Mega Thread All things Tony Abbott

[Pessimistic]

Moving on I see Abbott is backing away from his million new jobs commitment, even though it was just a mirror image of new jobs created in the last five years or so

Lets not get pedantic about the details, but its an admission that the economy will be worse under liberal

 

[dymot]

Moving on I see Abbott is backing away from his million new jobs commitment, even though it was just a mirror image of new jobs created in the last five years or so

Lets not get pedantic about the details, but its an admission that the economy will be worse under liberal

Is it? What do you base that on?

 

[Pessimistic]

I think it was in the age.

When Abbott made his promise we noted that his numbers were simply the same as had happened under labor

Hightly cynical like his immigration numbers promise

Now hes backing away from that

 

[medusala]

Humour Pess. Where were those jobs created? That he isn't going to waste cash on more public servants is excellent news. Now if only he can start the sackings we could all celebrate.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...n-the-big-cities/story-fn59niix-1226794594151
The official Australian Bureau of Statistics numbers summarised in The Australian's online Jobs Profile tell the story.
Six out of 10 or 576,000 of the additional 957,000 people employed between November 2007 and November last year obtained jobs in the combined industries of health, education and public administration

 

[Pessimistic]

Health and education

All government sector ?

Youll note that state public servants have been retrenched during the time specified

 

[medusala]

Doubt ABS breaks it down. Nonetheless paid by taxpayers. A very nice return on union funding to the ALP. Coincidence I am sure.

How many Victorian teachers were fired? How many nurses?

 

[Pessimistic]

So your maintaining all the new jobs were public sector ? I guess the mining boom was just a mirage ?

Anyway you are arguing off topic as usual

 

[Brown Bottle]

Abbott's first call (and indicative of his leadership style):

"Yes! No! Wait!"

"Sorry!"

"Not Really "

 

[Brown Bottle]

How many Victorian teachers were fired? How many nurses?

How many should have been fired Meds?

 

[noddy]

When you put it all down in print like this guy has done is it any wonder that Abbott has a large debt to pay while the average person in the street has to carry the can.

Where Abbott fails: pain must be seen to be shared

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/where-abbott-fails-pain-must-be-seen-to-be-shared-20140108-30gij.html#ixzz2plgwwo90​

 

[Power Raid]

When you put it all down in print like this guy has done is it any wonder that Abbott has a large debt to pay while the average person in the street has to carry the can.

Where Abbott fails: pain must be seen to be shared

​

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/where-abbott-fails-pain-must-be-seen-to-be-shared-20140108-30gij.html#ixzz2plgwwo90​

yep some good points.

I am not a fan of the $6 fee for medical but can understand if this is simply a fee to get people to think before using national resources.

The big issue is the middle class welfare, this has to go.

and this ridiculous maternity leave scheme, this is lunacy. Yes, I want maternity leave.....yes, I think it should be a cost to the state rather than an employer...but limit it to something sensible like 12 months at half pay capped on the calculation of circa $80k (which means $40k in payments). $150k......lol, this is so easy to create an arbitrage and for rich guys to legally avoid tax.

In lieu of this ridiculous maternity leave scheme, I would make childcare the same price as a public school providing 2 days a week relief for working and non-working mums (or dads). Any more, they would have to pay as they currently do. I would also like to see these could be saved up to a max of 15 days to provide some protection in the case the parent falls ill and needs some rest from their parenting demands.

 

[GuruJane]

The pain must be seen to be shared.

Alas this is balderdash. Whatever Abbott/Hockey do Labor will squeal and yell and call strikes and otherwise conduct a campaign of hate as Beazley did after painful measures in 1996. That's the reality of Opposition and politics - they would be stupid to do otherwise - like the coalition so foolishly behaved after Labor's election in 2007 until Dec 2009 when Abbott took over and ran things properly.

What Abbott and Hockey have to do is the right thing to get the economy back into a surprise surplus by the end of their first term because doing so will win Abbott his second term and leave Labor gfasping like stranded fish.

btw - cannot recommend American Hustle more highly. Not often US movies are worth the price of admission or even sitting there for two hours, these days .

 

[Pessimistic]

So jAne the economy must be designed to keep libs in power and punish labour rather than be managed properly ?

Ill remeber that next time you suggest middle class welfare should be reigned in

And you confused the economy with govt accounts by suggesting you can just legislate a surplus in the economy

 

[medusala]

Noddy the average person does NOT carry the can. The top 10% of taxpayers pay a massively disproportionate amount of income tax.

The one rort the rich have is super (and the one good idea Swan had was to crack down on it).

If you want to cut spending then you have to look where cash is spent. Cutting middle class welfare wont fix the budget deficit. Might shave 1% gdp off if you are lucky. With a structural deficit closer to 5% its just a start.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Noddy the average person does NOT carry the can. The top 10% of taxpayers pay a massively disproportionate amount of income tax.

Those that actually pay tax meds.....

 

[Brown Bottle]

The top 10% of taxpayers pay a massively disproportionate amount of income tax.

The top 10% of Australian "earners" pay bugger all tax and you well know it. The top 10% of taxpayers is another group entirely.

If you want to cut spending then you have to look where cash is spent. Cutting middle class welfare wont fix the budget deficit. Might shave 1% gdp off if you are lucky. With a structural deficit closer to 5% its just a start.

The LNP won't go after their own voters. We all know that.

The problem the ALP has is that the only policies that raise the hackles of the MSM are the ones that go after big business or the highest earners (e.g. MRRT / Carbon Tax). Sure, they're happy to stick the knife in if the ALP policy affects ALP's own voters, such as changing single mother benefits, but that's just a cheap point scoring exercise for fun. The ALP is perpetually between a rock & a hard place.

 

[medusala]

Don't necessarily disagree with you. Those not on salaries will find a way to pay less tax via deductions and various other means. I wouldn't say bugger all as the ATO is pretty tough (far tougher for example than Inland Revenue in the UK)

You cant get people to pay more than a certain amount. Its why (contrary to the mutterings of a noisy few) that the Laffer curve works. Taxing the very rich has been tried over and over. The UK in the 70s had a rate of over 95% on unearned income. Disaster - IMF was called in. The UK recently has shown that a top rate of tax of 50% earns little more (possibly less) than 40% (UK slightly different due to national insurance).

Raising CGT wont work, it will just diminish asset sales. Raising the top rate above 50% wont work - see above.

The only real ways to hit the rich are to scrap super concessions and negative gearing.

The problem is the super lobby is incredibly strong (and crosses the political divide). Property lobby is very strong too.

I would be amazed if Abbott had the knackers to take either of them on.

 

[Brown Bottle]

The only real ways to hit the rich are to scrap super concessions and negative gearing.

The problem is the super lobby is incredibly strong (and crosses the political divide). Property lobby is very strong too.

I would be amazed if Abbott had the knackers to take either of them on.

Never thought I'd say this but I agree with you entirely. That's why the battlers will cop it.

 

[medusala]

I think its almost a racing certainty that GST will increase. When the recession comes (as it will at some stage) Australia will be looking at a massive deficit unless Abbott miraculously clears it in the next few years (he has hardly made a great start). When faced with the same the Tories increased VAT by 2% as just about the first thing they did.

 

[Pessimistic]

I think its almost a racing certainty that GST will increase. When the recession comes (as it will at some stage) Australia will be looking at a massive deficit unless Abbott miraculously clears it in the next few years (he has hardly made a great start). When faced with the same the Tories increased VAT by 2% as just about the first thing they did.

And VAT is now 20%. Ouch

 

[GuruJane]

So jAne the economy must be designed to keep libs in power and punish labour rather than be managed properly ?

The other around Pess. If the economy is managed properly, or is perceived to be being managed properly, then the electorate will keep the libs in power and Labor out of power.

 

[Gough]

I noticed he was on the radio this morning bleating about alcohol fueled violence. If he was that concerned about it, why did he defund the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council?

 

[Pessimistic]

The other around Pess. If the economy is managed properly, or is perceived to be being managed properly, then the electorate will keep the libs in power and Labor out of power.

But are you talking the economy or govt expenditure ?

We already see he is backing away from his jobs target, which was undewhelming anyway, but a nice headline for his murdoch propaganda mates

 

[GuruJane]

But are you talking the economy or govt expenditure ?

We already see he is backing away from his jobs target, which was undewhelming anyway, but a nice headline for his murdoch propaganda mates

Both. And everything else to do with economy.

Agree or not, getting back into surplus is the Badge of Honour in this country so that's what they gotta do. Sensibly they won't be boasting with predictions a la Swannie will they?

I gather today retail sales and building approvals soaring. Presumably response of the people to having rid themselves of the last government.

 

[Gough]

Both. And everything else to do with economy.

Agree or not, getting back into surplus is the Badge of Honour in this country so that's what they gotta do. Sensibly they won't be boasting with predictions a la Swannie will they?

I gather today retail sales and building approvals soaring. Presumably response of the people to having rid themselves of the last government.

Yeah, they were real bad.