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In The Interests Of Balance: A Vote For Labor Is A Vote For Chaos!

“My job – our government’s job – is to prepare Australia for any opportunity and eventuality. It’s to grab the year by the scruff of its neck and make it a winner for all of us.”  Scott Morrison’s New Year’s Address

Ok, I’ve been called a left-winger a few times, but it’s just not true. Let’s be real, I’m a privileged, white male living in a very middle-class suburb. As if I’d want the overthrow of the status quo. I’d be one of the first lined up against the wall when the feminazi, hippy, tree-hugging greenies take over.

Now I know I’ve been getting a little critical of the current PM. And the one before that.. And, yes, the one before the one before. But it was after reading an article today by the ex-Deputy PM, “CHAOS IS JUST A VOTE AWAY”, that I realised I hadn’t considered the terrible risk of electing a Labor government.

As Michael Taylor’s post pointed out, Labor are more likely to put ordinary Australians first. I mean, we don’t want that. We only want those having a go to be given a go and clearly if they’re ordinary they haven’t been having a go.

Before I deal with the chaos that will ensue from a Labor government, I feel that I must thank our beloved leader for his determination to “grab the year by the scruff of its neck and make it a winner for all of us”. That’s something I would find enormously difficult. Apart from the fact that things grabbed by the scruff of the neck aren’t usually in a winning position, I’d have enough trouble working where the year’s neck was, let alone how to grab it by the scruff without hurting it.

While Barnaby has provided enormous mirth for a lot of people – and I don’t just mean with his antics after a few drinks – he does deserve to have his views taken seriously when he’s gone to all the trouble of writing them down. He was Australia’s Acting PM on more than one occasion, and it can’t be easy for Barnaby to write so many words with crayon.

Apparently, according to Mr Joyce, “We have arrived at the point where indoctrination has beaten logic.” While some of you may have considered this a good thing, Mr Joyce doesn’t. You see, he’s not talking about good indoctrination like standing for the National Anthem, supporting ANZAC day or believing that marriage equality will destroy the traditional family. (Actually, he was right on that last point. We voted in marriage equality and before Ruddock could say, I’ve finished my report on religious freedom, Barnaby’s marriage was gone!)

Mr Joyce then listed a whole range of things that were wrong with Australia. Things like the idea that we export uranium but don’t use it ourselves. Things like the way we’ve stood by and “let farmers be dispossessed of their vegetation rights because of global warming.” Things like we must “buy power from the prescribed source because of global warming”.

Ok, it’s true that these were all things that exist now and not the chaos a vote away. It must be hard when you’re not in government so that you can’t do anything about them. It must be harder when you are in government but still can’t do anything about them because of the Jedi mind tricks of “The Greens-Labor-independent alliance”.

However, Barnaby does go on to predict further chaos under Labor which he suggests may win by “cunning”; Labor will refuse to engage in a hostile battle instead shooting “us” in the field from “its own forest”. So that’s why the left don’t want trees cut down!

He warns that there’s a real danger that after the election, we’ll have a left-wing socialist government will take all your money, so you better see your accountant.

Left-wing socialist government, eh? Ah well, at least we won’t be saddled with Bill Shorten and the Labor Party…

 

25 comments

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  1. Pilot

    What goes through Barnababy’s head must be really weird… Admittedly, he’s an idiot of the 1st degree, but we should have the right to witness his thought patterns/processes ‘live’.

    But don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere fast, haven’t seen any sobering in his NE electorate so far. Still have the majority of greedy entitled voters up there. I call ’em braindead and they don’t like it, lmao! “But Barnababy is a good bloke.” I keep getting told. Bloody braindead.

  2. Andrew Smith

    Interesting, of course no chaos in the ranks of Anglo world Conservatives. Difficult to compare mostly ageing Australian (Nativist) Conservatives and their sense of entitlement in Australia, like present day UK and US, with any other nations except the regular fringe nations, busily pointing the finger or deflecting everywhere except themselves.

    Further, too many Conservatives of left and right seem to think long term chaos and disruption from confected insurgencies, for whatever reason, are something aspirational?

    Meanwhile younger generations will carry the can for Conservative decisions, actions and inaction taken to appease their religious, corporate and Nativist supporters, now seemingly an unworkable ‘broad church’?

  3. Shaun Newman

    The greatest enemy we face is apathy. The apathy of the average Aussie. When this tory government give the ordinary everyday Aussie a tax cut of $20 a week and to pay for it further erode the public health system funding even further (if that is possible) but the ordinary everyday Aussie won’t necessarily know about the public health funding cut until he/she gets sick and by then won’t connect the two.

  4. Kaye Lee

    Barnaby just keeps on getting weirder.

    “Don’t dare say the words “son” or “daughter” — they are now to be neuter people.” Joyce said declaring that the words would be removed under a future government comprising The Greens and Labor.

  5. Florence Howarth

    If this government spent the last 6 years providing good governance, good policy instead of Killbill, attempting to destroy Labor they would be in a better position than they are now for the upcoming election.

    They deserve to lose, Labor to win.

    One wins the race by being faster, not tripping other competitors. We teach our kids to be good sports. Same applies to politics.

    Once Is Chance, Twice is Coincidence, Third Time Is A Pattern when it comes to dud Liberal Leaders.

  6. Paul Davis

    I just completed an online survey re voting intentions etc run by YourLifeChoices, a website for seniors. So far today over 700 have responded and the results are 37% Labor, 39% Liberal 3% Nationals 5% Greens 10% Independent.

    Over the two years i have been receiving their daily emails, it appears the one major concern of we elderly is that Labor will steal our money through cancelling or reducing input credits, negative gearing and capital gains.

    What i find disappointing is that when i talk to other local aged pensioners, even those who are deadbeat leaners like me without enough super to support themselves and home renters, is that they say they will always vote National ‘cos that mob look after us country/regional folk. What a joke….. and thank dog for strong leaders like Dutton and Morrison for keeping those vile criminals and terrorists out of Oz…

  7. John Kelly

    How boring would life be, in a world without Barnaby?

  8. helvityni

    John Kelly, I don’t mind Micalleff making fun of Barnaby’s antics, but to watch and listen to the man himself, I don’t have the patience…

    Who elects these people ,I ask and shake my head…it’s 2019, let’s get more selective about who we send to Canberra…

  9. Kaye Lee

    These fools try to tell us that the pressures of the job are the cause of their poor behaviour when they spend the vast majority of their time flying around having their photo taken with someone else footing the bill.

  10. David Bruce

    It was a mistake to put the National Capital of Australia in Canberra. It was chosen because it was about half-way between Sydney and Melbourne, capital cities of the most populous states at the time.

    If we can move the Australian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, then I propose the seat of the Australian Government should be moved from Canberra to Darwin!

    It is closer to our neighbours, about half way between Sydney and Perth and protected by 2,000 US marines on rotation from USA!

    The tropical weather could then be an excuse for the behaviour of politicians like Barnaby, Dutton, Scumo and other brain farting members.

    Having been in Darwin shortly after Tracy’s visit, I can vouch for the amazing transformation that took place during the rebuilding.

    For Mr Murdoch, Gina, Twiggy, Vice, Trump and Lord Jacob, imagine the investment opportunities with a new Parliament House, executive buildings, hotels, casinos and public service accommodation in Darwin?

    Canberra could then become the whistle stop on the new high-speed rail service between Sydney and Melbourne and a University city like Armidale, New England, NSW!

  11. New England Cocky

    @David Bruce: Originally the Federal Capital was proposed for Armidale NSW by P G Lovett, about half-way between Sydney and Brisbane. This forward thinking proposal was rejected by the local burghers because “it might upset their life style” when Armidale was about 4,000 persons and not much larger than the neighbouring mining town of Hillgrove, now almost a ghost town.

    @John Kelly: the community interests of New England voters would be better developed by removing Barnyard the Adulterer-in-Chief for the National$. His work protecting the rights of MDB water thieves who funded the National$ Party was exemplary disaster for down stream farming operations and communities.

    @Helvityni: The women of Tamworth elected this adulterous alcoholic Barnyard and appear prepared to accept philandering behaviour from their men as a matter of “male right”. (The 20th century is just around the corner in 19 years).

  12. Leanne Jones

    Well written article Rossleigh.
    The bloviating BeetRooter is a blabbermouth of the highest disorder.
    I hope that 2019 is the election we get rid of the Lying Nasty Party cock wombles.
    They’re terrified of losing their lerks and perks and l for one wish the fine people and also the illiterate morons of Armidale wake up to the fact that the only one who thinks he’s a great politician is the BeetRooter himself.
    He’s a man who lacks character and charisma. He’s a media slut. He’s destroyed his own family.
    He’s a homophobic creep and a racist.
    I for one am fed up with the LNP patriarchal government and their Janus faced ideology.
    Stop voting for them and hopefully we’ll get our country back on track.
    I’d rather have “chaos” from the opposition than more of this disfunctional ineptitude from the LNP!

  13. Stephengb

    I think Shaun Newman is absolutely right, especially when you read the disheartening comment from Paul Davis.

    I think the ALP is no longer a given, the pressure from the Right is getting bigger and the message is fear! Fear and apathy is what will defeat Labor.looking at Paul’s numbers it is going to be a close thing and could even mean an LNP win.

    There is so many progressives talking like it’s a forgone conclusion, and that means enough might not vote, especially the swinging voter.

    What a disaster that would be. We must keep remembering it is not a foregone conclusion and not over untill (well you know the rest).

    S G B

  14. whatever

    Royal Commission into Murray/Darling Water Allocation releases findings in February.
    Barnaby still seems to be exercising all the powers of a Mafia ‘Godfather’.
    ABC TV and Radio news have become a bulletin-board for sob-stories about rural people who are always ‘doing it tough’, whatever that means.

  15. Andrew Smith

    whatever: ‘ABC TV and Radio news have become a bulletin-board for sob-stories about rural people who are always ‘doing it tough’, whatever that means.’

    Read my own thoughts, I wonder whose idea or control over editorial?

    I have no TV but watch ABC News 24 for The Drum mostly (and listen to News Radio too), from the bush originally, but sick to death of constant focus upon farmers, drought, floods, +military, car crashes, domestics etc. from round the country, with not a word about climate change (most cockies I know accept it as fact) let alone serious policy or international issues.

    Not sure what to make of it, a favour for the LNP, especially NP, building up the bush, spooking people out or simply dumbing down to tabloid tv level? If they simply normalised it using state bureau and offshore correspondent content it would be fit for international audiences (maybe that’s the point, scare foreigners away).

    The presentation almost always lacks context vs. up close, personal and emotional, e.g. drought reports in QLD lack any graphics of temperature trends let alone maps; stressing very high temps but segue between regions, with some, what a surprise, well inland bordering desert in summer have temps approaching records (again, alarmist but don’t mention climate change).

  16. Terence Mills

    I heard a discussion on Sky after-dark the other day arguing that Labor’s policy on removing Capital Gains tax Concessions and Negative Gearing from the purchase of existing housing stock would diminish the amount of rental properties available particularly in our major cities.

    Nobody in this discussion mentioned that this policy would be grandfathered so that existing NG and CGT arrangements would not be affected and that investments in new housing construction would continue to attract NG and CGT taxation concessions which would, to my simple mind, encourage investors to move to new building construction rather than churning existing housing stocks which in turn would surely increase the volume of rental housing available.

    This Sky panel even stated that Labor’s policy would diminish new building activity and they cited data provided by the Master Builders Association :

    According to modelling prepared by Cadence Economics if Labor’s policies are implemented it will mean:

    Up to 42,000 less new dwellings being built across the country.
    Up to 32,000 less full time jobs.
    Up to $11.8 billion less building activity
    Up to $210 million less renovation building activity

    “Labor’s policies on negative gearing and CGT fails its own test,” Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia

    Either I’m missing something here or this is misinformation being peddled by Sky, MBA and vigorously supported by the coalition.

    Can anybody explain what is going on ?

  17. Kaye Lee

    Terence,

    The Cadence Economics report was crap.

    Labor has highlighted an admission by MBA that the research fails to consider that the Opposition’s policy “grandfathers” existing negative gearing arrangements and that investors currently using the mechanism will not be affected by the proposed policy.

    Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the MBA research does not model Labor’s negative gearing policy and assumes that all investors would lose access to negative gearing.

    “Labor’s policy is to limit negative gearing to new properties going forward, but to fully grandfather all existing investments,” Mr Bowen told the ABC.

    “It’s a fatal flaw in the modelling and it’s a very fundamental issue. You can’t claim that you’ve modelled Labor’s polices when in fact your own document says you haven’t.”

    Pressed on whether the research was scaremongering given falling house prices in Sydney and Melbourne, Ms Wawn [from the MBA] confirmed the results were based on the worst-case scenario.

    Labor has again cited Treasury advice released under freedom of information legislation stating that the impact of the proposed negative gearing reforms would be “modest”.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-24/master-builders-slams-labor-negative-gearing-plan/10423140

  18. Kaye Lee

    Morrison and Turnbull got the Treasury advice in 2016 but it took a two year FOI battle by the ABC to have it released.

    “The ALP policies could introduce some downward pressure on property prices in the short term, particularly if the commencement of the policy coincides with a weaker housing market,” they wrote. “In the long term, increases in taxation on rental property could have a relatively modest downward impact on property prices.”

    “households may increase their investment in owner-occupied housing [where profits are not taxed]. This would tend to counter any downward pressure on prices arising out of the rental market.”

    Changes to negative gearing in the 1980s, and the introduction of the CGT discount in the 1990s, had “little discernible impact on the market”, officials noted.

    “Overall, price changes are likely to be small, though the composition of ownership may shift away from domestic investors.”

    https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-08/govt-negative-gearing-claims-contradicted-by-official-advice-foi/9309736?pfmredir=sm

  19. Rossleigh

    The Coalition’s attack on Labor’s proposed negative gearing changes failed to have a clear narrative. While it was supposedly going to force investors out of the market leading to a housing price drop and rental increases, it was going to have no effect on the price of housing for first home buyers because it wasn’t going to lead to a drop in house prices. Then – in spite of the fact that negative gearing was still going to be allowed on new dwellings (and ONLY new dwellings) – there was going to be no increase in supply because investors wouldn’t want to use new dwellings for a tax dodge.
    You can argue that it would lead to lower prices or you can argue that it would lead to higher prices, but surely you can’t argue that both would happen simultaneously.

  20. Kaye Lee

    They are good at that sort of logic Rossleigh. Just like migrants are taking our jobs while languishing on welfare.

    Greg Jericho is good at pointing out Morrison’s non-sensical ramblings.

    Morrison argued on the one hand that we must “get debt under control by returning the budget to balance through disciplined expenditure restraint”, but he later noted that “we have kept expenditure under control” and yet also that “expenditure as a share of the economy remains stubbornly high”.

    So we must restrain our spending which is under control and stubbornly high?

  21. Kaye Lee

    And this gem….

    “Are we more interested in preserving the benefits of what the past 30 years of economic reform has given us, than relinquishing and reinvesting some of those dividends to create a stronger economy for both our own future and the generations that follow?”

    Is Morrison actually saying we shouldn’t be interested in preserving the benefits of the past 30 years of “reform”?

    And if he really is saying that we need to give up “the benefits” of this reform in order to create a stronger economy, that doesn’t say much for the worth of all that reform. So we have had 30 years of reform which delivered benefits that now need to be relinquished so we can have a stronger economy?

    And what exactly are “the benefits”? Is Morrison suggesting the benefit of economic reform was welfare and people being taxed-not? If that is the case, then again, doesn’t that suggest the reform was basically a failure, given Morrison views welfare as a negative and decries the numbers of the taxed-not?

    Or is he just saying we need to give up the benefits of reform in order to have more reform in order to benefit again later on?

  22. terence mills

    Thank you Kaye and Rossleigh

    So, they are trying to have us believe that property investors will move away from the housing market (both existing and new construction) based on a flawed understanding of the Labor policy which, by any economic modelling, would suggest that those same property investors would follow the tax concessions and invest in new housing stock.

    Property investors are not stupid and they would not be encouraged to pump money into equities given the generally abysmal performance of shares over the last twelve months and with every indication that global stock exchanges have turned into casinos where only those with insider knowledge [ or knowledge of the computer algorithms] would dare to tread.

  23. Diannaart

    The unmentionable elephant behind the shenanigans of the LNP to discredit Labor, is the fact of wage stagnation. Until this is addressed, no amount of tears for the negative gearing investors will achieve any change in the current disparity between potential home owners and those with the means to play the property game.

    Housing prices are going down in Melbourne and Sydney, but not to the prices of 20 years ago where most workers’ income languish in a time capsule constructed by both private enterprise and succesive governments.

    The economy has been booming for 27+ years, but not for the majority of Australians.

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