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The Morrison Government gave $38 billion to businesses – major companies included – that didn’t need it. How can they justify that?

Of all the handouts, in whatever form, be it the Sports Rorts or others, the most blatant has been the $38 billion that went to employers that did not suffer sustained downturns below the required threshold levels, new data reveals.

Yes, that’s correct; the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) found at least $38 billion of taxpayers money was transferred to the private sector through JobKeeper.

Labor MP Dr Andrew Leigh, who is casting a forensic look over the program, told the ABC that:

“Every dollar paid out on JobKeeper needs to be paid by Australians, either in the form of higher taxes, lower services or more debt.”

Nothing I have read has been critical of the scheme itself; most have praised it. However, there is no doubt that it had some real problems, and it didn’t contain a section or clause that would have prevented this astonishing amount from being given away for basically nothing or being paid back, for that matter.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said a recent report showed the pandemic heavily impacted businesses that received JobKeeper:

“It saved lives and livelihoods and supported more than four million Australians and a million businesses during the greatest economic shock since the Great Depression.”

Well, that’s great, but it still evades the question of how $38 billion in JobKeeper funds found its way into businesses that shouldn’t have received it.

If they were gracious enough to say it was an oversight, they would cop a bit of flack but, in turn, would be appreciated for their honesty.

But crikey, $38 billion is a lot of our money to be giving away.

The Parliamentary Budget Office also found that:

“$1.3b went to companies where turnover tripled during the quarter for which they claimed JobKeeper… And a further $1.3b was paid to companies that doubled their quarterly turnover. “

Dr Leigh told the ABC:

“We had firms that were doubling or tripling their revenues, and yet still getting money from Josh Frydenberg.”

“At a time at which he should have been a frugal custodian of the nation’s finances, he was spraying money around like a Formula 1 winner spraying champagne over the crowd.”

University of New South Wales economics professor Richard Holden said:

“… the scheme did its job and it was the right call not to adjust JobKeeper for six months.

“The idea was to provide certainty in a time of radical uncertainty.”

“And the way you provide certainty is to make something simple, clear and not subject to change within a certain timeframe.”

We live in a failed system. Capitalism does not allow for an equitable flow of economic resources. With this system a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level.

Under the Coalitions “Need to know” philosophy, the ordinary punter cannot find out just who the beneficiaries of this enormous sum of money were.

The ABC reported at the time that:

“Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was alerted less than three months into JobKeeper that businesses were getting taxpayer support while increasing their turnovers.”

Such is their paranoia they won’t allow the tax office to disclose the names of the companies who benefited from Treasurer Frydenberg’s mistake. True, some have come clean and revealed what they got, but the majority have not. Were donors involved? We may never know.

Some have, in “the Australian way,” returned the money as a matter of conscience. The reader may recall that the programme’s cost was reduced by half when Treasury informed Frydenberg that they had made an error. The cost of the program has been nearly halved from $130 billion to about $70 billion.

Just why we aren’t allowed to know who the offending companies are is beyond me. Sometimes they act like a police state with all this lack of transparency and secrecy. These days it isn’t easy to find information under FOI.

The governments words and actions bring into question the very essence of the word truth. Or they have at least devalued it to the point of obsolescence.

Imagine how emboldened they will be if they win the next election.

With another win under their belts, one doesn’t need a vivid imagination to see how they would take it as a licence to rip the joint asunder. I dare not overthink about it lest I break out in a cold sweat.

The Coalition “must win 33 of the 48 seats on offer in WA and Queensland” to maintain the status quo.

Given the performance of what one can only describe as a corrupt, disgusting government, you might even be forgiven for thinking that Labor is in with a chance against this teflon-coated Coalition.

However, making it just a fraction easier has been the Prime Ministers erratic behaviour. It is disingenuous for the Australian Prime Minister to invoke patriotism and nationalism in defence of the accusation that he lied to France, and his shouty response is also noteworthy.

He is not my sort of leader, but for those who like to be led in his lecture come bossy style, it’s a winning one.

French President Macron branded him a liar, and he disowned some of our exporters with his misplaced diplomacy toward China. On top of that, the American President has called him clumsy, and in an Australian context, I would suggest he is a fool. He seeks permanency of power through his interpretation of righteousness.

His shouty response to accusations is also noteworthy, and never in my eighty years has an Australian Prime Minister leaked against an international leader.

The next poll will determine just what the people think of his brand of diplomacy.

My thought for the day

One of the oddities of political polling is trying to understand how 48% to 50% of the voting public would willingly return a party that has governed so abysmally.

 

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22 comments

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  1. Phil Pryor

    The P M , a Mr. Desperate-Bummboy, has contrived a career out of utter failure, entrenched laziness, most dodgy qualifications, devious jobbed in work, backroom fellatio friendly fomentations, and a healthy (hah) disregard for any shred of honesty, decency, even legality. Knowing one has to be discovered, accused, tried, proven in our systems, he has ignored all correct ways, legalisms. openness, to push, barge, blitz, bullshit, bombast and bluff ahead. We have never ever had a more filthy, smeared, soiled inner personality, obviously deficient and “sick” in high public office. It would be best, actually, for conservative forces to out this shittery, get rid of the Joyce and Morrison types, poxes of political posturing that have brought us shame, disgrace, hatred world wide. That includes the plague of merde Dog mischief making maggoty mongrel scribblers and gossip givers who shrivel tiny minds to oblivion. This farce just STINKS.

  2. Terence Mills

    John,

    They want this to go away : it was probably the biggest blunder in public administration in recent history, giving money to businesses that didn’t need it and who in some cases had fraudulently suggested that their revenues had been or were going to be adversely affected by COVID. But Frydenberg compounded the problem by then stubbornly digging in when it was suggested that they get the money back. They have to be called to account !

    John Hewson has an interesting article in The Saturday Paper pointing to Morrison’s use of slogans and announcements rather than policy and action – can anybody point to any achievements that Slomo and his team has brought about since coming to office ?

    His constant slogans are annoying to the point of being nauseating – remember Jobs ‘n’ Growth and Technology Not Taxes and then we have The Australian Way which he took to Glasgow and which basically comes down to business as usual.

    He left Glasgow having refused to limit the development of new coal mines in Australia or new coalfired power stations or limiting coal exports or limits on methane emissions or even a moratorium on land clearing. In some ways the spat with the French gave Morrison cover for not having anything to offer the planet or COP26.

    Sad to say that with all that has been going on Labor have been missing in action – is that their fault, are they just happy to be in opposition or are the media blocking them ?

    Whilst on Labor. On Alan Jone’s final night on SKY – there is a God and she heard us – Tanya Plibersek took him to task when he spouted poorly researched data (as usual) on voter integrity and alleged that numerous people had been charged with multiple voting offences after the last election. He was as usual wrong and Plibersek let him know that, indeed, there had been investigations by the AEC which resulted in only two prosecutions – Jones quickly moved on.

    Albo may have to consider his position before the end of this year……………………what do you think ?

  3. Bronte ALLAN

    The litany of lies & untruths etc from ALL of this COALition is beyond a joke, it is disgusting! As for all the policies this fucker has introduced, where are they? IF they get reelected I shudder to think just how bad things will get in our once proud nation. I thought the rabbit or perhaps the coward were our worst PM’s, but Slo Mo is far & away the WORST PM I have experienced in my lifetime, & that includes dickheads like Menzies & Fraser! As for Labor, have they all gone to sleep? Hawke or Keating would nave been almost hoarse in their shoutings about just how bad is this lying toe rag Slo Mo! Great article, as usual Mr Lord & the comments from Phil Pryor are just as good! Well done!

  4. Henry Rodrigues

    Terence M, Bronte A….. I am just as mystified as to why Albo is not making bigger waves when all he needs to do is to keep banging on about Scummo’s performance, especially in last few months. There is so much to shout and jump up and down about, but Albo seems to prefer the ‘nice guy’ ‘reasonable chap’ approach.

    Nice guys always finish last. Hasn’t Albo learned that lesson yet ?

  5. wam

    Your recurring ‘thought’ shows a lack of it, lord. The justification is ‘money is no object’ that fact led the greedy pollies down the path to pork barrelling (currently at plague proportions) which, with ostentatious marketing, has sidelined any of your objections. When we add the fact that, despite the lying rodent, the inept rabbott, the disappointing copperman and scummo, labor has won only a single election this century and that was by a high profile religious lemon. Abyssmall governance, climate denial, vaccination problems, outrageous lies and rorts are not considered as bad enough to vote labor? Sans albo attacking, scummo is on track for another victory
    ps
    scummo on climate dollars combatting china he really is a f u c k w i t but glasgow has closed with his australian way taljk bullshit that sounds good.

  6. Kerri

    So Frydenberg’s attitude is that the operation was a success even thought the patient died?
    Added to the blatant favouritism of Frydenberg and Morrison i their rush to claw back overpayments to people who aren’t multimillionaires.

  7. Gangey1959

    ” How can they justify that ? ”
    They dont have to. The books will be “balanced” with the proceeds of robberdebt, indue, and cuts to welfare and public health and services. And maybe a slight increase in the gst AFTER the next election.

  8. Harry Lime

    I second, third fourth and fifth what Phil Pryor said.If people don’t know by now that the Liar is a 10 star C*&% T,they never will.

  9. GL

    Kerri,

    Of course it was a success, they threw billions of tax payer dollars at their corporate donors (a fair chunk of which will be brown enveloped back to them) and made them happy. Even happier when they found out they won’t have to pay any of it back. Corruption “R” Us at it’s finest.

  10. BB

    How can the L/NP justify giving money away? Because $38 million is basically small change! Blatant or not!

    The list is endless of how much money, err “grants”, is given away, not to mention brown paper bags under the table!
    It’s a rorting snorting time for this government, after all it’s OPM, (other people’s money), taxpayers, the L/NP don’t give a rats!

    The way to win seats now is to just bring out the pork barrels… Everybody is doing it said Gladys.. It’s the Unaustralian Way!
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/26/berejiklian-admits-140m-grant-scheme-was-pork-barrelling-as-approval-documents-revealed

    Morrison’s Hillsong mate given $42m in grants


    https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-politics-building-better-regions-fund-accused-of-favouring-marginal-seats/600145de-3e16-4f49-9967-e6baa95a018b
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/30/malcolm-turnbull-present-when-443-million-dollars-offered-to-small-group-without-tender-inquiry-hears
    https://chaser.com.au/national/an-exhaustive-list-of-the-liberal-partys-corruption-over-the-last-7-years/

    Australia needs a Federal ICAC Now with teeth. If you haven’t already check FIN out.
    https://www.federalicacnow.org/

  11. David Stakes

    Got to admit I am amazed at what they are getting away with. Our MSM only prosecutes Labor.

  12. Terence Mills

    BB

    We’re talking about $38 Billion in Jobkeeper not million

  13. Michael Taylor

    Terry, even if it was ‘just’ $38 million – can you imagine the uproar from the mainstream media if it were Labor?

  14. wam

    michael
    “…the uproar from the mainstream media if it were Labor?”
    Much of the up roaring stems from the efforts of the opposition in giving the controversy to sunrise and today.
    little billy and torpid tanya did little stirring about the rabbott and the copperman from 2013 to 2019 and albo effall since scummo’s miracle?

  15. BB

    Terence Mills, well spotted…
    Woops, ha ha ha… 🙃. Time for another set of matchsticks and extra strong black coffee… 😁

    FFS, that just makes what I was saying billions of times worse, a huge understatement on my part.
    So, hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions, the L/NP don’t care, it’s all OPM to them, they’ll give away as much to their mates as they can before they get kicked out of government… The moola is gone, stashed away in the Caymans, etc..
    By the time all their largesse is added up over the last 8 years it’s probably over the moon.. Does anybody know the real figure?

  16. ajogrady

    Once you strip away the blatant ingrained insidious and treasonous corruption, the obvious and absolutely consistent poor judgement, the culpable and dangerous incompetence, the deception and the distortion, the crippling of living standards, the devious and unfettered betrayal of Australias sovereignty, the shambolic and totally inept governance standards plus being a constant and continuous impediment to Australia and Australians reaching their true potential what does the L/NP actually stand for? What is left? What is left is a snide, sneering, sniping, selfish, smug and contemptuous ideology that nurtures, coddles and promotes corrupt to the core thugs, swindlers, chiselers, fraudsters, shysters and con artists, pathetic debauched degenerates and perverted misogynistic misfits, pseudo Christian cult wack jobs, fanatical religious lunatics, QAnon advocates, cowardly saber rattling war mongering hawks, sadistic and selfish economic vandals, problamatic climate skeptic fundamentalists, sadistic environment saboteurs, drunken lecherous fornecaters plus egotistical born to rule privilaged sociopaths and psychopaths that are devoid of standards, principles, values, morals, ethics, honesty, and basic empathy always rorting, fiddling, fudging, obfuscating and basically out and out blatant lying while being protected by a maliciously biased, pathetic sycophantic and delusional media.
    Influenced by professional predatory lobbyists and directed by crooked callous conservative think tanks whose shadowy underbelly of criminality makes Ned Kelly look like a gentleman. The L/NP not only do not represent most Australians but do not respect them.
    The L/NP have managed to create a massive trust deficit not only domestically but internationally that has left Australias once good reputation in tatters and Australia is now bordering on pariah state status. Diplomacy, critical thinking and cause and effect are foreign concepts to the L/NP. These failings will have or result in dire consequences and outcomes for Australia and Australians. The L/NP not only rewards lethargic sneaks, cheats and sly back stabbers but consider mediocrity as their gold standard.
    The L/NP are an insult to equitable governance and egalitarian rule. The L/NP are not fit to hold any public office in a functioning, vibrant nation and a cohesive humane society .

  17. GL

    I think we’re all pretty much agreed on the fact the current LNP is the most blatantly corrupt, greed driven, power grabbing, and corporate lackey parasites this country has seen in, dare I say, decades. Will we see them out of power at the next election? If I’m going to be honest, then the answer is no.

    I would be overjoyed if the sheep woke up and voted them out but…

  18. BB

    Aye GL.

    It’s a total disgrace the amount of money it supposedly costs to keep 1 refugee in limbo on Nauru for 1 day. $15,000.00

    Typical of a complicit MSM to keep this scandal as quiet as possible, swept under the carpet in PM Morrison’s office of shame.

    By August 2021, the number of asylum seekers and refugees held on the island had fallen nearly tenfold, but the costs of running the offshore program remained broadly static. In that month, there were 107 refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru at a cost to taxpayers of $464,486 a month for each person, or more than $15,000 a day.

    So, OVER 2 DAYS, it costs over $30,000.00, (that’s 48 hours), to make one refugee’s life intolerable without hope.
    IT’S A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF MONEY!

    I’m now on the aged pension and for a whole year I get the “grand” amount of $25,638.00, whoopee do, I should be grateful!
    Amounts to just under $70.00 a day, to pay for all my living expenses, food, rent, medical, etc etc, after a life time of paying taxes…
    As a Senior Citizen I’m entitled to say I’ve paid my dues eh, and deserve some quality time eh, but I have to watch my budget…
    It’s hard to manage to have any quality of life, say a domestic holiday on my pension, and overseas is a pipe dream!

    (An unemployed person gets $40 a day)… I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on $40 a day. Poverty.

    The PM gets $1506 A DAY so he can piss off on holidays when the going gets tough, and insult world leaders!!! FFS!

    So, $15,000.00 A DAY to keep an innocent refugee locked up, basically in a cage, for years with little hope of a decent life.

    Wake up folks please.. Put the L/NP LAST at the next Federal elections!

  19. BB

    PS…

    The PM gets $1506.00 A DAY.

    That’s just his wage, doesn’t take into account all the perks, bonuses, gifts, largesse and extras he gets everyday as well.
    Nope, $1506.00 is what he gets to stash away every single day in his off shore tax free Caymans bank account….!!!

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