Abbott under-promises in a budget reply light on detail

Albie says:

08:46pm | 13/05/10

Performance is the right word.

But I guess that’s all it’s about anyway…

Paris44 says:

08:54pm | 13/05/10

Performance is right. The man has no substance. He spends too much time critising the government and produces nothing. How will he save money? Cut jobs ,cut spending ,let the health system and hospitals run into more troubles over another 10 years? Let our public schools deteriorate? Cut the welfare payment to under 30’s who can not find work?Send all the unemployed to work in the mines? He is all talk and no substance=SPIN

Pete says:

09:54pm | 13/05/10

If that’s going to war then I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with Abbott….a weak performance…

Time to ante up Tony…or is it the fear of screwing it up again with rubbery ill considered ‘policies’

Rev says:

10:06pm | 13/05/10

So what does that make Rudd Paris44?  All talk, no substance…sounds like the same deal to me.

Michael says:

10:07pm | 13/05/10

Light on detail is an understatement! Who is advising this man that lycra is good and policy detail is bad…one of the most tedious, poisoned and incompetent addresses you could ever hope to hear…farewell tony and hello joe or malcolm!

PeterWH says:

10:18pm | 13/05/10

Good for what

But but but !!! says:

10:24pm | 13/05/10

Abbott is a right wing nutbag that is more dangerous to his own party than the australian people !! He will never be PM & the Libs will lose badly so poor Malcom will have to lead them from oblivion again !!

Paul says:

10:33pm | 13/05/10

People people people.

It aint rocket science. Oppositions release their policies during election season, when they have access to treasury, and can have their policies modelled and costed.

All will be revealed.

Luke says:

10:45pm | 13/05/10

What performance? Seriously the strategy to attack Rudds weakness is wearing thin and boring. We are yet to here one serious policy option out of Tony Abbott and what a poor response. Put aside the ‘we wouldnt do that and Rudds bad’ what the hell does he stand for?Rolling back the Broadband which has already started and killing medicare will increase wait times and put more pressure on hostpitals and kill jobs. A shocking Liberal leader Rudd anyday.

Christian Real says:

05:19am | 14/05/10

Abbott may make a good Actor,but as a Leader he just doesn’t make the grade.
Now we all have to wait until next wednesday for Joe Hockey to fill in the missing gaps of his ‘leader’s’ budget repy.
The Liberals have made a huge mistake by not electing Joe Hockey as their leader(Abbott appears to be their clayton’s leader)

Both, Budget & Reply Lite. says:

09:51am | 14/05/10

@ Jane, Penbo was spot on, the “attack” part, on the red/green/getup/labour coalition was accurate, perceptive, exactly what all swinging voters, REAL minor parties, want to hear, but the rest of the speech was very short on simple solutions, which we also want to hear, pronto.

EG, What is their response to the trade union’s fair, reasonable attacks on work choices? Who cares if it, work choices 2, or lite, or whatever spin doctored name, the conservatives, also use, to con us with, creates a gazillion new jobs, if you need to be doing 3 or 4 of them each, just to survive?

The bureaucracy “on hold” idea is brilliant, i proposed this myself on another punch article, ages ago, but plucking a figure like 12,000 jobs worth 4 billion out of the air, is just as silly as the throw another billion or 42 at some thought bubble, power point, press release, announcement saying aren’t we wonderful.

Its the “opposition” opposite of what chicanery, the government gets up to, BZZZT, we have had enough of this rubbish from both sides of politics for 4 or 5 decades now.

The 3 new golden rules of government in 2010 are Repeal, Repeal, Repeal.

Successive governments on both sides & all 3 levels have been enacting laws that have been damaging to us socially, economically, culturally.

Which Acts will be moved to the trash bin of, been there, done that & we have successfully proven that its not working, never did?

You cannot reduce bureaucracy without reducing the “nanny state” laws they were hired to administer, first.

Regards Anti Major Mistakes or Others Man, the former snag & swinging voter.

Ray says:

10:25am | 14/05/10

Tony Abbott does not have to spell out all the details. He admirably has fulfilled his duty of commenting constructively on the Government’s wishful thinking—I mean budget.

After the Government’s broken promises, very-low-productivity public spending ( viz. the disastrous ceiling batts roll-out, massive over-spending on the Julia Gillard memorial hall building program, scrapped childcare centre building, inefficiently slow building rate for indigenous housing), economically unjustified building of a monopoly national broadband network which will be technologically obsolete when completed, and inept economic forecasting, who could possibly believe the Government’s budget forecasts for the next 3 years?

Scot says:

11:19am | 14/05/10

What a brilliant delivery from Abbot last night telling Rudds front bench what a bunch of Muppets they are. If looks could kill Rudd, Swan and Gillard looked very distressed. The writing has been on the wall for Rudd Labor for some time for their failed policies. The public have had enough of him and his policy on the run and his inability to listen to experts. Like NSW Labor there is change coming.

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

01:45pm | 14/05/10

Jane is correct , it was a good reply to Labor’s attempt to tax the ” goose
laying Australia’s golden eggs “. 
Just keep in mind , Abbott is not obliged to produce a fully detailed alternative budget , his role is to criticise the Government’s crappy budget. Traditionally , Oppositions leaders will suggest key alternative measures they would implement at the current time, to present a full budget would be pointless, as it can not be implemented from the Opposition benches. It is then the duty of the Shadow Treasurer to provide further details on the Key measures suggested by the Opposition Leader.

Paul says:

10:34pm | 13/05/10

Budget reply, election speach.
Whats the difference ?

Jane says:

11:51am | 14/05/10

No, you weren’t ‘promised’ - Labor ‘demanded’. LOL
Abbott was fantastic last night, not goaded into following Labor’s directive and spelled out a clear path back to economic stability. Labor have a history of ‘me-tooing’ policy, they won’t have the opportunity this time, they’re on their own and will have to rely on their own incompetence as evidenced so far.

How predictable/deceitful that Labor have morphed (lied) about what Abbott proposes into ‘bringing back Workchoices’!!! Too laughable, too transparent and too false!
You would expect nothing less of lazy, lying deceitful ‘whatever it takes’ ALP. Of course they want to eagerly rely on the lies and disinformation on ‘Workchoices’ and the $40m Union funded campaign that won them the last election!!

Labor have proven over the last 2 and a half years that nothing they say is credible. They have proven that what they say and what is reality are totally at odds. If people believe this easy/lazy resurrection of a bogus scaremonger yet again then Australians deserve all they get. People are becoming a wake-up to these forked tongued charlatans. Have they been credible so far? absolutely NOT!!

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

01:33pm | 14/05/10

simon , the Opposition Budget reply is just that , a reply to the budget delivered by the government . Abbott is not obliged to give a full alternative budget , his obligation is to criticise the government budget.
Traditionally , an Opposition leader takes the opportunity to make some key alternative suggestions as what the Opposition would do if they were in government currently. There is no obligation to put forward a detailed budget alternative and it would be foolish to do so , as they can not implement a budget from the Opposition benches.

simon says:

09:20pm | 14/05/10

Jane
Abbott promised a substantial budget reply with details. That point had nothing to do with the ALP. Abbott’s own words.
Or is that a lie too.

Brad Price says:

10:11pm | 13/05/10

Haha….. Nice try Labor staffer!

bones says:

10:24pm | 13/05/10

Umm Rudd has been in office for three years and has almost wrecked Australia.
Tony has to come in and pay the Big Fat Bill now, so he can’t promise to be Santa ...that was Rudds gig.

Realist says:

07:53am | 14/05/10

Um, try actually reading the speech!!  This goes to you too Penbo!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/budget/lets-stop-the-reckless-spending-tony-abbott/story-e6frgd66-1225866372716

His policy has direct action on climate change and exposes that the public sector job cuts would only rein in the jobs Kevin Rudd said he was never going to give to the “bloated public service system” which has blown out by 20,000 people since he came to power.

Robert of Rural SA says:

11:19pm | 13/05/10

Tuathal you better pray that you are wrong, Oz can’t handle another 3 years of Little Kevvy.

Francis says:

01:27am | 14/05/10

“over-promising, under-delivering politicians are the cause of so much cynicism in public life”

I don’t see how this quote is meaningless.  As far as I can see, it means that when someone promises to do something and then doesn’t follow through on that promise, people get cynical or distrusting the next time a promise is made to them.

What you seemed to be implying the last part of your comment is that Rudd has made lots of promises that the nasty opposition keep making him break.  If you look at the list of promises that Rudd has broken so far, very few have been due to a blockage in the senate.  You might claim that the ETS was shelved to the opposition’s efforts.  Yet Rudd did not guts to attempt again to get it through the senete or taking it as far as a double dissolution.  He said climate change is THE moral issue of our time,  not the needless ~50 million deaths from malaria each year,  not the ~150 million abortions each year,  not the ~1 billion people living in extreme poverty at this time, but climate change.  But he doesn’t even have the balls to take it to a double dissolution.  The only conclusion you could take from this is that Rudd is either a liar or a gutless lying coward.

monkeytypist says:

09:49am | 14/05/10

“Abbott made it clear WorkChoices wouldn’t come back”.  Yes, he definitely said that, right before saying that he will bring back individual contracts, unfair dismissal abolition . . . by the end of that list the only thing that wasn’t mentioned was the WorkChoices mousepads!

karen says:

10:21pm | 13/05/10

No we won’t be voting for the Greens!
A vote for Greens is a vote for that Pie in the sky Rudd!

Big Ben says:

11:04pm | 13/05/10

Karen, dont you mean a Pie in the 747 in the Sky

Ben81 says:

11:39pm | 13/05/10

Workchoices is coming back?  I sure hope so!

Daniel says:

08:30am | 14/05/10

Ben81,

So your happy for your kids to have no redunduncy pay when there employer throws them on the scrapheap in the pursuit of profits? Your happy for your kids to not be paid overtime and get paid a base wage of $5p/hr. interesting world you want. That will mean your children never get ahead in life and will never be able to afford a home. the list goes on. I feel sorry for your kids.

Daryl says:

09:04am | 14/05/10

You obviously didn’t hear the speech because Abbott made it clear workchoices wouldn’t come back! Also, unemployment has increased under this Rudd government Daniel. The undemployment rate has gone up and was at generational lows under Howard. Stop getting sucked in by the lies, spin and hollow promises of this inept Labor government.

PeterWH says:

09:50am | 14/05/10

Work choices wont come back…yeah right and we were NEVER going to get a GST….I really believe the Liberals

Matt says:

09:57am | 14/05/10

Umm Karen - please remember that we have a preferential voting system.  A vote is for how you as an individual number your preferences and then how that is allocated depends on the top two finishers in the seat.

I’m not a Greens voter - but I’m stick of ill informed & partisan political ‘commentry’.

paul says:

11:45am | 14/05/10

Daryl, yes unemployment has gone up, but not by much, and if you care to look past your own bias, you will also notice a lot less than the rest of the world.

It would have gone up no matter who was in power.

simon says:

09:27pm | 14/05/10

Daryl says
Minchin & Abetz were singing the return to workchoices in the senate this week.
That and the fact that Abbott promised he would put meat on the bones and let us know which direction they were headed. Workchoices is back. That’s enough for me. As for the mining tax. Reserve bank and leading Australian economists stated the continuing boom is putting pressure on interest rates. It needs to be slowed or every Aussie with a loan will pay for it. That’s also enough for me.

Rob r Charteris says:

09:40pm | 13/05/10

Yup it’s maternity for the rich, looking after his mates wives in the big end of town. It will force prices up right across the board.

Tim says:

11:13am | 14/05/10

Rob t Charteris - How is this maternity for the rich? What gives you, or the street sweeper the right to be paid the same benefit - universal maternity leave system, as someone who has worked their butt of to make something of themselves? People still have mortgages and expenses that require payment. Why should a cleaner be paid their full wage on Maternity leave but a teacher, buisnessman, lawyer etc not?
You are one of these people who expect somethingfor doing nothing. Expect others to support you because you can’t support yourself…

Rob r Charteris says:

12:48pm | 14/05/10

Tim that is a pathetic arguement absolutely pathetic. I think the country has had enough of giving welfare to the rich. Which by the way increased to 10 percent of the population under Howard while in the same breath he demonised dole bludgers. If they worked their butt off then thay can afford to pay for themselves you bludger

Ggraham says:

01:21pm | 14/05/10

Robert, I’d like to see you in the ring with Abbott,no second guess to whom my money will be on.

H of SA says:

04:49pm | 14/05/10

Ggraham,

Oh come on mate threatening violence would be bad enough but the “my mate tony will beat you up for that” is just juvenille.

I don’t care who you vote for but your sure not doing your cause any favours with lines like that

Rob r Charteris says:

08:56am | 19/05/10

Ggraham says:01:21pm; bring it on mate! I’ll put my 15 years of kick boxing against his boxing skills any days. Be careful of what you wish for you might find your out classed

Skippy says:

09:19pm | 13/05/10

Rubbish Brenton, utter rubbish - look at the mess this bloody govt has got us into, you are another blinded by the rot Rudd spews out of his mouth, can’t believe people fall under the spell of Rudd the dud. Glad the likes of you, your children and their children are happy to pay back the exorbitant debt we are now in!!

Rob r Charteris says:

10:36pm | 13/05/10

Skippy says:09:19pm ; If it gets the country through the tough times, which it is. whats the problem with debt????? which is better than just saving and letting infastructure run down. So please tell us how this debt is efecting you or are you just spewing rot too. You’ve obviously taken your Abbott spin pill today

Gravel Roads says:

11:08pm | 13/05/10

Rob, what do you mean infrastructure, KRUDD was from Qld and the infrastucture here ... LABOR for a long time . is non existant

Christian Real says:

08:24am | 14/05/10

Skippy,
Brenton is at least not blinded by the opportunist poser Tony Abbott like you obvious are.
Abbott simply has no policies. no ideas and no direction.
The Libraries, canteens,school halls and other infastructure should not be seen as a waste of money, but as an investment in childrens futures, and generations of children to come.
We lost our only child, but if our child had survived we would have wanted the best education facilities to teach and nurture our child throughout their school years.
At lest these schools are finally getting facilities now under this government , where before they were subjected to sub-standard facilities under the previous Liberal Government.
The previous Liberal Government ripped money out of schools, hospitals and infastructure and then had the audacity to falsely claim they were good money managers, boasting about the huge surpluses they brought in with each budget from the money that they ripped out of these neccessary facilities.

Gary says:

09:08pm | 13/05/10

If anyone was personally affected in a bad way by work choices under the previous government please tell me about it. I’m expecting crickets.

Crash says:

10:22pm | 13/05/10

yep, over here!

Anthony says:

10:22pm | 13/05/10

To right Gary, only the union fat cat parasites were personally affected

Tiberious says:

11:36pm | 13/05/10

I was personally affected by work choices.

I entered the workforce after TAFE on 33k for a rotating 24 hour roster of 55 hour weeks with no overtime, 4 weeks annual leave and no public holidays. It was a yeat and a half before Fair work australia knocked back my contact and told my company they had to back pay me 3 extra weeks of leave and pay me an extra 5k.

In two weeks I move to another company paying the union minumun wage for my current job where I wil be earning an extra 15k again.

So it has taken me almost 5 years for my salary to get past where it shoud have been when I was 19 under the award.

I hate workchoices I really do with all my heart.

RT says:

07:29am | 14/05/10

The reality is, that good employees have nothing to fear from Workchoices. Bosses don’t sack good employees. Bosses don’t make good employees take paycuts. A good employee is worth his or her weight in gold. But average and bad, easily replaceable employees… At the end of the day if you want job security, be a better employee!

Daryl says:

09:08am | 14/05/10

What? He said it wouldn’t! Labor’s campaign is clear already. Labors Workchoices campaign was about union power not about jobs for working families.

Paris44 says:

09:31am | 14/05/10

My 18 yr daughter was forced to sign a AWA or not have work in a coastal tourist town. For this she received $14hr working early mornings,evenings,weekends and public holidays. She was also acting manager on occasion but got all the responsibility for no extra financial incentive. My son was employed part-time on the weekends for $5 hr at 17. You think work choices was ok? who for? Not the young trying to support themselves.

Seano says:

10:28am | 14/05/10

“The reality is, that good employees have nothing to fear from Workchoices. Bosses don’t sack good employees. Bosses don’t make good employees take paycuts. A good employee is worth his or her weight in gold. But average and bad, easily replaceable employees… At the end of the day if you want job security, be a better employee! “

Yeah the same noble bosses who exploited the insulation scheme and risked the lives of their workers and customers. Sure every boss out there when given open slather will do the right thing.

The argument about the good hearted employer with your best interests at heart is as dead as work’choices”.

Voxpop says:

04:10pm | 14/05/10

Hi Gary
I wasn’t personally affected by workchoices but as a manager (on salary) I had to screw 8 staff members by signing them up to AWA’s that stripped all penalty rates and put them on a flat $12 per hour - with most of their work being rostered to cover weekends and nights this was grossly unfair. 
Actually yes I was affected - it made me sick to the core.

Seano says:

06:39pm | 14/05/10

Clearly people were adversely affected by Workchoices Gary. Any response? I’m expecting crickets.

Evan Findlay says:

09:16pm | 13/05/10

Far more detail than we got from that economic hack Abbott. Did he even mention a figure, any figure. He is suppose to demonstrate leadership, all we heard was more carping and negativity. He attacked Rudd for not implementing more of the Henry Tax reforms and then implemented nothing himself. No policy, no direction, no reform.  Can’t give an estimate when he would return to surplus, mind you should he reach the Prime Ministership he will no doubt send us into recession with his policy lethargy so I suppose it would be difficult to give us a year. He’s all talk and no substance. Wants to bring back Workchoices, obviously didn’t learn the first time so maybe another electoral schilacking might make him sit up and take notice.

MrX says:

09:19pm | 13/05/10

So the opposition simply copying the current government is a reason to vote for them? Spare me.

MrX says:

09:20pm | 13/05/10

So the opposition simply copying the current government is a reason to vote for them? Spare me.

preciouspress says:

09:23pm | 13/05/10

Adam, even a diehard like you is showing desperation in your every word.
Abbott’s blown it.

Rob r Charteris says:

09:35pm | 13/05/10

Adam says:08:58pm; That doesn’t make any sense, unless you cant read or maybe too blinded and drunk on liberal spin.

Jason says:

09:38pm | 13/05/10

No adam because what swan put out the other night has to go before the senate, what abbott put out tonight will go to joyce to use as toilet paper.

Brad Price says:

10:16pm | 13/05/10

@ Evan Findlay….. How the hell does an opposition leader implement policy pray tell….. It’s this kind of mentel retardation that annoys me about Labor voters!

Jordan says:

07:44am | 14/05/10

The tax on businesses to pay for parental leave is not a “big new tax”? And where does Abbot propose to get his money from for his version of the ETS? Abbot’s like a Parramatta Rd second-hand car salesman. He’s a total creep. As for Joe Hockey, whilst I respect the guy - can anybody tell me how a LAWYER as qualified to give a) economic opinion, and b) Organise the country budget? If Hockey was giving opinion on economics in Court the Judge would exclude his testimony as he is not an expert in this area.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

01:08pm | 14/05/10

It looked to me as if Joe Hockey was feeling a bit queasy about his forthcoming more detailed effort next week, at the Press Club, is it?

Born and Bred says:

11:13pm | 13/05/10

I dont want nor deserve anything from the Mining companies if anyone was to “deserve” anything it would be the original inhabitants.

The mining companies dont get anything from my company why should we get anything from theirs

Shaun says:

11:44pm | 13/05/10

me as an individual may or may not deserve anything from Mining Corps, however the country as a whole does. I believe it’s about time these multinational companies paid their fair share. It is the Australian Government (ergo the people of Oz) that have allowed these companies into this country, it is the government that has provided the frame work and infrastructure to allow these companies access to the mineral wealth of this country. and it is the Australian people that have provided a stable, relativily honest system of government. These companies pay minimal tax (far less then the average individual) make massive profits and then have the gaul to bleat on about the skies about to fall when the Government demands they pay up. To hear extremely wealthy fat white men whinge about having to cough up is discusting,
These companies will not leave, not one single listed company has made any announcements to the ASX, if they where truley about to close up shop, the asx, by law, would need to be informed. All we have heard so far is crocodile tears. And anyway the minerals are here, if there is enough of a demand these companies will stay.

Hamish says:

02:58pm | 14/05/10

Shaun,

BHP and Rio Tinto have been in Australia a lot longer than you have. We didn’t ‘allow them in’ to the country at all.

NeilM says:

09:48pm | 13/05/10

Thanks Mr Pastry. You gave far more detail than Abbott. Would you like to be the next PM please?

Jacquie Butterfield says:

12:58pm | 14/05/10

Biggest laugh of the morning!  Ta.

Rev says:

10:13pm | 13/05/10

I’d imagine that was the plan all along - Abbott doing what he’s good at.  Now they have a few days to ensure Hockey gets it right at the Press Club, and can gauge public opinion along the way.  As for electoral contest…you can actually type that without laughing?  I’m not saying one is better than the other, but Rudd has not been a success.

hilda says:

10:28pm | 13/05/10

You haven’t witnessed a reply like that because we have never had a Labor gov, hell bent on sucking the very marrow out of the bones in our bodies before.
Too many people only read headlines and news grabs, it’s time they knew the truth, so suck it up.

Tom says:

12:03am | 14/05/10

Words can not express the amount of abuse this government deserves.  We shouldn’t become blase and shrug-off their ineptness and abhorrent waste just because it’s all we hear about them. This isn’t rhetoric its painful fact that serves as a reminder of this deceitful government’s failure after failure after waste after back-flip; enough to kick them out on their ar** if you ask me.  Failing that,  as our last federal election demonstrated - Change for the sake of change is a mantra accepted by many.  The opposition no doubt needs to talk more policy with time, but they would be wise to slowly divulge this information as the government seems desperate for any good ideas.

lola says:

10:18pm | 13/05/10

Yes and we will be paying for it for at least a decade.

Shaun says:

11:47pm | 13/05/10

Lola

Budget forcasts are for 2012/2013 return to surplus. Don’t forget we have just been through the biggest finacial meltdown ever.

Roja says:

12:57pm | 14/05/10

What amazes me is that this is the exact same negative campaigning that lost Howard the election in 2007.  Rudd & co remained on a positive message while the liberals appeared very old, tired and outdated.  The problem is, they don’t know how to do anything else - I mean these are the same people that thought Barnaby Joyce could hold a cabinet position involving economics.  The enemy of enemy is my friend approach doesn’t work in reality, it won’t work for the people of Australia.

The one thing that truly sickens me about Tony Abbott is that still appears to be incredibly happy that 4 young people died installing insulation because of their dodgy employers - remember Tony felt those 4 would otherwise have been unemployed bludgers that should be sent off to the mines, where Rudd targetted a way they could be employed.  As for house fires caused, the media tends to omit the fact that 80 housefires a year are caused by dodgy insulation - that equates to 880 fires under Howards reign and he did nothing.  Out of this so-called fiasco (by people who avoid the facts) the industry is now moving to regulation ensuring that this will be better prevented in future.

Rob r Charteris says:

09:47pm | 13/05/10

I had to laugh when Kieran Gilbert from Sky News said he’s proven himself to be a credible opposition leader… and I’m still giggling. But then again poor old Kieran was the only commentator who felt Abbott won the Health debate.

NeilM says:

10:03pm | 13/05/10

Ben I’m sorry but I can’t agree that the Opposition is there to point out the failings of the PM. The members of Parliament are there to contribute to our (the National) interest.

What we have seen is an opposition that opposes without a policy of its own. For example the ETS, had we gone to Copenhagen with it passed there would have been a strong bargaining position. Without it every country had a get out of goal free card. If the Libs didn’t see that they must be naive in the extreme. So I question if they were acting in our interest or just building an opportunity to undermine the National interest for their political advantage. Not to mention that had Copenhagen failed, as it did, then we could have withdrawn the legislation or just shelve implementation.

Rob r Charteris says:

10:25pm | 13/05/10

Only snivelling Lib’s and their supporters are saying that. It really does make them look a pretty ordinary opposition. Why they keep repeating it, they have no substance for anything else. You see not only are the lib’s climate skeptics they also dont believe the GFC ever existed…. makes them not only pretty dangerous when you think about it. And they want to be an alternative government??? what a joke

Phil says:

01:53am | 14/05/10

“almost Liberal like”.  You do realise there is a 40 billion dollar deficit for the next financial year.  You have swallowed the Labor story about the 1 billion surplus in 3 years and totally ignored the deficits preceding it.  They are forecasting 3-4% growth, yet still running the type of deficit you’d have during a recession.  It doesn’t make sense, and it definitely isn’t “Liberal like”.

John says:

11:15am | 14/05/10

Ummmm Phil, we are running a deficit “you’d have during a recession” because we had a recession, remember?  Or did you not notice because the Rudd Government did a pretty good job of protecting the country from it?  Anyone who denies this really needs to take the blinkers off for a moment.

I’m am generally a Labor voter but I am not a Rudd supporter, to the extent that I have considered voting Liberal in the next election.  But how am I supposed to do that when Abbott, despite the fact that he’s been in election mode almost since taking the leadership, hasn’t given me anything to vote for?  Not to mention the religious claptrap about gays, climate change (it was hotter in Jesus’ time?) and everything else.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t I reckon.

Bruce says:

01:27pm | 14/05/10

John, I agree with you…a lot of people are complaining about the deficit now and forgetting we have gone through the largest global recession since world war 2. Labour had no choice (like most governments around the world) to make this stimulus spending. I am a bit sick of hearing the Liberals go on about ‘reckless spending” ...they would have done exactly the same if they were in power.

We are lucky that our debt is relatively low in the whole scheme of things and the current forecast is that it will be repaid in the next 3 years.

I think that while they have had issues, that Labour has done enough to earn another 3 years in office. I will be more critical of them after that point because they would have been in power 6 years…so we should have seen major change and the budget being back in surplus. If we dont then that will definitely be a big issue for them.

Phil says:

09:11pm | 16/05/10

See John (and Bruce) you have just displayed your ignorance.  The budget is for the upcoming financial year.  What went before is irrelevant (other than interest payments on debt accrued in previous years).  We are not in recession or going into recession; to the contrary trend growth is being predicted.  Yet they will still spend more than they are receiving for the next 2 years.  And that 1 billion surplus in 3 years time (if you can believe that) does not mean all debt has been extinguished, it just means they will finally be earning more than they are spending for that 12 months - we will still have about 100 billion in debt (and that’s after they were handed a 20 billion surplus).
You only need to run deficits if the economy is shrinking and as a result needs stimulating.  The thing is Labor can’t stop spending it’s in their DNA.  And it’s not just the spending, it’s the waste.  Remember every time the say $1 billion, that’s about $50 for every man woman and child.  So when they say $1 billion needed to fix the insulation debacle, that’s $50 from me, from my wife, from my 5 year old and my 2 year old. 
Now you might think $200 is no big deal - inour family it is.  And not only that, it’s borrowed money so we are paying interest on wasted money.
It’s the poor understanding of what the budget actually means by people like you an the disregard for Govet waste, that allows incompetent governments like this one (and just about every other state government) to get re-elected.

Roja says:

03:04pm | 14/05/10

Indeed why would anyone spell out their plans for the Budget in the Budget reply.  The budget reply is really code for “campaign stategy” after all, while the campaign will be for the budget reply.  With that logic you could be a politician.

Christian Real says:

03:49pm | 14/05/10

Daniel
        Why wait until the Election, most sensible people already knows what Abbott and the Liberal opposition stand for already.
        Labor has already outlined their policies, something which Abbott is reluctant to do.
        Besides Daniel, Labor or any of the other party’s can’t pinch any of Abbott’s policies, because he hasn’t got any policies in the first place to pinch.

Rocket Surgeon says:

10:21pm | 13/05/10

TJ, that argument doesn’t fly when the government have already announced their policy.

Paul says:

10:43pm | 13/05/10

They arent the clueless ones….

Name one opposition, ever, that has released policy prior to election season.

Short memory Greg.

Jim Walker says:

09:08am | 14/05/10

You lot of Labor supporters are pathetic, remember Pauline Hanson? She released all her policies before the election was called, Little Jackboot Johnny pinched the lot. Roll on Tony Abbott . Keep your cards close to your chest & keep the clueless bxxxxx guessing. Now if only we can get the Nationals to wake up . WOW

Roja says:

03:18pm | 14/05/10

Thatpathetic excuse simply doesn’t fly Jim, if Abbott announced a policy and Labor stole it they will tell us all how in the ‘look what Kev did’ ad blitz come election time.

Abbott has one strategy - “I am not Kevin Rudd”.

Hamish says:

03:39pm | 14/05/10

Roja,

Sounds like a winning strategy…

mick says:

11:15pm | 13/05/10

It was very well done and the Labor mob must be fairly uncomfortable right now no matter what they say.
Mr Rudd cannot squirm enough as far as I am concerned after what he has done to Australia.

Christian Real says:

08:37am | 14/05/10

Mick,
    There is no real reason for the “Labor Mob’ to feel uncomfortable in any way at all, especial when the Liberal opposition has the town clown leading them.

bobby says:

11:18pm | 13/05/10

Mr Rudd has done plenty of harm.
That is why he needs to go.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

01:27pm | 14/05/10

Hi NeilM.  He said he’d get into the black ‘at least’ as fast as Labor, not earlier.  It was a careful stretch.  And, yes, they’ll have to get skates on I must admit.  All pretty wobbly.

Paul says:

10:51pm | 13/05/10

Sorry Peter, but $43b is too much to pay for you to have broadband.
Why dont you PAY FOR WIRELESS or SATELLITE .

RT says:

07:38am | 14/05/10

Medicare and Medibank Private are different things. Abbott’s plan is to sell Medibank, not Medicare… just correcting your mistake

PeterWH says:

08:44am | 14/05/10

Paul,
I am in rural NSW,we dont have have those luxuries andlike your good mate Mr.Abbott,well you dont care either.
We are lucky to have ADSL and we are controlled by telstra,so what is your excuse…..Maybe $40B is alot of money to you BUT to people out here ADSL & ADSL +2 is a luxury.
By the way we dont have the affordability of satellite due to the fact that our local National Party member dosent want to support satellite….get your facts correct will you

Bruce says:

12:40am | 14/05/10

Agree JT: Politics is like a game of Poker: Never show your hand until the time is right !!

Chop Chop says:

11:21pm | 13/05/10

ALP Staffers burning the midnight oil, more like buying more shredders, just google Kevin Rudd shredders and you will see what I mean

Jack says:

10:58pm | 12/05/11

No staffers here only people who know bullshit when they hear it.

PeterWH says:

10:14pm | 13/05/10

You gonna vote for Abbott??????

Corsair says:

11:32pm | 13/05/10

To PeterWH:

You gonna vote for KRudd???????

RT says:

07:39am | 14/05/10

I’m voting for Wally Lewis… but I have to create my own box and write his name on the ballot paper which takes some time to do…

PeterWH says:

08:47am | 14/05/10

to Corsair…...out here YEP?????Beter than the National??????
I would prfere Mickey Mouse

Seano says:

08:57am | 14/05/10

So let me get this right. You’ve voted Labor your whole life but a speech full of hot air and no detail by one of the architects of work"choices” has “changed” your mind. Yeah ok that’s believeable.

Dale says:

09:55am | 14/05/10

Im voting for one Anikin Skywalker, he would never do a bad thing

SY says:

11:39pm | 13/05/10

Hey Julia can I have some of what your smoking??  Why do you think you got a tax cut every year particularly in election years. 
The Howard Government needed to get the money from somewhere and sadly your pockets were filled by underfunding roads, hospitals, schools and the list goes on.
Yet another Gimmie Gimmie Australian thats worse than a whinging pom. 
You deride and demonise the poor while holding your own hand out every year.  Bravo!
Greed and selfishness of the average Australian over the past 16 years has grown to epic proportions thanks to John Howard who always stayed on key with the message of greed is good.

RT says:

07:35am | 14/05/10

Umm… the underfunded entities you llisted are primarily funded by State governments… if you’re going to make an argument at least research your position first. It’s only fair to the rest of the commentors…

Tom says:

12:20am | 14/05/10

With regards to mining; you can’t have your cake and eat it too.  What the mining companies have done is keep our economy strong.  They need to dig the stuff out of the ground for it to be worth anything - and for this there has to be incentive.  Our economy prospered under the last government without such tax.  The government has pissed all our money away and now is trying to appeal to the simpletons with the old “those greedy bastard mining companies are stealing our resources”.  Believe them and there will soon be plenty of other such taxes to pay as well as plenty of un-mined holes in the ground for them to piss your tax dollars into.

Matt says:

10:14am | 14/05/10

Because misere is no good to you if don’t already have 250 points in the bank…

Jacob M says:

08:43am | 14/05/10

Yes slash The Public Service, get rid of all those teachers and nurses who are Public Servants, all Liberals can dress your own wounds and teach your own kids.

Matt says:

10:17am | 14/05/10

...and you can then pay more to get the job(s) done by private sector contractors.  I know, I’ve been one.

Rudd Voter Last Time. Call me Disillusioned. says:

11:06pm | 13/05/10

Wayne, I have waded through the emotive dribble above, and with some notable exceptions Adam - (as always??),  yours is making some sense.

There is the usual political teams that sing their tune.

Sorry Pembo, I always hold a wee man crush with your wit and wisdom, but alas not tonight. Abbott was on song, more than Dame Mellie hereself!

Abbott should not have to jump through more hoops than a Seaworld dolphin in just 48 hours. Mr Swan and Co have been whipping up the super taxing “aspirational economic tagets:, Oh I mean budget for six months.

Abbott highlighted the follie of the tax and pointed out the budget is basically built on aspirational economic performance not seen in 60 years.

The alternative government needs a reasonable time to deal with these issues and formulate a considered response, not a focus group’s buzz words.

Today Abbott with both force and brutally mocking humour, and for my money the first time, showed the statesmanship of an alternate prime minister.

Ohh, and for all this “work choices is back” sing a long, individual contracts have been in play since 1996, promised to return only with a no disadvantage test. The fact the unions are the principal negotiator of workplace rights, underestimates Australian workers as individuals.

Why should those that choose, be prevented from negotiating, free of association with a union? Why has our individual right been stripped under Labor?

Workchoices is dead.

Christian Real says:

09:05am | 14/05/10

Wayne,
        Abbott cannot release policies, for the simple reason that he has no policies to release.
        His speech showed him up for what he really is, a weak leader, with no policies, no ideas and no real direction to take Australia or Australians in the near future.
        Abbott has said that Joe Hockey would fill in the missing gaps of his budget reply, when Hockey addresses the National Press Club next Wednesday, but this in itself, has clearly shown that Abbott is a failure as a Leader.
        The Liberal party most possibly will be working overtime for at lest the next 5 days, attemping to come up with some ideas to put into policies for Joe Hockey to announce at his National Press club address.

Andrew says:

12:20pm | 14/05/10

If that’s the case Christian then why are you so concerned?

You’re on the site every day, having a red hot go at everything Liberal and demonising Abbott.

If you are so certain Labor is so great and Abbott is a terrible choice for the Lib’s why don’t you just sit back and enjoy the carnage?

Shall I enlighten you? (Trumpet sounds) (Drum roll please)

It’s because Labor are on the nose, everyone knows it. Tony Abbott, like him or hate him has presented as a genuine alternative and everyone can sense Kevin is on his way down. His credibility is shot and he is (as he has always done but now with more depseration) starting a “politics of envy” campaign. Only one problem, he picked on people with deep pockets and he will have to back down (increase the threshhold for the SPT).

In any event, you can spew your hatred and vitriol as much as you want, bottom line, you’re rattled, you’re scared and you and your party have had your 15 minutes. Move on.

H of SA says:

09:53am | 14/05/10

Old girl, I think the fact you feel talked down to more by politicians than you do by a show like American Idol tells us something about the standard of political debate in Australia. A bit frightening really.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

01:33pm | 14/05/10

I got the impression that Abbott was trying to be emotionally easier on Rudd, rather than brutal, and that the attitude was not particularly addressed to viewers.  I say this in the knowledge that the Rudds and Abbotts have dined in each other’s home as families in the past.

PeterWH says:

10:47pm | 13/05/10

cough,cough,splutter,splutter…where and how

Seano says:

08:02am | 14/05/10

I’m will to bet he could have stood up and offered a lot of hot and not real policy and he would have got your vote. Hang on, that’s exactly what he did.

Greek Snake says:

04:58pm | 14/05/10

What a way to present the silliest of comparisons stephen. Well done, you have made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I guess Rudd and Wong spending “several nights with no sleep” in Nopenhaagen was all energy and no technique? I mean at least Abbott finished his marathon. Rudd and Wong got laughed at all the way back to good old Oz. Way to spend those sleepless nights.

Abbott’s qualities as a sportsman are inspirational by any human, regardless of which major party you support. To accomplish something like that at all, let alone at 52 years of age, is amazing.

To Abbott this iron-man triathlon was simply a challenge he set himself, and he lived up to it. Rudd’s challenge? The greatest moral challenge of our time in fact, got delayed for 3 years. Hooray for a PM with no conviction, no guts, no courage, no testicular fortitude and after that last 7:30 report, a very short temper.

Pretty soon he’ll share a house in the same street as Mark Latham and we’ll be saying “Kevin who?”. That is being optimistic though, we will most likely remember him as the worst PM this country has ever seen.

Kevin 07? Not again in 2010!

PeterWH says:

10:51pm | 13/05/10

Matt,Abbott doent have ANY POLICIES.The only policy that he has got is to show his ignorance an knock everything that the Labor Government stand for.
The fellow as joe Hockey says has NO SUBSTANCE
If Mr.Abbott was to become PM (god help us) we would be going back to the Howard days again and therefore stuffed up and screwed again.

Frank says:

11:58pm | 13/05/10

Abbott talks trash. He is reading from a script. This is a weak leader that has no idea about the real economy. He is so stupid to believe that the miners are going away to where, you stupid idiot!
To Africa, to Brazil? Where on earth that some countries like Africa and Brazil going to hand all the good mines to you on the platter. Go Clive Palmer, this country does not not you. We needs patriots, people that really love the country.
Do you know what wrong with this country? Let me put it in simple language: the rich refuse to pay, the poor can’t afford to pay and the middle class got screwed.
Tony Abbott is going to be the hired gun of the rich, the BHP, Palmer and Twiggy Forrest. They think they can bring all the money with them in their next life. Typical of Tony Abbott,bring back the work choice, spare the tax for the rich miners. Born to rule, you liberal stooges and lying rodent who pushed the poor refugees back to the sea again and again. What is the price for a poor human life, it is worth nothing to the Mad Monk.
BTW, how is the Mad MOnk going to stop the flow of refugees? Using the navy again or the SAF?
I am going to vote for the GREEN.

Ryan says:

08:55am | 14/05/10

@PeterWH: Australia experienced some of the best economic times under Howard, I guess that was just lucky in your one eyed view ?
I for one was MUCH better off then than now, cost of living was a LOT cheaper than it is now and we could actually make ends meet with a little on the side, since this Labor lot have come to power we are struggling just to pay the bills and its getting worse and worse.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

01:47pm | 14/05/10

Yep, that’s all he did and that was enough, for starters.

steve says:

05:55am | 14/05/10

I wonder if you would say the same about Kristine Kennearly who is also Catholic.
or Krudd who does door stops on the steps of his church
Maybe you are a member of Labour party’s favourite religion called hypocrisy

BobM says:

10:13pm | 14/05/10

shabangabang

Just vote Greens, or maybe the Sex Party - you sound like a total loop anyway.  ‘I wonder if Jesus would have approved?’ Pfft - ask them at hillsong. The only stupid fool that we’re going to be rid of at the election is your hero, Rudd.

RT says:

07:51am | 14/05/10

Agression is good - keeps you from getting walked over like certain countries have been doing to us for a couple of years…

Jacquie Butterfield says:

02:52pm | 14/05/10

You never watch Question Time in the afternoons on ABC TV, do you?  THAT’S AGGRESSIVE!!!  This wasn’t.  And the aggression is from both sides, believe me.

Jay says:

12:55am | 14/05/10

Blind faith? I voted Labor in the last election because Howard just had to go. He had to go the election before that but Labor screwed themselves lacking a leader and thus the election was a landslide. I voted Greens in that election, as did a lot of people (check the stats) but of course the Greens will (likely) never get into power and the Libs won. I am not impressed with Rudd at the moment, but compared to his opposition, Rudd currently has my vote.

I am sitting on the fence with the Internet Filter. I think the idea is right, as long as it is implemented correctly. I won’t know if it is until it is released. The NBN is a good idea imho. So far there are conflicting reports about its possible success in Tassie. I’ve heard two thumbs up from the hardware folk not in the spotlight, and wavering hands from the ones in the spotlight. Again comes down to implementation before I’d be making a decision. Still at end of the day, Corsair, you sound like a typical Lib voter. Just read your own post. Try looking at it a little more realistically instead of going for the blame game.

Roja says:

03:12pm | 14/05/10

Actually Rudd didn’t go negative in the last election, he went with positive messages.  The Liberal election strategy in 2007 was identical to their strategy now - the other guys suck.  It lost in 2007, and it’s still likely to lose in 2010.  That you don’t get that as a liberal supporter pleases me greatly.

As for Liberals taking superiority over Labor when it comes to the internet… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  That has to be the funniest joke known to man - they stuffed up the sale of telstra, all but knighted Sol Trujillo then spent the rest of the time fighting him, delivered no infrastructure at all and had no plans to bring Australia into the modern technological world.  They still think wireless internet is a valid solution.  Korea delivered the equivalent of the NBN in the 90’s and have not looked backwards, while we are still living in a technological backwards country - all thanks to Howard.

SY says:

12:04am | 14/05/10

Funny you say that snuff.  That was John Howards promise in the 96 election yet under Howard the number of beaurocrats rose by 900%.  Go figure.  I guess saying one thing and doing another is par for politics and crosses all party lines.

Coaster says:

08:20am | 14/05/10

I have seen a Liberal party not to long ago put this country into recession and take the crown for the highest interest rates in Australias history. ....HUH?  Recession we had to have ...Keating; Highest interest rates 17% home loans…Keating.  I’ve herd of rewriting history!!  About the level of a labor supporter who told me at last election Howard was Keatings Treasurer and he did all the recession and high interest rates stuff!  You live in a mind altering alternate universe!

Susan says:

09:46am | 14/05/10

Rates hit 23% under Howard as Treasurer during Malcolm Fraser’s term, Coaster. Fact.

RT says:

07:48am | 14/05/10

Should be an interesting election - essentially Unions v Mining Industry in terms of major funding.

Adam Diver says:

08:36am | 14/05/10

You have to be kidding tony abbott has no substance and stands for nothing. I want him to detail all of his policies without modelling and before an election is held.

If his policies do not detail exactly how the government will help me run my day to day life (and with cuts to public service I don’t think this is possible) I wont be voting for him. We need more government help in our everyday lives, think of the children.

Tex says:

04:48am | 14/05/10

Spot on - I keep asking myself that as well. Compared to the rest of the world we are in great shape. TA speech tonight was a pitch to his base which hes already got. I was looking for substance, sadly it was TA the headkicker (yawn).

RT says:

07:46am | 14/05/10

The country’s not wrecked… but while settle for such a mediocre PM like Rudd? Australia deserves so much better… and Abbott probably is marginally better…

And please don’t use the word “superclinic” - it’s such a douchebag word

Tim says:

03:59am | 14/05/10

That’s exaclty what I think. My heart sank when I read Abbott was gonna kill the NBN. I hate Rudd and the mess he has made of everything he has touched, but the NBN is essential. It’s a close call.

Tex says:

04:52am | 14/05/10

Yep completely agree. The NBN will change our whole way of doing business - why conservatives think the NBN is a bad thing has got me stumped.

Rob r Charteris says:

08:59am | 14/05/10

Tex says:04:52am because it isn’t their little baby, they get soooo out of whack when good policy is flowing and it isn’t their making. One can only imagine the governments new net filter on dial up. Because that uis what most Australians will have under Abbott.

Shelley says:

11:20am | 14/05/10

NBN is best cut. It’s outdated now. Wireless is best and already moving ahead in private enterprise. There’s no need for government to waste money supplying a taxpayer funded inferior Internet service.

Christian Real says:

04:58am | 14/05/10

Murph,
      People don’t have to be ALP staffers to comment of the weak performance of Mr (No Policies,No Ideas, and No real direction to take Australia and Australians) Abbott.
      The opportunist show pony did not let me down, and his reply to the budget speech showed that this man simply has no clue at all.
      Howard used Abbott mainly for an attack dog,and that showed that perhaps that is all this man is capable of, because he has no other real qualities, he simply attacks everyone else’s policies,because he has none of his own to deliver to the Australian people.
        It also appear that Abbott wants to hold Australia and Australians back , because instead and of keeping pace with the rest of the World in fast broadband services,  Abbott wants to scrap the proposed broadband that will bring our Country up to the internet speeds that other Countries are already experiencing.
        Abbott’s plan to block the proposed 40% mining tax, and if he is elected at the next election to scrap this tax altogether, is just another way of appeasing his megra rich mining mates that hand over huge donations to fill the Liberal coffers.
        The fact that Abbott also failed to provide any real detail in his reply speech, showed how weak, shallow and false that he really is,instead he chose to pass the buck to Joe Hockey to fill in these missing details during Hockey’s Nation press Club address next Wednesday.
        It would appear that the Liberal Party blundered by electing Abbott as their leader, and maybe Joe Hockey should be in charge instead.

Rob r Charteris says:

08:34am | 14/05/10

aaaaaawe what da madda buba, the liberals staffers feeling a lil overwelmed.  there there go back and get you taxpayer fund latte and dont forget to drop by Abbott’s office for your free spin pill. oooop’s I see you have already taken it.

steve says:

09:29am | 14/05/10

Hey CR if you have got Superanuation, even the nice union run ME bank super, you are probably one of the “Megger Rich” that make money from the dividends that the Blue Chip mining shares pay out.
Oh you did ot think that it would effect you? wait till your next Supper statment…...

NeilM says:

08:51am | 14/05/10

Luke, the world is not divided into Labour and Liberal. I vote when I think there is a suitable candidate or when in my view we need to get rid of a government that is not taking us anywhere.

At the moment I’m in the no suitable candidates camp, with a soft leaning to vote Labour just to give them the opportunity to govern without a Lib capacity to dominate the Senate.

Abbotts performance was disgusting. He needs to get a bit real and work out he needs more than his base vote to win an election.

Soultrader - Rannville SA - Zero Industry - Zero E says:

09:27am | 14/05/10

@NeilM
The Libs don’t dominate the Senate. There are enough Greens and Independents to pass government legislation. The problem in recent times has been that the legislation has been flawed and so the minor groups have rejected it. The Libs can vote NO on everything and have NO impact whatsoever on legislation passing in the Senate.

The Opposition Opposes - as did Labor when they were in Opposition.
As to putting forward alternatives - until the Opposition get access to Treasury to do costings, most ideas are not costed properly. Let’s wait until the lection campaign is in full swing and we will see both parties’ ideas - it would be nice to have some detail offered by both - for a change.

If we are sick of both major parties, then we need to nominate a whole raft of quality Independent Candidates and give them the job of running the country. But I can’t see that happening because then we would have nothing to whinge about. It would be our collective fault.

Seano says:

08:08am | 14/05/10

I love you conservatives you’re always good for a laugh.

When the right wing hive mind get out in force spouting almost the same rhetoric it’s all about “real people” and the “silent majority” “telling it like it is”.

But when people express their support for Labor it’s apparently some sort of conspiracy.

Why? Is it because no ordinary person could possibly have a differing opinion to yours? Get a grip!

RT says:

08:53am | 14/05/10

No one with half a life spends it commenting on the internet after 7pm at night, regardless of what party you prefer… simply fact. This research comes from all the people living in the real world.

Seano says:

08:53am | 14/05/10

I doubt too many are worried about the political analysis of someone who doesn’t know that the ALP adopted the American spelling of Labor in 1912.

RT says:

08:51am | 14/05/10

That’s hardly a proper comparison to make, as workers strike when the Unions tell them, and the Union is aligned with the ALP.

Goes to show that when there is a strike (or threatened strike) while the ALP is in power then something is really wrong.

One would assume had the Libs been in power with the NAPLAN tests, the teachers would have actually striked. It was only the ALP/Union relationship that prevented that.

Seano says:

09:51am | 14/05/10

1. The claim that there are more strikes now than under Howard sounds completely bogus. I’d like to see some figures. Certainly Howard tried to outlaw strikes which in a democracy is completely unbelievable.

2. “Goes to show that when there is a strike (or threatened strike) while the ALP is in power then something is really wrong. “

Actually if strikes under Labor show anything it’s that the ALP are not controlled by the unions as often represented by the right wing.

3. “One would assume had the Libs been in power with the NAPLAN tests, the teachers would have actually striked. It was only the ALP/Union relationship that prevented that. “

The strike didn’t go ahead because the government negotiated a solution that was acceptable to both sides, that’s what good governments do. Sound to me like the Liberal government you are speculating about would not be providing this sort of leadership.

ken rowsthorne says:

09:27am | 14/05/10

Tell me the old old story, straight from the archives Abbott has partaken in the days events, with a speel worthy of all those libs that went before him.
The protector of financial manipulators such as the mining magnats, save there wealth Know super tax despite the fact that they are making massive unheard of Billions sending it overses, ..
The wealth of the country flowing overses to rich mining companies and the proposal that because the royalties have not gone up in accordance with there excessive profit., Mr Rudd rightly so wants   to redirect some of tha weath to the people
Crazy crazy here is Abbott doing his best for the Mining companies,
Capatalism at play, and Mr Rudd is not in line with there thoughts he has broadned the issues and they dont like that ,
a little more flexible in trying to solve the problems of Capatalism,but oh not good eough not good enough says Abbott and company

Susan says:

09:23am | 14/05/10

No cable has been run out - but that’s mainly because it’s a fibre network.

As of last week 540km of fibre had actually been run out. The network build started in Tasmania late last year. A major fibre backhaul route through Mt Isa has been announced, and they are about to start building five ‘trial sites’ across Australia to fine-tune rollout processes to try and maximise efficiency.

Rumour in the industry has it that the rollout plan is basically ready, but NBN Co are waiting for a better time to publicly release it.

Seano says:

09:41am | 14/05/10

How about some?

Dash says:

10:37am | 14/05/10

How about, no return to Workchoices, reduce the size of the growing public service, return the budget to surplus through the sale of Medibank Private and a reduction in wasteful spending rather than a super tax on normal profits. A closure of the NBN taxpayer blackhole. Sounds like more than some to me Seano!

Seano says:

10:56am | 14/05/10

Without detail it sounds like not much. Abbott is about as trustworthy on Workchoices as Howard was on GST. Flogging off assets cheap and dumping important future initatives so that we can fall further behind the rest of the world in ICT doesn’t sound like substance to me.

Tony for PM says:

09:50am | 14/05/10

Dash -  You are spot on.  Labor ranting on this blog is an indication that they are running scared and so they should.  I hate to think what will become of Australia if this rabble are returned for another 3 years.

Alosia says:

10:15am | 14/05/10

6000 more on the dole but only if they are over 30 years old, under 30 years of age Abbott wants them to live on fresh air and Teachers and Nurses are public servants

H of SA says:

11:15am | 14/05/10

.....police, physio therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, financial counsellors…..

It is worrying Alosia

John says:

11:21am | 14/05/10

H I couldn’t agree more.  The public service is always a favourite whipping boy in cost cutting, the general public (lowest common denominator) loves to see those “lazy fatcats” taking a hit, but they’re the first to complain when service levels start slipping.  You can’t have both people.

Tim says:

11:23am | 14/05/10

Alosia - obviosuly you should be lining up as you can’t read. Abbott stated that it will be a job freeze for 2 years. He also stated that there are approx 6000 public servants to retire. Therfore the cut will comefrom not replacing these people. If someone chooses to leave well that is their choice - but i can’t imagine someone leaving to line up for the dole.
And for those that say who will do the leaving persons job ... how about a little merging of roles and less red tape. Then we wouldn’t need 7 people with rubber stamp a document before it gets approved. Or to spend .. what was it .. $25million on a NBN report for something already started in TAS. Since when does it cost $25M for a 9mth report.

Hamish says:

12:55pm | 14/05/10

H,

The best way to ensure we don’t fall behind the rest of the world is to make sure we don’t have nationalised, Bolshevik-style ICT infrastructure which is not only a massive barrier to entry for the private sector but also a massive debt millstone around the neck of future governments.

H of SA says:

01:13pm | 14/05/10

Hamish, are there actually plans from any private companies to set up a national network? I ask that out of genuine ignorance because if there are it would change my views on the NBN greatly

hot tub political machine says:

02:08pm | 14/05/10

Wow,

The strange reality of politics - I wonder how TA feels about the fact these people are his fans now.

Seano says:

10:38am | 14/05/10

“The stark reality is that the Coalition are the party of business, freedom, and individual choice.”

Of course you mean choice like sign or lose your job.

“sublime”
ROFL!

Saskia says:

11:13am | 14/05/10

If you don’t like an employer get another job or better still get some ticker and setup your own business.

Just be a man.

Seano says:

12:34pm | 14/05/10

“If you don’t like an employer get another job or better still get some ticker and setup your own business.”

Yes the world is either black or white.

” Just be a man.”

What a grown up analysis.

Henry says:

01:29pm | 14/05/10

Real men do something.  People like you run to their ombudsman.  Man up.  The Government is not there to nanny you to the grave.

Seano says:

03:54pm | 14/05/10

Henry, real men don’t make stuff up to make themselves feel important.

Kim says:

01:35pm | 14/05/10

Oh EssaJay - just thought I would correct you, you may not have realised it, but you have said Abbott when you should have said Rudd.

EssJay says:

02:25pm | 14/05/10

No correction needed thanks Kim. Most DEFINITELY meant Abbott. There is only one Phony Tony!

EssJay says:

03:16pm | 14/05/10

You really don’t set your standards very high, do you? Abbott’s reply was big on bile, venom, negativity and downright jealousy, but way, way short on actual ideas, alternatives or policies. He squibbed it - “more next week with Joe Hockey”, “more closer to the election”. Voters want to know what he and his party stand for 365 days per year, not just a few short weeks around every election. So far, apart from his “Great Big New Tax” - a unilaterally decided maternity leave scheme; his “absolute crap” climate policy costing taxpayers $10 billion out of the budget and which don’t actually mandate emissions reductions, but permit “business (pollute) as usual”; the only other policy he has is to oppose for opposition’s sake which is what they have been doing for 2.5 years under 3 different leaders.. To paraphrase “Little Britain” - “Tony says Noooo”. Phony Tony - the flip, flop man - agrees with ETS, then he doesn’t, then he does and then when he gets a whiff of the leadership, he doesn’t again. Phony Tony - the man who got the leadership by one vote - HIS OWN, and even one of his own party voted informally. Hardly a vote of confidence by his colleagues. No-one in their right mind would elect him PM. He was pathetic as a Health Minister - he’d be even worse as PM.

EssJay says:

03:34pm | 14/05/10

P.S. And after criticising Labor’s spending, Abbott wanted to buy the votes of stay-at-home-mothers with a $10,000 payment. With approx. 140,000 stay-at-home-mothers, that equates to a $1.4 billion bribe. Hypocrite!

Saskia says:

10:37am | 14/05/10

Yup…. the ALP supporters are all over the shop.  The hysteria is hilarious.

Rudd to make history as first PM for decades to be a one term uber-dud.

Bring on the battle of ideology!  Freedom vs Socialist Gloom

Daryl says:

10:54am | 14/05/10

Barry, if only the Libs had blocked the rorting of the school scheme. Or the insulation scheme. If only they’d blocked the waste of taxpayers money on the NBN or in not delivering the grocery choices promise. If only the Libs had blocked the handouts which burnt the surplus and drove up interest rates. If only the Libs had blocked the billions borrowed to handout $900 to bludgers and dead people. I don’t have a short memory mate. I remember the Whitlam government, I remember the unconstitutional backroom deal with Khemlani and Rex Connor. I remember the waste, the coruption and the rorts. This government is almost a carbon copy. I remember the “read my lips - L.A.W” taxcuts that Labor never delivered. I remember “rollback” which never happened. I remember Fuelwatch, I remember “no child shall live in poverty”, I remember 260 childcare facilities not delivered, Laptops not delivered. I remember “I’ll turn the boats around”. I remember rorting of taxpayers funds under the school scheme. I remember the ETS and the backflip. I remember Labors double digit unemployment rate under Keating, I remember double digit interest rates under Hawke. How democratic is it to be bankrolled and controlled by the unelected union movement? How democratic is a super mining tax on normal company profits to pay for more dodgy promises. Shades of Stalinist Russia I say!

Patrick says:

12:19pm | 14/05/10

Arr here we go - as Godwin said “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1”

And then we have the anti socialists comments pop up. Freedom versus socialists gloom one comment has already stated. Freedom? So I assume you drive through red lights,never pay tax and never listen to any law imposed upon us to maintain a society hey? Liberal voters and their deluded ideas of freedom. It’s more like neo-cons who want the freedom to cheat and lie and earn billions off the suffering of others. Although I am a hater of tribalism amongst the voters gosh I despise the smirkers who have delusions about freedom. It is not freedom versus socialist gloom - this is a battle of the ‘me’ versus ‘we’ mentality. With Liberal style freedom we have a lot of people thinking about ‘me’ in a type of Thatcherite hell.

Dash says:

11:05am | 14/05/10

Hey Barry, I think we can do with the kind of progress Mr Rudd has delivered don’t you think. Insulation schemes, no border protection, record foreign debt, burnt surplus, an ETS tax, a mining tax, a billion for this and a billion for that without delivering. That’s the kind of intelligent progress we can do without. Im not sure we’re really too happy with where we are getting as you say let alone where these idiots are leading us!

BobM says:

10:20pm | 14/05/10

Barry’s on drugs…..Rudd IS a dictator.

Walter Kinross says:

11:21am | 14/05/10

Tom Kenyon is an ALP MP in SA Govt - so yeah he will at least help the Libs there with the mining industry that Rann has tried to wreck.

Have heard that at least 2 Rudd govt MP’s are not going to support the mining tax.  One is quite senior.

Yeah agree Rudd is gone—just a matter if the ALP can find anyone not smeared with failure and corruption in a probably vain attempt to halt Abbott’s rise to PM.

The mining tax is the ALP’s ‘Workchoices’.

They are gone.

Helena D says:

11:24am | 14/05/10

I seem to recall Malcom Turnbull crossing the floor too. It was not the end of The Liberal Party but it was nearly the end of him

Seano says:

11:24am | 14/05/10

“the biggest fall from grace in the history of Australian politics”

I would have thought the reality of Howard being voted out of office and his own seat rather than the fantasy of a one term Rudd government would be a better choice.

Barry Porter says:

12:05pm | 14/05/10

Yes the cracks have started ...with the one time Liberal Party , they can’t even find a minister to fill the shoes of opposition Prime Minister !
They are in such disaray they can’t even find a policy to show us only critisize Labor .......... great I don’t think !
If Libs ge in .i’ll just wonder what they will come up with ?

Saskia says:

11:57am | 14/05/10

Hey Baz what do you think about the Mining Union coming out and slamming the Super Tax on Mining?

The tax is a dog is a dog is a dog.

Business knows it, workers know it, investors know it, townsfolk know it.

Seems to be just Rudd and his dwindling band of Kevin07 zombies that just don’t understand the effect of socialism on an economy.

You are giving us all a lot of laughs if nothing else.

Dash says:

12:47pm | 14/05/10

Barry, it was constitutional for the governor general to call an election to break the deadlock in the senate in 1975. The Australian people voted for a change in government and threw out Whitlam. It was however, unconstitutional for the Whitlam government to organise a dodgy loan with Khemlani to try to fund their spending. Too much history has been rewritten about this. And where’s rollback? The Labor party now loves the GST they just ripped 30% out of the Labor states!

Roja says:

12:06pm | 15/05/10

Saskia, the Union stated their support for the mining tax, as have many of the mining companies.  The ones that don’t like it are those with established massive projects and Clive Palmer - the mining magnate who doesn’t actually own a mine.  Investors are a little peeved, but hey their overly inflated profits couldn’t last forever.

john mcjohnboy says:

02:47pm | 14/05/10

I see the TA cheer squad are ignoring this little gaffe, flat out lying during an interview, then having to backflip and admit “i’m a wimp” - now there’s a bloke I want as PM.

Willy K says:

01:36pm | 14/05/10

Worried Paddy?  You should be.

Abbott and the miners are going to paste Rudd’s pasty obese little carcass all over Canberra.

FYI Rudd is bring in the net filter - the ALP have got fascism covered too.

Hamish says:

01:42pm | 14/05/10

Socialism and fascism aren’t opposites of the political spectrum, capitalism and socialism/communism are. Fascist regimes are generally socialist (e.g. National Socialist Party). If you want to make clever political gibes, you should actually study some politics.

Abbott would most accurately be called a conservative. Rudd could be called a social democrat, but most accurately he’s an organised labour politician (which is different to a european-style social democrat because his party directly represents the interests of unionised labour rather than being overtly economically socialistic).

Patrick says:

02:51pm | 14/05/10

Not worried at all Willy old mate. You do realise when you talk about pasting rudd all over Canberra you’re talking hypothetically? I mean it hasn’t happened yet so um you know - count those chickies after they hatch hey.  What’s more, I’d rather see both camps wiped out.
But you know that Tony guy, with his team of kind-hearted supporters well now they create great lunch time reading with their prophecies of a Liberal victory. Hand in hand with crazy hillsong supporters skipping into a make believe world.

Seano says:

03:51pm | 14/05/10

Thanks for your input, it was really valuable.

Mark says:

11:17pm | 14/05/10

Lol try hard.

You don’t just pay people a wage. You do realise that employees cost more than the wage they are paid right? Seriously when you have a clue about something comment. When you are ignorant don’t.

The old adage of if you keep your mouth shut people might only think you are an idiot instead of opening it and confirming it is so apt here.

Try Harder says:

08:04am | 15/05/10

ROTFLMAO. Mark is seriously proposing that your average govt clerk, on around 60K, costs about 5 times that in on costs - another 280,000 a year. What a hoot.

These are existing employees, not being replaced. On costs minimal. So how on earth has Abbott done to get to the $4 billion? Added in their Super pay out? That’d be a fine old joke.

Anyway, press “pause” and check back later. This is so funny its just worth asking the right question in the right place, to find out the right answer.

Right now I’m off to enjoy the day. Soon as I stop laughing.

Roja says:

11:58am | 15/05/10

Sorry Try Harder, but budgets span more than one year so the figure is not that rubbery.  Mark follow your own advice about stupidity and ignorance mate, you couldn’t have made a more obvious mistake. 

The real issue here is that it’s based on natural attrition so he still expects the vast majority of ‘dead weight’ public servants to file out the door as soon as he takes power - a not unreasonable expectation as if he does take power emigration should rise (I suspect the power of Liberal politicians personalities is such that even desperate refugee’s will turn around). 

What Abbott is saying, is that one of the very few promises he made in reply is that he will make 12,000 Australian citizens unemployed as soon as he is able.  If this is his smoking gun it is a big sign Tony is utterly short on any credible economic ideas.

Try Harder says:

11:46pm | 15/05/10

No, sorry, that’s not right either.

Abbott announced a 2 year freeze, using the usual public service attrition rate (retirements, losses to private sector etc) which runs at 6,000 per year.  Over 2 years = 12,000 persons. No cuts. No sackings. Natural wastage.

This he asserts to be a saving of $4 billion in aggregate. Whichever way you do the maths, it implies $333,000 per head over 2 years and that, I assert with some confidence, is rubber.

However, as I post in good faith, I’m prepared to make the effort as a plain citizen to try and find out. If does turn out to be right, I’ll say so.

But only once I’ve checked and got an answer. I can think of at least 3 placesto ask, formally, all in the public domain. It may take a while to get an answer.

By the way, I’m not the only person to raise an eyebrow at these suposed savings.

I’ll come back when I’ve got a reliable answer.

I’ve had a long day and I’ll be out again tomorrow, so done here for now.

J Williamson says:

03:57pm | 14/05/10

Editors allow the above post to be published?  How about some checking?

Mark says:

11:18pm | 14/05/10

ROFLMAO gold.

I love it.

Wow Abbott has you leftoids freaked eh.

Roja says:

12:08pm | 15/05/10

Mark, only as much as Latham had Right wingers sweating in early 2004.

Mark says:

01:48pm | 17/05/10

Latham…had right wingers freaked? AHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA.

Best news we ever had. Gawd it was only the usual pres gang groupies that gave him any chance. Same as this clown. If the msm had asked some questions of him, had actually acted like journalists, he would have been exposed earlier.

He is a lightweight this idiot. At least Latham had balls and convictions. this turkey has none of either.