35 comments

1. Ruth LAugust 21, 2015 at 11:52 am

   So true.What a shame we can’t sue them.

2. PeterStevensonAugust 21, 2015 at 12:18 pm

   If Dyson Heydon was to resign voluntarily he would be dumped like a hot potato by the Liberals, just like they have done to Godwin Grech, Peter Slipper, James Ashby and Kathy Jackson all of those mentioned were once held in high esteem by the Liberals. I would not like to go to war with them.
   ,,

3. brickbobAugust 21, 2015 at 12:23 pm

   I also am not a betting man,but even i would lay bets that Abbott and his mates will be gone at the next election.”””

4. Wun FarlungAugust 21, 2015 at 1:02 pm

   brickbob
   Just had a look at oddschecker and the LNP are about $1.50 the win and ALP about $2.10 at an average across the bookies listed
   I would have thought the odds closer and the ALP in front if you were to believe the polls which is the closest thing to a form guide.
   Bookies usually have better info than the mug punter. Best stay out of the betting enclosure, keep my money and just watch

5. Mark NeedhamAugust 21, 2015 at 1:44 pm

   Absolutely great that the ” Home insulation programm” was a 100% efficiently run programm, all benefits and no dramas.

   RC into corruption, Yes, absolutely no corruption here, only us rabbits, and we only eat lettuce, Hey!

   Nah! Nothing going wrong, ho hum, time for bed.
   Quick, look over there, there’s Tony Abbot….?

   Regards,
   Mark Neeham

6. Möbius EckoAugust 21, 2015 at 2:50 pm

   Another wrong horse Abbott backed: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-backs-state-liberal-director-20130308-2fr9c.html#ixzz3jMT27YsE

   Mark Needham. Look over there at Labor who aren’t in government but look anyway because Abbott is stuffing it up so bad I can’t defend him except by pointing to Labor.

   When they have nothing attack Labor, as Abbott and co did in spades in parliament this week.

   Hey! (what an arrogant rejoinder)

7. Florence nee FedupAugust 21, 2015 at 3:07 pm

   Michael, he wouldn’t be much good at playing poker. His facial and body language gives him away every time. The smirks, swaggers and inclination to flee give him away.

8. Graeme HenchelAugust 21, 2015 at 3:25 pm

   Politicide

   It’s now been on two years, since the Mad Monk got the job
   And in that time, he’s proved to be, a hopeless lying nob
   It’s not just him, cos in his crew, the talent is so sparse
   All in all, this mob have been, just one great sorry farce

   It’s no surprise, that Abbott’s such, a monumental fail
   But who’d have thought, how quickly, it would all start to derail
   I guess if you’ve no policies, and only can oppose
   It isn’t any wonder, he went quickly on the nose

   When asked about his policies, he had not much to say
   That’s because, he’d outsourced them, all to the I. P. A.
   He didn’t keep his promises, it turned out that he lied
   He kept on blaming Labor, and the lying he denied

   He got no help from Smokin Joe, whose budget went too far
   While Joe and pal Mathias, smoked a great big fat cigar
   While Brandis in the Senate, said that “Bigots do have rights”
   The Monk announced, he would restore, archaic Dames and Knights

   Pensioners, the unemployed, the students and the sick
   All were helpless targets, of this useless lying prick
   If not for the senate, they would surely have been screwed
   This budget based on lies, made sure, a poll decline ensued

   The backbench got so nervous, with a feeling of despair
   The Monk survived a challenge, up against an empty chair
   He promised he would listen and would stop his captains picks
   Now six months on, not much has changed, he still plays dirty tricks

   All the Monks decisions, take them further up shit creek
   From equal rights, to climate change, he’s on a losing streak
   His Captain’s calls keep coming back, to bite him on the bum
   The public have concluded, he’s deluded, and quite dumb

   The government’s in limbo land, the party paralysed
   Their only hope is Turnbull, who the right wing just despise
   While Abbott’s only focus, is on how to save his hide
   The public will, with cricket bats, commit politicide

9. Mark NeedhamAugust 21, 2015 at 3:35 pm

   Mobius.
   Hey! (what an arrogant rejoinder)
   Good, Hey!

   I can, and do talk about the Abbott short comings. The list is loooong.

   But to see half an admission of “silliness” by any other political persuasion, here on the AIM network, is not a common occurrence.

   I have never said that Abbott is the man. I would just like to see an Honest conversation here.
   Mark Needham

10. Möbius EckoAugust 21, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    There is an honest conversation here. What’s dishonest about pointing out the failings of the government who are actually in power and making the decisions supposedly for the nation.

    Abbott in opposition set the standard for this and it’s just that he’s now being held to that standard no matter how many times, how many posts it takes or how long those posts are.

    But I guess we should just ignore this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CM6MC6QUwAEedhK.jpg and list Shorten’s broken promises as PM. Oh wait, he’s not PM.

    We should hold Shorten to account as a potential PM and this has been done here. But I guess you want the balance thing, where for every criticism and expose of Abbott there must be an equal criticism and expose of Shorten.

11. JeffJLAugust 21, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    @Mark Needham

    No the Home Installation Program was not 100% efficient. But there had been several investigations into the scheme prior to the spending on a Royal Commission. Nothing new was found, no great insights were made.

    A Royal Commission into corruption in the building industry would be just reasonable but one just into Unions. It becomes a political tool for attacking unions and Labor. Yes there is plenty of issues in the building industry but so far the Royal Commission has not identified any that state police could have dealt with had they looked.

    While this site does lean to the left it does not give a free run to The Greens or Labor. I agree with you that we need honest conversations and not one eyed views. If you read back on your first comment I am sure that you would agree that the tone did not suggest somebody who was after an honest conversation, more like one from somebody trolling.

12. Florence nee FedupAugust 21, 2015 at 5:09 pm

    Mark, instead of repeating history, which everyone is well aware of, tell us why we should be backing the Liberal candidate and Abbott. Dying to hear about all their wonderful policies, what they have in store for us.

    I am all ears. eagerly waiting.

13. TrevrAugust 21, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Abbotts horse has two heads and is minus its arse. That way he can claim anything while holding the opposite position as well. Cunning Stunts from the career MP whose claim to fame is missapropriating Public Funds known as entitlements like there is no tomorrow. The figure since Abbott aka Lord Scumsucker began his masquerade as PM is now around $2.5 Million AUS and growing daily. All Abbotts bluff, bluster and ridiculous lies are his cover for a career of theft. Sack the prick then make him answer for this gross missuse of Public Funds. Of course the Political Shitstem would stand for that wouldn’t it?!

14. jimAugust 21, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    LOVE IT better than TV LOVE IT.http://www.phonytonyabbott.com/blog/tony-abbott-has-blood-on-his-hands

15. eli nesAugust 21, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    mark, only a fool would imagine that when there is public money avaliable the shonkies wouldn’t flock and the righteous could resist openly dissembling and claiming entitlements over the odds. from flybynight pink batters through church school organisations to vice chancellors all steal government money. There were hundreds of thousands of Australians thankful to contractors who did such a good job saving us from the worst of the GFC.
    This amoral, vindictive bullyboy has borrowed billions(with the loonie green help) on the back of labor’s AAA economy. A cache that allows him to change lies to truth.
    Why labor lets the rabbutt and hockey away without an attack on their integrity is a mystery.

16. HarquebusAugust 21, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    Look out for a $200 million bet coming up and if that loses, it will be $400million and so on and so on. It’s not their money so, what the hell.
    Could it be the Syrian campaign? The mad man is willing to gamble the torture and gruesome deaths of our pilots.

17. Wayne TurnerAugust 21, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    I always knew that Tony Abbott was projecting yet again,when he said “STOP THE WASTE”.

18. keertiAugust 22, 2015 at 2:56 am

    The biggest mug punters of all? The australian masses who can’t desern between a negative noise maker and a prime minister who was able to govern effectively with a minority and do it fo everyone. Not just a select few.

19. keertiAugust 22, 2015 at 2:58 am

    And I’d offer evens that the dumb f==ks will do it again!

20. Wayne TurnerAugust 22, 2015 at 8:51 am

    Sadly spot on Keerti.The masses are gullible ignorant asses.

21. Mark NeedhamAugust 22, 2015 at 10:58 am

    @Flo. “tell us why we should be backing the Liberal candidate ”

    When did I say that the Liberals are the answer.? I have never said that!!!
    But, what I am saying/questioning is, Shorton is an alternative????

    @Eli, “on the back of labor’s AAA economy.”
    Yeah, pull the other one.!
    We really do need a “Citizens Waste Watch” on all forms of Government spending.

    @Jeff. ” Royal Commission has not identified any that state police could have dealt with had they looked.”
    “”Guess what? Bill took it up to them.”” So $40,000 later, ( proves what an honest man Bill is) standover here, backhanders there ‘n so on. The Unions are rotten to the core, “brown envelope” “I don’t remember, Hey!”
    Julia, has honey all over her face, what “honey pot”????
    We really do need a “Citizens Waste Watch” on all forms of Government spending.

    “”Finding the missing Malaysian “”
    Yes, initial searches, of course. But the ongoing ‘hemorrhaging of money’ is a bloody waste. Could be wrong, but I am not sure if China and Malayasia are still tipping into the bucket.
    We really do need a “Citizens Waste Watch” on all forms of Government spending.

    I do realise, that I am a “weed” in a garden, here. I do not agree with the tenet that labour is the answer, anymore than I am saying that our conservatives have got it right either. Their current “resume”, wouldn’t get them a bed in prison. ( They may ‘infect’ the prisoners)
    The ‘bone of contention’ here, is that posters/commentators appear to rail against the incumbent, and applaud the opposition.
    Methinks, they all have “new clothes” and are walking around stark bloody naked. No one seems to see the silliness or duplicity of it all.

    “My Son” he’s a good boy that one. Only raped the 1 girl, and didn’t mean to stab that bloke 30 times with a machete. Everyone just seems to give him a hard time. A really good boy”
    Warm Regards,
    Mark Needham

22. Neil of SydneyAugust 22, 2015 at 12:24 pm

    on the back of labor’s AAA economy.

    We lost our AAA rating under Hawke/Keating in the late 1980’s. In fact we were downgraded twice. Debt kept increasing until it reached 18% of GDP in 1996. It was not until the Howard/Costello govt took Federal govt debt from 18% of GDP to approx 5% of GDP that we got our AAA rating back.

    To try and make out that Labor had something to do with our AAA rating is just dishonest. To get our AAA back Costello had to pay off a large amount of debt and that is something Labor could never do.

23. roaminruinAugust 22, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    That poor dumb animal in the photo looks confused. The horse on the other hand….

24. Florence nee FedupAugust 22, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    So your only interest in pulling Labor down. One would have though you would be looking for someone to put in Labors place. Seems that s not your aim,

25. Florence nee FedupAugust 22, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    No, I take that back. Your only interest is destroying Shorten. You care not the lies you use to do it,

26. Mark NeedhamAugust 23, 2015 at 9:07 am

    Flo, You just do not get it, do you.!?
    Please give me one lie that I have written about Shorten. Then I’ll let you apologise.!

    I have just written a verbal “outrage”, which I shall copy and delete.
    I shall now submit it, as an article to this site.
    Cheers,
    Mark Needham

27. Florence nee FedupAugust 23, 2015 at 9:27 am

    No Mark, sorry I get it very well.

28. corvus boreusAugust 23, 2015 at 9:42 am

    Mark Needham told no lies about Bill Shorten.
    His insinuatory references were phrased in such a vague and disjointed manner that little clarity could be gained as to the exact nature of was being implied.
    No details were given, therefore no lies were told.
    I hope his article contains both informational details and coherent sentences.

29. John ArmourAugust 23, 2015 at 10:54 am

    “To try and make out that Labor had something to do with our AAA rating is just dishonest. To get our AAA back Costello had to pay off a large amount of debt and that is something Labor could never do.”

    Can you explain why the AAA rating for federal debt is a good thing, Neil?

30. Mark NeedhamAugust 23, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    John, Do you like debt, hanging around your neck.
    Particularly debt, which has bought a Car, a Holiday ie, those things which are not Capital investment, earning, not reducing.
    Me. I have a couple of credit cards, an absolute, cross to bear.
    I despise them, but use them to pay things like Rates, Insurance and the like. can you see the link, these are not giving me a return, on my 13.5% compounding interest rate.
    But it has to be paid, doesn’t it.
    I cannot get a loan from the bank, like the old days, when the CSB, was ours. A ‘debt reducing’ loan to pay off my credit cards, at a couple of percent above the Housing Rate, say 7.0%. When there was bank competition.
    Why, because some silly twit, sold the bank for A$8.1 Billion, about 1995, and the same Bank made that much in profit last year.
    OK, now where is the A$8.1 Billion dollars. I could say all sorts of places. I do hope it was spent on Bricks and mortar, infrastructure, that is still being used by this country to-day.
    It is any ones guess.
    I would love a AAA rating on debt. I do own my own home, but the credit Cards pull my rating down to a AA, I suppose. A bleeding great boil on my Bottom, yes, all of my own making.
    So what are we paying each year in Federal Debt. I do not know, but lets say it is $4.0 Billion per year. Reckon that would educate a couple of children, heal an Adult, Rail for freight, a couple of Helicopter Trips to somewhere, for no good reason at all. ( last one makes every one sick.)
    Regards,
    Mark Needham

31. John ArmourAugust 23, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    “John, Do you like debt, hanging around your neck”.

    With that opening Mark you launch headlong into one of macroeconomic’s famous “fallacies of composition”, to wit, “the household analogy”, well understood by many readers of this blog.

    Here’s a link to an article by Professor Bill Mitchell that explains…

    Fiscal austerity – the newest fallacy of composition

    “In a fiat monetary system, a sovereign government is never revenue constrained because it is the monopoly issuer of the currency. But the household uses that currency and is always financially constrained. That is a fundamental difference.”

    And another article dealing with the so-called debt…

    The neo-liberal emperors are naked and its not a good look

    “There is no financial requirement for the Australian government to issue debt because it is empowered through the RBA to issue the Australian dollar at will, floats the exchange rate and doesn’t back the currency with any commodity (such as gold or silver).”

    If you continue your reading in this subject you’ll scratch your head wondering why the Howard government continued to issue debt (about $50B) even after a string of highly publicised surpluses.

    Yours is a widely held belief, but it’s incorrect, and has far-reaching consequences.

32. Mark NeedhamAugust 23, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Ta. I will read those links.

    But, there is Good Debt and bad debt, isn’t there.??
    I am an electrician, not an economist.

    Was there any benefit in selling the CSB. I keep asking people why “assett sales” are so popular with governments. Do you know the answer? please????

    Also, when we borrow money, who do we borrow it from.???
    Thank You,
    Mark Needham

33. Mark NeedhamAugust 23, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    John. why do we need bonds, if the Government is the monopoly issuer of the currency.?
    can’t they just print it?
    Cheers,
    Mark Needham

    PS. Methinks, money is all smoke and mirrors?

34. John ArmourAugust 23, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    Mark,

    I think it’s best to let you read those links first.

    Bill Mitchell tells it better than I could.

    But meantime, here’s an article on privatisation:

    Welcome to the world of privatised electricity and canned music

    Sorry about all the reading! The issues are complex and counterintuitive. People and politicians prefer the simple explanations even if they’re wrong.

35. Mark NeedhamSeptember 5, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Ok. John.
    So debt is good.
    But, wasteful debt is bad.
    The household analogy, is as right as it has always been.
    Borrow for the “building of the estate”, not because we can.
    What, a trilion dollars, now. Good, Hey!
    Mark Needham