Diary of our stinking opposition

[village_person]

Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh shifts position on previous support for a GP fee

Labor's shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh was once a strong supporter of a compulsory fee for visits to the doctor - a policy now slammed by the opposition as a “GP tax” that would hurt the community’s most vulnerable.

But in a 2003 Sydney Morning Herald article Dr Leigh, then a PhD student in economics at Harvard University, argued a Medicare co-payment was “hardly a radical idea”.

“As health researchers have shown, cost-less medical care means that people go to the doctor even when they don't need to, driving up the cost for all of us," Dr Leigh and co-author Richard Holden wrote.

“But there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all.

“As economists have shown, the ideal model involves a small co-payment - not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc."

Dr Leigh argued the fee should be enough to deter “frivolous GP visits”, but not enough to limit genuine preventive care. The fee should apply to everyone, including pensioners, except those who are chronically ill, he wrote.

Dr Leigh, who has opposed the proposal in media appearances over recent weeks, told Fairfax Media: "Since 2003, a lot has changed in the health care system, and I've changed my view on co-payments.

 “A GP co-payment was originally a Hawke government proposal led by Brian Howe, a member of the Left faction,” he said.

“As long as it is applied fairly across the community, a co-payment is a perfectly valid policy measure. If Andrew Leigh, before he had to toe the party line, recognised that then I welcome his contribution to the debate. I respect Andrew Leigh as a sensible economist.”

On Saturday, Dr Leigh, a former professor of economics at the Australian National University, distanced himself from an article he wrote in 2004 supporting fee deregulation for universities – another policy opposed by Labor.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-frontbencher-andrew-leigh-shifts-positio...

Yes, it’s the very well respected ALP whey-faced Dr Andrew Leigh who virtually declared his previous books and speeches as mere works of fiction. This brings into sharp focus Dr Leigh's economics degree.

[icyfroth]

not the aussie taxpayer, that's pretty obvious

[moonflyte]

Bill Shorten has bowed to the left and is going to the next election with a carbon tax and a renewable subsidy target that will beggar the country. Good one Bill, you have ensured you will never be PM.

[icyfroth]

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@djlukjilly wrote:

Bill Shorten has bowed to the left and is going to the next election with a carbon tax and a renewable subsidy target that will beggar the country. Good one Bill, you have ensured you will never be PM.

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Ha ha couldn't have made more of a fool of himself it he tried. Maybe he WAS trying. There's really no other explanation for his erratic behaviour.

[Anonymous]

OPPOSITION leader Bill Shorten has confirmed Labor will go into the next election promising to turn back asylum-seeker boats.

Mr Shorten admitted Labor had got it wrong on asylum-seeker policies when it was in government, acknowledging the large number of deaths at sea

He told ABC’s 7.30 program Labor was now determined to put people smugglers “out of business,” agreeing the Coalition’s policy of towing boats back to where they came from worked.

time for a few 'stop the boats' memes

me thinks.

there is an endless supply of them on

cs already, shouldn't be too difficult to do

a bit of photoshopping 

[moonflyte]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@djlukjilly wrote:

Bill Shorten has bowed to the left and is going to the next election with a carbon tax and a renewable subsidy target that will beggar the country. Good one Bill, you have ensured you will never be PM.

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Ha ha couldn't have made more of a fool of himself it he tried. Maybe he WAS trying. There's really no other explanation for his erratic behaviour.

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Every day we are served up Bills whinging whining songbook. He has nothing to offer the country and all he really wants is to be PM, remind you of anyone?  say Kevvie?  and I'm here to help. lol with help like his we're lucky to still be here.

[moonflyte]

Shorten now has done a complete 360 on boat turnbacks, like his gay marriage backflip. Who believes that Labor will ever put in a secure border policy for this country?

Marles can't even articulate this policy let alone enact it.

Now they want to bring in 26.000 more middle east refugees as a sop for the left to let the boat policy through. Is there anyone in Labor who cares for this country first rather than their own self interest and scramble to win back power?

They are a poor imitation to what they stood for once. Now all they stand for is themselves.

[icyfroth]

Does anyone take Bill Shorten seriously any more? He wants to rapidly accelerate Australia’s renewable energy use to 50 per cent in just 15 years.

The current renewable energy target, due to reach 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020, would need to surge to 110,000GWh by 2030 to meet Labor’s insane policy.

If this were met by wind power it would require 10,000 to 11,000 additional turbines … with capital costs for the turbines alone of $65 billion.

So let’s trash all the traditional assets like coal and gas and oil, and all manufacturing that relies on cheap electricity. Let’s trash all the super investments, lets trash all the jobs associated with the industries. It’s mindless, reckless, and it’s a fraud.

And while we are at it let’s increase power costs so no one can afford electricity anymore. Let’s ensure that the people that struggle now to pay electricity costs so they can cook their food and warm their houses can no longer afford to do that.

Solar panels can save you money but you need to be on a good wage to afford them. First you need to buy a house, then you have to fork out $8,000 plus for solar panels. So straight up we have a scheme that favours the rich.

Fact – each kilowatt of renewable electricity generation requires a 100 per cent backup from coal fired power.

When will Labor voters realise that they are being sold down the river? Green voters don’t care because they are either wealthy or starry eyed layabouts. The average worker should think very carefully about his vote
if Labor takes this to the next election.

Shorten needs to explain the reason for this renewable insanity, like how much will it lower the temperature. Global warming predictions have all proven false and there has been no warming for the last 20 years. It’s snowing in Queensland, for heaven’s sake.

Abbott will do Shorten at the next election. Even allowing for the rusted on, misinformed and brain-dead voters, we’re not that far down the path as to allow another socialist alliance into power.

From Here

[icyfroth]

[tezza2844]

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@icyfroth wrote:

Does anyone take Bill Shorten seriously any more? He wants to rapidly accelerate Australia’s renewable energy use to 50 per cent in just 15 years.

The current renewable energy target, due to reach 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020, would need to surge to 110,000GWh by 2030 to meet Labor’s insane policy.

If this were met by wind power it would require 10,000 to 11,000 additional turbines … with capital costs for the turbines alone of $65 billion.

So let’s trash all the traditional assets like coal and gas and oil, and all manufacturing that relies on cheap electricity. Let’s trash all the super investments, lets trash all the jobs associated with the industries. It’s mindless, reckless, and it’s a fraud.

And while we are at it let’s increase power costs so no one can afford electricity anymore. Let’s ensure that the people that struggle now to pay electricity costs so they can cook their food and warm their houses can no longer afford to do that.

Solar panels can save you money but you need to be on a good wage to afford them. First you need to buy a house, then you have to fork out $8,000 plus for solar panels. So straight up we have a scheme that favours the rich.

Fact – each kilowatt of renewable electricity generation requires a 100 per cent backup from coal fired power.

When will Labor voters realise that they are being sold down the river? Green voters don’t care because they are either wealthy or starry eyed layabouts. The average worker should think very carefully about his vote
if Labor takes this to the next election.

Shorten needs to explain the reason for this renewable insanity, like how much will it lower the temperature. Global warming predictions have all proven false and there has been no warming for the last 20 years. It’s snowing in Queensland, for heaven’s sake.

Abbott will do Shorten at the next election. Even allowing for the rusted on, misinformed and brain-dead voters, we’re not that far down the path as to allow another socialist alliance into power.

From Here

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Just when I think you can't any go more to the extreme right , you come up with this article from Casual Infamy. It appears to be another rant from the Coal Lobby and extreme climate sceptics

[icyfroth]

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@tezza2844 wrote:

---

@icyfroth wrote:

Does anyone take Bill Shorten seriously any more? He wants to rapidly accelerate Australia’s renewable energy use to 50 per cent in just 15 years.

The current renewable energy target, due to reach 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020, would need to surge to 110,000GWh by 2030 to meet Labor’s insane policy.

If this were met by wind power it would require 10,000 to 11,000 additional turbines … with capital costs for the turbines alone of $65 billion.

So let’s trash all the traditional assets like coal and gas and oil, and all manufacturing that relies on cheap electricity. Let’s trash all the super investments, lets trash all the jobs associated with the industries. It’s mindless, reckless, and it’s a fraud.

And while we are at it let’s increase power costs so no one can afford electricity anymore. Let’s ensure that the people that struggle now to pay electricity costs so they can cook their food and warm their houses can no longer afford to do that.

Solar panels can save you money but you need to be on a good wage to afford them. First you need to buy a house, then you have to fork out $8,000 plus for solar panels. So straight up we have a scheme that favours the rich.

Fact – each kilowatt of renewable electricity generation requires a 100 per cent backup from coal fired power.

When will Labor voters realise that they are being sold down the river? Green voters don’t care because they are either wealthy or starry eyed layabouts. The average worker should think very carefully about his vote
if Labor takes this to the next election.

Shorten needs to explain the reason for this renewable insanity, like how much will it lower the temperature. Global warming predictions have all proven false and there has been no warming for the last 20 years. It’s snowing in Queensland, for heaven’s sake.

Abbott will do Shorten at the next election. Even allowing for the rusted on, misinformed and brain-dead voters, we’re not that far down the path as to allow another socialist alliance into power.

From Here

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Just when I think you can't any go more to the extreme right , you come up with this article from Casual Infamy. It appears to be another rant from the Coal Lobby and extreme climate sceptics

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So you think Mr Shorten will be able to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030 (if he's re-elected)?