Federal Coalition Government 2013-?

[Braveheart81]

Thankfully the government is finally repealing the law that allows the government to acquire bullocks and other livestock to assist with the war effort.

It's cutting that sort of red tape that is going to save the country millions in lost productivity and filling in forms.

 

[boyo]

@Braveheart81

Again, you forgot /sarc.

 

[Runner]

No. I thought Anna Burke did a pretty good job too.

The Coalition has decided that Bishop doesn't need to follow the standard procedure of the speaker sitting outside the party room.

Whatever your opinion, it was very clear yesterday that Bishop completely lost control of the house. She hasn't managed to shift away from the role she has played in parliament in both government and opposition for almost 20 years. Instead of taking the role of trying to facilitate the smooth running of the house she has very much taken the role of just trying to keep the ALP in check.

That might take cooperation from both side and Labour don't have any intention of cooperating in either house.

 

[boyo]

Right on cue.

The Coalition were SO cooperative in Opposition /sarc.

 

[Runner]

Thankfully the government is finally repealing the law that allows the government to acquire bullocks and other livestock to assist with the war effort.

It's cutting that sort of red tape that is going to save the country millions in lost productivity and filling in forms.

Try the uni's counting rooms in their buildings and who uses them each year. Then having to report that to the Fed's.

I am sure there are plenty of funny ones but also many that will lead to cuts in costs to firms.

 

[Runner]

Right on cue.

The Coalition were SO cooperative in Opposition /sarc.

Glad to keep the ball rolling for you so you don't have to put up smh stories.

 

[Braveheart81]

Try the uni's counting rooms in their buildings and who uses them each year. Then having to report that to the Fed's.

I am sure there are plenty of funny ones but also many that will lead to cuts in costs to firms.

Most of these sort of things just stopped being enforced rather than being removed from legislation.

That is the main reason why this is such a non issue and is just a circus. It is saving people/entities from doing things they weren't doing in the first place.

 

[boyo]

Here you go Runner:-

Are we becoming a country of prudes? Not only have archaic and stuffy British honours been resurrected but ‘‘Bronny’’ has, with granite face and pursed lips, ruled that infectious laughter is out of order. (‘‘Laughter canned: Speaker Bronwyn Bishop rules 'new tactic' of infectious laughter out of order’’, smh.com.au, March 27). What next, measuring bikini bottoms on Bondi Beach or reconstituting long-defunct temperance societies? Is Australia witnessing the genesis of a new era of cultural wowserism?

Bob Barnes Wedderburn


Is it too much to pray for, that when the Cardinal departs for Rome, he takes the Bishop with him?

Paul Taylor Murwillumbah


To giggle or not to giggle, that is the question, Madam Speaker!

Danielle Ecuyer Bondi Junction



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/honours-need-australian-flavour-else-we-again-cringe-before-old-masters-20140327-zqnlf.html#ixzz2xEVob5Za

 

[boyo]

But there's more:-

The stated reason for selling Medibank Private is the expected $4 billion to fund essential infrastructure ("No windfall for Medibank policy holders from $4b sale", March 27). This is misleading economic nonsense. The government can readily borrow such funds for much less than Medibank was paying to the government as a quasi-dividend. The annual cost of borrowing $4 billion would be at most $160 million whereas Medibank paid the government around twice this amount last year.
If Medibank Private, Australia’s largest health insurance organisation, remained under government control it could exert great pressure on holding down contributions. As a private company this pressure would, of course, disappear and the dividend paid to shareholders would deprive the government of at least $160 million which would have been available for spending on, say, medical research.

Harold Levien Dover Heights


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/honours-need-australian-flavour-else-we-again-cringe-before-old-masters-20140327-zqnlf.html#ixzz2xEWMIPtP

Well said.

 

[boyo]

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/clarke-and-dawe

Series 2014 Episode 9

Very good.

 

[Ruggo]

I get these each week that Parliament sits.

Mick --
Sometimes the Government makes the arguments for you. For anyone who questions if the Government is out of touch, I have three words: knights, dames and bigots. Here’s the 5 & 5 for this week.
Best:
1. On Wednesday Bill gave a great speech about his values and Labor’s priorities at the National Press Club. You can watch a clip of Bill’s speech here.
2. I mentioned last week the Government was cutting payments to 1,200 children of war veterans, including orphans. Labor introduced disallowance votes in the House and Senate to stop the Government from cutting these payments. We won the vote in the Senate, which means those payments are protected, for now. Shamefully the Coalition voted against our motions, and for cutting payments to orphans.
3. Sir Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of her Majesty’s Loyal Executive Council for the Colony of Australia decreed the return of knights and dames to Australia’s honour system. Senator Sam Dastyari of South Wales New gave a speech that will outlast the empire.
4. After stepping aside as Assistant Treasurer, Senator Arthur Sinodinos’ plans to repeal important superannuation protections put in place by Labor have been shelved by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann. When even Alan Jones is left supporting Labor’s position, the Liberals and Nationals have very few friends left.
5. Finally, Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek reaffirmed Labor’s support for the Gonski school reforms by introducing a bill which would force the Government to keep its election promise that no school would be worse off under a Liberal Government. The Liberals and Nationals voted to stop the bill being debated. Labor will keep standing up for our teachers and students, even if Tony Abbott won’t.
Worst:
1. I wish this wasn’t true. In answer to a question from Senator Nova Peris, Attorney General George Brandis said: “People do have a right to be bigots you know”. Someone showed me the quote during Question Time only moments after he'd said it. My reaction was to ask if we'd checked the tape because it seemed too extreme to be true. Watch the video here, it’s extraordinary. If the Federal Government won’t protect our citizens from hate speech, who will?
2. I was forced to introduce a motion of no confidence in the Speaker yesterday. Not since 1949 has the House moved a motion in this particular form. It’s not a decision I took lightly, but when parliament looks like a protection racket to protect Tony Abbott from answering any questions, something has to be done.
3. Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen showed that Joe Hockey has been cooking the books, adding $68 billion to the deficit in his first few months as Treasurer. We know what he’s up to. He’s trying to blow the deficit out as far as he can to justify his budget cuts. Labor’s onto his trick, and the Australian people will be too.
4. If ever there was an example of something falling short of the hype, this is it. Tony Abbott proclaimed Wednesday was to be "red tape repeal day" complete with a bonfire of regulation. What did the bills actually do? They changed “e-mail” to “email” and “facsimile” to “fax” on the statute books, and they repealed laws which haven’t been used for decades. My favourite was the one about a mule or bullock being used for defence purposes. I’d love to know how repealing these laws makes a scrap of difference to any Australian business.
5. Have a look at what Christopher Pyne had to say within minutes of Tony Abbott claiming how grown up his government was.
On a final note, Speaker Bronwyn Bishop established some new precedents in the Parliament this week. Mark Dreyfus is the first person in the history of Federation to be thrown out for saying “Madam Speaker” and Julie Collins became the first person since Federation to be thrown out for “infectious laughter”. In defence of Julie, Tony Abbott was talking about knights and dames, it was pretty funny.
The 5 & 5 will be back for budget week in May.
Tony Burke
Manager of Opposition Business

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Absolute crap. You could search the records and find numerous examples of both sides of the house praising Harry Jenkins as Speaker.

What do the records say about the performance of His Speakerness The sort of Honourable Peter Slipper?

 

[Runner]

But there's more:-

The stated reason for selling Medibank Private is the expected $4 billion to fund essential infrastructure ("No windfall for Medibank policy holders from $4b sale", March 27). This is misleading economic nonsense. The government can readily borrow such funds for much less than Medibank was paying to the government as a quasi-dividend. The annual cost of borrowing $4 billion would be at most $160 million whereas Medibank paid the government around twice this amount last year.
If Medibank Private, Australia’s largest health insurance organisation, remained under government control it could exert great pressure on holding down contributions. As a private company this pressure would, of course, disappear and the dividend paid to shareholders would deprive the government of at least $160 million which would have been available for spending on, say, medical research.

Harold Levien Dover Heights


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/honours-need-australian-flavour-else-we-again-cringe-before-old-masters-20140327-zqnlf.html#ixzz2xEWMIPtP

Well said.

Rises in fees are not automatic and are controlled by the minister.

You could also say that the new shareholders will be paying tax on the income from the shares which could be higher that the costs etc of running medicare

 

[boyo]

You probably haven't heard of this, but give it a whirl. You may even like it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic

 

[Runner]

You probably haven't heard of this, but give it a whirl. You may even like it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic

Thank you. Glad you have branched out from smh. Progress.

 

[boyo]

Here you go Runner:-


Asset sales will simply make private sector wealthier

So we are to see yet more privatisation of public assets and outsourcing of other public works to the private sector under these neo-liberal governments we have (‘‘States would be 'mad' not take Commonwealth deal on privatising assets, says Joe Hockey’’, smh.com.au, March 28). Let's not call them conservatives. More wealth being transferred from the public sector to the private sector. Nice little earner for the latter, of which Australian Water Holdings is a shining example.

Deb Little Bexley North


Treasurer Joe Hockey is asking state treasurers to sell off their assets, which would indicate he has never started a business from scratch and made it a success. If he had he would know the extreme value of assets, which he clearly does not. Creating successful assets that return an income takes a long time of skilful management. Only a fool would then surrender that valuable income that can never be recovered. Government assets set the pricing standard for the industry enabling people to afford electricity, water and health insurance. Without this standard, essential commodities become unaffordable for the average family.
Selling assets is the flag of incompetence. When there are no assets left to sell, what then? Incompetence has nowhere to hide when there are no assets left, the people need to wake up to this fact and stop asset sales, or we you will end up with unaffordable essential commodities.

Gil May Forestdale


Call me economically ignorant, but how will future state and federal governments pay for their programs once the last public assets are sold off?

Sue Jones Bathurst


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/exposed-to-insult-thinking-anew-20140328-zqnzx.html#ixzz2xKGBSI4A

Well said.

 

[boyo]

Joe Hockey has added $68Bn in new government debt (i.e. debt added by him since coming to power).

Budget emergency?

Softening up Australia for the budget?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd...._=1404281017_bf31af23d8e1ec1b46af2dbec44aa1f2

 

[ACT Crusader]

Joe Hockey has added $68Bn in new government debt (i.e. debt added by him since coming to power).

Budget emergency?

Softening up Australia for the budget?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd...._=1404281017_bf31af23d8e1ec1b46af2dbec44aa1f2

And what is this debt attributed to? That PEFO statement says policy decisions since the last MYEFO. They haven't been able to get any substantial policy and leg through the senate?

 

[boyo]

Selling profitable assets to possibly achieve a surplus is lazy economics.

What does such a government do when there are no more assets available to be sold?

 

[Runner]

Here you go Runner:-


Asset sales will simply make private sector wealthier

So we are to see yet more privatisation of public assets and outsourcing of other public works to the private sector under these neo-liberal governments we have (‘‘States would be 'mad' not take Commonwealth deal on privatising assets, says Joe Hockey’’, smh.com.au, March 28). Let's not call them conservatives. More wealth being transferred from the public sector to the private sector. Nice little earner for the latter, of which Australian Water Holdings is a shining example.

Deb Little Bexley North


Treasurer Joe Hockey is asking state treasurers to sell off their assets, which would indicate he has never started a business from scratch and made it a success. If he had he would know the extreme value of assets, which he clearly does not. Creating successful assets that return an income takes a long time of skilful management. Only a fool would then surrender that valuable income that can never be recovered. Government assets set the pricing standard for the industry enabling people to afford electricity, water and health insurance. Without this standard, essential commodities become unaffordable for the average family.
Selling assets is the flag of incompetence. When there are no assets left to sell, what then? Incompetence has nowhere to hide when there are no assets left, the people need to wake up to this fact and stop asset sales, or we you will end up with unaffordable essential commodities.

Gil May Forestdale


Call me economically ignorant, but how will future state and federal governments pay for their programs once the last public assets are sold off?

Sue Jones Bathurst


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/exposed-to-insult-thinking-anew-20140328-zqnzx.html#ixzz2xKGBSI4A

Well said.

Pity none of these negatives were around when the ALP sold off something like 24 government businesses. Perhaps they were correct and the smh and the new labour party are wrong.