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A free ride on the gravy train

When Tony Abbott rolled Malcolm Turnbull for the Liberal Party leadership back in 2009, he immediately threw out the constructive negotiations towards an emissions reduction scheme.

“Oppositions are not there to get legislation through,” Abbott intoned, heralding his approach for the next 4 years.

There would be no discussion, no amendments, no working together to improve legislation, no alternatives offered. It would just be NO to everything.

And here we are a decade later with no energy or climate change policy.

So used to this approach did the Coalition become that, when they did finally become the government, they had nothing to offer. They have spent six years still opposing Labor’s ideas.

Our overly generous property tax concessions are a prime example.

In his 2005 tax policy paper, Malcolm Turnbull described negative gearing and the CGT discount as a “sheltering tax haven” that is “skewing national investment away from wealth-creating pursuits, towards housing”, and has caused a “property bubble”. Turnbull also acknowledged that “Australia’s rules on negative gearing are very generous compared to many other countries” and that “the normal deductibility principles do not apply to negatively geared real estate such that the taxpayer is not obliged to demonstrate that the negatively geared property will generate positive cash flow at some point in the distant future”.

In 2014 he said, “Looking at Australia’s tax regime you would say that it is too tough on people earning income…but is incredibly concessional to older people who have made their money…”

When Joe Hockey made his final speech to parliament in 2015, he said: “negative gearing should be skewed towards new housing so that there is an incentive to add to the housing stock rather than an incentive to speculate on an existing property.”

Today, the ABC is reporting that Scott Morrison was also considering reforms regarding tax concessions when he became Treasurer in 2015.

Obtained under freedom of information laws, a senior NSW Treasury official in October 2015 wrote: “The Commonwealth appears more willing to consider broader tax reform.

“The Commonwealth Treasurer has indicated that all options need to be considered, including superannuation, capital gains tax and negative gearing.”

Mr Morrison in February 2016 said there were “excesses” in negative gearing and that the government was considering changes.

So everyone was in agreement that change was necessary, until Labor announced their policy a month later. The Coalition’s reaction was to go to their safe place of just saying NO again.

In his 2009 book Battlelines, Abbott wrote

“The next Liberal government won’t need to assume office with specific policies on all topics down to the last detail. Too much detail can easily give the government material for a scare campaign.”

And that has been their mantra ever since. If you have no policies, no-one can criticise them.

But that isn’t called governing. It’s just a free ride on the gravy train.

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36 comments

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  1. Peter F

    Kaye, I now wait with trepidation for the results of the election. Most of the people I talk to seem to have swallowed the coalitions lies.

    You have pointed out further examples of their dishonesty, but who is listening. I have done my bit, voted on the first day pre-polling was available.

  2. Kaye Lee

    Peter,

    I have also stopped listening so I can’t blame others for doing likewise. Fact-checking this government for the last six years has been soul-destroying. If there is one thing I hate, it is dishonesty. How can we fix problems if we don’t acknowledge that they exist?

  3. DrakeN

    ” If there is one thing I hate, it is dishonesty.”

    Unfortunately, there is a lot of it about at every stratum of society and in every corner of the community.

    It seems as if humanity has evolved to depend on myths, fables, half truths and outright lies for its sense of being.

    I find that genuinely truthful people are hard to find; more frequent amongst autistic and aspergic folk but so delightfully ubiquitous amongst those with Down syndrome.

  4. Kaye Lee

    DrakeN,

    I always told my children, tell me the truth and I can help you fix things, lie to me and you are on your own.

    Chris Bowen at a press conference just said ….What Australians are sick of are political parties who say, “Just because somebody thought of the idea we say no.”

    I swear, sometimes I think my lounge room is wired. The football commentators always say what I just said too.

  5. ChristopherJ

    Thank you, Kaye, for doing the horrid research and checking of this government.

    Your summaries of what’s happening is all I can bear.

    Been here before though, so I’m never optimistic with new government anymore. Seen their dishonesty and policy backflips before.

    And, neither LNP or LP is saying the right things about the climate emergency we all face

  6. Kaye Lee

    David,

    STOP IT.

    This is an article about how important truth is and you throw in that load of total crap.

    “Engdahl is a very reliable source for many issues”

    Engdahl is a contributor to the website of the anti-globalization and conspiracy theorist Centre for Research on Globalization, the Russian website New Eastern Outlook, the Voltaire Network, and Veterans Today. He has been described by James Kirchick in Time magazine as being a “crank ‘historian’.”

    and more…

    “WHO ARE THE GODS OF MONEY? The NEW WORLD ORDER enslavement plan! THE CLIMATE CHANGE construct! The ruling elite´s succesful economic crisis & The Federal Reserve! Media manipulation lies! Vaccinations and chemical medicine that makes people sick! The 9/11 lie! Oil and energy = Rothchilds vs. Rockefellers! The political voting scam! Nikola Tesla and Free Energy! GMO food poison! The Bilderberg Group! etc…

    These controversial and eye-opening topics and more – discussed in this interview with award-winning American author, professor, historian, investigative reporter, geopolitical analyst, economic and conspiracy researcher:
    F. WILLIAM ENGDAHL.”

    I won’t bother with your other bullshit links. One is always enough with you to show what utter crap you are spewing forth.

  7. David1

    The real polling….

    Monday update 5 days out

    Betfair Labor 1.12 Coalition $7

    Sportsbet Labor $1.14 Coalition $5.50

    Ladbrokes Labor $1.12 Coalition $6

  8. Frank Smith

    David Bruce,
    Nonsense! Crap! Bullshit! Go get an education.

  9. Kronomex

    David Bruce,

    “Global warming a total “hoax and scam” run by corrupt scientists, warns Greenpeace co-founder” My favourite part of the utter nonsensical piece was seeing –

    “Sources for this article include:
    Breitbart.com
    NaturalNews.com”

    Hilarious.

    Take your rubbish and stick it…you can guess where.

    Kaye Lee,

    I am not in the least little bit surprised that Scummo was looking at possible changes to tax concessions and negative gearing. Until, that is the screams from his LNP mates and, no doubt, a lot the 10% club helped him change his mind (what there is of a mind that is).

    All the LNP will have in opposition is “NO!” and Scummo and selective amnesia and maybe soon after to be not Scummo but mostly likely be Friedeggburger (if he dosn’t get the axe). The only concern I have is what will happen if the RRaR-WNJ’s get control of the Senate.

  10. New England Cocky

    @David Bruce: Wake up!! Burning petroleum products like petrol, diesel & coal et al creates CO2 as a natural by-product. CO2 levels have risen above 300ppm and continue to rise causing the world climate to become more uncertain, more catastrophic and less predictable. There are simply too many independent studies by credible scientists showing the same trends in results; that the world climate is warming up. Ostriches bury their head i the sand so that they cannot see the danger. Perhaps “Ostrich” would be a more accurate tag when posting.

  11. Diannaart

    David Bruce

    When you go to the doctor and you want to be sure of the prognosis, do you seek another opinion from

    a) another doctor?

    Or

    b) ask anyone who is not a qualified medical professional?

  12. DrakeN

    Kaye,

    "I swear, sometimes I think my lounge room is wired."

    I have no doubt that it is, you needing electricity and all that modern stuff.

    Of course, you do know enough to be careful of the “smart” TV, the Alexa thingummy etc.

  13. Harry

    David Bruce may be a “sock puppet” for the climate change denialist propaganda units funded by various groups eg the Mineral Council, the Koch brothers etc in whose interests it is to try to sow doubt about the science, along the same lines as the Tobacco industry.

    Bruce alleges among other things, that climate change scientists are benefiting from the funding they receive. Well yes, just as anyone who draws a salary but it begs the question: who is REALLY benefiting from CC denial??

  14. Mick Tet

    I’m sure everyone on here would have seen this from Greenpeace.
    The webs these pricks weave make me sick to the stomach.

    I just clicked on the link to make sure it was going to work, and was horrified to see the advertisement before the Greenpeace video was potato head Dutto himself. These a….holes are everywhere.

  15. Graeme Henchel

    The Thug, the Fizza and the Adman

    The Thug

    It was six years ago
    we start our tale of woe
    When Abbott and his circus came to stay
    They’d beaten Kevin Rudd
    when help from Murdoch’s mud
    and Abbott’s skill at lying won the day

    It didn’t take too long
    for things to go quite wrong
    Their promises were broken from the start
    Cormann and Joe Hockey
    smoked cigars being cocky
    as their budget stunk like a smelly fart

    The budget of fourteen
    was underhand and mean
    so the polls went into terminal decline
    We had Abbott’s Dames and Knights
    the Egghead’s “Bigots rights”
    and backflips from perfidious poodle Pyne

    While Abbott led the side
    the polls kept on the slide
    with his lies and his stupid captain’s picks
    The crew were just as weak
    they were soon up shit creek
    This party of pernicious lying pricks

    Things went from bad to worse
    as they flogged a dying horse
    The backbench thought the jockey was to blame
    They tried an empty chair
    but the spill went nowhere
    they were left with the Thug, though now quite lame

    With Bronwyn on the take,
    exposed through chopper gate
    the public had concluded they’re the worst
    They were deep in trouble
    inside a bullshit bubble
    with just the prick in charge to make it burst.

    One September day
    Turnbull made his play
    And Abbott, still deluded, got the arse
    They were sure Malcolm’s words
    could polish policy turds
    and fool enough to save their sorry farce

    The Fizza

    Turnbull started well
    everything was swell
    What a great time it was to be alive
    Agile, innovation,
    nuanced conversation,
    the polls reversed, the party might survive

    All was on the table
    Malcom seemed so able
    but pretty soon the cracks began to show
    For him to get the job
    he told the right wing mob
    He’d keep all Abbott’s nonsense on the go

    The voters were surprised
    Mal was Tony, in disguise
    Relief, turned to dismay, was this a joke
    Different coloured ties,
    more smiles, but same old lies
    with new slogans served with waffle when he spoke

    Hey let’s change the GST,
    Yeah nah, not going to be
    State income tax lasted almost, a day
    Poor thinking was the norm
    as Mal returned to form
    and polls began to turn the other way

    Malcolm’s great solution,
    was a double dissolution,
    an election called out of desperation
    New slogans from snake oil man
    “Jobs and Growth” and “plan”
    So much for intelligent conversation

    Then on election night
    the polls were very tight
    Nobody knew who’d lead Australia
    Whatever be the score
    One thing we knew for sure
    Mad monk and the Fizza, both were failures

    With a lead of just one
    the fun had just begun
    The senate was worse and full of crackers
    With Abbott set to plot
    a feral senate lot,
    the right held tight their grip on Malcolm’s knackers

    Yet Malcolm thought it wise
    to bring in Abbott’s spies
    Giving ministries to Dutton and Mathias
    Although it must be said
    with wood that’s mainly dead
    There wasn’t much to choose amongst the liars

    So Malcolm’s brilliant plan
    was heading for the can
    The senate or the right would hold the rein
    As Malcolm waffled on
    and on and on and on
    divisions in the party room remained

    We had a plebiscite
    Demanded by the right
    Even though the public view was clear
    Despite the bigots best
    the verdict came back YES!
    Love had won over ignorance and fear

    Forced into submission
    the banking commission
    revealed how these crooks would lie and steal
    The bankers soon were seen
    as morally obscene
    with government asleep behind the wheel

    Polls were front of mind
    They were always behind
    thirty losses on the trot would soon arrive
    Though Mal was within striking
    Abbott kept on sniping
    and talk began whether Mal would survive

    Murdoch came back to town
    Intent to bring Mal down
    Dutton was the puppet to wield the knife
    Mal called forth a spill
    He survived but very ill
    Mal was fighting for his political life

    This bunch of buffoons
    behaved like bar room hoons
    threatening and bullying their pals
    Dutton just was Dutton
    a deluded thug with nothin
    but that didn’t stop these jokers killing Mal

    The spud thought he was in
    He’d practiced how to grin
    Morrison and Bishop both organised
    Bishop first got booted
    then Dutton got rooted
    and Morrison prevailed to win the prize

    The Adman

    Morrison started fast
    to cover up the past
    Spinning he was one of those blameless guys
    Why did Mal have to go?
    Morrison didn’t know
    It wasn’t him, he’s just PM, surprise!

    Morrison is a jerk
    His default face, a smirk
    His try hard baseball hat, a Trump like fake
    He’s all stunts and spin
    with smug and smirking grin
    “Fair dinkum”, “daggy dad”, give me a break.

    When parliament was back
    along came medivac
    Morrison started whistling, “stop the boats”
    He thought it opportune
    to use his favoured tune
    and a scare campaign to move some simple votes

    The stage was all prepared
    for an Asylum seeker scare
    a play in which Morrison had once starred
    but Christchurch drew a line
    on racist, hateful slime
    Morrison couldn’t play his favoured card

    The budget came and went
    A useless non event
    soon the election was off and running
    To nobodies surprise
    Their plan is built on lies
    and Morrison’s skills at pure rat cunning

    In just a few more sleeps
    We can remove these creeps
    But in politics nothing is certain
    After six years of farce
    This mob should get the arse
    I won’t applaud until the final curtain

  16. andrino apolloni

    if the liberals lose, which on the balance of the bookies will happen, i hope its an annihilation. Thats all these bastards deserve. A stoning is too good for them. How a narcissistic person like Abbott ever got as far as he did is an indictment on the win at all costs disease that has swept both sides over the years. And its all because one side was in power for too long. They become addicted and the opposition even more desperate to win.
    If Labor lose, oh my god, i gotta get out. It will be against all common sense and decency. Australia will become a basket case.

  17. Michael Taylor

    David, we’re not really into conspiracies on this site, especially when they’re thrown in to disrupt the topic under discussion.

    Anyhoo, the real reason for my visit …

    What the hell is going on down there? The crap coming out of the government and the media makes me think I’m reading about Trump’s America.

  18. Kaye Lee

    Michael.

    To quote someone else….

    Don’t you worry about that you people.

    It’s madness here. Forget about it and enjoy being elsewhere. I am envious. I hope you two are having a blast.

  19. Henry Rodrigues

    Whatever the betting odds are, make no mistake, the bastards in the MSM are and will, continue to do their damndest to back Scummo and his pack of dickheads. Does anyone really expect anything else from Murdoch and his minions, or Kerry Stokes or that gutless failed treasurer Peter arsewipe Costello, ( he’s in charge of the editorials at SMH and The Age), or Ita Buttrose and her willing acolytes like Fran Kelly and half price Sales at the ABC, or the whimpering fools at SBS ? Not to mention the pricks at Skynews and of course Alan and his ‘chum’ Hadley at 2GB. They will carry on until the last minute.

    Labor faces an historic battle and when they win, it will be the culmination of a struggle of epic proportions.

  20. Michael Taylor

    Thanks, Kaye. If you get sick of the mayhem over there, yer welcome to join us in Scotland.

  21. Aortic

    Michael, I would contend that the so called mayhem over here is nothing compared to the Brexit chaos that appears to be enveloping the UK. Having been born in Scotland as we follow the saga, as much as we can, we are trusting that the correct decision, whatever that is, is the right one for Bonnie Scotland. We will survive whatever the outcome as you will, but let’s hope for the best for the people caught up in what seems to be your never ending saga.

  22. LOVO

    Migs, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve taken it upon myself to dust down a space in the Cellar for all those ‘Duty Free’s’ you’ll be bringing back.
    I thought that that 1/2 Container size space between the Grange and the Blackberry Nip would lend itself to an certain, umm….aesthetic, “little lone” the Feng Shui.
    Your thoughts??
    Anyhoo, Cheers 🍻

  23. Michael Taylor

    LOVO, by “dusting down a space” I assume you mean that you drank it. 😡

    At least you made space for the crates of Stroma I’m shipping in. 😀

  24. Michael Taylor

    Aortic, Brexit is the worst decision ever made in Britain since Decca knocked back a recording contract for the Beatles in 1962.

    The Scottish are not happy about Brexit as they had already voted to stay in the UK … a move they now regret.

    A Brexit go ahead would ensure another Scottish referendum, however an independent Scotland would not be ensured entry into the EU. They would need to have their own army, currency, social security system among other things.

    The best thing to do would be to have another Brexit vote.

  25. Kaye Lee

    Michael,

    I will be spending the election in sunny Queensland. A friend asked me to hand out how to votes in Wide Bay but I think I might just go look at the dolphins and dugongs instead and then party when it’s done and dusted.

  26. Kronomex

    “Hey Australia, watch me pull a sudden brain fart policy out of my arse because all the crap has migrated up into my skull.”

    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/controversial-policy-to-help-first-home-buyers-did-not-go-through-cabinet-20190513-p51mtg.html

    Urk, gag, choke, Scummo playing to the religulous (I like Bill Maher for that word) in yet a further attempt to garner votes –

    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/i-support-the-law-of-the-country-debate-over-sexuality-and-religion-creeps-into-election-campaign-20190513-p51mxm.html

  27. iggy648

    I’ll be interested to see if any retiring Liberal MPs get cushy jobs with the firms they’ve handed taxpayers money to.

  28. David1

    One of the few MSM outlets I regularly read is The New Daily. I find it offers generally a balanced approach in its political coverage, while having interesting articles across a a good general range.

    As the Murdoch filth media seems to be all out attack on Bill Shorten and Labor as I am well informed in these columns, this article from todays edition made for a refreshing read.

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/vic/2019/05/13/murdoch-news-corp/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20News%20-%2020190514

  29. Frank Smith

    Thank You Graeme Henchel. A very welcome chuckle after breakfast.

  30. Alcibiades

    Always enjoy your works Graeme.Thank you kindly.

  31. Christina Heath

    Great verse Graeme Henchel. Thank you.

  32. Kronomex

    I see that big eyebrows repulsive little homuculus is spouting his garbage yet again –

    https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/federal-election-2019-live-coverage-from-the-campaign-trail-as-may-18-poll-looms/live-coverage/eb0487f133741160fd2752600f12d029

    If anyone is becoming more and more desperate it’s Scummo, because he’s been coming to Launceston just about every week since early this year and wafting his stench about with gay abandon (meaning: with rash, unrestrained impulsiveness, enthusiasm, or zeal). Thank (insert name of favourite deity here), in this case Nyarlathotep, I live 22 klicks outside the town because the air would been unbreathable.

  33. LOVO

    Alcibiades,
    It’s a dog eat dog world in the ‘Abbott-lilke-ilk’ bubble. Loyalty and fidelity are just an means to an end 🙄
    “RWNJ’s that John West rejects”…gold 😄

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