It is wrong to blame Tony Abbott for the state of the nation.
After all, he is hardly a charismatic leader who inspires allegiance. He is far from an accomplished orator who convinces us to follow him. He doesn’t even know where he is going let alone showing us the direction. So how did we end up with someone like him ‘running’ our country?
Like an uncomfortable rash or a festering sore, Tony Abbott is a symptom of the malaise afflicting our nation. Greed is one of the main causes of this disease. Tony was installed by people who expect him to protect their financial interests.
Those that have the most, work very hard at contributing the least. Fifty-five of Australia’s highest earners paid no income tax at all during 2012-13, not even the Medicare levy. Between them they reported earning $129.5 million, an average of $2.3 million. By the time their accountants had finished with them they reported losing a combined $12.8 million. 40 of them claimed an extraordinary $42.5 million for the “cost of managing tax affairs” which is, itself, a deduction.
Nine global drug companies booked $8 billion in Australian revenue last year but paid just $85 million in tax – just over 1%. For the third year on the trot, Shell service stations generated billions of dollars in revenue but not a cent in company tax. In 2002 Chevron Australia set up a subsidiary in the US which borrowed $2.5 billion at 1.2 per cent interest but on-loaned the funds to its parent in Australia at 9 per cent. The profit from this arrangement was not taxed in either country. They are currently facing several audits focusing on redirection of funds to Singapore and Bermuda. Google, Apple, the examples are endless.
It is interesting to note that, four years ago, 13 of the country’s biggest companies were in Q1, the ATO’s highest-risk category for tax avoidance, but now only News Corp Australia remains, reflecting what is described as a secretive, aggressive approach to the ATO.
News Corp has had a string of tax challenges before the courts. In the most recent case, News Corp’s accounts reveal that its 2013-14 tax refund was even larger than reported, at $923 million.
The Tax Office had challenged $2 billion in tax deductions which News Australia claimed, based on paying out a foreign currency loan to another News subsidiary in the last days of the 2001 and 2002 tax years.
In July 2013 the Court of Appeal ordered repayment of base tax of $623.8 million plus $299.5 million of interest payments.
Income tax of $85 million was payable on the interest earnings, if there were no tax losses to claim against, taking the net gain to $838.8 million.
News also won a 2010 appeal when the Tax Office disallowed $1.5 billion in capital losses it created in a round-robin series of exchanges when it re-incorporated in the US in 2005.
News Corp has also been on the losing side in tax cases. In 2010 it settled a tax avoidance case for $77 million after the Murdoch’s listed the family company Kayarem on the Bermuda stock exchange days before it was sold to News in 2005, to sidestep $52 million in Australian stamp duty.
In 1995 the Murdoch company Cruden Investments was held to be liable for South Australian stamp duty in a 1987 deal when the Murdochs sold $670 million of News shares to Queensland Press, which claimed the shares were registered in a computer in the Northern Territory.
After investigation at a Senate inquiry in April this year, a spokesman for Newscorp responded to media inquiries saying “News Corp Australia paid $417 million in corporate taxes over the last five years and $900 million in goods and services, fringe benefits and payroll taxes over this same period. We have answered extensive questions on our tax matters at the Senate Inquiry [into corporate tax avoidance] in an open and transparent way and have nothing further to add.”
The obvious flaw in that statement is that the GST they forward on to the government was paid by their customers – they were purely the collection agent. Claiming that as tax paid by the company is deliberately disingenuous.
As Joe wrings his hands making noises about bracket creep and income tax cuts, he is also walking away from making big business pay a fair contribution.
Why reduce company tax when it is obvious that most companies do not pay anywhere near the 30% they should? Why unwind thin capitalisation laws? Why refuse to disclose the tax being paid by big companies? Why slash staff at the ATO?
He has abolished the mining tax for the miners, the carbon tax for the polluters, the bank deposit tax for the bankers, the requirement to justify business usage on cars for the salary packaging and car lease companies, doing away with tens of billions in revenue.
He refuses, against all advice, to examine tax concessions offered to the wealthy, but wants us to have a “mature, sensible conversation about increasing the GST.”
As far as bracket creep goes, it would be easily fixed by adjusting the second top bracket to kick in at $100,000 instead of $80,000. Possibly increase the bracket below also to $40,000 from the current $37,000. Problem solved. Though I think if you asked working Australians would they pay a couple of extra dollars a week in tax if the big companies paid the billions they owe, they would be prepared to put up with a bit of bracket creep.
Greed also rears its ugly head in our dealings as a global citizen.
Many Australians, including politicians, resent money spent on foreign aid. Charity begins at home they say. Yet these are often the same people who want the boats stopped, the same people who want us to bomb Iraq and Syria, the same people who wanted the carbon tax gone.
The benefits of lifting people out of poverty, empowering women, and stopping human rights abuses around the world are manifold. We open up new export markets. We curb population growth. We stop the human tide of refugees fleeing war and oppression. We save money on health.
Refusing to take meaningful action on climate change because of the immediate cost is unbelievably selfish. This is truly the debt we will leave to our children.
With every action, this government reaffirms its lack of conscience. The language of ‘lifters and leaners’ shows their disregard for all but the wealthy. Just go and get a high paying job, preferably with entitlements that mean you never have to pay for anything yourself, and you’ll be able to afford lots of houses.
I hear the job of Treasurer is up for grabs – no expertise required.
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No, we must blame him: he’s playing to the greed of which you write. (And I agree about it: since John Howard, we have become the greediest 1st world country there is, imnsho.)
Were he not there, offering to protect the tax dodgers – were the candidates men of honour …
No: the brain fails.
Oh no! Let’s just blame the Labour Party. Whenever Liberal and Country Party’s policies f…p, oh it’s not our fault, blame the Labour Party and we’ll continue to do this for ever. You have had enough experience by now! It’s never their own bloody fault!
If the people of Warringah hadn’t voted for him, I assume out of perceived self-interest, then we wouldn’t have to endure him at all. If the Liberal Party caucus had not voted for him, he would not have been elevated to his “own level of incompetence” to use Tony’s own words. Tony is an inadequate puppet who could not possibly have got to where he is on merit.
The electorate has to bear some blame for the people who represent us.
Absolutely brilliant piece Kaye. Really sums up everything that’s on the nose about the current tax discussion.
greed is the worst disease in the world as it is incurable….and most of the liberal party have it….how sad for them as we all end up in the same place and you don’t need money there………good luck tony if your education has found a way to take it with you……maybe travellers cheques put it to the next parliament no worse than some of the ideas you have had so far ……
Great Article Kaye. What can one say there is nothing we can do except hit our heads against a brick wall, at the way Australia is being run just plain Ridiculous.
Cards have now turned Coles use to be going Down Down and Australia was going up, now it is the opposite Coles are going up and Australia is certainly going down to the very pits of Creedy, Selfishness and Distruction. Will we ever recover from Abbott LNP? as it will now take many, many years if ever.
Indeed Kaye Lee, Abbott could not have got through life with any success on merit. As you know personally from part of it in university, looking at his history and at nearly every step from teens, and probably earlier, through to now, there have been others propping him up, saving his bacon and running interference.
ME,
At uni he always roamed with a pack of jeering bovver boys. He needed the audience egging him on. Bend that street sign Tony. OK he says.
“Tony Abbott became the accidental leader when in opposition he defeated Malcolm Turnbull by a single vote in 2009. He has never transformed himself into the natural leader. He walks with a permanent political limp.”
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-two-years-on-pugilist-abbott-leads-divisive-and-divided-government-47044
Kaye Lee, I only discovered AIMN a couple of months ago but already I’m in awe of your indefatigable posts on this site. Just when I think the news could not be worse, up you pop to show us never give up, there are still sane, intelligent and humane people on the planet. And not only on this planet but the same country. I wonder if that’s you next door 🙂
Welcome harshmind. I am just a middle-aged woman in jammies. The country is full of us, we just have to get louder. And you would know if it was me next door because you would have heard me on the phone sitting on the verandah bemoaning the state of the nation to my friends and family or ringing politicians offices 🙂
That street sign incident is an example of what I was going on about. He should have been convicted for vandalism, yet was let off with a warning and nothing recorded because of the interference from his father. A good father would have let him take the wrap as a life lesson.
In other incidents where he’s accused of malfeasance he shows up with a assemblage of high priced lawyers paid for by others against complainants who can only represent themselves.
Getting his Rhodes scholarship is another example of where he attained something not on merit but on being propped up by others.
His whole political career is littered with examples of where his failures have been covered for by others, with Howard running interference for him being a good example. It suited Howard as he needed a mindless attack dog and Abbott fit the bill, no matter his port folio and political failings.
Treasurer’s post coming available? Pity you’re not a Labor MHR Kaye Lee, then you could go for it once the revolution comes, as it inevitably will. In the meantime where is Labor? Gillian Triggs in Darwin last night gave a magnificent speech to standing room only on the subject of government overreach in increasing its powers to the detriment of individual freedoms, making the point that if Parliaments won’t protect the rights of citizens then it’s up to us, the people, to act, referencing the public response to last Friday’s bungled Operation Fortitude. Do enough of us know that we have to vote the Abbott government out at the first opportunity?
On the contrary, Abbott can and should be blamed. He has set himself up to represent the selfish, greedy and heartless because he too is selfish, greedy and heartless. I doubt there is any time in his life when he hasn’t been a leaner and a total knob.
I would certainly gain a great deal of comfort if I knew the treasurer worked most of the time (any of the time?) in jammies on the verandah. And taxed the top few percent of individuals and companies who are just plain cynical about the rest of us… and the country
@Ricardo29 You would think so, wouldn’t you, about voting Abbott out. Many seem to be clinging to the fact that Howard managed to dig himself out of a hole but Howard had more smarts. Abbott is one-dimensional. Can’t be more honest than that and I think many Liberals agree or are coming to that conclusion.
Murdoch’s vision for Australia: a rant in 9 parts
The world’s most famous newspaper mogul has been tweeting up a storm after his Australian soujourn and has provided a summary of the country. Here it is captured for posterity.
https://storify.com/ECUNews/murdoch-s-vision-for-australia-s-press-a-rant-in-1
Rupert Murdoch
✔ @rupertmurdoch
Great month in Oz – beautiful country, gtreAt people but with large problems.
9:36 PM – 3 Sep 2015
Rupert Murdoch
✔ @rupertmurdoch
Extreme greenies, increasing in support hold balance. Against growth and subsequent jobs. Seem beyond reason.
9:50 PM – 3 Sep 2015
Rupert Murdoch
✔ @rupertmurdoch
Seems capture of federal Labor leadership by corrupt violent unions. Govt must push on with reforms for sake of all sides or hold snap poll.
Rupert Murdoch
✔ @rupertmurdoch
One over riding social issue dominating conversation everywhere is alarm at spread of new deadly drugs, especially in rural communities.
10:02 PM – 3 Sep 2015
Rupert Murdoch
✔ @rupertmurdoch
In spite of some blind spots, Abbott far the best alternative. Principled and a fighter.
10:12 PM – 3 Sep 2015
Sue Stephenson @susanstevo
From “greenies”, to #unions to #Ice. Tonight’s episode of The World According to @rupertmurdoch #auspol https://twitter.com/rupertmurdoch/status/639401663711813632 …
10:47 PM – 3 Sep 2015
What Rupert fails to realise is that he is a large part of the problem.
Great blog, as usual.
Dunno where to start.
Okay, chronological order works for me:
Kaye Lee another brilliant article confirming there are still erudite thinkers left in Australia
Welcome to @harshmind – the people who write for AIMN do all this heartfelt work gratis –
– Gratis, which brings me to Murdoch. Kaye Lee – he would spout such rubbish, why should I expect anything else? A man so insulated in his own wealth cannot see much at all.
Rupert needs Tony Abbott, or someone like him, to stay.
I remember a long time ago the Australian government complaining to the NZ government about the number of Kiwis who were coming over here and going on the dole. The response from the NZ government was “hey, they are your laws.” It’s the same line used by big business. And yet our government sits there saying “oh gosh, what can we do? If we tax them they will leave.” What a load of crap. You can’t be taxed more than you earn and if some want to vacate the market because they are asked to pay appropriate tax then I am sure there are others who would fill their place.
Kay Lee, you are the best. Your words reflect so many peoples thoughts.
Kaye Lee, you are so right. Let them go. Someone else will be along tomorrow wanting to pick up the business.
Enlightened businesses are moving towards sustainable practice and investors towards ethical investment. They realise that governments are unwilling to do the right thing. We should follow these trends, rewarding businesses who fulfil their part of the social contract.
Unilever is a fine example.
Read here about what can and should be done
http://www.unilever.com.au/sustainable-living-2015/
Welcome, harshmind. Kaye is a gem if you ask me. She’s up there with the best of them (and there are many of them on this site).
Germany is taking some 800,000 refugees principally from Syria but Germany declines to bomb Iraq or Syria : Australia will announce next week that we will extend our bombing missions of Iraq into Syria.
How many additional refugees will Australia agree to take : 10,000 ; 30,000 ; 50,000 ; 100,000 ?
Let’s wait and see.
The number of visas available under the Humanitarian Program has been maintained at a relatively steady number between 12,000 and 13,000 since 2000. The most significant departure from this trend was in 2012–2013 when the former Labor Government, acting on a recommendation of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers, increased the Humanitarian Program to 20,000 visas with 12,000 being specifically allocated to the resettlement of overseas refugees. In making this recommendation, the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers considered that there were a number benefits in increasing the Humanitarian Program:
• it would serve Australian national interests and international engagement
• it would enhance the scope of cooperation with regional partners
• it would give greater hope and confidence to asylum seekers in the region that regular migration pathways and international protection arrangements provide a practical, realistic and better alternative to dangerous boat voyages to Australia
• it would enable Australia to assist in meeting growing humanitarian needs in the region in a fair and timely way
• it would support Australian strategies to encourage other international resettlement countries to assist in more expansive ways, and
• it would contribute to the strengthening of regional cooperation on asylum issues.
The Expert Panel was also of the view that if the policy directions such as regional processing in Nauru and PNG were effective in reducing the number of maritime asylum seekers arriving, the Humanitarian Program should be progressively further increased to 27,000 places within five years.
Excellent Article Kaye Lee. pity it isn’t more generally read. I’ll be forwarding it to friends.
So there is the knitting Nannas.. What are we middle-aged ladies in jammies on verandahs typing called? The Hot Flush Mummas? Tony should be very wary of us, we are darned scary, smarter than they know and more powerful than they could ever imagine and we can’t be swayed by the stupid! It’s time to unite. Thank you for another great article Kaye Lee and for speaking it for your fellow keyboard warriors!
Greed is driven from the top down and catches on easily enough as we are animals, herd animals at that, not enlightened beings.
Even the non-animal technology we develop leads to greed as increasingly the need for real hands on cooperation decreases – we are not forced to cooperate by direct giving or via direct physical aid that is the case in tribal societies, we are just forced to fit in and not act against those controlling the group.
[Unilever is a fine example]
Bet you they are not in reality, that they are just using weasel word propaganda – but hopefully I’m wrong.
Whilst you may think individual greed is a problem (and it is certainly worthy of our ire), it is a systemic problem you describe Kaye Lee.
Inequality of currency and wealth, also amounts to inequality of political influence. The rich have a disproportionate say over our governance and representation, and the idea of one-person-one-vote is long since defeated. The larger a share of GDP the rich acquire, the more they must be appeased with policy, and the more they can hold our economy and prosperity to ransom. Democracy is in a death spiral because of this. We can vote for whoever we want, from a very limited selection who will never threaten the positions of the wealthy and powerful. Our population is then influenced to elect the party leader who will best grow the wealth of the rich. This is invariably at the expense of our societal health and wellbeing.
Abbott is just another symptom of capitalism and growth being served before the people’s best interests. Growth has replaced morality, all actions are judged by the profit margin, and at the same time it is ecocidal. This path is well trodden now, and each day inequality grows, as it does, and we defend democracy without realising we do not have one, we are fighting the wrong fight. The fight is against the unelected global financial plutocracy. They have become exceedingly good at manipulating democratic processes and public opinion, and clearly, will not stop voluntarily. They would like everyone to be as self interested as they are, and so I ask… ‘Who will be the next Abbott?’
Australia is not alone, there are Abbotts turning up everywhere. Voters aren’t especially stupid across the Global North, so it is a system failure in evidence. This Abbott just happens to be eminently dislikable on top of refusing to represent the majority, before, the plutocrats.
The strategies demonstrated by Edward Bernays will always beat the moral ideal of democracy and enfranchisement.
Re Unilever,
I had cause to look into them in depth lately. They are doing good stuff.
Hardly charismatic? A dried dog turd has more charisma than Tony Abbott.
Great piece. I’m inclined to agree with Roswell (Sept 4 11.53am) about the author. I’ve crossed swords with Kaye Lee in the past (generally ending up like the Black Knight at the bridge in the Monty Python sketch) but recent pieces by her are getting better and better.
Again she is right. No point in blaming Abbott. He is simply a figurehead, the inevitable result of an Australia in which for far too long far too many have been politically disengaged, allowing the progressive undermining of our democracy while we snoozed on through the sunlight of the long boom. Who then bears the responsibility?
Should we blame the citizens of Warringah, 2/3 of whom seem to regularly vote for Abbott? Well only a bit, as a majority of Australians (roughly 53%) voted either for the LNP coalition or for like-minded cross bench off-shoot parties in the 2013 election. So the responsibility for our current predicament goes far wider than just Warringah – a majority of Australians share responsibility for this debacle.
Should we blame the ALP whose rancid internal machinations, which were laid so painfully bare during the Rudd-Gillard- Rudd years, made them un-electable to the majority of Australians in 2013? Well, it’s clear to me that if the Labor administration elected so comprehensively in 2007 had been united behind a competent, principled, leader we would not now be suffering this rabble. That this was in hindsight impossible (given what is now common knowledge about the internal workings of the ALP) allocating a share of the responsibility to them is tempting.
Should we blame the very strange Mr Rudd last seen bumbling around on US cable TV? No point. Like Abbott he was the inevitable result of larger forces rumbling around beneath the surface. Not so much the product of power-broker machinations as the left-field, default option when these reached stalemate.
Should we blame the vastly over-concentrated, self interested, privately owned main-stream media whose wavering bottom line has made it a player-in, rather than an observer-of the political process? Well that’s tempting but we elect governments and the Parties our votes end up with have incrementally facilitated the increasing concentration of media (and continue to do so).
Should we blame the self-interested and narrowly focused business and industrial lobbies whose money balances the books for the two old political groupings (ALP – LNP) and which exert a disproportionate effect on policy? Well that is tempting but the two old Parties we keep electing set the rules governing access and donations and both fiercely resist meaningful reform to clean up this area. It is our votes that put these governments in power.
Given that we, the voters ultimately decide who governs and everyone here bemoans our current predicament, should we blame the electoral system bequeathed to us by well-meaning Federal fathers which has so entrenched the two Party system as to make it extremely difficult for new political influences to get a fair go. Here I’m thinking of the unfortunate combination of mandatory voting (which on balance I support) with mandatory distribution of preferences (which together with mandatory voting has had a toxic corrosive effect on our democracy). Well, no doubt in my mind that (weird as it may seem) this combination must bear a large portion of the responsibility for our current predicament. However blaming the electoral system for not being what we want seems a bit like blaming the weather for not being what we want. In both cases our complaints are equally (un)likely to change things.
Ooooooh…… my head is beginning to hurt. I think I’ll have a cup of tea and a nice lie down.
@ dicehex – agreed. Is it merely coincidental that governmental malaise seems more pronounced where Murdoch media is more entrenched.
I wonder daily – if you are a financial or global company – how much profit is enough?
Douglas,
I was rude to you a few years ago and for that I am sorry. I think we have both become more reasonable.
I think the value of articles here is hugely enhanced by the discussion which follows, as your above comment proves. That should be an article itself. Well said.
But I have always felt blame a destructive, pointless exercise. I would much rather get on with fixing things than looking for blame. Identifying causes is one thing, finding solutions is far more important. Our impotence in watching the government make the wrong choices for the wrong reasons is frustrating.
All we can do is make a difference at a community level, and talk to as many people as we can. Get the young to enrol and give them a few examples of things that directly affect them. I would imagine there will be marches once the election is called. The more people make their voices heard the better by whatever means they can. Truth must drown out the lies and the people must set us back on the right path because we can only do it when we act collectively but with individual responsibility to do what’s right.
Just before I do.
I just noticed Kaye Lee’s comments on Unilever (posted while I was ranting above). I think jimhaz is right. I have quickly scanned the link KL provides. I notice that their approach is summarized in a diagram which suggests that ‘positive social impacts’ and ‘reduced environmental impact’ are regarded as compatible with ‘doubling the business’. Rubbish – anyone who thinks this is a viable path to the future could do worse than checking out Paul Gilding’s TED Talk if that is still available or alternatively reading his book ‘The Great Disruption’ or checking out his blog Cockatoo Chronicles if that is still around. Gilding’s conclusions can be argued but his analysis of our current environmental predicament is impeccable. There is no environmentally viable future that doesn’t involve a complete re-ordering of our systems for using and distributing resources. Some may conclude that if this is so there is no environmentally viable future on offer. Suggestions of a market based way out (which is what Unilever seems to be proposing) are no more than shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. Now I’m off to have that lie down before KL lops off an arm and a leg.
Kaye Lee
Thanks I agree. I guess I used the word blame (which might be associated with retribution) as shorthand for ‘allocating responsibility’ (which is essential to understanding).
You might be surprised about Unilever. I would highly recommend reading this interview with the CEO.
https://hbr.org/2012/06/captain-planet
Polman: There are clear signs of stress around the world, coming from the “other 99%.” A billion people still go to bed hungry. A child dies of starvation every six seconds. Our form of capitalism has brought us far, but it hasn’t solved everything. We think that businesses that are responsible and actually make contributing to society a part of their business model will be successful.
Unfortunately, there are still people in the comfort zone who think the problem isn’t there. They don’t know that they are part of the problem. The fact is, it’s unsustainable to have 15% of the world’s population using 50% of the resources. Companies that don’t want to participate in finding a solution risk being isolated by society. You’ve seen that happening with some banks to a certain extent. So people can be in denial and say that the normal Milton Friedman–type of thinking about the laws of economics will prevail. But frankly, that thinking has brought us to where we are, which requires an accelerated evolution of the way we do business.
@kizhemet – There is no accountability for the moral degradation in evidence by having profit become the only measure of value. The cup grows bigger, it never runneth over (well, beyond just enough to appear mildly benevolent when compared to another’s cup. That’s PR and the appearance of voluntary philanthropy).
We serve an economic system, it does not serve us. Representatives have come to be seen as leaders, not servants. The only limit to the profit motive, is a physical resource limit, where no further growth is possible. By then, we really are in an ‘End game’ (re: Derrick Jensen). It sounds stupidly dire, but we will collectively and culturally defend democracy and capitalism, right up to the end… by the looks of things… as if we’re independent and rational, and not victims who are getting played. Abbott is a tool of the plutocracy, and he probably believes he is a good person with reasonable ideas. The ideas stay the same despite all damning evidence. He is a product of a deadly sociopolitical mechanism which promotes the illusion of democracy, as a moral licence for unjust, self interested and destructive actions, performed by those who are least in need. Yay for libertarian economics without a plan to survive. That’s all we are allowed to have now, and it is portrayed as a favour. Pray for that ‘invisible hand’ of the market which fixes everything… any day now… In the mean time, all we can do legally, is hope the next ‘Abbott’ is slightly less awful, with the same modus operandi, under the same flawed structure.
It has just occurred to me that I soulkd temper my comment on the usefulness of what Unilever may (or may not be attempting). If they are ‘fair dinkum’ (as opposed to greenwashing) and I have not checked (as KL apparently has) then it is plainly better that they reduce the sum total of human misery and the speed of our environmental decline than that they don’t. My comment above refers to the long term implications of what they are doing. Composing the market as we currently know it with ‘enviropnmentally aware’ profit based cometing companies will not save us (although it may somewhat slow the slide).
Best post thus far and, would be applicable world wide the pattern is squarely pointed to the right and the far right (honor your masters the payers, winner takes $.ALL$) their greed is pure evil, but as for Murdoch calling for a snap election his motive is to hide the truth, the truth is he is the biggest greedy guts and considers himself the king of all rorters .,snap election, yea right,it won’t happen ,he is just spraying us all with mist uggh!. just look at how most very hard working people live, like animals in most places around the world, here’s the crux if the big corporations and businesses payed the rightful and morally fair share of tax we would have very little poverty on our beautiful earth and almost none of the criminal wars the greedy barstards usually start. Capitalism is finished I hope, Socialism must win out, Think the internet dosen’t exist because of Tim Berners Lee or Google or Apple the internet exists because society or socialism allowed it to. Harold Holt (right wing) initiated the Reserve Bank of Australia goes nicely as a way to control their right wing GREED,and we all know about his last swim ,I think the truth hurt him in the end Right Wing and Capitalism it fits like a glove, Barstards.
Aunty has a couple of radio bits worth the listen. Lightweight, but useful to try to ‘reset’ our own expectations of political discourse.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/the-australia-our-politicians-let-us-have/6714710
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/theminefield/the-problem-of-bias/6742880
i was wondering when this would happen.
Here is the first strategic step for the LNP to destroy the NIDS program. It is attempt to kill of insider knowledge and the NIDS as an Authority. Replacement personnel will be primarily from Christian religious groups or Christian Execs as the LNP front bench see charity as being owned only by the church and business.
‘Midnight ambush’: NDIS board members discover they are being dumped via ad
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/midnight-ambush-ndis-board-members-discover-they-are-being-dumped-via-ad-20150904-gjeyh2.html#ixzz3kkJb6YJ2
Yes jimhaz, I noticed that. I also saw this from Jenny Macklin. I am wondering if their is a link?
31 August , 2015
Today is Tony Abbott’s deadline for signing the agreements for the full rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Tony Abbott promised these bilateral agreements with states would be signed by the end of August.
Unfortunately, it looks like he is going to break the promise he made to the 460,000 people with disability, their families and carers waiting for the NDIS.
Tony Abbott must sign the bilateral agreements with state and territory governments on the full rollout of the NDIS to make sure there are no delays to its full roll out.
Why is the Abbott Government dragging its feet on this important reform?
The agreement with New South Wales is ready.
The NDIS launch site in Queensland is ready.
Tony Abbott could sign these today to show his commitment to rolling out the NDIS on time and in full.
http://www.jennymacklin.net.au/tony_abbott_must_sign_ndis_agreements_today
If Abbott signs or not, you can rest assured Kaye, it will not be because of what is objectively best for the Australian people.
Y’know, what we pay him for, as our employee.
It will be about votes or money. Which groups will he please vs which groups he won’t, even if those do not understand the implications of the proposal for their own lives, or others’. If he (they) can find a way to turn a profit from disability, by finding a way to create a private industry which ‘handles’ the disabled, then that would be another example of putting profit above wellbeing. I have a disability, and I stopped paying attention to the NDIS long ago, because I stopped believing it was about people’s wellbeing, and instead, was far more about who gets paid to ‘handle’ the funding for disability services. Who gets to skim funding this time? That’s very different to actual progress on something like ‘standard of living’.
Please point me to a more accurate view, if mine is wrong. I know I don’t know much about it. All I know is living on a DSP is pretty much permanent impoverishment, and I’m supposed to be grateful and worshipful, for my rights being upheld at all, let alone expecting an improvement in future. (*goes back to looking for new housing I can’t afford*)
What do you think the NDIS will actually mean to me?
“Tony Abbott is a symptom of the malaise afflicting our nation”
Quite true … and when the Liberal party chose their leader, they chose him.
Do you reckon the Greens would choose something like abbott as leader?
I don’t think so.
Does that make it a little clearer just where a large portion of the Australian malaise resides?
Actually, Tony Abbott & Co are Vogons. No other explanation is plausible or even possible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogon
.. and you thought they were fictitious.
WARNING : Listening to Vogon poetry will result in serious, perhaps fatal, injury.
Tony Abbott is a symptom of the stupidity of most people in this country.So many fell for the LIES him,the Libs and the MSM promoted BEFORE the the last election.Even though Abbott himself even warned as that he is a LIAR.
Most people are too stupid to even get greed correct,too ignorant to vote in their own self interest.
“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”- George Carlin
Statistically, it may not be entirely accurate, but it sure feels that way.