The Truth Trashers
A tortuous travail through a tangled web of tall tales.
The three stooges ABBOTT, HOCKEY, AND CORMAN: “Labor left a debt of $667 billion and deficits as far as the eye could see”
When the Abbott Government came to power in September 2013, the situation was:
$270 billion in Commonwealth securities on issue (gross debt).
Net debt in 2013-14 was estimated to be $184.0 billion (11.7 per cent of GDP).
An underlying cash deficit of $30.1 billion (1.9 per cent of GDP) was estimated for 2013-14 with a return to budget surplus in 2016-17.
SOCIAL DISSERVICE MINISTER KEVIN ANDREWS: “With the population ageing at the rate that it is, we’ve got to ensure in the future that we’re able to sustain the welfare system, otherwise we’ll find ourselves in 10 or 15 years’ time in the situation that some of the countries in Europe are in.”
Australia currently has the fourth-lowest level of public pension spending of any OECD country and is projected by 2050 to have the third-lowest level of pension spending.
OECD data shows Australia is “relatively low in terms of social security and around average in the terms of spending on health”.
In 2013 Australia’s public spending on the age pension was 3.5 per cent of GDP. Many European countries spend a significantly higher percentage on age pensions. Italy spends 15 per cent of GDP, France 14 per cent, Belgium 10 per cent, Sweden 8 per cent and the United Kingdom 6 per cent.
The 2010 Intergenerational Report says government spending on pensions and income support payments in 2009-10 was 6.9 per cent of GDP. It predicts that there will be minor fluctuations and it will still be 6.9 per cent in 2049-50.
The report says Australia is facing an increase in age-related spending by 2050, but more in health and aged care services than in welfare payments. Over the same period, spending on other welfare programs – unemployment benefits, widow pensions, parenting payments, carer payments and study allowances – is expected to fall.
MINISTER FOR STEALTH PETER DUTTON: “The threshold question is whether people want the health system of today strengthened for tomorrow, because at the moment the health system is heading to a point where it will become unmanageable.”
As a percentage of GDP, Australian government spending on health is the tenth lowest of the 33 countries in the OECD database and the lowest among wealthy countries.
The 8.3% of GDP spent by the US government, for instance, is higher than the 6.4% spent by the Commonwealth and state governments in Australia.
Australia’s total health expenditure, government plus private, is about 9.5% of GDP; the United States spends 17.7%.
The RAND Health Insurance Experiment showed that co-payments led to a minimal reduction in demand for services with the effect falling disproportionately on low-income groups.
ASSISTANT TO THE GRUB SUSSAN LEY: “Unlike Labor, the Coalition is genuinely committed to delivering better education opportunities and working conditions in the childcare and early learning sector.”
One of the first things the Abbott government did on taking office was to axe Labor’s $300 million fund to improve the quality of child care education. It also decided to fight a wage claim by child care sector workers in the Fair Work Commission.
The government plans to save nearly a billion dollars by freezing the thresholds at which child care rebates and benefits are paid. This means that as child care costs rise, government subsidies will stay at 2013 levels which will hurt lower-income families the most.
By 2016-17, industry group Early Childhood Australia estimates low- and middle-income families paying for child care will be thousands of dollars a year worse off.
TONY ‘CLIMATE CHANGE IS CRAP’ ABBOTT: “Just as the carbon tax is massively boosting power prices, the renewable energy targets are also having an impact on prices — not as great, but still not insignificant. We do need to do everything that is reasonably within our power … to bring power prices down.”
The federal government’s case to scrap or weaken the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has been dealt a blow, with modelling it commissioned for the review showing consumers will be better off if the target is kept.
ACIL Allen, the firm hired by the government’s handpicked panel reviewing the target, has presented preliminary figures showing household bills will be higher in the years to 2020 but after that they will start to fall and consumers will be better off by an average $56 a year from 2021 and $91 a year from 2030.
Extending the goal to sourcing 30 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 has even larger savings in the 2021-2030 period, averaging $109 a year, more than offsetting an initial $47 increase from 2015-2020.
The repeal case is the most expensive, and the one with the most renewables deployed – the RET target of 30 per cent by 2030 – ends ups being the cheapest for consumers.
TONY ‘WHO NEEDS SCIENCE’ ABBOTT: “It is only through sustained investment that we can retain our scientific talent, generate health discoveries and fully reap the benefits of health and medical research.”
Many CSIRO programs will be lost as a result of the $111 million in cuts and staff reductions of about 800, including research into neuroscience and colorectal cancer, water safety and advanced manufacturing.
The Government will reduce the Research Training Scheme (RTS) funding from 1 January 2016 and allow higher education providers to introduce student contributions for students undertaking higher degrees by research (HDR), including doctoral and masters degrees.
The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program will be cut by $80 million over the forward estimates.
Savings of $1 billion over five years from 2013‑14 are expected to be achieved from ceasing ten existing skills and training programmes.
To be fair, Tony occasionally gets it right, even if his timing is slightly out:
“We have to choose a new government: a new government with a positive plan to restore the hope, reward and opportunity that should be your birth right”.
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Return to home pageIt amazes me that no matter how many facts present this Government as diabolical, they still determine their mad narrative and it is being treated as real by mainstream media.
It gives one living in Australia greater empathy for those other basket case countries who have lived under tyranny and a rusted on ideology.
This is where we are as a country. Australia is positioning itself as the arrow head of climate denial. We are losing our humanity by the way we are forced to view those who are fleeing war. We are encouraged to turn on each other. Attack the young, the old and the vulnerable and tell them to lift for our destitute country. Allow Westfield to pay 8% tax and the family trust of Lowy & Sons to pay no tax for many years says it all.
I am so angry at what these mad people are doing to our country. I am 49 years old. My less ancient wife and I have two beautiful kids. 6 & 3. This is about them.
A Litany of Liberal Lies
It is not only the Feds, the States do it as well, they all look at taking money from the less fortunate and the community generally, watch community assets disappearing, I have only been monitoring the problems for 3 weeks, the amount of problems the community have got are unbelievable see https://www.google.com.au/#q=crownlandourland.org.au to get an idea of what is happening in NSW alone, they are telling lies and helping there mates get richer, talk about Mr Obeid, you have not seen anything yet, wait to they start on the Federal politicians.
I like facts presented thus, Kaye – statement followed by disassembly. Makes it easier for the blood-pressure to rise exponentially.
MR,
I could have kept going for volumes, listing and exposing the lies. I can accept people have different ideas about how to solve a problem. What I will NOT accept is people lying about non-existent problems as a justification for the dismantling of our society for their personal gain. This government did not do any modelling about the impacts of their decisions. For six years in Opposition they just sat there. Sure they wrote policies, they just did no research to back them up because they don’t really care how they will affect the general population or if they are feasible. They only care about maximising private profits and are willing to sell everything we own to their mates.
Thank you Kaye for your unrelenting pursuit of facts and detail to counter the lies and spin which we are subjected to in so much of the MSM.
I appreciate your meticulous research and the objective style in which you present your findings.
Eve,
I have to say that many of the facts came from online MSM, especially the abc and smh. That is another annoying aspect. The truth is out there but Murdoch and the shock jocks are yelling louder and it is no wonder that some people believe them when they hear those lies first from the Coalition politicians.
Kaye, thanks for another fine piece 😎 Love your work.
Cheers 😀
The world needs more Truth Seekers 😉
Kaye
Having just watched the final episode of FARGO I am starting to see this government as a bizarre sequel to a Coen Bros movie.
The scene: coalition parliamentarians whooping, slapping backs and group hugs as they rejoice the destruction of the carbon pricing mechanism and deny that the world is moving towards emissions trading.
The scene changes: an asylum seeker boat looms on the horizon from Christmas Island, onboard 153 Tamil asylum seekers including 37 children ; Scott Morrison ranting, demands that they be returned to Indonesia.
Customs and Navy officials point out that they came from India not Indonesia: there is a difference.
Is this want you wanted Tony, really ?
Watch this space
Speaking of the truth….
I just got a letter dated 25 June from AGL informing me that electricity rates will go up from 1 July 2014. Supply charge is going up by over 8c a day, peak consumption is going up by 1.309c/kWh with similar rises for other usage periods.
Nice trick guys. Put prices up so you can “put them down” now that the carbon tax is being repealed though I won’t hold my breath for the “down” movement.
Excellent work there, Kaye, however, without references to both the statements from coalition of the Abbottoir and the truth, I do not feel I can link this to other publications.
I’d be careful quoting anything from the Intergenerational Report, Kay Lee..
Another Intergenerational Report – Another Waste of Time
This one of Bill Mitchell’s best articles.
The essence of his criticism is that it is nonsense to address the issue of rising dependency ratios from a money point of view (taxes) because the government has no financial constraints.
The defining issue will be real resources, real meaning hospitals, nurses, doctors, infrastructure etc.
Research will be critical. Underpinning research is an educated population.
This government’s obsession with “fiscal responsibility” and the austerity measures it wants to impose on us is going in exactly the wrong direction, totally “arse about”.
dianna,
Links now inserted 🙂
John, I agree with you but the more information we get out there the better. I doubt we will be able to convince everyone immediately of the truth of what you guys have been teaching us all – we must allay people’s unnecessary fears by every means we can.
Thank you so much. Your work deserves the foundation of citing original source.
🙂
Interesting little article from an historical standpoint:
Murdoch editors told to ‘kill Whitlam’ in 1975
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/murdoch-editors-told-to-kill-whitlam-in-1975-20140627-zson7.html#ixzz35t22tI4l
Always thought the rumours had the ring of truth.
Dianna,
As I have said many times, I am just collating the work of others. I get bits and pieces from all over the place and put them together in the hope that it can save people time in viewing the overall picture. I learn from all of you.
Kaye, as you are, a Truth seeker yourself! 🙂 Keep up the great work 😎
Cheers 😀
Sadly lies are the truth for pragmatists. Horror is the rabbott’s end is worse than his means!!!!!!!!!!
I doubt we will be able to convince everyone immediately of the truth of what you guys have been teaching us all – we must allay people’s unnecessary fears by every means we can.
Yes, it’s going to be hard Kaye Lee, the “self-evident truths” (that is, the myths) are so deeply ingrained.
That’s why writers like yourself will have to be alert to innocently helping perpetuate these myths in your contributions.
To be fair, in this article you were smacking down these dills, Andrews and Dutton, with hard facts, and you did it beautifully.
I would’ve fallen flat on my back if you’d also mentioned that the restraints weren’t financial but real !
I’m realistic enough to realise it’s going to take time for people to take on these MMT insights as they are so counter-intuitive, but if it’s going to happen, it’s going to have to come from the Left even though the insights themselves are purely descriptive and therefore apolitical.
The Right has no interest in dispelling these myths as they serve the Right’s innate, and ruthless, dedication to self-interest.
CancelWhile once a week publications likeThe Saturday Paper cannot hope to smother the constant stream of lies emanating from News Corpse at least its journalists can usually be believed.
Writers like Mike Seccombe, Sophie Morris and Hamish McDonald give me a bit of hope that some of the Media still tell the truth.
Kaye Lee:
Funny you should mention that. A few days ago, a workmate… an unwavering LNP supporter… was complaining about that same notice from AGL.
When I tried to explain that carbon pricing was responsible for only a miniscule proportion of electricity price rises in recent years… I got NO response. Somehow that fact didn’t matter. It was still all Labor’s fault.
Cognitive dissonance isn’t an issue for him and those like him. They feel no discomfort from trying to reconcile two conflicting thoughts… Anything that is inconsistent with their beliefs is simply dismissed.
John,
I will do my best to adjust my language. In the mean time, it doesn’t hurt to shine a light on the credibility, or the lack thereof, of the current government. Truth on its own does us no good unless we have a government willing to act on it. Under our current system that means getting the Coalition voted out because, as you so rightly point out, convincing them would be impossible. I want people to understand that NOTHING this government says can be trusted.
Warn moir, real “Truth Seekers” may not always find “The Truth”, or the complete “Truth”, but are open enough to keep looking. They do not stop at the most convenient lie and then try to convince themselves of the “truth” in that lie, so as to justify a “Pragmatic” approach. 😯
Having said that, a pragmatist can legitimately use “The Truth” to justify their pragmatism, so although you may well be right in specific cases, as a Truth Seeker and part time pragmatist myself, I could defend that position, and argue that that’s not a fair generalisation 😉 But In reality I don’t know that it would matter… so I won’t! 😛
But you are dead right that Abbott’s end is even worse than his means 😉
Cheers 😀
Indeed Truthy
A situation where the destination is worse than the journey.
What really scares me, is each time the LNP get to govern, Australia has been pushed a little further to the right – even the most socially and environmentally aware government of the future will have difficulty regaining equability for all.
Premised on the number of people in the current government who are proven to be arseholes, one wonders (or perhaps hopes) whether the reduction in the number of colo-rectal cancer researchers may not come back to bite them in the arse.
One lives in hope.
Dianna,
It’s analogous to messing around with recreational drugs. Each episode of an altered state of consciousness changes the brain incrementally and there is no going back to the previous state. It shifts the state of one’s consciousness over time, and because it’s incremental we’re often unable to perceive the changes. Every time we indulge in the recreational drug of conservatism it changes us that little bit.
This particular indulgence may prove to be different, however, in that the change will be significant. Hopefully it’ll be a scary enough “trip” to wake us up to the folly of such experimentation.
Great article . Thank you .As I understand it , the Howard government left a surplus of $5 billion having sold $6.1 billion worth of our assets. I am unable to find what construction they achieved. Perhaps you could check these facts for me.
More wonderful material from Kaye Lee answering the Coalition of the Lying with the truth that’s already in the public domain but not separated (as Kaye Lee has done) from the avalanche of lies. It’s up to the rest of us to spread the word. How? My method is one or two organisations like Economic Reform Australia and On Line Opinion and Crikey (the last of which mass impoverishment mislabelled “austerity” will force me to jettison in the coming year) plus a personal mailing list. Not as effective as letterboxing but better suited to the old and decrepit.
From feedback and my own experience as an age pensioner I sense that many pensioners, having not yet directly felt the liars’ hit on age pensions, imagine that it’s not so bad really. Not like the hit on the unemployed or on carers for example. This apparent postponement will end with the next rate notice or water bill or power bill or vehicle rego account or bus ride. The liars have savagely slashed the remittances to the States which in turn have to switch off the Seniors’ subsidies the Commonwealth used to fund directly or via the State. The aim is to force the public to accept an increase in the GST (theft tax) so that (once more) the many will pay more so that the few can pay less. Can anyone remember why the GST was introduced in the first place? It was brought in to fund a 16 1/2 per cent cut in the corporate tax rate.
Keep at it Ms Lee – you’re doing wonders!
Once again Kaye Lee a very precise and well researched article with a wealth of facts.
Thanks.
In regard to childcare – we need well paid and qualified people. There is some truth in the idea that “you only get what you pay for”. Our child care workers need access quality training and to be paid commensurately. They have the care of our most important resource, children, at the most impressionable time of their lives.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-22/mums-losing-up-to-60pc-of-income-after-returning-to-work/5541598
This is the current situation for parents. I am sure most would prefer to keep the rebate and have well trained child care worker rather than the PPL scheme.
Cath,
Your figures are a bit out but your idea is correct about selling assets to pay off the debt.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1359493/the-truth-about-howards-inherited-debt/
The doors of perception have been closed more often than open throughout human history. Nonetheless, a slender beam of progress manages to escape – each time we teeter on the edge.
However, who is more want to die for their cause? Those who have nothing to lose or those who have everything?
My biggest fear, and I’ve articulated this before, is that in the lead up to the next Federal election the LNP cheerleaders, viz the Murdoch press and shock jocks, will be raving about the wonderful reforms of Tony et al and reminding all the moronic voters that Tones saved the economy. And this will be repeated ad nauseum. If Labor don’t start now to refute the lies about their budget legacy then in two years time it will be too late! If we underestimate the cunning of these buffoons, if we think they will be hoist by their own petard, if we think the electorate will not make the same mistake twice, then we will be as complicit as the MSM in helping these turds get re-elected. I am scared shitless!
Above comment meant in reply to Dan Rowden.
Having probs load post – had a far more eloquent reply – of course I would say that.
Mean while:
Tick, tick, tick, tick…
James, that is why I post the truth about the actual figures every chance I get. The Charter of Budget Honesty says that PEFO is the document to look to for comparisons when we decide how well Tony has done. Don’t let Hockey get away with his propaganda release otherwise known as MYEFO. We also must help spread the word that deficits and surpluses are irrelevant – just accounting terms that mean nothing to our everyday life.
That Labor hasn’t come out swinging on all this is part of the problem…
Thank you Kaye for a concise and precise piece of how the Stooges are muddying the waters of Truth.
Someone asked; What can we do to get these facts out.
I have a facebook page. My original one held my ‘real’ name and I was but a learner at social media. I invited all my friends and family. Whoa! What a mistake.
Now as Abbie I post only to political ‘friends’ who share our stories, worries and found facts on the LNP.
And so I link often posts in AIMN with Kaye Lee’s being the most along with John Lord ( a fb friend of mine).
I use it to disseminate information and to have a few personal rants on.
Hope that is ok with you Kaye as your links and facts need to be spread as far and wide and as quickly as possible.
Thank you.
abbie,
The whole point of me doing this is to help spread facts and offer suggestions. Please keep sharing both the facts and your wisdom.
Making facts available is an inarguably important thing to do, but we have to be a little bit careful of conflating the concepts of “fact” and “truth”. A fact may be inarguable within its context, or in and of itself, but not when introduced to a broader or different context. This is especially and frustratingly true in politics and economics. In neither context are most facts, truths. Depending on one’s socio-political and economic worldview and ideology, the same fact can be good or bad.
The only genuine “truths” are those that hold in any context, worldview, or universe, for that matter.
I’m a State abolitionist, but apparently not Tony:
Tony Abbott signals greater sovereignty for states to combat waste at Liberal Party meeting
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-28/states-need-greater-sovereignty-abbott-says/5557146
Just saw Pyne and Brandis going each other in the Liberal Party love in conference. Being reported on TV evening news.
We have always known there are fractions behind the scene and the so called solid Federal Liberal party is as much a myth as the Labor party one of the last government.
If the polls keep low or go down further you will see more fractures come to the public light.
Thanks Kaye Lee for your diligence and truth-seeking,
The pollies and the dinosaur media will act to push us to and fro – it may seem we are powerless. We need not despair or lose spirit, for policies never loved a single soul. The people drive the character of this nation – let’s love a little harder each day and celebrate our time. Our communities need our positivity.
respect
Dan Rowden:
I understand your argument, but….this obfuscation, diversion and fabrication from the LNP leadership MUST be addressed.
I think semantics can be discussed and argued here, but ‘out there’ the lies must be exposed as clearly and simply as possible and Kaye does that with back up links and video.
Enough of this bad thang called Abbott.
Returning sovereignty to the states is, as always with Abbott, code for cutting funding and creating state bureaucracies, duplication and inevitably increases costs. That may be the American model but it doesn’t mean it’s right.
The areas most likely to be impacted are, of course, health services and education : why are the conservatives so opposed to a national curriculum is it just because it was a Labor policy ?
Dan,
I am open to the idea of abolishing the states but I would be concerned that this would leave local governments at the mercy of the Feds. It may shift the balance of power towards Canberra and damage local government. I think I’d like to see Canberra’s influence curtailed in favour of locals who know local issues (like the Kooris’ model). What do you think ?
Cheers
And this one predictably megaphones “ICAC! (!!!)”
Or even better, “UICOIACAOKONS*”.
Greens, propose it again, and Labor support it.
Or Labor propose it and Greens support it.
PUP, Independents and any honest LNP, support it or propose it.
Don’t quibble too much, and shut out any filibustering gobflappers. Just vote and vote ethically for the people who elected you.
I, for one, am sick of the denominator of honesty, integrity and accountability in our society being lowered into levels of putrid filth by the people who are supposed to be entrusted with our governance and representation.
The only way to wring honesty out of persistent tellers of knowing untruths is to get them outside privilege and into a glaring spotlight, sweating under oath. Then their lies can be legally held to account.
*Universal Independent Commission Of Inquiry Against Corruption And Other Kinds Of Nefarious Shit.
Observe:
Commonwealth of Australia Act.
An Act to,
Constitute the Commonwealth of Australia {9th July 1900}
The Commonwealth of Australia, also known as the Parliament of the Commonwealth. 1601 Massachusetts Drive NW. c/o the Australian Embassy Washington DC.
Registered Company at the American Depositary Receipts Commission CIK (0000805157) SIC: 8880.
There is no such entity of the Parliament of Australia, and or Australian Government.
The coat of arms is the Lion and the Unicorn…not the Kangaroo and Emu.
Challenge any Government Department over any issue and they WILL scurry to their Lawyers.
Chapter 12 states.( Disqualification.) Part IV Both Houses of Parliament Section 44. Any person who—- (i ) Is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power ( Great Britain), or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power:
“The Commonwealth of Australia, also known as the Parliament of the Commonwealth. 1601 Massachusetts Drive NW. c/o the Australian Embassy Washington DC.
Registered Company at the American Depositary Receipts Commission CIK (0000805157) SIC: 8880.”
Facilitates the sale of Australian Government bonds in the United States of America. Either that or Australia is really a foreign company 😉
“There is no such entity of the Parliament of Australia”
Officially, the “Parliament of Australia” is “The Parliament of the Commonwealth” if you want to be pedantic about it.
“and or Australian Government.”
So who do all those people in Canberra work for?
“The coat of arms is the Lion and the Unicorn…not the Kangaroo and Emu.”
Okay, my turn to be pedantic. The kangaroo and the emu are on the coat of arms, they are not the coat of arms. Either way, it would certainly be news to our non-existant government.
https://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/coat_of_arms.html
“Challenge any Government Department over any issue and they WILL scurry to their Lawyers.”
Dear Medicare,
It would appear that you have an incorrect date of birth on my Medicare details…
Dear Sir,
The matter of your date of birth discrepancy is now in the hands of our legal department…
“Chapter 12 …”
Honestly, does this really need explaining?
thanks Kaye, it gives me hope each time I read your articles. I just share and share and share and hope that someone who doesn’t care starts to care.
Vilasini
In the luck of the draw with the allocated mandala/avatars, tough luck in scoring an abstract ‘swastika’.
Ah well, it’s a chance for you to reclaim the dignity of the ancient symbol of the ‘crooked cross’.
Sorry for the trivial irrelevance, but it is Sunsday morn. 😉