The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

Getting our priorities right.:

JH, Kirribilli House & that function:



http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/political-hubris-laid-bare-in-a-tale-of-two-lodges/2007/06/15/1181414539501.html?page=fullpage

JH, Kirribilli House & that function # 2:

Trust v economics



June 16, 2007/the AGE

John Howard will keep on saying that Labor are bad economic managers. But will this be enough to sway voters? Shaun Carney investigates.

LAST month ACNielsen, the people who do the polling for The Age asked respondents a question about union power. The question was: "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: 'The union movement would have too much power if Kevin Rudd becomes Prime Minister'?" Note the wording. Not "if Labor is elected to government" but "if Kevin Rudd becomes Prime Minister". The choice of words was fair enough. Labor is not just competitive in the polls now, it is well ahead, and there's a single reason for that: Kevin Rudd.

Six months have passed since Rudd and Julia Gillard replaced Kim Beazley and Jenny Macklin as, respectively, leader and deputy leader of the ALP. Under Beazley, Labor led in the polls after preferences but trailed on the primary vote, which suggested its support was soft. Under Rudd, it has consistently led on both measures; the improvement happened as soon as the Labor leadership changed. Labor has gone from having little or no chance at the election to having some sort of chance.

You wouldn't want to put it any higher than that. The Coalition still oversees a very well run political machine. Confidence and self-belief are as essential to success in politics as they are in any field of endeavour, and it has to be said that the internal discipline of the Liberal and National parties continues to be a thing to behold. ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/trust-v-economics/2007/06/15/1181414545978.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

A very worrying, though hardly surprising, report in today's AGE. So much for the Libs' superior economic management argument.
It amazes me that the media has kept mindlessly repeating the Howard/Costello "we've never had it so good" mantra for so long. Howard & Costello are talking (conveniently) about average household incomes. But the "haves" are getting a far bigger slice of the cake than in the past & clearly a lot of low income people are in serious financial strife.:

Debt crisis forces mass super raid
Jason Koutsoukis
June 17, 2007/Sunday AGE

TENS of thousands of Australian families are being forced to raid their superannuation savings to pay off crippling personal debts.

Since 2001, the amount of money taken from superannuation accounts to pay off debt has quadrupled from $35 million to $135.3 million last year.

A record 16,500 individuals applied for early access to their superannuation accounts last year, with 13,871 applications approved by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.Households owe a staggering $160 for every $100 of disposable income, up from about $50 in the early 1990s. And it is rising, which is placing more pressure on the regulating authority to release super fund money.

Applications for early access to superannuation are approved only in cases of severe hardship where applicants can show they are "unable to meet reasonable and immediate family living expenses".

It is also possible to have money released from a superannuation account to prevent foreclosure of a mortgage or the exercise of a power of sale over a principal place of residence.

To be granted an early release, individuals must have been receiving Commonwealth income support for 26 weeks and be able to satisfy the trustee that the superannuation money is vital to meet living expenses.

Commonwealth income support payments include social security or service pensions; certain social security benefits; income support supplements; drought relief payments; exceptional circumstances relief payments; and Commonwealth Development Employment Projects Scheme payments.

"If you satisfy both of the above tests, the trustee/RSA (retirement savings account) provider may, in any 12-month period, release to you one lump sum payment," the guidelines stipulate.

With Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens last week signalling the likelihood of another interest-rate rise, the crisis threatens to undermine Prime Minister John Howard's election hopes.

And Part IX new debt agreements in the March quarter were 28.7 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

Total personal insolvency activity for the year to date has increased by 16 per cent.

Reserve Bank figures show that a record 12 per cent of families' disposable income goes on interest payments. That's up from just 6.9 per cent five years ago.


http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/debt-forces-mass-super-raid/2007/06/16/1181414613140.html

The likely end result of Julie Bishop's relentless push for "performance payments" for teachers?

(She's the federal Education Minister, if you didn't know.)
::

Crikey, there's more!
I'm sure most of us would consider that using our taxes to pay for a dinner for Young Libs is an excellent investment for the future!

Hockey defends dinner expense
June 17, 2007 - 11:20AM/SMH

A dinner hosted at the Lodge for Young Liberals at taxpayers' expense is a justified cost, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey says.

Taxpayers were billed for a dinner hosted by Prime Minister John Howard for members of the Young Liberal federal executive in October last year.

Opposition spokeswoman for industrial relations Julia Gillard today said the dinner was an example of the Liberal Party using taxpayers' money for political purposes.

But Mr Hockey said the expense was justified and Labor was being hypocritical in its attack.

He said Mr Howard did run fundraisers at Kirribilli House or the Lodge, but former Labor leaders Bob Hawke and Paul Keating have.

"The prime minister received official advice that it is an acceptable form of official entertainment," Mr Hockey told the Nine Network. ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/hockey-defends-dinner-expense/2007/06/17/1182018915715.html

Kirribilli House & that function:
From our "Sunday Mail today.



"No wonder people are cynical about politics"

Indeed. And this sort of thing is just the tip of the iceberg, Dutchy.
There are so many other abuses of power that are so entrenched they're never addressed at all. <sigh>

Not so sure it was al that wrong. I mean it is his home even if taxpayer funded.

I'd be more put out if taxpayer funds were used to provide catering or clean up the next morning.

You do realize, dadpad, that this is one of his two homes, both of which have been extensively renovated at considerable taxpayer expense? (Janette refused to live in Canberra because of "the children", but they stayed on for 11 years, long after the children had left the nest.)Remember the recent kafoofle about the ridiculously expensive dining room renovation costs?
The Howards have cost the taxpayers a lot more than was necessary over JH's 11 years as PM. To also expect subsidy of Liberal functions on top of that is well ... insensitive, at the very least. I certainly draw the line at taxpayers subsidizing Young Lib functions & Lib fundraisers, whether they've been cleared by the appropriate authority or not. To me this is blatant political activity & some people are doing it very hard right now. (See the article on super from today's AGE above.) I think JH is simply out of touch with the real world. Been there too long.

quote

Hockey defends dinner expense

A dinner hosted at the Lodge for Young Liberals at taxpayers' expense is a justified cost, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey says.

Justified ? How so ?

But Mr Hockey said the expense was justified and Labor was being hypocritical in its attack.

Well, where is the justification ?

He said Mr Howard did run fundraisers at Kirribilli House or the Lodge, but former Labor leaders Bob Hawke and Paul Keating have.

"The prime minister received official advice that it is an acceptable form of official entertainment," Mr Hockey told the Nine Network.

" Official advice", so there must have been doubt to have it checked out

"As prime minister you are required to host a range of events at Kirribilli House and the Lodge, those events cover all sections of the community.

Required by whom ?

Trade unions are are a section of the community. Did they get an invite ?
end quote
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/hockey-defends-dinner-expense/2007/06/17/1182018915715.html

I don't see how running fundraisers for political parties at taxpayer's expense can be justified by any political party.

bonzai and co are past their "use by " date. IT'S TIME.

Nor is spending millions of $$$$$ of taxpayers' money on blatant party political advertising under the guise of "informing" the public about IR changes!

The cartoonists are really going to town on JH & his dodgy parties.

#5 now (I think!):

Spot on!:

Another one!

# 6!:

Another tape (video this time) "exposing" "union bullying in the workplace". Another knee jerk reaction from Kevin Rudd. <sigh> OK, so now another union official must be banned from the ALP then? That's the headline story.
To me this looking more & more like a very convenient set-up to put Rudd & the ALP on the spot whenever the Libs & their mates need to apply a bit of media heat. To my mind the Libs' IR laws are far more detrimental & downright intimidating & offensive to ordinary workers than a few swearing union officials could ever be to a few bosses. And why shouldn't a union official be allowed to visit the members he's representing on the job? What exactly is the problem with that? Demanding the expulsion of the official from the work site was aggressive & provocative. (And what's more, someone had a video recorder waiting for his (predictable) response!)
Why can't Rudd be clever enough not to fall for such tactics every single time? And why is he allowing the media debate about IR issues to be side-tracked in this way, time & time again? Why didn't he stand up for the rights of the workers at this site & their rights to have union representation there rather than playing the tough guy for the media? He's being manipulated & played for a fool & at workers' expense, that's what I think. :