You don’t have to be dumb to be a Liberal but…ah stuff it, yes you do
Despite having repeatedly shown appalling judgement in her political career – mistakenly locking up Cornelia Rau and overturning deportation orders to grant Francesco Madafferi a visa for example – Amanda Vanstone is the go to girl to represent the “moderate” Liberals in the media.
As she blankets all news sources with her ABC radio program, her columns in the 9 newspapers, and regular TV panel appearances on the ABC and elsewhere, we are supposed to accept her as some sort of wise counsellor sharing her astute insights.
This is the woman who, as a member of Abbott’s National Commission of Audit, advised Hockey on the disastrous 2014 budget.
At the time, she said “We do have a long term budgetary problem and we need to fix it.”
Instead of tackling the unsustainable tax concessions introduced by her and her colleagues in the Howard government, Amanda’s approach to doing this was to slash the public service, privatise assets and outsource services, cut welfare payments, make people pay to see a GP, drastically increase the cost of getting a university education, and scale back government industry and innovation programs. Charities, NFPs and NGOs had their funding slashed.
So imagine my surprise on reading her headline in Sunday’s SMH, “Labor’s plans will hurt many people who aren’t rich at all.”
Now that’s rich coming from you Amanda.
Ms Vanstone goes on to bemoan the fate of these people “who aren’t rich at all” if Labor should win office.
Those people who are struggling on $90,000 a year, earning $23,000 more than the average wage, will apparently be slightly worse off under Labor’s plan.
“Prime Minister Scott Morrison understands they need a break. They’re working hard to get ahead and just need some support,” writes an anguished Amanda. “You make a fairer society by helping people move permanently up the ladder.”
Amanda argues that you do this by helping people who can save a bit of money to invest in a small rental property. If they can’t reduce their tax through negative gearing then “you leave gains in the property market as the exclusive privilege of those who are rich enough to pay nearly or all the purchase price.”
Okay. But what about the people who can’t “save a bit of money”? What about those that can’t even afford to rent a home for themselves let alone buy a “small rental property”? How do we help with their “upward mobility”?
Amanda then moves on to the excess franking credit policy saying Labor thinks everyone with shares is rich.
“They just seem to have no idea how many people on pensions or part pensions have a few shares.”
Amanda seems to have no idea that pensioners and part-pensioners are exempt from the change, and to be ineligible for a part-pension, one must have reasonable income and/or assets.
Not to be left out of the madness about electric vehicles, Amanda warns that Labor hasn’t told us who they are “going to hit”.
“Some might say the faster we move to electric vehicles the better. Not the people who have just bought a new non-electric car. Not the people who make a living selling petrol.”
I’m not sure what Amanda doesn’t understand about 50% and, as it was the Coalition’s expectation too, one would assume they felt the market could sort that out.
“If you’re thinking of voting Labor ask them, when government revenue from fuel excise drops dramatically, how will they make up the shortfall? There’s only two ways – you pay more tax or services are cut. It’s that simple.”
Oh Amanda, I think I would rather ask that question of the Coalition who, according to you, will have $387 billion less to “make up the shortfall”. What services will they cut?
And she rounds off with a cracker, telling us that many of the Labor team “don’t like or trust their own leader.”
“After all, his own team have seen him ruthlessly dispose of leaders.”
Short-term memory loss, Amanda?
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
27 comments
Login here Register here-
New England Cocky
-
HumeAndTwain
-
Kaye Lee
-
Ken
-
Peter F
-
Kronomex
-
Deidre Zanker
-
Waylon Sharpe
-
Jane Rayner
-
Kaye Lee
-
Michael Taylor
-
Henry Rodrigues
-
New England Cocky
-
andy56
-
John Ocallaghan
-
Alphonse
-
Dora Jahnes
-
Kaye Lee
-
Mick Tet
-
calyptorhynchus
-
Lambert Simnel
-
Phil
-
Zathras
-
skeeper abberton
-
Kaye Lee
-
Diannaart
-
Tom Falkingham
Return to home pageOops!!! ….. silly me!!! My parents always said that fuel excise was taken by government to provide better roads and infrastructure associated with roads, and now it appears the Liarbrals have commandeered fuel excise to be part of general revenue to be spent as free gifts and unwarranted tax deductions to the undeserving wealthy and corporates. Now why would that be a suitable policy for an unemployed worker starving in metropolitan slums while “participating in” the New Start programme???
Then there remains the double taxation of fuel excise and GST paid on fuel purchases which I was led to believe was unconstitutional. What was it … something about Federal taxes and legislation taking precedence over state taxes and legislation?
Perhaps I was poorly advised that fuel used off-road by foreign owned multinational mining corporations should generate a tax rebate because they provide less than 2% of the work force and are developing robotic truck driving systems to ensure that these employment opportunities are further reduced.
Great, as usual Kaye. Right to the jugular with that evaluation of Amanda V. Her smug assumption of a “moderate” mantle has irritated me for quite some time. The nerve of her and other IPA “fellow travellers” making use of the ABC to pad their Parliamentary pensions (when they have basically been undermining it for decades), doubly so.
One suggestion, though, with so much of the current media I follow being a mix of Australian and American (with British and European on the side), it might be helpful IF titles specified “Australian Liberals” … for, of course, “liberal” in the U.S. means something altogether different (i.e., Progressive). At first sight, the title of this piece had my hackles starting to rise!
Sorry HumeAndTwain.
It is annoying that they have co-opted such an obviously misleading title for their party. I use a capital L to describe them as opposed to a lower case l to describe progressive liberals.
Vanstone likes hearing the sound of her own voice and thinks she’s an
expert on every thing but an expert on every thing actually knows very little
and should not be listened to. That’s my two pennies worth.
She doesn’t HAVE to continue lying, she is not in the government any more. I wonder why she does; surely she is not stupid, nor should she be ill informed. There must be some other reason, possibly arising out of desperation.
AAGGHH!! That photo almost made me not want to go any further…horrific…
I gather that it was taken a few seconds before the dog threw up all over her?
Remind me again how much she milks the system for each year and every year until she kicks the platinum bucket.
The dog is lovely. Amanda is just another LNP liar.
The fact they call themselves liberals underlies agenda to deceive…surely not. Perhaps, being a liberal in them olden days equated to being conservative, and vice versa, a conservative meant burning your bra progressive thinker..
Well said as usual, Kaye. Vanstone is just another IPA/Liars mouthpiece spruiking bullshit.
She was a crap minister & she’s a crap “elder stateswoman.”
They truly don’t seem able to fathom what life is like for the majority of people who don’t have investments, who work to pay bills rather than buy property and shares. Joe Hockey thinks, if we want to be able to afford to buy a house, just get a better job. Malcolm Turnbull suggested that parents ‘shell out’ to help their children. They are completely and arrogantly out of touch with the reality of most people’s lives.
Jane, you do realise that Amanda is a Power supporter? Her only redeeming feature. 😀
I’ll vote for the nice dog any day !!!!!!
@Ken: Expert (n); an academic who knows more and more about less and less until they know absolutely everything about nothing.
well amanda thinks she is still “in ” the party. Not once have i heard her criticise a government decision but i have heard her many times tow the party lines verbatum. She likes to stay on message. That to me says she has no independent voice nor does she have a brain capable of seeing the folly of her brown nosing. Just another in the line like Pyne and Hunt. Willing to sell their souls for the party. Moderate liberal my arse. What policy agenda did she follow when a minister? Please remind us again how inept she was.
Vanstone has been suckin and snortin and belchin and fartin from the tax payers trough almost her entire life.
She has contributed more to the Italian economy when she and her voracious greedy gob was waffling down fine Italian wines pasta and obscenely rich French pastries at once again our expense.
She is the ultimate quintessential Australian Bludger who offers nothing but takes everything. … a truly obnoxious pathetic wasted space!
Hey, fair go for those having a go. Amanda is still having a go. Big time. So give her a very fair go!
Why pray tell did the government of the day send her overseas for 3 years….to shut her up I presume.
This campaign is getting ridiculous. Melissa Price says the CSIRO approved the Adani water management plan. They say no we didn’t. Morrison says Treasury costed Labor’s policies at $387 billion. They say no we didn’t. Greg Hunt says the Health department costed Labor’s cancer policy and found a $6 billion black hole. They say no we didn’t. Josh Frydenberg said Treasury modelling showed Labor’s negative gearing changes would have a huge impact on the housing and rental market. They said we didn’t say that – it might have a modest effect in the short term.
This lot couldn’t lie straight in bed.
Ken, New England Cocky,
On defining an expert.
An ex is a has-been, and a spert is a drip under pressure.
Pretty much describes Vanguard to a tee.
Th people to blame are the Liberal Party, for preselecting Ms Vanstone and then making her a Minister, and the SMH for giving her a platform.
Nah, but it helps.
Also if you don’t have a conscience.
Vandstone. I want to throw my guts up knowing I and probably my children will keep this THING… That looks like a bag of shit ted in the middle for the rest of her miserable life. My pet Galah has more of a grasp on the machinations of politics than this, THING…
Her nickname among her own Liberal colleagues was “Verandah Sandstone” which was probably something to do with her appearance.
I think it’s more befitting her sense of humanity and decency.
Whenever I hear people whine about so-called “lefties” on the ABC, I remind them about her ABC radio programme – not that many bother to listen to it anyway.
Ruddock, when immigration minister, refused Frank Madafferi a visa because of his known links to N’drangheta the Calabrian Mafia. Franks brother Tony organised some Liberal Party fundraisers, Amanda took over Immigration and Frank got his visa. Frank is now in jail convicted of involvement in Australias largest ecstacy importation, Amanda is on the ABC and other media. Tony Madafferi is allegedly the capo di tutti capi of the Calabrian Mafia in Australia. Amanda has never explained her reasons for granting a previously refused visa to a known mafia member.
“Former immigration minister Amanda Vanstone says at the time she granted a visa to Italian crime figure Frank Madafferi, authorities believed he had turned over a new leaf.
Four Corners has aired an allegation that in 2005 Madafferi’s connections paid tens of thousands of dollars to the Millennium Forum, a now-defunct fundraising body connected to the Liberal Party.
Ms Vanstone’s decision to allow Madafferi to stay on humanitarian grounds came after those donations.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/vanstone-defends-actions-in-visa-case-of-crime-figure/6600326
Tweeted Kaye Lee along with:
It’s a remarkable irony, by which I mean “Is there any limit to Amanda Vanstone’s hypocrisy?” that her article published in Fairfax/Nine organs on Monday October 28, 2019 extolling the critical importance of transparency to a functioning democracy, not only fails to notice that the present LNP government is the most unaccountable, and frankly brain-dead government this country has ever seen but actually cautions journalists against expecting politicians to be accountable. Vanstone’s stint as Immigration Minister was infelicitous to say the least, leaving many unanswered questions about her department’s respective treatment of Tony Madafferi and Cornelia Rau. The fact that Vanstone detours from her low brow argument in order to attack her employer, the ABC, confirms that she is clearly not a fit person to counsel anyone about accountability nor perhaps even to be at large.