Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

In a Howard dominated Australia Keelty's words would have definitely carried weight. But that stage of Oz politics has gone with the wind. Strange that Keelty's still there, in 2008.

Petty's take on the "Sorry" issue:

Bring on a national conversation about our future:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/bring-on-a-national-conversation-about-our-future/2008/02/03/1201973741695.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Is Brendan simply trying to avoid "me too-ism", or does he really mean it?:

UhOh! Here we go! :

Bishop pushes to block IR reforms
Samantha Maiden
February 06, 2008/the AUSTRALIAN

DEPUTY Liberal leader Julie Bishop has confirmed she will fight to block Labor's reform plan to abolish Australian Workplace Agreements in the Senate warning the changes could plunge Australia into "a recession".

Despite Liberal Leader Brendan Nelson declaring WorkChoices is "dead" , Ms Bishop confirmed today she would not accept claims Labor has a electoral mandate to abolish Australian Workplace Agreements, a form of individual statutory agreements introduced in 1996.

Because the Coalition maintains control of the Senate until July, it has the power to block the Rudd Government's legislative reform agenda until mid-year.

$642m in Howard pledges dumped
Phillip Hudson
February 6, 2008 - 1:08PM/SMH

The Rudd Government's razor gang has axed $642 million worth of spending promises made in the final months of the Howard government as its first downpayment to slash the budget to fight inflation.

While it has promised to deliver in full the $31 billion in income tax cuts from July 1, other programs will be scrapped from next week, Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner announced today.

Among the programs that will lose their federal funding are the Fishing Hall of Fame, the Australian National Rugby Academy, funding for an alternative water strategy at Melbourne's Flemington racecourse and the growing regions program.

The Government will no longer fund innovation ambassadors and the advertising program for simplified superannuation arrangements. Spending on drought assistance and re-establishment assistance for farmers will be decreased.

A day after the Reserve Bank increased interest rates because of its fears about inflation, Mr Tanner described the spending cuts as a modest downpayment on Labor's bid to overhaul the budget.

He said the Government would make tough choices to keep pressure off inflation and interest rates.

Mr Tanner told the National Press Club the cuts would save $243 million in the year ahead and $642 million over the next four years.

"Some of the former Liberal government's last-minute spending commitments will be revised or abandoned," he said.

Mr Tanner promised a second stage of more spending cuts in the future as part of his bid to "radically" tackle efficiencies and waste and to improve transparency.

"The 2008 budget is not the end of the razor gang," he said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/642m-in-howard-pledges-dumped/2008/02/06/1202233898511.html

Key elements of Aboriginal apology revealed
Staff reporters
February 6, 2008 - 3:22PM/the AGE

Key elements of the Rudd Government's proposed apology to the stolen generations of Australian Aborigines have been revealed.

, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly told Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson.

It would be made to members of the stolen generation and their descendants in reference to past behaviour, SkyNews reports.

Mr Rudd and Dr Nelson met for about 50 minutes today to talk about the apology, which will be the first business of the new parliament when it sits next week.

The meeting came ahead of a meeting of Coalition MPs today when the coalition was expected to decide whether it would give bipartisan support for the apology.

A briefing note Mr Rudd gave to Dr Nelson, shown to the media, says: "The apology will be on behalf of the Parliament of Australia rather than the government if it is likely to receive bipartisan support.''

The note says the apology reflects extensive consultation with indigenous leaders, stolen generations survivors and their families and will be directed to the stolen generations, their descendants and families.

The apology to the stolen generations will recognise past mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it reads.

The apology would not include any commitment to provide compensation, but will include a commitment that the parliament will act to ensure past wrongs are not repeated.

"The motion will then focus on moving to a common future between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians including recognising the need to close the gap,'' it says.

This afternoon's Coalition meeting is the first real test of Dr Nelson's leadership since his appointment following the Coalition's election loss.

As many as 10 Opposition MPs are demanding a conscience vote on the resolution.

with AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/sorry-from-all-hope/2008/02/06/1202233914439.html

Or how about mean spirited? :wink: :

8.5% is nothing on the 17% I paying in the 80's whilst watching my $80,000 mortgage get bigger each month.

The excesses of first home buyers who want huge 5 bed homes with all mod cons need to be curbed. Those having to sell their homes did not do their homework and buy within their ability to pay.

Not a lot of sympathy

Not if they bought out of their price range...

...that said, you can't find any house in Brisbane, or it's satellite 'cities' for under $230,000 (that will be for a small 2 bedroom run down dump in the very outer crime ridden suburbs)- that's a hell of lot of money for a young couple to commit to - probably impossible for a young single person.

3 bedroom, you start at $260k (again for an old house in dire need of repairs)

$230k is out of reach of most single young people (if you are planning for interest rate increases etc)...unless you are earning probably $65k plus anyway (at a guess).

I'm exactly not a great fan of the ugly jumbo "mansions" cluttering up the suburbs (nor do I think they're a great idea for first home buyers) either, but ....

I think it's unreasonable for the banks to bump up their interest rates beyond the reserve bank's recommendations to compensate for the banks' own investment losses. Why shouldn't the shareholders wear the consequences of bad investments? Why don't the banks' CEOs & the investment gurus take a cut in pay as a consequence of bad investments? (I'd like to see that! :wink: ) Banks' customers had no say in where the money was invested but now it appears they must wear the consequences.

Bring back a peoples' bank, owned & operated in the interests of the Australian people, I say! (Can you imagine the outrage about "government interference into the market place" by the big banks if such a thing actually occurred? ) Now that would introduce a bit of real competition! I'd be in there in a flash!

Bring back the State Savings Bank of Victoria, or a real Commonwealth Bank! Yeah! :wink:

Dadpad, the 80s were quite a different kettle of fish to the noughties ... For starters, there was a damn sight more job security for home buyers. I can't imagine what it's like for our increasingly contracted & casualized workers to attempt to buy a home these days. Have you checked out the prices of renting lately? I don't know how it's possible for young people to pay such rent (even for the most modest of places) & get a home deposit together at the same time.

... add to that inflation & the extremely high cost of living (especially for basics like food), petrol prices, the impact of the GST, etc, etc ..... poor people are really struggling right now. And not all of them are throwing away their limited $$$ on plasma screens & home entertainment units ....

I agree completely with that statement.

in fact the whole post.

Rightio then, dadpad!

Let's you & me be the first members of the Bring back the good ol' State Savings Bank of Victoria campaign! :wink:

It served us all so very well for so long. I sorely miss banks that actually considered people's real needs & aspirations. And contributed to the development of the state as part of their brief.

What on earth's wrong with the people having a say in their own economy & being treated decently in the process?

Let's claw back what is rightfully ours, I say!

Bugger the global speculators! They are just gamblers. As if they care anything about ordinary people!

Don't Victorians have credit unions? Or am I missing something?

Ah, hinge, they're not the same thing they used to be! And they're no way in the same league!

Look, mate, let me make myself absolutely clear here .... I want a bit of real power to the little people (!) in the face of the most amazing odds!

And I want it soon!

Shocking news from East Timor tonight.

Let's hope that the Australian government does all the required right things, as necessary!

One thing that'd be good would be to give East Timor a bigger cut of the Gas monies we are taking out of their territory. It would go some little way towards helping them aleviate poverty (and while the money many such deals would normally fizzle away due to corruption - given Ramos-Horta's and Gusmao's history, one would hope this wouldn't happen too much in E.T.)