Tony Abbott: a man whose words mean nothing
From the moment Tony Abbott emerged as a possible leader of this country the mainstream media went silent on his inability to keep his word. Instead, they echoed his claims ad nauseum that his opponent for most of that time, Julia Gillard, was a person who could not keep hers.
Her promise that “There will be no Carbon Tax in a government I lead” was upheld, yet it was distorted to present her as a dishonest politician. While all the time, Tony Abbott flip-flopped his way through the political landscape with verbal twists and turns and counter statement after counter statement.
They were repeatedly overlooked by the old media.
It appears they still are. But not in the independent media. The old media were happy to announce yesterday, without question, that:
Tony Abbott has put investment and free trade at the centre of the Coalition’s agenda to reignite economic growth by warning that other countries would “build walls against us” if the nation cracked down on foreign capital.
I say ‘without question’ because it was an announcement that blatantly contradicts everything Tony Abbott stood against when in Opposition and planning the ascension of his party. The article continued with:
In a news conference to announce his government frontbench, Mr Abbott said: “I want people here and abroad to understand that Australia welcomes foreign investment. It’s got to be the right foreign investment, which is in our national interest, but one thing we can’t do is build walls against the world.”
Without hesitation, they believed him. But only because they offer no scrutiny. They ignore that in August last year in their own discussion paper:
. . . the Coalition proposes the sale of farmland and agribusinesses be examined particularly closely, suggesting the Foreign Investment Review Board scrutinise all foreign acquisitions of agricultural land valued at over $15 million. The current threshold is $244 million.
As an aside, the wording in the ‘supportive’ Murdoch media at the time was a bit misleading. See if you can spot the difference.
. . . the release of a Coalition discussion paper that suggests slashing the foreign investment threshold to $53 million from $244 million for offshore buyers wanting to acquire agricultural assets.
Maybe the Murdoch media needed to leave out a ‘minor’ detail in order to sell the proposal, which, incidentally, will save the country from the great ruin the Gillard Government has deviously planned for us. Please try not to laugh at this from the above link:
South Australia’s food supplies will be increasingly at risk unless Julia Gillard adopts the Opposition’s new measures on the sale of farms to foreign investors, farmers warn.
Yes, the sky was going to fall in.
Yet most people think the sky was going to fall in on this proposal. Take, for example, the views of David Farley, the chief executive of Australian Agricultural Company:
“The Coalition partners, the Nationals, should actually study agriculture a bit more closely and understand what is needed to develop the industry in Australia.
“I am concerned that it is shouting out a xenophobic view rather than an informed view about what is best for the local industry,” Mr Farley said.
Mr Farley said there were was “plenty” of capital available to invest in Australian Agriculture, both through the trillion dollar domestic superannuation system and foreign investors.
“There are already enough hurdles to agricultural development in Australia, why put further barriers in place?
“If the pathways for Australian capital into agriculture are not attractive enough we definitely need to make sure that it is for international investors.”
Mr Farley said that as a major agricultural producer Australia had “big job to do’ over the next 20 years to meet the food needs of a global population tipped to reach nine billion people.
It did appear to be policy on the run. Populist policy at that. Just another thought bubble policy. A policy so bad that not even Joe Hockey could defend it, let alone explain it.
As at 2010 foreign ownership of agricultural land in Australia was a mere 6 per cent. If the Gillard Government didn’t do anything about this then the good folk of South Australia would have suffered from the effects of malnutrition and possibly scurvy. First only Whyalla was at risk. Then it was the whole state.
And all along the Coalition had been predicting that the Mining Resources Tax (MRT) would deter foreign investment in Australia. And isn’t it a surprise to learn that the mining industry in Australia is 83 per cent foreign owned?
What isn’t surprising is the Opposition’s hypocrisy.
On the run, they were producing policies that were promoted with the prediction that the country will be ruined if foreign ownership isn’t controlled, yet they opposed Government policies that they predicted – unfounded – that will deter foreign ownership.
Now we read that Tony Abbott wants to attract foreign investment.
I’m sorry, but hypocrites and policies don’t marry up too well.
This latest announcement simply reinforces that Tony Abbott is a man whose words mean nothing. He could possibly be offering this new policy with honesty and sincerity and if he is, it means that everything he said about this issue in the past was, in a word, bullshit.
Why can’t journalists in the mainstream media pick up on these obvious contradictions? Or better still, expose him as a liar?
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22 comments
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mrharmony60 -
diannaart -
CMMC -
Wen -
Down with Abbott! -
Brian -
Bacchus -
Michael Taylor -
Bacchus -
John -
archiearchive FCD -
Ana Milosevic -
Ana Milosevic -
kayelee1 -
diannaart -
Fed up -
Fed up -
Carol Taylor -
Carol Taylor -
Vanessa Elliot -
doctorrob54 -
richo
Return to home pageit beggars belief. where to start? So Bronwyn Bishop will “restore dignity” to the Parliament? Sorely needed. In the last term we had MP’s standing in front of placards about PM Gillard that read “Ditch The Witch”. We had MP’s running from the chamber to avoid a vote. We had abuse of process when the standing orders were suspended nearly every day as a political stunt to foster the impression of constant chaos. We had the bipartisan convention of “pairing” dumped in order for political gain. Oh hang on, ALL THOSE shameful stunts were pulled by the Coalition. It’s a bit like turning up with a hose to the house you’ve set on fire. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
The Libs love rewriting history.
“Why can’t journalists in the mainstream media pick up on these obvious contradictions? Or better still, expose him as a liar?”
For the same reason they did not pick up on obvious contradictions when Labor was in power.
Keeping the bastards honest is up to we, the people now.
Dutton and Corbin in the ministry, is there a greek word to denote “government of dumbclucks”?
“Idiocracy?”
Every time any member of the LNP have spoken since the election has been an astounding act of hypocrisy. The lack of self reflection and responsibility is jaw dropping, good old Bronwyn bringing dignity back to parliament? Are you kidding me? Did we dream all that revolting behaviour?
It seems they have all been to confession, confessed the sins, said the Hail Marys, all is forgiven. Now they are the sainted ones, nothing short of sickening and very very disturbing.
i think we have to stop pondering why the MSM doesn’t do it and work out ways we can show Australia the Emperor has no Cloths on!
Bronwyn Bishop restoring dignity to the parliament? The bloody arsonist running the fire brigade!
Labor needs to be getting into the ears of the Canberra press gallery at every possible opportunity, pointing out all of Abbott’s meaningless words, highlighting every backflip.
Just for a change, I’d really love to hear, “the opposition says” on the news every night 😉
You’re kidding aren’t you, Bacchus. The ABC won’t let them get a word in. 🙁
Really just a bit of wishful thinking Michael; pining for the last 6 years of “the opposition says” from their ABC… Would be good though 😀
What will be interesting is if a deal is confirmed by an Abbott and a Bishop conclude with Indonesia for its proposed 1 million(?) hectare cattle ranch and the Liberals turn back the boats agenda
@newscomauHQ has reported our new PM as saying “We hope to be judged by what we have done, rather than what we said we would do”. Now try to unpack the hypocricy in THAt comment!
CMMC has it correct. “Idiocracy”
Australia will be on the MAP for all the WRONG reasons, all because of BACKWARD PEOPLE IN POWER.
“IDIOCRACY” by “MURDOCRACY”
Tony and Joe waffled on ad nauseum about the sovereign risk posed by the carbon and mining taxes. They continued with this line even though we were awarded AAA credit rating from three agencies. And it wasn’t just them who thinks we are doing well.
Earlier this year, months after the mining tax, the carbon tax and Labor’s fourth successive budget deficit Australia was rewarded with an upgrade by the world’s biggest fund manager. Blackrock is one of the world’s most important buyers of governments bonds, investing $US3.7 trillion worldwide. It says Australia’s carbon tax and the mining tax have had at most a “marginal” impact on perceptions of country risk.
Its new sovereign risk update ranks Australian government bonds as the world’s seventh least risky, up from the tenth least risky three months ago. No other nation has jumped three places in the latest survey.
The finding is at odds with a claim by the Coalition’s Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey in August that Labor was “adversely impacting Australia’s sovereign risk profile”.
BlackRock’s Australian head of fixed income Steve Miller said Australia’s position was “exceedingly strong” and strengthening.
“The plain fact is, compared to the rest of the world – and this is what we are doing – Australia’s public debt position is very, very strong. Whether you are looking at budget balance or public debt to gross domestic product, whichever way we look at it Australia comes out exceedingly strong.”
“All other things being equal this and the things that brought it about will put further downward pressure on bond yields,” said Mr Miller referring to interest rate Australia needs to pay to borrow money. Mr Miller said it would also make it easier for Australian state governments to borrow money…
“The impact of the mining tax and the carbon tax would be marginal,” said Mr Miller. “We look at ability to pay and willingness to pay. Australia’s budget position has improved. It has never defaulted. It has low debt by international standards.”
“I don’t think bond markets would be that rankled by the difference between a surplus of 0.1 pc of GDP or a deficit of 0.1 per cent,” he said. “I don’t it would have a material impact on Australia’s ranking.”
Kayelee1
Another example of factual information we won’t be seeing on the MSM any time soon.
Just thinking, how old is Rupert now?
Brian, you better hide the kerosene.
Red tape. Green tape.
Just shorthand for removing rules and regulation protections.
Why do I get a feeling of impending doom when I read that,
So Tony wants to be in charge of women, Aborigines and TSI peoples, national security (boat people), state governments. I get a feeling that Abbott threw in state governments for good measure or else it would seem to be a list of Tony’s *pet hates*.
Kaylee, not once has Tony or old Joe ever put forward a half way credible argument as to why the mega miners *who are close to 90% overseas owned* should not pay for the privilege of taking our national resources and making a motza for themselves while they’re in the process.
Once upon a time, and not all that long ago Australia felt it a privilege if foreign investors helped “develop” poor little Australia, a land of sweeping plains, Fosters lager, footy, sheep and not much else. We should be grateful that these mega mighty elite foreigners might deign to take an interest in us, and not only but also might *gasp* actually spend money by helping us develop, which it seems Australia is completely incapable of doing. That time is in the past, Australians deserve a share.
I wish we could all just boycott the Murdoch media to send a message that we are sick of their propaganda and media monopoly, but judging by the amount of votes Tony got there wouldn’t be too many of us 🙁 I pray for Australia and all the people who WILL be completely ruined by this joke of a government
Now I’m getting depressed again,it is not fair we should have to suffer this colostomy bag because so many retards get to vote.In a true democracy the media should be made to report the truth and if not be held to account.Not to be able or permitted to print lies and report it as fact.
Saw something toda …30,000 votes could see Abbott gone. Now would that be nice.