budgets-are-exercises-in-spin/6484044

Modern budgets are exercises in spin - and this year was no exception

By ABC's Alan Kohler

)

Most of the political benefit from this year's budget comes from spending or tax cuts that will take place after the next election. And some of these headlines figures are laughably unsophisticated and misleading, writes Alan Kohler.

A year ago today, the condemnation of the budget was just getting warmed up. This year, the only budget stories a week later are about how voters are returning to the Coalition and consumer sentiment has jumped 3.6 per cent to its highest level since last November.

Of criticism, there is almost none.

So budget 2015 has been a wild success. Everyone keeps their jobs, including Joe Hockey, who has given 36 interviews since budget night. OK, time to talk about something else, like Aussie jihadists coming home from Syria.

Except that like all modern budgets, this one was a mist of political spin, and its success will ensure that it becomes a template.

"We inherited a $48 billion deficit"

Spin. At least $10bn of the 2013-14 deficit came from decisions by the Abbott Government, including the $8.8bn capital injection to the Reserve Bank.

"We are a low-taxing, small-government party"

Spin. The 2015-16 deficit will be $6bn less than this year's because taxes increase by $20bn, mainly because of bracket creep, and spending by $14bn, making this the biggest taxing and spending government since the GFC. Before that you have to go back to the previous Coalition government.

"We are an infrastructure government"

In fact, the detail of the budget papers show a real decline in spending in the Infrastructure and Regional Development portfolio of 11.2 per cent between 2014-15 and 2018-19.

But the main way that all modern budgets distort the truth is hiding in plain sight: the use of the sum of forward estimates as the basis for announcements is little short of lying.On page one of this year's Statement No.1 is the declaration: "At the core of the Budget are a $5.5bn Jobs and Small Business Package and a $4.4bn Families Package." And these figures, of course, have formed the core of the very successful marketing of the budget over the past week.

another good artricle from  Alan Kohler. worth reading the whole story in the link

[monman12]

D9275: " No worming their way out of it: voters hate Abbott and Shorten"

 Swinging voters in focus groups have concluded that just as the song goes, nobody likes the nation's leaders. In fact, everybody hates them"

I do agree, outside of  the bleaters:   ,  the remainder have  to choose  between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

[debra9275]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/i-will-shirtfront-tony-abbott-over-coal-seam-gas-spread-s...

I will shirt-front Tony Abbott over coal seam gas spread': Senator Glenn Lazarus

Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus has told hundreds of protesters in Brisbane he will shirtfront Prime Minister Tony Abbott to get his attention at the spread of coal seam gas mining in Australia.

In front of Queensland Parliament House on Thursday morning, Senator Lazarus – a former Kangaroo rugby league front rower – said ordinary Australians were frustrated that governments were not listening to them.

"People tell me all the time that they are just not being listened to and that is clearly evident when you go out and visit places like Chinchilla, Tara and Acland – those places," he said.

this is a funny one -  I hope he does..... I dont agree with CSG mining either