Yep, the Carbon “Tax” was a great big tax on everything, but raising the GST, as well as possibly broadening its reach, is just the sort of thing you’d expect from the Liberals because they’re “responsible economic managers” so this GST thing isn’t going to be as costly as the carbon tax. After all, they’re fond of telling us that they’re the party who doesn’t raise taxes.
Of course, there’s always been a bit of woolly logic from all sides of politics, but recently the Australian government has raised it to a whole new level. So I found Mr Turnbull’s justification for keeping the diesel rebate rather interesting. I’m only quoting from memory so I may not get it word perfect, but it went something like this:
“Well, the diesel rebate isn’t a subsidy because, well, it’s a rebate on diesel and it’s … ah, not a subsidy because it.. just isn’t!”
For a few seconds, I thought that he was channelling Mr Abbott who informed us yesterday that if he’d died on the day he was replaced as PM, he would have died a happy man, but then I realised that as he wasn’t dead there was no way that Malcolm was acting as a medium. Malcolm’s days in the middle seem a long time ago now!
I infer from what Tony said that having lived on from that day, he isn’t a happy man.
Further evidence that my inference is correct is Mr Abbott’s insistence that Julie Bishop is lying when she says that she told him of dissatisfaction. He also insists that she never suggested that he appoint more women to Cabinet.
Before you suggest that this could be considered “sniping” – something Tony promised not to do on that day when he could have died a happy man – I’d like to point out that “sniping” is something that snipers do and snipers are well hidden. This, on the other hand, was more an artillery attack.
However, It wasn’t Mr Abbott that prompted me to write this. After all, he’s no longer Prime Minister and if he wants to run around pretending that his opinion actually counts for something, then we should all just nod and perhaps consider sending him one of those mindfulness colouring books for Christmas.
It wasn’t even Mr Turnbull’s insistence that fossil fuels still need subsidies just a few months after telling us that solar and wind shouldn’t be eligible for loans from the climate funds because they’re well established and should be able to stand on their own two feet.
No, I wasn’t even going to write about the front page in “The Herald-Sun” yesterday, devoted to “war hero” Andrew Hastie’s opinion that Islam must change and modernise. I’m not going to comment on the weirdness that someone who didn’t want to talk about his views on creationism during his election campaign because religion isn’t something that should be part of the political conversation, should tell another religion that it needs to modernise. Of course, that’s what Islam needs, an outsider telling them what to do. Christians are always willing to listen to feedback on where they’re going wrong. Why just the other day, I pointed out to a couple of Mormons who came to the door that all they needed to do was lift their restriction on alcohol and coffee and I’d be joining them without a second thought. They took this on board and any day now, I expect to receive some literature where they explain how they got it wrong and it’s only a non-Mormon who could see that.
And I certainly wasn’t going to bring up Mr Morrison’s idea that we couldn’t count on the pension any more and we should all start funding our own retirements, because then I’d have been asking a lot of silly questions like why don’t the Liberals want to have penalties for employers who don’t pay workers superannuation? I certainly would have been bogged down wondering why every time they get into power they freeze the superannuation guarantee.
I was actually going to write a long piece on the notion of money and try to explain for the twentieth time that money doesn’t actually exist and that it’s just a concept and a way of measuring value. One only has to consider Bitcoin for a nanosecond to get what I’m on about. I was then going to ponder about the whole notion of unemployment and wonder why some people have to work hours of overtime that they don’t necessarily want, why we can’t organise things so that more people are employed for less hours.
But on reflection, I’ve decided that there’s been enough people challenging other people’s religions lately, so if people want to go on believing in money, then who am I to challenge their beliefs?
Mr Abbott who informed us yesterday that if he’d died on the day he was replaced as PM, he would have died a happy man,
The whole of Australia would have rejoiced as well!
Labor’s policy focus on livelihood of working class while Liberal emphasis on helps richer make more money ( back up business )
Lacked ambition. Could have made people much happier if he departed a whole lot earlier.
But there’s an upside, he’s now an historical figure of fun. There’s now a real contest between Abbott and Billy McMahon in the comedy stakes. And it’s nothing to do with their common ‘ear size’.
On the night he was sacked, Tony held a shindig with his cronies that busted the bar-tab and cracked marble table-tops.
Considering that this political wake/wassail probably also involved white powder, blue pills, latex apparel, high-end hookers and very strange party games learned at Oxford and seminary school, it may well have have been that, had ‘tiger blood’ Tones died that night, it would have been with a big ‘Billy Snedden’ style smile fixed to his rictus dial; a happy man indeed.
rictus. I live and learn’ All three dictionary ‘definitions’ are ‘apt’ descriptors.
But I am not sure about the ‘high-end’ hookers being present.
The ‘ring leader’ was on a ‘promise’ elsewhere, and had been for some time.
As was ‘Bishop’. Just jokin …
Why the hell aren’t Labor throwing this back at them? They got away with “a great big tax” when it wasn’t. This is. Labor should be going feral.
we all keep waiting for Labor to show up with the smoking gun. We live in hope. Instead, I think Labor are out back smoking dope. Missing the point. It depresses me. and I’m one of those high income earners happy to pay higher taxes for equitable social outcomes. So I’ve turned to the Greens, but much to my dismay they are years away from holding the balance of power. So I need labor to lift their game. but they’re out back smoking the weed and probably claiming it under parliamentary entitlements. The poor and the working class of this country are stuffed – and still they vote LNP. Duh-oh!! People like me…we whinge at dinner parties and drink our fine wine whilst the right wing rabblers at the same dinner party say with a smile on their face….”YES, BUT THE BOATS HAVE STOPPED!!”. I’m moving back to Canada, Trudeau is a beacon of light in an otherwise flucked capitalist system……. 🙁
Abbott seems a bit concerned with death. He had a near death experience when he almost lost the leadership way back then. Though he may have been relegated to the backbench nothing much has changed on the front bench. They are still trying to con the electorate and trying to squeeze money out of those can least afford to be penalised.
I liked the artillery barrage joke. Maybe this Tony ? http://www.armynavydealsblog.com/2010/05/ghillie-gone-wrong.html
I think he may be hiding in plain sight…… http://www.wikihow.com/Hide-in-Plain-Sight
Sniping V shirt-fronting
Tony Abbott promised no sniping because that is Kevin Rudd’s M.O. – look up any dictionary (well my special edition) you will find a photo of Rudd next to sniping, whereas Tony’s image has been permanently attached to ‘belligerent”.
@Glenn K
No good handing Labor a smoking gun they tend to point it at themselves.
Roswell, Glenn K and diannaart,
Thank you for your positive support of the Labor party. As you know, they have been questioning the Coalition about the GST in Question Time with batteries of questions. The only reply they get is that everything is on the table. The coalition delaying as much as possible. Labor certainly has not been out the back smoking weed.
Right now Labor is interrogating the Coalition about Brough’s involvement in the Ashbygate affair. Plenty of smoke there. It is the Coalition’s way: smoke and mirrors. To see Brough entangled in a web of his own making is wonderful. Dreyfus is clinical. There was some talk about Brough and his sources of finance when he was campaigning, something about developers who would benefit from Brough’s accession. Worth pursuing.
The problem for Labor is to be heard outside the House. But policies have been proposed and the differences with the Coalition are clear. The emphasis on agreement with the Coalition is a matter of political expediency, at least for a while. Look at the smoke and mirrors performance of Turnbull in Paris, the man spruiking the Direct Action plan he said once would not work. Look at his talk of innovation and green energy – without mentioning wind and solar. Something about how we do not know what new green energies might emerge over time. Snake oil, anybody?
Meanwhile, a poll has Labor closing at 49-51. Not bad for a Party out the back on weed (or have we been misinformed, or is it just sniping?)
That is great news, er… ‘guest’…. Now if Labor can take a humane approach towards refugees….
Yes, you are right, diannaart. Refugee policy has become the Achilles heal of Labor policy. But to change to a more humane policy would be very brave indeed because the populace has been educated to fear and deride people who come by boat. Refugees coming by boat are seen as ‘queue jumpers’ and could be secret terrorists, diseased, coming to take our women and our jobs, set on milking unemployment payments, intent on establishing Sharia law and taking over the country… We all know the media chatter, but some people even believe it. See how Hanson pops up every now and then and proudly espouses her xenophobia along with Reclaim Australia.
This is the propaganda Labor has to face. So we see that the Labor Malaysia solution was dismissed, no regional solution could be obtained, and yet the Coaiition has its Cambodian solution at a cost of millions of dollars for each of the 5 people actually transferred. So how does the Coalition get away with a Tow Back the Boats plan and the indefinite detention of people on distant islands? To stop people smugglers. And who supports that? A large percentage of the Oz population, that’s who.
But wouldn’t it be good if Labor said enough is enough! And set about arguing a reasoned, humane policy with clear aims, including stopping people smugglers by punishing desperate people who wanted nothing more than a better life. Plane loads of people arrive almost daily with that dream, yet no one notices. It has been argued for decades.
There are international entities such as Amnesty and the UNHCR which criticise the Oz approach. There are huge problems in places from which people are fleeing, and not just political problems. There are problems with food and water security, for example. But what does the Coalition do? Reduces foreign aid. Plunders foreign aid to bolster its silly Direct Action plan which is running out of money.
Climate Change and Immigration are connected. Labor should make a strong case for that connection – and is at least halfway there. Yes, a bit more oomph would be useful, especially now that we see the Coalition has cracks – and they are widening.
“Why the hell aren’t Labor throwing this back at them” Someone on here recently said “it’s pretty hard for Labor to attack when all they have is a ten second sound bite on the MSM” Please, show me where Labor has spoke for ten seconds on the MSM most I’ve seen is five words and I’m not joking at least ,here in Far Nth Queensland.
Beaut read!! Sad that the irresponsible economic managers have an enormous advantage because they and their media believe they are responsible managers. Labor actually manage the economy but are content to hope the electorate will discover this fact without any challenge. Sorry, little billy, no effort by you and labor will support the 43 year long liberal propaganda which began with Fraser and khemlani.
Ergo it is time to challenge their beliefs and the ‘great big tax on everything’ was a lie but now, with the GST, is a true statement. So economic belief is the attack labor must start and everything should be centred on robb and his fearful FTAs.
@Guest
…But to change to a more humane policy would be very brave indeed because the populace has been educated to fear and deride people who come by boat….
Yes, indeed they have. Far too many Australians believe they can rely upon MSM for factual reporting and have also been thoroughly ‘educated’ about Climate Change as well, yet Labor is preparing to stick its neck out on this vital issue. Why not just do the right humanitarian thing? The public have accepted refugees before – the immigration of Vietnamese boat people – who were not without their detractors. Labor can help with informing the public that the bulk of refugees from the Middle East are fleeing the very same terrorists we have been taught to fear.
Rather than too hard, humanitarian aid is an opportunity for Labor to further distance itself from the right wing Libs & Nats.