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He Wouldn’t Dare

No matter what Joe Hockey says, he wouldn’t dare upset today’s aged pensioners…would he? As much as he would like to, the consequences of such an act would terminate his tenure as treasurer very quickly.

Yes, he will probably increase the pension qualification age to 70, but it is unlikely it would come into effect before 2024 when the increase to 67 introduced by Kevin Rudd was to take full effect. That will give those in their forties and early fifties time to think about their future. Sound alright? Of course, it might also make them sufficiently angry enough to change their vote though….like now!

As an aged pensioner, I can tell you how I longed for the day when I turned 65. I literally counted down the last 5 years, day by day as I continued working a 60 hour week making an average $10 an hour driving a taxi.

Having finally achieved that glorious age and be accepted into the hallowed halls of the government’s financial reward program, I can tell you it is not something I would surrender…ever. Well, maybe if I won Tattslotto or something but hey, that’s never going to happen.

There are just so many ways for Hockey to find the money to improve the bottom line and in time balance the books, he would have to be a Grade A failure at his job not to see them. Slugging pensioners is the cowardly way out. He could start by retaining the carbon tax and the mining tax. That will create more revenue than hitting pensioners could ever generate.
There was a time, albeit a very brief one, when I saw Hockey as the only responsible minister in the government. But over the past few months, having listened closely to his rhetoric, his cleverly chosen words and having watched his mannerisms, my view of him has changed. He is the quintessential Liberal. Their mantra is freedom; every man, woman and child should be free to do what they like; free to succeed and free to fail, all of which sounds great until you dissect such freedoms down and discover what happens when they become the catalyst for wonton destruction of our everyday way of life.

Image courtesy of pbs.org

Image courtesy of pbs.org

The wonderful documentary, ‘The Inside Job’ was on television the other night. Narrated by Matt Damon it gives a step by step analysis of how the GFC was created. It began with government deregulation of the financial industry during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Subsequent presidents, Clinton and Bush gave away further controls granting money hungry morons the freedom to rip the heart out of the American dream. And because the economies of so many countries were inextricably linked with America, it brought the rest of the world to its knees.

That’s the sort of freedom Liberals in this country want for us. From the loosening of controls on financial advisers to the repeal of racial discrimination laws, to slugging pensioners. All these measures are designed to put financial power back into the hands of unregulated morons who will have the freedom to play havoc with our money. All this, in the mistaken belief that the principle of ‘trickle down economics’ works. It doesn’t and it has been proven so.

And as for broken election promises, we can be certain that there is a small Liberal army of ‘double-speak’ cretins who are, at this very moment, crafting the language we will hear, denying that any promises have been broken, that the government has been true to its word and that no one will be worse off, blah, blah, blah.

This ensures Joe Hockey will be able to continue with the forward guard rhetoric preparing us with what sounds like responsible, sound economic management when, all along the way, he is in fact laying the groundwork for an attack on our social welfare system; a system that has defined our nation’s responsibility to those least able to defend themselves. All this in favour of opening up the gates to those, he thinks will expand and develop the nations resources for the benefit of us all. What balderdash!

And so for the aged pensioner who has been protected from the heartless, greedy eyes of Coalition governments ever since Gough Whitlam established the formula that ensured they would receive 25% of male weekly earnings back in 1973, a new paradigm is about to unfold; a time honoured, sacrosanct principle is about to be scrapped.
He wouldn’t dare…..would he?
Yes, he would. It’s part of what being Liberal today, is all about.

67 comments

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  1. john921fraser

    <

    Hockey has joined the moron Abbott in their race to be Juan Term.

    And looking at regional Australia in today's Nielsen Poll as well as the Greens vote in the by election in W.A. they are well on their way to winning that particular race.

    And may the wind always be on their back.

  2. Jeannette Oliver

    Australia is rapidly becoming a “Third World” country under a Capitalist System.

  3. Sir ScotchMistery

    I suppose what makes me howling mad, is that MOST not all but certainly well over half of Australia’s aging population vote crow-altition.

    I have never understood but I went to a pre-poll prior to the 2007 Kevin election and the front of the office was liberally coated with older folk, think mid 60’s north, men wearing ties, women in Osti frocks and nice shoes, all reaching out to me to take a crow-alition how to vote. I think this would have been 3 weeks out from the election.

    I asked the noisiest, probably an ex-airforce type based on his moustaches and glowering eyes, how many rises in the pension had been seen in the 11 years of crow-alition. His answer was of course a resounding silence.

    When that election was over, day 1, item 1 on the parliamentary agenda, was a rise in the pension of $30 per week. Any thanks from the elderly – nope – nothing I’ve ever heard. Ms Gillard actually asked why, since it wasn’t as though “they” supported ALP.

    So, as devils advocate per diem, why should we working folk, give a stuff?

    I no longer accept that my generalisations are overly harsh. How can we possibly grieve or bitch given the vote of the nation?

  4. rossleighbrisbane

    They promised that they wouldn’t touch the Age Pension. And now they’re not only keeping that promise, but they won’t let anyone else touch it until they’re over 70!

  5. John Kelly

    If they mess with the 25% of male weekly earnings, even Liberal voting pensioners will balk.

  6. John Kelly

    Reblogged this on THE VIEW FROM MY GARDEN and commented:

    As an aged pensioner, I can tell you how I longed for the day when I turned 65. I literally counted down the last 5 years, day by day as I continued working a 60 hour week making an average $10 an hour driving a taxi.

  7. CMMC

    Jeannette Oliver, yes, we can now celebrate becoming a Banana Republic,

  8. Stephen Tardrew

    I must admit this morning I appear to be in a bit of an emotional dilemma between calm resolve and breaking every f..ing thing in sight.

    Mr Hockey’s soft pudgy face comes to mind.

    Oh! I forgot supposed to be non-violent. Someone please hold me back before I explode.

    Is it only me or is that arrogant facile, self-righteous countenance driving you mad too.

    Please I need some validation before I do something I may, or maybe may not, regret.

  9. mars08

    Ah… but don’t you see? It’s all Gillard’s fault!

  10. Sir ScotchMistery

    @Steven T – you don’t need validation. Try something a little less imposing. An Aspro may do it at least in the short term. Or maybe a Panadol.

  11. Stephen Tardrew

    John, having calmed down a bit, yes there are many alternative ways to balance the budget within the limitations of the market place at that particular time. A balanced budget is a misnomer because in times of hardship and economic difficulty the deficit has a valuable role to play. The budget deficit is being used as an ideological weapon against the best interests of Australian workers by peddling the usual fear mantra that the job creators must be given a break and those greedy workers restrained from a livable wage and suitable work conditions.

    As for those selfish pensioners who contributed all their life while so called responsible corporations and the financial sector sent the world economy to the brink of disaster: well pensioners will just have to pay.

    That’s fair after all.

    I am having a unusually distressing morning.

  12. mars08

    I asked the noisiest, probably an ex-airforce type based on his moustaches and glowering eyes, how many rises in the pension had been seen in the 11 years…

    And he told you that sneaky boat people and devious dole-bludgers were destroying the Australian way of life???

  13. Sir ScotchMistery

    No that was 2007. The boat people issue came up later and has been reported to me recently by the work experience kid, who is about to be told to do an essay on seeking refuge if in danger.

  14. contriteshadow

    As you say, it seems like he would dare, despite assurances to the contrary.

    A few of us are trying a new way of continuing the conversation about our government. Please take a moment to check out https://www.whysaurus.com/point/Australia_needs_a_new_Constitution

    I”m not affiliated with Whysaurus; just trying something new, because debates via Twitter and other social media tend to be unwieldy and open to misinterpretations.

  15. Lee

    There was a time when I thought that a university degree meant something. Hockey is proof that any idiot can get one and he is not suitably qualified to be Treasurer.

  16. joy cooper

    Aaah @Sir ScotchMistery how do you know these ladies in “Osti dresses” & their collar & tied hubbies were in fact pensioners? Maybe, just maybe, they were “self-funded” retirees, most of whom ARE probably Liberal voters. No self-respecting female Labor voter would be seen dead in an Osti dress. They were out-of-date thirty years ago. In fact they have always been out-of-date.

    Your judgemental generalisations, as well as Julia Gillard’s supposed statement that “old people don’t vote ALP” is absolute rubbish. Many older Australians are far more astute re politics than many younger people are. Dumb, unthinking, gullible voters are just that & will be like that all their lives. Age doesn’t come into it.

  17. Sir ScotchMistery

    Thanks that gives me a lot of Joy.

    First I agree. Osti frocks went out years ago. 2007 was years ago, and I found it hard to discern much in the way of a fashion sense, but hell what would I know. I still wear RM Williams moleskins.

    Julia Gillard’s comment was widely reported as people lined up to stab her. Are you suggesting the media were not telling the truth. OMG what will become of us?

    I agree with your point utilising the expression “many”. That is quite true.

    Me? Judgemental? Surely not?

    Perhaps as a thought you could go back over the entire conversation and see how you go. There are three other judgements, several missed alliterations and a non-sequitur. Also one poster actually missed a particularly good joke.

    In the meantime I am going to put some more work in, on keeping my tongue more firmly in my cheek.

    Your observations are as always, well done.

  18. Sir ScotchMistery

    @Lee – also that chap Packer proves you don’t need to be an intellectual giant to have a lot of money.

  19. jimhaz

    The ALP will save us!!!

    Ohh wait that organisation has been destroyed by fat cats with LNP attitudes, hence they already put it up to 67, higher than the OECD average (much higher if one considers our very high immigration rate).

    Tim Wilson will save us!!!

    Ohh wait he was given the Human Rights job to destroy that organisation.

    Gosh, I’m in trouble.

    Looks like I’m going to have to vote Greens

  20. joy cooper

    @Sir ScotchMistery Sorry I am merely an inferior, ignorant female who truly deserves your wit-laden judgemental sarcasm. Pardon me for speaking. Mea culpa.

  21. Terry2

    It was the coalition in opposition who stridently opposed increasing the superannuation guarantee from 9% to 12% when Labor proposed 67 (in 2023) as the age when you can apply for the pension.The two are meant to go hand in hand.

    We all knew that this government were a bit thin on policy but now all we get is leaks and innuendo and Joe a cross between Hanrahan and the boy who cried wolf.

  22. Buff McMenis

    Definitely more like “We’ll all be rooned” Hanrahan, Terry2! The boy who cried wolf was only playing a game .. and he got the result HE deserved. Shoncky Hockey is playing with OUR future, not his .. doesn’t matter for him, his wife is extremely wealthy a la Lucy Turnbull .. this is not policiy by any stretch of imaginations, this is purely vindictive reactions to the fact that Labor has a Social Conscience and the LNP doesn’t! He has NO interest in deficit financial standing as he can’t boast about being a good manager unless he has the lowest common denominator seeing an irrelevant “surplus”. I feel sick. 🙁

  23. Greg O

    If I could just point out that the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 in the US might have also been a factor. Through the Carter, Reagan, HW Bush, Clinton and Dubya administrations, it was increasingly used as a means to provide affordable housing to underprivileged and inner city people, in particular poor minorities. Because banks could lower their lending standards, and in fact were regulated to do so by HUD, and then on sell those lower standard loans to Fannie and Freddie who were Government backed, the percentage of loans to low income people increased dramatically. Part of the bank deregulation was actually linked directly to these lower standard loans, in that when banks were allowed to diversify and sell investment securities, those with the higher number of lower standard loans were given preference. A recipe for disaster, given they then had the power to bundle up dodgy loans into dodgy securities. So yes deregulation was partly the culprit, but government intervention to create “affordable housing” was also a factor.

    (The insistence of the Clinton administration that banks with unsatisfactory ratings under the Community Reinvestment Act 1977 be prohibited from diversifying their business comes from page A3 of the October 27 1999 issue of the Wall Street Journal under the heading “Glass-Steagal Overhaul Remains on Hold”, just in case you wanted a reference.)

  24. Matt James

    But Superannuation makes no sense. The money has to come from somewhere, the employers simply advocate for pay freezes and in fact it is less efficient than the pension because all these financial middle men just eat up as much as they can as it changes hands. How can it address the increased burden of an ageing population any better than the pension? The money either goes into a super fund from your wages or it goes to the gov as tax from your wages. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Its like private health insurance vs Medicare.

  25. Gina

    The risk with pushing people into further poverty is forcing there hand by going underground. A lot like how people managed their lot in former communist countries.

  26. dafid1

    I would not be at all surprised if JoeLiar increases the Age Pension entitlement age to 70, taking effect from July 1st this year..that’s this year. Ah Dafid I hear you cry, not even JoJo would be that stupid?
    Stupid? Improbable? Nothing is improbable under this dikhead masquerading as a Treasurer. He has stumbled, bluffed and lied his way through 6 months plus as the supposed countries foremost voice on economics as relates to the management of the nations books. That in itself is a cruel joke, except only the Torys see the funny side.
    The majority suffer his sweaty media conferences full of innuendos and “Labor did it”. His forgettable scripted rants at the Press Club, where even the Tory MSM chortle with embarrassment into their glasses of Chardonnay and the few remaining real jurnos wait in vain for meaningful intelligent answers to their questions.
    This wannabe comedian who is as funny as walking on broken glass doesn’t get one major point. He will be the fall guy for his entire party’s performance in Govt. Not Abbott the Rhodes Economic Scholar, laugh at that one Joe, everyone else is, one of the great cons. Not his new right hand finance wiz, the new Abbott star who reminds one of an unfit, untidy out of work, door bouncer from the 60’s., Senaté’s Mars Cormann
    All of the Tory front bench will be pointing the digit, some two of the V type, when it all turns pear shaped, Abbott is turfed as he will be and there isn’t a new Menzies in sight to rescue the rabble.

    Yes JoLiar has a real place in history coming, sadly for the rotund one, not as The Worlds Best Treasurer, as in Swanny how I luv ya, but as the dunce who tried to play in the grown ups room and merely sat in a corner sucking his thumb.
    The script has already been written.

  27. Sir ScotchMistery

    @Matt James, in fact money does appear to grow on trees in the eyes of the “finance” industry.

    Your employer pays you $10.00, of which $0.925 goes into super and the only ones using it are the fund managers. They play and play and play and suddenly your 92.5 cents has become $1.25. That means your money has grown, from 92.5 cents, to $1.25 and increase of $0.325 cents, surely?

    The manager then takes out his earnings of $0.30 and lo and behold your fund has increased by $0.025.

    All the “finance industry” had to do was produce 500,000 glossy brochures to distribute to suckers who then signed up and gave them 30 cents for doing almost nothing.

    Without the glossy brochures, the “fund manager” would have got nothing, so he grew trees, printed brochures and made money. What’s hard about that?

    Production of the brochures was entirely dependent on Greg Hunt, who decided it’s okay to chop down old growth forests in Tasmania to produce the paper – Government support of Gunns et al, irrespective the government do not prop up useless industries like vehicle manufacturing and fruit canning, unless they are owned by party member chums (Cadbury).

    The share of the deals picked up by the “fund manager” down to Tony Abbort, saying it’s okay to get money for nothing, unless you are in “dire straits” which our country most certainly is according to “Big Joe” Hockey, who someone thoughtlessly referred to earlier as “fat”.

    @Joy Cooper, please excuse me ignoring your comment, whilst wishing it hadn’t been made. Can I ask that if that’s all there is, to give it a rest. There are far more interesting things to comment on in this thread.

  28. doctorrob54

    Nice piece of work John,and here they are loosening regulations on financial advisory.Where they have no need to declare if they get commission fees.Or working for the benefit of the client.
    This nation is going backwards fast
    As for FTA with Japan,how can you call it free trade if we continue to have tariffs will forever be imposed on much of our goods yet nothing on any of theirs.These deals may even appear smart at this moment in time,lets see if competitors get better deals later,And here we are still lumped with perpetual tariffs.

  29. deanyz1

    Actually, Joy Cooper, age and sex have a lot to do with it. Older voters (mostly male) tend to vote LNP. Younger voters are tending to vote Green and Labor. The stats were in The Age today. (Hard copy).

  30. Hotspringer

    I always saw the superannuation as privatised pension. After all, we already paid for our pension by a lifetime of taxpaying.

  31. Sir ScotchMistery

    @Hotspringer totally agree. I always felt Super was me sorting out MY pension so the gov of the day couldn’t f* me over if I was living OS whi9ch I am hoping is a distinct possibility.

  32. mikestasse

    @ Matt James…. “But Superannuation makes no sense. The money has to come from somewhere”

    You bet….. it’s called gambling on the stock exchange! For that to work, you need growth. For growth, you need growing amounts of energy…… and that’s just about to stop. Luckily, because it will also end the Climate Emergency…..
    Oil Limits and Climate Change

    Make sure you check out the energy graph……….. velly intellesting…

  33. Callie Ge

    It’s quite simple really, Mandatory Superannuation since the mid 80’s which has created a contributing workforce that was intended to create a populace of self funded retirees, well interest rates have dropped dramatically since then ( approx 16% in 1989 to about 3% now) so super funds are not doing as well as expected but the Govt wants to take a big whack at your super payout before you get it (15%) and then wants you to live on and use up your super before you get the age pension, all the while hoping that you will drop dead before you qualify for your age pension, and in the mean time Politicians are Marcosing their exorbitant super perks and payouts giving themselves extreme wealth from the time they leave politics, using the poor workers piddling funds to finance their own.. They should have to wait the same amount of time as everyone else does, no super payout until you reach the qualifying age.
    The reality is that the Majority of workers Over 60 are in low paid part time work as it is, women especially are disadvantaged in the work force, we usually have much lower wages, lower super contributing years and lower super payouts. and will now be expected to work in jobs that are not available, excepting new start (what a joke) payments , widowed and divorced men & women trying to keep their homes and lives together. Reality you can’t afford rent, bills and food let alone any other costs on the Pension never mind the Dole. Tony , I challenge you to get a good well paying job for a woman over 50 with out of date skills & a 20 year absence from the work place.
    And using the scare tactic that medicine for sick children wont be available if the elderly are paid their old age pensions
    SHAME ON YOU TONY SHAME ON YOU JOE WHAT A LOW SLEAZY BLOW.
    Propaganda-It is the oldest weapon in the world and in modern politics & media still the weapon of first choice.(unknown)

  34. mars08

    It was only a matter of time before Hockey showed his true colours.

    How i detested the way the MSM went along qith the PR spin of the blokey “Jovial Joe Hockey”. The couldn’t get enough of the jolly jester prancing around with a tiara and pink tutu.facade was always tissue-thin. The true character was always visible for anyone who care to look.

  35. Liz Hawke

    Is anyone considering the next generation…those with all the university qualifications and massive HECS debts. With older people being forced to stay in their jobs (if they have them) five years longer, when will these poor kids get a chance to find employment?

  36. Sir ScotchMistery

    We here, do.

    Our “representatives” don’t, ever, consider the next generation or the one that comes after that.

    They are far too thick.

  37. drmarfi

    I think Jockey has a cunning plan. Yesterday in his interview on Insiders, he said “…every Australian is going to be asked to contribute to the budget repair, including politicians”. I have a feeling he is going to make some token change to politicians’ pay, conditions or pensions to give credibility to any brutal cuts he makes to welfare. You mark my words. I feel it in my waters.

  38. mars08

    “… far too thick”

    Really??? Is that it?

    I’m far from convinced that it’s something that benign. I am seeing far too much malice from this mob to think that anything is just an oversight.

  39. Sir ScotchMistery

    I hope you’re wrong.

  40. Kaye Lee

    “Your employer pays you $10.00, of which $0.925 goes into super ”

    Actually, your employer pays you $10 and then pays another 92.5 cents into super on top of the $10.

    “the employers simply advocate for pay freezes”

    Most employees are under award payments which go up at least in line with CPI increases. Employers can make submissions certainly, as can unions. That is why an independent arbiter makes the decisions.

    “The money either goes into a super fund from your wages or it goes to the gov as tax from your wages”

    It isn’t coming from your wages unless you choose to make extra voluntary contributions. The whole point of super is a kind of enforced saving and governments give tax concessions to make this a more attractive investment.

  41. Matters Not

    Sorry, but there’s lots of ignorance on display here.

    Compulsory super is a fantastic Labor achievement. The idea that people pay taxes all their life and pensions are therefore somehow ‘banked’ on their behalf is a nonsense.

    No doubt the current government believes you should be as ‘nasty’ as possible and you should do so as ‘early’ as possible in your first term, but the political demographics suggest that ‘biting the hand that feeds’ (the older demographic overwhelmingly vote ‘conservative’ and probably always will) is a ‘bridge too far. I suspect.

    Just part of the softening up process.

  42. Sir ScotchMistery

    When you say “there is a lot of ignorance on display here” can I suggest being a little more specific.

    The discussion isn’t about super per Se, but rather about the reckless abandon with which this gov’t goes about screwing our rights as taxpayers, voters and suckers.

  43. dafid1

    Thankyou Sir Scotch, I was about to ask the same question. The generalisation was somewhat offhand, to be nice about it, and boorish at another level.

  44. Sir ScotchMistery

    We all generalise here for better or worse. It’s part of the nature of political commentary I think. To have folk running about suggesting ignorance possibly means the commentator is another MSM harpie, and we’ve had our share of that lot.

    As to “fantastic labor achievement”, I suspect if you look really hard you won’t find anyone grieving about it as an item. The discussion is actually about it being impacted upon by liars from both ALP and the conservative twats we are currently under the boot of.

    So, try to keep up please.

  45. mars08

    What this country is facing is not just a question of finances, but (to a large degree) a question of priorities.

  46. CMMC

    Labor instituted compulary Super, and the Conservitards said it would destroy the economy.

    Whichever low-life urgers and spivs that have entered the Super market are not the resonsibility of the initial altrustic legislation of the Hawke government.

  47. mikestasse

    @ mars08

    What this country is facing is not just a question of finances, but (to a large degree) a question of priorities.

    It’s BOTH. Whatever you do, do not dismiss the question of finances. Debt is growing faster than GDP. Not just here, not just government…… it’s a global problem coming to a head. The mother of all financial crises is heading our way, because not only is the debt problem growing exponentially, but the means of feeding the growth necessary for avoiding mass default is declining.

    Capitalism is bankrupt. We’re printing money in an attempt to support it, but the outcome is cast in concrete now. Not only will we not get our pensions……. we won’t get our superannuation either!

    The necessary priority is to deal with debt….. by cancelling them. Google “debt jubilee” Nothing else will save us now.

  48. mars08

    “Power has only one duty: to secure the social welfare of the People.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

    Oh ha haaa haaa ahhhh awww stop haaaa hhhhaaaa haaaa oh oh haaaaa hhhhaaaaa aaaaa

    The joke’s on us!

  49. Mic

    One day people will eventually realize that the political title “Liberal” and the dictionary word “liberal” are in no way related.

  50. Matters Not

    boorish at another level.

    Perhaps, you could explain the levels to which you refer? But it matters not.

    As for:

    Capitalism is bankrupt. We’re printing money in an attempt to support it, but the outcome is cast in concrete now. Not only will we not get our pensions……. we won’t get our superannuation either!

    mikestasse been running this line again and again and again.

    As I understand it, ‘capitalism’ is a mental ‘concept’ that is ‘useful’ (in the sense that it ‘works’) in also the sense that most people have some common understanding of what ‘useful’ meaning to give to same.

    miketasse, you really need to read something about ‘fiat currencies’ and perhaps MMT (Modern Monetary Theory) but I suspect you’ve already been advised to do that.

    Yes, I know it didn’t happen. The dog ate your homework.

    Grow up.

  51. Anomander

    Exactly how many years will Tony or Joe be expected to work before they can retire? When exactly will the age of entitlement cease for aholes like them?

    I turn 50 this years and have been working continuously for the past 34 years of my life. Not once have I ever been on the dole or accepted /sought any form of welfare. Not once have I ever shirked from paying my taxes because I always understood the price of a robust, caring society was that everyone should pay their fair share according to their means.

    Now these pr*cks tell me I have to work for another 20 years?!? That will be 54 years in total before I can officially retire, at which point I will likely be too buggered both physically and mentally to enjoy it, assuming of course I still have my health at that time.

    Even now, I worry about my long-term finances and whether I will have enough money to support me into my retirement, particularly considering more and more parts of our society are being privatised and our essential public services turned into a for profit money-making exercise that enables rich pr*cks to get even richer, at everyone else’s expense.

    The devolution of social safety nets, ever increasing costs as we adopt a user-pays system for almost everything, reduced services, inflated medical bills and insurance costs spiralling out of control. Let’s not even get into the costs for care and nursing homes with such increased demands an aging population will deliver.

    I’m certain I’m not alone in sh*ing myself, wondering how on Earth I will survive. There are times I wondering if it may not be better to die before retirement so I don’t have to worry about living my life in poverty.

  52. xiaoecho

    Don’t think I will join this discussion. It is too nasty.

  53. PjN

    Crawled over the line at 64.5 yrs – giving thanks..I always believed the aged pension was a priviledge not a right…until my body collapsed….worn out from decades of physical yakka ….
    Now I understand, the aged pension is a right for all the years I have contributed to this wonderful country.
    Mind you, I am angry that some people on welfare entitlements in this country send funds home to their families; I am angrey that people who have $1million in assets apart from their home are eligible for the aged pension; I am angry that Middle Class welfare exists as for the highly anticipated PPL for people with Calibre…that is obscene, immoral & unethical.

  54. Terry2

    Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the strategies utilised by this government is how their army of spinners constantly leak tidbits of “information” on a daily basis to feed the media scrum and get people asking ‘what is going on, is this a policy , is it a thought bubble or just another bit of spin’.

    Just stop it !

  55. Kaye Lee

    Terry,

    It’s a policy…no it’s a discussion paper…which will lead to a white paper…quick someone ask Mark Textor if it’s a runner or not.

    I so detest this country being run by people like Textor. We know he has our best interests at heart and he is such a man of integrity…NOT!

  56. diongiles

    Freedom for predators = slavery for prey.

  57. VoterBentleigh

    The second link provided by miketasse had an interesting headline: “Tony Abbott slumps in poll despite best week yet”. There were similar comments made on last Sunday’s “Insiders”, stating that the PM had a bad week the previous week and that he’d had one of his best weeks last week.

    This is the problem with a section of MSM journalism. Instead of analysing whether the policy / legislation / pronouncements, etc., of the Government are worthwhile, they simply base their assessment of how a government is performing upon whether a government has looked good in the MSM.

    The PM’s trip to Asia with his huge entourage, the FTAs and the usual photo stunts provided good fodder for the MSM and it all was made to look good in the MSM. But whether the FTAs will boost the economy and improve employment opportunities is dubious. Even the Right Honourable Tony Abbott’s photo ops were aimed at image, but, dressed in lycra, he appeared anything but a statesman and instead of proving that he is not a chauvinist, all astute observers would have noted that he only remembered the women delegates as an afterthought and appeared not to know their names as he did “Sam”, “Nev”, and “Tad”.

    John Kelly was not trained as a journalist in politics, yet gives a better analysis of the Government’s policy initiatives.

  58. Truth Seeker

    John Kelly, thanks for the article 😎

    I have been saying for years now, that the LNP’s unspoken mantra is “Every man, woman and child for themselves” , with the disclaimer “Unless you’re rich, and then you’ll get all the help you could wish for.

    And on a similar theme;

    Free speech for sale!

    Cheers 😀

  59. paul walter

    Too late now.. the idiots voted them in and if even if the lobotomised ALP DID get back, it would dificult to see the damage rolled back, even if there WAS a will to do that.

  60. Matters Not

    Breaking news. There’s been a leak from the Commission of Audit. And it’s surprising.

    Here’s a taste

    Remove subsidies to fossil fuel industries. These subsidies are currently estimated at $10 billion per year. In the Commission’s view they represent a clear example of corporate welfare that distorts the efficient market allocation of resources.

    Very encouraging. But wait there’s more.

    End to wasteful privatisation. Privatisation of publicly-owned assets has clear negative consequences for the long-term fiscal health of the Commonwealth. Government Business Enterprises paid the Commonwealth $462 million in dividends in the financial year 2012-2013 and the Commission recommends these assets, including Australia Post and Medibank Private, remain in public hands.

    More here. A must read.

    http://commonaction.org.au/node/9

  61. Lee

    No wonder Abbott is not releasing this!

  62. Lee

    Mmm.. actually I just followed your link, Matters Not, to “this press release is a joke”.

  63. Matters Not

    Sorry about that Lee.

    The press release is what ‘ought’ to be but somewhat distant from what ‘will’ be.

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