Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

The Greens and minor parties are pushing for Senate scrutiny of the Government's $42 billion economic stimulus plan to continue into next week, despite Government pressure to have legislation passed by tomorrow.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition will vote against the Government's package because it does not agree with the plan to spend over $12 billion in cash handouts for workers and families.

The decision means the Government needs the support of the Greens and senators Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding to get the laws passed through the upper house.

Greens leader Bob Brown says he has been in talks with all parties and wants the Senate to sit on Friday and defer estimates hearings next week so it can debate the bills.

"There is general consensus across the board we will sit and deal with this legislation next week," he said..... <cont>[ /quote]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/04/2482141.htm

I'm not an economist but I think we've pretty much proved the failures of market capitalism and rampant 'un-nationalisation' of key industries like telecommunications, transport and energy. And grow or bust is gonna kill the planet - we need a massive restructure, I just hope the Darwinian pressures can bring it about before too many suffer too much.

The Senate has formally agreed to hold an inquiry into the Rudd government's $42 billion economic stimulus package.

The package, which aims to head off a looming recession, passed the lower house of parliament after a 15-hour debate that went through the night.

The government wanted its bills rushed through parliament this week, but opposition and crossbench senators brokered a deal to force the short inquiry.

The package, which includes cash handouts to nearly nine million people, will be examined by the Senate's finance and public administration committee.

One of the bills - the Household Stimulus Bill 2009 - will also be scrutinised by the Senate's community affairs committee.

The committees will hold meetings tonight, Friday and Monday, before reporting back to the Senate on Tuesday.

The committees will seek evidence from government officials, non-government organisations, community groups and other interested parties.

The Senate will then debate the legislation next week, instead of holding planned estimates hearings, aiming for a final vote by late Thursday night.


The legislation includes a bill allowing the government to increase the limit it can borrow - from $75 billion to $200 billion - to service debt ...<cont>

Left in the cold
FOR everybody who will benefit directly from the Government's mini-budget, spare a thought for the unemployed. As Tim Colebatch pointed out (The Age, 3/2), the Treasury expects 800,000 to be unemployed by June 2010. Single people aged 21 or older who are unemployed receive a base rate payment from Centrelink of $224.65 a week ($11,680 a year). Younger unemployed people, including those who have no choice but to live independently from their parents, receive even less.

People who are unemployed were not included in the range of those eligible for a $950 bonus in the mini-budget, nor did they receive the bonus given to pensioners in the previous economic stimulus package. Whether it's in the context of an economic crisis or just plain common decency and fairness, our society should be looking to include and support our most disadvantaged citizens, not leave them further behind.

Julie Edwards, CEO, Jesuit Social Services


Playground politics
I AM appalled by Malcolm Turnbull's refusal to pass Mr Rudd's latest stimulus package. This was generally acknowledged to be a good package for working and needy people. For a multimillionaire to posture with such scant regard for the needs of ordinary people is a disgrace. His option of tax cuts is just plain wrong, as they would entrench the resultant deficit permanently. And in any case, the money is needed now. Grow up Malcolm, and let the legislation through.

Eric Wells, Herne Hill


Missed opportunity
TYPICAL Labor. The only answer it has in difficult economic times is to throw money around like confetti at a wedding. What about helping small businesses by cutting some of the never-ending taxes and charges? Why doesn't Mr Rudd lean on his Labor premier mates to cut state taxes, such as the insidious payroll tax? This would have a greater long-term impact on employment than a one-off cash giveaway ever will.

Neil Angus, Wantirna South


Where's the vision, PM?
I'M NOT an economist but I can't see that giving hand-outs to those who already have jobs is the right way to boost spending. Surely a government with any vision would instead focus its resources on creating jobs. And surely the jobs such a visionary government would create would somehow involve rainwater tanks, grey-water systems, solar panels, new trains and upgraded tracks.

Ah, but I'm not an economist and we don't have governments with any vision. Instead, we have unimaginative, irresponsible ones that offer us hand-outs, environmental rhetoric and shower timers made in China.

Jill Rosenberg, South Caulfield


Rewarding the reckless
THE economic crisis is teaching a fine lesson to coming generations: live beyond your means, rack up your credit card debts, overcommit on your mortgage, and the government will bail you out. Live within your means, spend wisely, and make provision for the future, and you will be clobbered. Great stuff.

Mike Puleston, Brunswick

Dear ...... ,

The bushfires are playing heavily on all our minds, but tonight a very important vote is before the Senate which has the potential to help thousands of Australians in need.

We know the timing isn't ideal, but it's not every day you can make a difference like this - the Senate has until midnight tonight to vote.

300,000 Australians are predicted to lose their jobs due to the Global Financial Crisis1 - but they've been left behind in the $42 billion economic stimulus package. Our Senators need to put aside their political differences and help those Australians who are already out of work - and those about to join them. But our current system of unemployment benefits won't do it.

In the next few hours we have the opportunity to fix this unfairness. If the stimulus package is to pass, the Government needs the Greens, Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding all on board. They all have the power to tell the Government: this stimulus package won't pass without looking after those hardest hit.

Click this link to email a Parliamentary leader today to demand a fair stimulus package that fixes our broken unemployment benefits system:

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/EconomicFairness&id=508

This will put money straight into the pockets of those who need it most; money that will keep them afloat when times are tough; money that goes straight back into the economy.

The Government and the other parties have been hammering out negotiations all week - but they still haven't reached agreement. We've been talking to the Senators, and a strong push now could put this over the edge - urgently tell them to support those hardest hit by this financial crisis.

We vote for our politicians once every few years - but that doesn't mean we can't hold them to account in between. There's never been a more important time to fix this broken system.

Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The GetUp team

PS - Wayne Swan recently said it was "administratively too hard" to help the poorest Australians. That's not good enough. Email a Parliamentary leader to demand the stimulus helps those who need it most.

1Australia Institute Paper

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon secured $900 million for the Murray-Darling Basin in the $42 billion package in exchange for its passage through the Senate.

The chief executive officer of Coorong District Council, Tim Drew, says he has been arguing for more funding to revive the Murray River's Lower Lakes region and welcomes today's deal.

"What exactly that means for the Lower Lakes in the Coorong area where we are, we don't exactly know at this stage," Mr Drew said.

"But we'll certainly be hopeful that there'd be money for the buy-back of water.

"Whilst the deal negotiated today sounds promising, what we really need to see in the coming months is water actually flowing down the river to the Lower Lakes." ...<cont>

Joe Hockey has been confirmed as the new shadow treasurer following Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop's resignation from the portfolio on Monday. ...<cont>