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Will propaganda win?

Debt and deficit disaster! They are spending like drunken sailors! It’s in their DNA!

So outraged were they by Labor’s waste and mismanagement, the Coalition published The Little Book of Big Labor Waste in which they list 50 examples which make for very interesting comparative reading now. A few months ago I wrote a short sequel – an exhaustive comparison would run to volumes.

Tony Abbott came to power promising to stop the waste. The age of entitlement is over. We need lifters not leaners.

And then promptly bought himself a fleet of nine BMW 7 Series High Security cars worth around $550,000 each and bigger planes to transport his burgeoning camera crew around in luxury (provided they don’t mention the cost).

Who, other than our Prime Minister, charges tens of thousands of dollars to take part in a charity event? Who claims money to take part in fun runs or ironman events? Who keeps the entire party room waiting while he has his photo taken so he can claim the cost of attending a private party? Who flies from Canberra to Sydney to give a press conference and then flies back again to start work for the day? Is it any wonder that Bronwyn Bishop thinks nothing of using helicopters and $1000/day limos to get around?

Two days before the 2013 Federal election Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb published a media release titled ‘Final update on Federal Coalition Election Policy Commitments’. In it they state that the Coalition will achieve “a further 0.25 per cent efficiency dividend on the public service ($428 million) through prudent limitations on Government advertising and consultancies as well as on Government travel.

From January to June 2012, Speaker Peter Slipper claimed $97,989.81 for overseas travel. By comparison, from January to June 2014, Speaker Bronwyn Bishop claimed $178, 071.34 for overseas travel. In 2014 she claimed $811,857 in expenses on top of her hefty salary.

It has become such common practice for politicians to claim anything they possibly can get away with that they no longer understand that paying off the mortgage on your investment property by claiming entitlements is just wrong. Hosting $50,000 dinners in Washington also does not pass the “sniff” test.

Politicians, who are in the top one per cent of income earners, not only accept free tickets to major sporting events, they then charge us for not only their transport and accommodation, but that of their family as well. We pay for them to attend weddings and to check on their investment properties if they can get away with it. We pay for the books they want to read (or give away) and the shelves to house them. Is there nothing that they feel they should pay for themselves?

How much would we save if we built an accommodation wing at Parliament House? No more paying hundreds of dollars per night just because someone is away from home – it’s part of the job they chose. No more paying for cars to drive them to and from work if they are staying on site. If they choose to stay elsewhere then they can pay for it themselves and, like the rest of us, you should not be able to claim the cost of driving to and from work. No more paying for your family – they are your responsibility.

Cited as an example of Labor’s waste was the “$1.8 million Fair Work Australia has so far spent on outside legal and accounting advice for its investigation into the rorting of HSU funds.” Compare that to Tony’s Royal Commission which is costing $80 million, a significant part of which is going to the law firm that George Brandis worked for. Compare the cost of pursuing Peter Slipper through the courts, destroying his career, his marriage, his reputation, and his finances, while Bronwyn Bishop is “on probation” after learning a “saluatory lesson.”

Another example of waste was the money spent on installing a new hot water system at the Lodge. It was less than Tony spent on getting advice about the gardens at Kirribilli House – no work done, just advice. It was less than a third the cost of getting out of the lease on the luxury house in Canberra that Tony refused to move into.

The budget papers show that, measured as a percentage of GDP, spending under the two budget years of the Abbott government – both 25.9 per cent – was exceeded by Labor in only one year: 26 per cent in 2009-10, the year following the GFC spending. (See Table 1)

With revenue tumbling, the Coalition want to reduce taxes while spending hundreds of billions on strike force defence materiel, national security and border control. They want to cut services and welfare while claiming hundreds of millions in entitlements themselves. They want to sell off profitable assets to fund their profligate spending on things that do little to improve productivity or tackle the challenges of climate change or unemployment. They want to subsidise the wealthy and demonise the poor.

Tony seems to be pinning all his hopes on the message that he can keep us safe which is a hard sell when you have to whip up fear to maintain it.

Those who voted for the Liberal Party to stop the waste must be sorely disappointed as the debt and deficit continue to grow, and the extravagant rorts are exposed.

Those who voted for the National Party must be finally realising that the Greens best represent their interests.

Even business is despairing at this government’s lack of coherent direction.

The next election will be a true test of the influence of the Murdoch press as even the shock jocks are starting to ask questions.

Are memories that short? Is hearing that selective? Will propaganda win?

 

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42 comments

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  1. hemingway13

    My response to perspicacious Kaye Lee’s three concluding, and possibly rhetorical, questions:

    1. Ruefully, yes.

    2. Pitifully, yes.

    3. Tragically, yes.

  2. kerri

    Kaye Lee! You raise a point I have been asking, why on earth is there no formal accomodation for MPs in Canberra? Staffed and managed by the Government? This would create jobs and keep a lid on rorts!

  3. proudlyprogressive

    Outstanding article Kaye Lee – as a political reporter and analyst you’re up there with the best. Rarely do I see such well researched work in the msn. Keep it up, please!

  4. Peter Ball

    I’m looking forward to the ALP and its new book , Liberal Waste – it will be 1000’s of pages long

  5. Kaye Lee

    Then we need to get louder and drown out Murdoch’s lies. We need to remind Australians that we are the country of the fair go where we help those in need and protect those in danger. It isn’t just politicians that need a wake up call. We must continue to spread the truth and demand better from ourselves, our media, and our elected representatives.

    It seems that “people of property” have sacrificed their social obligation for the pursuit of even greater wealth, and many migrants who have made their home in Australia are unwilling to share it with others who seek a better life. “White” Australians see no need to recognise the traditional owners of the land and the damage they have caused to their home and way of life. Muslims are targeted on suspicion fanned by misinformation with no recognition of cultural differences. Christians feel entitled to impose their views on a multitude of social issues such as homosexuality, marriage, contraception, abortion, voluntary euthanasia and stem cell research.

    I want to reclaim Australia from the greedy and the bigots and the ignorant. I want tolerance and compassion. I want the strength that hears and heeds criticism, not from focus groups of people who have no expertise, or aging media megalomaniacs, but from the experts who devote their lives to providing expert knowledge in their fields. I want the people to be told the truth. I want our leaders to be calm and reassuring rather than hysterically whipping up fear and hatred. I want a diverse but unified Australia who is confident enough to embrace our differences, mixing the best from each other to make our multicultured society a model of peace and harmony. This them vs us stuff is bullshit.

  6. Meg

    It just seems like it’s always a ‘Look over here’ argument. Feeling the heat? Order a Royal Commission all about someone else. The statistics are showing poor worsening social and economic data? Blame Labor. Being caught out involved in corruption or what can only be described as criminal activity? Divert the public’s gaze with talk of some sort of new policy or policy change. It doesn’t even have to be a positive one, as long as people start talking about it and not what’s really going on in their country, in their name, with their tax dollars. http://bananafiefdom.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/the-straw-man-argument.html

  7. kizhmet

    @ Peter Ball
    One way to reduce the size of ALP’s Liberal Waste book would simply be to list the LNP members ‘-)

    As usual, a great article Kaye – All cogent points, well argued. Love the idea of an accommodation wing – a simple, cost effective and elegant solution. One wonders why it hasn’t been implemented long since.

    I was most surprised to see Andrew Bolt put Joe Hockey in the hot seat (great watching Hockey squirm). Is this an indication Murdoch is getting ready to burn Bishop, and potentially Abbott if he continues his public support of the disgraced speaker (she doesn’t deserve a capital “S”)?

    Will the Australian voting public succumb to the propaganda. Liberal die hards, most definitely. I remain hopeful (eternal optimist that I am) the anger Bishop’s extravagance has ignited grows into a conflagaration. The next few weeks will be interesting to say the least.

  8. David

    On waste, loosely connected is the current hot topic claims…today the Senate Select Committee on Conditions and Allegations relating to Nauru is sitting. I have been watching the entire proceedings from 9am EST. The only Coalition representative on the Committee in attendance, he is replacing two others, for part of the morning has been Lib Senator for WA David Johnston, the replacement member Senator Johnston has so far asked 1 short question requiring a very short 3 word answer and did not follow up with any supplementary questions. That has been his only contribution to proceedings.
    http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Regional_processing_Nauru/Committee_Membership

    I am unsure of the daily amount but I am certain it is not insignificant for Senators to be reimbursed for attending these Select Committees.
    My point being, if Johnston is being paid to be at the Select Committee, he should be in attendance surely. I can understand comfort stops will be involved, however apart from those/that, there are morning and afternoon tea breaks and an hour lunch break.
    I presume the Senator should have been in attendance throughout the hearing, not listening to it in his office, or swanning around the Building. Of course it may not be in his terms of ‘entitlement to actually physically be seated in the Committee room. Appears nothing is set in concrete.

    May seem trivial however in my experience of attending meetings, hearings etc, one was expected to attend to be financially recompensed.
    I presume the Senator is also on a decent daily allowance for being in Canberra during recess.

    Just me thinking aloud, so to speak

    While on rorting and associated matters. This morning abbott proclaimed in response to the anger being expressed throughout the Commonwealth re Speaker Bishop and her abuse of entitlements, he had placed her on ‘probation’. This extraordinary statement followed up his reminding us of the many years of devoted, loyal service she has given to the Liberal Party (and is still giving for a price) My added in brackets.

    I don’t know how anyone else feels about the ‘probation’ stunt for her misdemeanors, no bugger it for her crimes. When he and his motley thugs in Opposition successfully brought about the demise of Peter Slipper, career, reputation, health and nearly his marriage, with the long term goal of bringing down the Gillard Govt, today he decides Bishop is a naughty girl, should have known better but has paid the money back, plus in his words “a substantial extra amount” and is very sorry for being naughty. Suffice to conclude she is now on probation as he awaits the ‘official investigation’.
    I think he meant whitewash, but was in a hurry as he shot through after 2 questions.

    That effort this morning from him, given the destruction of Peter Slipper he was involved in, made me very very angry.

  9. Denisio Fabuloso

    The answer is a resounding yes… duh. We have a population largely unable to ascertain even the basic fundamentals of Australian politics. They consistently and regularly vote against their own interests… even the working poor. It defies all logic. Propaganda is the new chocolate flavoured over sugared smoothie… and they suck it up like mothers milk. Ho hum.

  10. Kaye Lee

    The woman charged with investigating Bronwyn’s expenditure, Jane Halton, is the same woman who told Howard that she had proof of the children overboard affair, and then gave different testimony to two other respected witnesses at the inquiry.

  11. Ken Butler

    So it will be on halt?
    We need to stop that!

  12. Kaye Lee

    According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on 8 September 2014, Liberal Party MP for Mackellar and Speaker in the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop has been identified in evidence before the Operation Spicer investigation as being a director of the Dame Pattie Menzies Foundation Trust which received $11,000 from the Free Enterprise Foundation on December 9, 2010, which it then directed to the NSW branch of the party for use in the 2011 state election and The previous day, Mr Partridge has sent a cheque for $125,000 to the Free Enterprise Foundation with a note which read: “We trust this donation will provide assistance with the 2011 NSW State election campaign”. Additionally, A $2000 donation to the Dame Pattie foundation from Australian Corporate Holdings, a company connected to Sydney property developer and sailor Syd Fischer, was also passed on to the NSW Liberals.

    http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/can-speaker-in-house-of-representatives.html

  13. Terry2

    Will propaganda win?

    Well it’s going quite well so far !

    Abbott says:

    I will not tamper with superannuation tax concessions because that affects the demographic who put me in and “it’s their money”.

    I will not tamper with negative gearing because that affects property investors and they are the demographic who voted me in.

    But wait, do I hear a state premier calling out for an increase in the GST ?

    ‘Lo, it is Mike Bard and he is right we must increase the GST, it’ a fair tax and only disproportionately affects those on fixed incomes, pensioners and the less well off and they vote Labor, anyhow.

    Forward to the election :

    Abbott says in a twelve flag announcement : ” in my first term, I did not increase any taxes !”

    And the people cry out “but your holiness you increased the GST” and we now pay more for everything (except condoms) and the Emperor replies ” no,’twas not me but the states who increased the GST : the GST is a state tax …….. shift to film footage showing the Emperor repeatedly saying on 2GB and SKY “only the states can increase the GST”

    And the people as one say, “Propaganda has won” as Bonwyn’s helicopter passes over them.

  14. Kaye Lee

    If they want to make a case for increasing GST it doesn’t start well when “Mr Hockey said even if there were a consensus, there was no capacity for the federal budget to compensate low and middle income earners for a GST increase, as would be required.”

    How about we bring back the carbon and mining taxes and the changes to the FBT and corporate profit-shifting laws. There we go…..we now have tens of billions so children and pensioners won’t have to forego food.

  15. Peter Ball

    More PROOF the Liberals are just greedy trash

  16. Keitha Granville

    Keep sending all these brilliant ideas on stopping the waste to the Labor Party. And the Greens. If they were to adopt them as policy before the next election, they’d have to romp it in – wouldn’t they ?

    Or will the great unwashed electroate out there believe the new crop of lies (sorry, promises) made by the LNP and the massive accompanying pork barrel prior to the next election. Sadly, I feel the latter has more chance.

    I am desperately searching for somewhere else to live – I honestly don’t think I could face another TA term of office. The country won’t survive. Greece is looking good these days.

  17. Lynne Oldfield

    I agree with Kerri about the need for formal accommodation in Canberra. Doug Anthony describes the camaraderie developing between all parties in the early years of Canberra when all politicians bunked down in a hotel together. The pompousness that has overwhelmed Australian politicians is fed by their access to exorbitant expense accounts. Simple bed and board would be sufficient.

  18. Greg Stevens

    Why build an accomodation block next to parliament house, that way they can avoid facing the press when they mess up and what the hell could go on there with no scrutiny. . Why not just fence one of the accommodation buildings at ADFA or build anew building there with apartments all identical, no need for offices there with their main office just 20 mins away by car . Maybe have a series of small meeting rooms on each floor and assign rooms based on term of service the newest politicians on the ground floor and senior politicians on the top floor, NO Heli pad on the roof, they could even eat in the mess it would be a secure location.
    ,

  19. Ana Milosevic

    Simple accommodation like public housing would be the best answer, and allowance for travel to work and back. If they want to live in the comfort of their homes in Canberra than allowances would be denied.

  20. Phil

    Great reporting Kaye Lee. Forensic research – you are doing the nation a favour and I know there are so many, many people who appreciate your work. I don’t share the view of ‘hemingway13’ – that seems to me to be waving a white flag well before the fight has truly begun.

    I wholeheartedly support your “reclaim Australia from the greedy and the bigots and the ignorant.” In fact if that phrase were repeated widely enough it stands a chance of stopping the greedy and the bigots from securing it as their own.

    Yes, I also want tolerance and compassion and that is a daunting challenge – it means extending an open hand toward the people who are screaming hate and intolerance, and finding the common ground we share with them – and once the immediate confusion of their message is neutered, we will find there is more we have in common than in difference.

    Nobody wins by confrontation and it is up to progressives to find the most effective path through the minefield that Abbott has laid to further his ideology and secure his paycheque from his masters.

  21. Neil of Sydney

    Debt and deficit disaster!

    I would like to comment but i am banned from posting.

  22. The AIM Network

    No, you’re not banned from posting, but you’re ‘banned’ from repeating the same old comments that you’ve been making for about ten years,

  23. Anomander

    The propaganda and manipulation by the media is overwhelming.

    You know there is something very, VERY wrong when people like my parents – ordinary, wage-earning, blue collar, salt of the earth, working class people start defending Bronny chopper expenditure with lines like – “that was nothing compared to the money that bastard Thompson ripped off”.

    Or when they argue that the ABC is a biased waste of money and needs to be sold off, or that wind turbines make people sick and that climate change is a giant rort made-up by the UN, it is deeply disturbing to see people like this who were workers their whole life and have now been perverted to vote against their own interests.

    When they rail against the unions that gave them the minimum wages that enabled them to survive, when they call those standing-up for our environment extremists, do gooders and whinging lefties.

    These are people who spent decades of their lives working side-by-side with hundreds of European and Asian migrants and called them mates, now turning against anyone who isn’t white or who dresses differently.

    When they tell you they fear more about a bunch of loons half a world away than they do about the future employment of their grandchildren – well, it’s clear Rupert and Toiny’s propaganda machine is working at optimal capacity.

  24. Neil of Sydney

    Debt and deficit disaster! They are spending like drunken sailors!

    Well they tried to cut spending but were called cruel and uncaring

    And then promptly bought himself a fleet of nine BMW 7 Series High Security cars worth around $550,000 each

    I think you will find the old security cars were due for replacement

    Those who voted for the Liberal Party to stop the waste must be sorely disappointed as the debt and deficit continue to grow,

    The results for Hockeys first budget will not be known until September this year. But it will take 5-10 years to clean up the budget mess Labor left.

  25. Roswell

    “But it will take 5-10 years to clean up the budget mess Labor left”.

    You are mad. Completely mad. Too mad for words.

  26. Leo Brohnstein

    There is an easy and probably cheaper (than current rorts) method for solving the problem of snouts, and all four trotters, in the trough. Allow each MP/Senator say $100,000 pa each and tell them that they can keep any of it that they don’t spend. The result would be miraculous, I bet.

  27. Annie B

    @ Kaye Lee …

    Your article is absolutely brilliant, and much applause and plaudits to you for your research and work ethic.

    I could not, and would not presume to add anything about the article itself, and the subjects it addresses – your writing says everything under the banner it is posted.

    …………

    The “We are Australian” video you posted Kaye in your comment, had me in tears – I had never heard that rendition before – not ever. … Now I have, and have posted it to my Facebook Timeline, mentioning thanks to Kaye L and her use of independent media to bring it to our attention …. ( no specific identities mentioned ) noting that some ( like myself ) may never have heard it before.

    We need to re-embrace the sense of passion, of acceptance, of cameraderie, of laid back enjoyment, Australians have always had, and been envied for, by so many other countries for so many years.

    Our country is NOT defined by one person, by what he says, by the lies he tells – nor is it defined by any of his cohorts. …. Sadly though, that is what some believe – that we must listen and obey the leader, without question.

    The pee-em(etic) IS full of propaganda, maliciously designed to turn our heads away from everything we have held dear for so long. ….. to a small degree it is working, but in the long run – it will not, as he continues, and his absurdities reach new and greater levels.

  28. Annie B

    “But it will take 5-10 years to clean up the budget mess Labor left”.

    And for the Liberal ( LNP ) added $68 billion, i.e. ADDED to the ‘Labor’ deficit — how long will it take to clean THAT up. …. Huh ? ….Liberal has effectively doubled it. !

    10 to 20 years ? … or longer ? …. Cos I don’t think the pee-em has quite stopped his spending yet.

    hmmm.

  29. Kaye Lee

    At the risk of feeding the seagulls, and against my better judgement…

    “Well they tried to cut spending but were called cruel and uncaring”

    It was the way they cut spending that was the problem Neil. We seem to have endless money to buy fighter jets and submarines and for our war on asylum seekers. But we can’t have a mining tax and we can’t have laws that actually make big corporations stop avoiding tax. We can’t touch negative gearing or capital gains or superannuation tax concessions. But we can cut funding for health and education and welfare?

    “I think you will find the old security cars were due for replacement”

    No doubt. Can you explain why we needed NINE bomb proof cars? Why did the PM lie about Holden putting in a bid for the job? Do you think giving a local manufacturer the contract for government vehicles should have been compulsory? Did him buying BMWs have anything to do with his daughter’s job with them for some photo shoot? The college that gave his other daughter a scholarship that didn’t exist did well with the new rules to fund students at private colleges didn’t they. And his other daughter did well to get that public service job in Switzerland despite her lack of experience didn’t she.

    Any reasonable observer can see the waste and the rorts from both sides.

  30. Pingback: Will propaganda win? – » The Australian Independent Media Network | olddogthoughts

  31. mars08

    Quote from Anomander… 21 July: ” When they tell you they fear more about a bunch of loons half a world away than they do about the future employment of their grandchildren – well, it’s clear Rupert and Toiny’s propaganda machine is working at optimal capacity.”

    Quote from Osama bin Laden, 2004:
    “All that we have to do is to send two Mujahedin to the farthest point East to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qa’ida in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human economic and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits to their private companies.

    Osama was prescient and a strategic genius. He knew that the opportunist politicians, clueless media, bigots and bedwetters would freak out over a handful of radical Islamists… And the neoliberal/neocon agenda would plough on unchecked. Osama gave our leaders the rope… and they quickly made the noose…

  32. corvus boreus

    Kaye Lee,
    It doesn’t matter what you feed it, the seagull will keep making the same raucous squawks and regurgitating it’s own craw.

  33. Kaye Lee

    mars08,

    That quote from bin Laden is so accurate it is chilling. Can they not see how they are being manipulated?

  34. mars08

    @Kaye Lee… I suspect that some of them see that they’re being manipulated… But it’s such a handy way to get things done without scrutiny.

  35. David

    Neil of Syd…long may you continue to be banned,tory trolls are welcome on Bolt, Akerman blogs go dig a hole there.

  36. Anomander

    @mars08 – it’s also a convenient excuse to prop-up the arms manufacturing industries, which produce enormous profits for certain connected individuals.

  37. Katherine

    Very interesting article. But you forgot to mention how, every time they need money, the Abbott government makes another gouge in the foreign aid budget. Not only are they trying to cut services for vulnerable people in Australia, they are doing it overseas as well. Besides the humanity of caring for others, do they not see that foreign aid can help prevent the need for people to get on boats? If he truly wanted to “stop the boats”…

  38. Wayne Turner

    Sadly this country is a majority of ignorant,gullible,selfish (who funnily enough are too stupid to get that right) morons.Who proven time and again that democracy doesn’t work.

    I have no faith in the majority of the public.

  39. Annie B

    @ Kaye … your post ( 6:47 am ) …. good on you for pointing out the FACTS. …. sadly, it will probably fall on deaf ears, but if it doesn’t – you have given great advice, anyway.

    ….

    @ Katherine …… yes, they gouge out chunks from the foreign aid budget, but don’t gouge from the military budget that enables Australia to be part and parcel to international affairs – such as fighting ISIS ‘over there’ – because it suits them to be seen to be ‘big wigs’ on the international stage.

    But WHILE they are doing this gouging, they are taking millions, if not billions from other areas of helpful importance in our country – e.g. many many helpful community organisations, who were previously assisted with finance, have had to close down their operations, because funds have been withdrawn. Personally, I think the latter example here, shows more of the governments’ intent, than the foreign aid ‘gouging’.

    ……….

    @ Wayne Turner …. don’t sell the Australian public short. …. we are not an entire bunch of morons, although some certainly are …. we are and have been a caring people and I trust it will continue that way. … Not helpful to call out the populace as a bunch of ignorant and gullible human beings. …. Yes – democracy no longer seems to work, but give the population time to realise that. …. It is a learning curve – and a steep one.

    We have made it before – and we will again.

  40. trishcorry

    I absolutely love the idea of an accommodation wing. Great idea!

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