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Call me troppo but I reckon Abbott’s onto something

Peter Lewis

by Peter Lewis

12 Feb 05:50am

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Filed under: Population, Population Policy, Regional Australia, Regional Policy, Tony Abbott

107 comments

Forgive me for my sins, but I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for Tony Abbott last week when he was forced to kill stone dead a debate on the development of northern Australia just just hours after the policy was announced.

Does this Karratha family look miserable to you?

The man who has rightly been accused of turning negativity into a political artform dipped his toe in the tub of positive ideas and immediately got burnt.

The discussion paper set forward a series of ideas to stimulate growth outside established capital cites, including relocating government departments, defence facilities and investment in agriculture. It also flagged the prospect of tax incentives to attract investment and people.

In one of the stranger executions of a policy launch, the issues paper made its way into the public domain under the banner ’Tony Goes Troppo’, complete with red budgies photo montage and a ‘Pineapple Republic’ sign. It had obviously fallen into hostile hands.

Within hours of publication it was being pulled apart by prominent economists and dismissed as the crazed wish-list of mining moguls and neo-conservative think-tanks. By lunchtime the Opposition leader was walking away from the paper and assuring the media it was not Coalition policy. The ‘discussion’ had not even lasted a news cycle.

Now I’m no demographer and maybe the paper was absolute madness and the idea of pushing population north of the Tropic of Capricorn is a folly of Whitlam-esque proportions. I suppose Barnaby’s support is an indication it has a few holes in it.

But I also know that whenever I hear people describe their attitudes to population growth in focus groups, they want to know why it is the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne that always bear the brunt.

They want to know how the economic theory that we need hundreds of thousands of people each year to maintain our standard of living will actually impact on their streets and their schools and their neighbourhoods. Because they feel like they are already full.

And guess what? They warm to the idea of developing new centres like Karratha becoming engine rooms of economic activity that will not place an extra burden on their community. Some even consider moving up there to get a slice of the action.

The growth of Northern Australia is just one of a number of big ideas that I sense the public wants to have: like how will my kids ever afford to buy a home? What sort of jobs will we have if we allow everything to be sent offshore? And can we really afford a health system whose main objective is to prolong already long lives?

All of these questions require complex policy discussions, which start with the airing of all available options and a clear explanation of their implications.

But it seems as soon as either side of politics attempts to open up a debate on these issues they attract bushfires that need to be put out immediately: think about the furore whenever Capital Gains Tax is floated; or protectionism; or palliative therapies.

When a complex debate is reduced to a headline; or worse a cartoon, our leaders swing into damage control; convinced that the risks of being seen to propose big changes outlines any advantage of leading a public debate.

Instead they lock themselves into a narrow debate about surpluses and taxes; being tough on the bludgers or the queue jumpers and playing around with government funding arrangements for core services. All legitimate enough topics, but only part of the job of national providing leadership.

Is it too much to ask that this year a few areas of public interest should be declared off limits to politicking until we have had a look at them? And if so, I would nominate population growth – so much a heart of our national economic interest and our social cohesiveness be given this special dispensation.

Because I want to know how Australia looks with the 30 million people that both sides of politics concedes we will have by 2050; I want to know where they will live, what industries they will be working in and how this will contribute to the nation’s prosperity.

And I think a lot of other Australians want to hear the arguments before they dismiss any policy as too silly to remain in the marketplace of ideas.

In setting the date for the election so far out, the Prime Minister has created the climate for a real debate on the nation’s future that involves candidates, the media and the general public. Let’s hope we don’t waste the opportunity.

Comments on this post close at 8pm AEDST

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107 comments

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    • TChong says:

      05:26am | 12/02/13

      “It had obviosly fallen into hostile hands”
      Means that the Abbots professional cheer squad, so often led by Pete, and fellow spruikers like Bolt , Jones, Sheridan , Devine, Henderson etc wernt able to do the LNP bidding and campaign the Coalitions behalf..
      Not to worry , plenty more opportunities for Pete , and fellow travellers of the 4th estate to remain impartial between now and Sept, 14 wink
      Thats politics, better luck next time.

      Reply

    • Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia says:

      08:03am | 12/02/13

      It is good to see that LNP had a discussion paper on an important topic on NT and decided not to move forward with it.

      One of the reasons why modern China did so well in economic management was the creation of the Special Economic Zones and the use of the suck and see approach.

      Australia about 20 years ago in fact tried to do the similar SEZ before in the Northern Territory. SEZ . I remember Professor Don Watts managing it for a short time after leaving Bond University. The NT SEZ failed because the unions could not accept that wages of foreign workers in the NT SEZ were much lower than in the rest of Australia.

      It would be good if ALP learns to have discussion papers for intense debate among its leaders before any policy is implemented. The ALP policy on the boatpeople is clearly based on a run and see policy with the failed East Timor Solution, others, the Houston outsourcing exercise etc.

    • PJ says:

      09:07am | 12/02/13

      The idea of moving army admin away from Canberra and close to the army in the NT, to create jobs there and save money on operations, was a leaked discussion paper NOT a policy.

      But you know that and now we know you.

    • ZSRenn says:

      09:28am | 12/02/13

      How sad for Australia to have so many enemies within its borders!

      Dr BS Goh is correct, one of the power houses of China is its Special Economic Zones A very strong one is the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, situated right next door to Hong Kong on one of the biggest Harbors with excellent shipping lanes to the west and billions of dollars worth of freight coming and going each day to South East Asia, the Pacific and beyond!

      Location, Location, Location!

      When flying from China to Australia one of the things that I notice is that when I cross the NT coastline; I always get excited to be back over Australia. Then it hits me! I still have 4 hours flight to go.  I’m only just over half way home!

      http://goo.gl/maps/a3x1m

      The map above will give some approximate indication of the distances involved.  You don’t have to be too clever to understand that the saving in fuel for shipping, road transport, rail and the overabundance of other costs that would be saved by moving industry and resources north so make us more competitive in a growing Asia.

      This idea may not have had merit in the days of fore when our trade was tied to Europe but here today, in the 21st century, it was a necessity!

      Shot down by people who have a vested interest in either keeping Gillard in power or destroying our great nation or both! Torn apart with rumor and innuendo and the actual discussion paper hidden by lies and mistruths of its content! The lack of foresight by these reactionary Neanderthal’s is astonishing.  The man in the street was not even given time to think about this policy or discuss it properly. 

      Is this a win for the Gillard camp?  Yes!  But at what cost to Australia!? 

      Queue any lack of debate on the actual paper and further lies and mistruths on its content!

      Not that anyone will take the time but in vane I post the link to the actual paper again.

      http://resources.news.com.au/files/2013/02/06/1226572/178934-tony-abbott-troppo-plan.pdf

      And people ask me why I wont come home!

    • JoniM says:

      09:31am | 12/02/13

      “Means that the Abbots professional cheer squad, so often led by Pete, ...”

      Seriously Chongy !
      Do you actually know anything about Peter Lewis ? Perhaps you should have read his brief bio “.......He has worked previously for Unions NSW and helped advise the ACTU on its Workchoices strategy ahead of the 2007 election.”
      If he is in the Abbott cheer squad, I’m Julia’s speech therapist and campaign director !

    • Gordon Bennet says:

      11:20am | 12/02/13

      @DR B S Goh, Except China is a different case as while you are correct it did draw people in the main reason they had to create these zones was to maintain the pretence of communism in China, by saying, hey it’s only in these special zones! basically they were modernizing and even though they are called ‘special economic zones’ they were really just trading centres for a fast growing economy and like most countries, as they modernize so too does the population centralise. The reason our population is focused around Melbourne and Sydney and the rest of the east coast is because that’s where it makes sense for us to be and where it was easiest for us to go to.

      Tony Abbott’s discussion paper only works not by the “suck and see” approach as you call it but by using push and see, forcing public servants North to increase the population is ridiculous and will harm the economies of our current cities. As for the tax zones they will just give the North a completely unfair advantage for no reason, as if the resource industry isn’t doing enough for QL and WA, such tax laws may be the final straw for ailing economies like Tas and SA. All round a terrible idea, but it’s nice to see liberals coming out of the woodworks to support it as with every stupid move Abbott makes they find a way to do so.

      @ZSRenn, the reason we don’t live up there is it’s less hospitable, for our crops and for people, it’s the only explanation because even back in ‘the days of fore’ the trade routes came from the North and would have been shorter had we been there, but no one wanted to settle there, for good reason. why don’t you move up there first before you get on board with the idea of forcing others to do so.

    • DOB says:

      11:58am | 12/02/13

      Sigh, ZSRenn, since you are in China - a country I know very well and love - you of all people would know that the key to the SEZ’s has been located INDUSTRIES in them. That didnt happen by some fluke of capitalist evolution - those industries were deliberately moved there. You of all people should know that the HuKou system does not allow people to simply relocate (legally anyway) across China, although many do. You would know that the real key to the SEZ’s is exploitation of labour in a manner that borders on the inhumane, with living conditions that most Australians couldnt event imagine. If youre in China you should know this - but maybe you have been swallowing the cool-aid of the Communist party’s workers’ utopia.

      Australia cannot build Chinese SEZs - even if it is a Rinehart fantasy to do so. We are NOT an inhumane people (although some of us - like you and Rinehart - are definitley bullshit artists). We must think smart. we must make deals with China, Japan, and Indonesia. We must relocate industries and advanced manufacturing here. We must use those countries skills to build renewable energy cities. We must have shipyards and other industries. We must have abbatoirs and bring Indonesian workers to work them. We must develop trade with our imediate neighbours - Indonesia. And above all, we must let people in here - in their millions - to build sustainable cities in our north and to bring new opportunities to Australians of the present and the future and our neighbours to the north, all the way to China and Japan. We must be the model of co-operative capitalism, and energy efficient and sustainable cities.

      Now, stop wasting your time reading libnat/rinehart bullshit and start THINKING. If you really are an Australian and you really care for your country you will disregard the ignorant musings of a party that aspires not to nation building but to be no more than relaxed and comfortable.

      Get off your arse and THINK.

    • ZSRenn says:

      12:06pm | 12/02/13

      Gordon Bennet please read the discussion paper and then please cut and paste where it says Tony Abbott will be forcing anyone, anywhere! How about a little debate on the truths of the document. Not on what you have read elsewhere!

      Please explain to me why; if this type of planning can work in China to create the massive growth that it has for China, why can’t it work in Australia?

      I am not asking Australia to give up its democracy.  I am asking Australia to think out of the box!

      We need to develop, we need to grow. But all I get are nay Sayers.  It’s too tough! The area is hard, we can’t do it. People are doing great in other areas of the world turning deserts into farmland. Why can’t we?

      I lived in the territory for nearly 10 years. I know what the place is like! It is tough!  But what ever happened to a bit of good old Aussie determination and pride.

      What ever happened to “She’ll be right mate!”

      Whatever happened to

      “When the going gets tough the tough get going!” Is the Australian today more likely to say when the going gets tough, don’t leave your comfort zone!

      Lets adopt the spirit of our forefathers, who roamed Australia as nomads,  who were sent as convicts on ships and who came for adventure!

      We have to change our thinking! We have to be a better nation!

      Otherwise we will become the piss ant of the Asia Pacific with absolutely no relevance but what lies beneath our soil!

      Here is the link and it is only 804kb It doesn’t take long to load and about 5 minutes to read!

      http://resources.news.com.au/files/2013/02/06/1226572/178934-tony-abbott-troppo-plan.pdf

    • Gordon Bennet says:

      02:08pm | 12/02/13

      @ZSRenn, I have read the discussion paper as a matter of fact and what I don’t see is the bit where anyone in the public service would go there willingly, I see ‘relocation of defence facilities’ (i.e. military personnel that are forced to move to said facilities, and moving other government services there which in turn means jobs, these people will be “forced” to move because of the fact that their jobs will no longer exist where they currently live. Sadly as a pdf of a photocopy I can’t “copy and paste it” but you can read it yourself without the rose tinted glasses and see it for yourself

    • Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia says:

      02:49pm | 12/02/13

      @ ZSRenn. Thanks for the link to the Discussion Paper on Northern Australia which includes part of WA and QLD. I read it and there is nothing there that justifies all the negativity on it. It seems that ALP has a polished method to turn anything from LNP into something negative.

      I have a suggestion that none of the recent boatpeople should be allowed to live anywhere south of Townsville for five years.

    • ZSRenn says:

      06:10pm | 12/02/13

      @  DOB

      You start off talking about China and how you know and love the place. Then your first mistake or untruth which most Australians wouldn’t know. The SEZ’s you suggest are for industrial areas only which is wrong. SEZ were created to attract foreign investment with greater independence from Beijing driven by market forces. Guangxi is hardly an industrial center but tourist orientated.

      You then go on to talk about the HuKou (sic) system like it was something special to China and another mistake. This system is shared with two of our greatest Allies Japan and Korea and is an ancient tradition within China not something introduced by the CCP.

      You suggest that Chinese cannot travel to work in another province, under this system, which is a lie. The transport system had to manage 2.5 million passengers a day as they return home for Spring break and do so every year.

      You talk about workers working in horrifying conditions.  I don’t know where you get this but most of the Chinese I know live very comfortably thank you very much earning a decent wage provided with housing and three meals a day as part of their work agreement. They are even able to save enough to buy their own business or move into their own home. They go on strike only if you cut their overtime!

      Then the cruncher you accuse me of being brain washed by the communists and then of being a right wing sycophant. I am not sure but I would have thought that these two insults would have to be opposite and I have to one or the other.

      You allude that this was a Gina R idea but we all know this topic was on the shelf when Gina R was shitting yellow!  You then suggest that to build SEZ, which isn’t even what is under consideration, is inhumane. Is this some kind of scare tactic?

      You then launch off on some tirade with an idea to bring millions of cheap workers to our shores. We must we must we must! WTF Sorry mate but you lost me.

      This is a simple plan to attract industry and investment to the north where we can take advantage of the closeness to Asia. Its simple three page discussion paper and how you got all of this rubbish from it is beyond my logic!

      It’s a good plan and it has been ridiculed without proper debate and that is sad for the Australia I love!

    • ZSRenn says:

      06:19pm | 12/02/13

      At Dr B S Goh.

      It is a well oiled machine indeed and Tony Abbott is going to need to work hard to counteract it. I hope Australians are smarter than this and are not fooled by this destroy at all costs method that Labor use.

      The only thing Labor is destroying at the moment is Australia with this negativity and they will continue to do so if it means them retaining power.

      If they do gain power, they are so bereft of any new ideas they will introduce Tony Abbott’s ideas to look like they are doing something. The problem is they can’t manage a school canteen and so they waste too much money in doing so!

    • TimB says:

      05:28am | 12/02/13

      Well said Peter. Decentralisation is something we really need to look at as a nation, and Tony’s ideas really could have been a starting point for that conversation. Lots of tweaks needed of course, but the underlying concept should have been applauded.

      Instead we get idiots claiming Abbott is going to “force” people to move north, which only confirms that these people either can’t read, or will happily make stuff up so as to have an excuse to swipe at Abbott.

      Lets face it. All those people demanding ‘policy’ from Abbott don’t actually give a crap about policy. They just want ammunition to use against him.

      Reply

    • Nathan says:

      07:29am | 12/02/13

      @TimB
      If the idea is so great how come he pulled it ASAP after some negative press. Either it was a bad idea which isn’t great news for Abbott or it was a good idea and he doesn’t have the guts to push it, cause that is a sign of a leader.

      A little rich saying that people want policy so they can use it as ammunition. Abbott as any leader of an opposition has put out plenty of miss information and now people are looking for an opportunity to see what he is about and judge his ideas and policy. LNP voters don’t like Labor policy and are very vocal but when the shoe is on the other foot its just an unfounded attack? Seriously

    • Phil says:

      07:45am | 12/02/13

      TimB When I saw the headlines I thought surely this guy a paid lobbyist for labor or similar is taking the piss, but alas he seems genuine.

      I recon its a perla of an idea. Even if more of defence, food production and some public servants move north we can dramatically add to our national output, feed asia and the world and become mroe than just the world’s sand pit and power source.

      Policies like this need proper discussion and consultation to make them work, not the knee jurk reactions we have seen during the past 5 adn a bit years.

      Sure public servants mightnt want to move, but start new departments and slowly move sections that would be a good fit up there.

      Good to see Peter Lewis can actually write a piece which probably goes against his masters song sheet.

    • TimB says:

      07:49am | 12/02/13

      ‘LNP voters don’t like Labor policy and are very vocal but when the shoe is on the other foot its just an unfounded attack? Seriously ‘

      Go read gof’s dribble below and tell me that I’m wrong.

      There’s fair criticism of policy, and then there’s that sort of garbage. And quite honestly, the media wasn’t much better.

    • Dryblower says:

      08:03am | 12/02/13

      Stupid idea.
      Has Gina Rinehart written all over it..

      If you want to do something about decentralisation, start with regional Australia ... You know, cities like, Wagga Wagga, Albury Wodonga, Parkes, Tamworth, Dubbo, Geraldton, etc ...
      The mining towns are shitholes, which you’d know if you had ever spent time in them. They are in inhospitable places that deserve to become ghost towns when the ore is gone.

    • Upnorff says:

      08:42am | 12/02/13

      Cairns and Darwin sh*tholes? I don’t think so. I LIVE in Darwin, am familiar with Cairns but have never been to Karratha so can’t comment on that one. Both Darwin and cairns are clean, modern (small) cities and quite pleasant to live in without the freezing cold and extreme heat of inland towns like Wagga, Parkes etc.
      I came to Darwin from Sydney in 1983 to do 3 months work and never left. There are thousands here like me who have fallen in love with the tropics but lament the lack of infrastructure options that can only come from mass. We have jobs galore and plenty of water - why not expand the north?

    • Big Jay says:

      08:46am | 12/02/13

      @TimB - “They just want ammunition to use against him.”...Give us a break!

      If it usable against him it would be, of course, but thats not why we want policy. For instance, I’d love to know how the opposition would reduce carbon emissions by the same target as the ALP without costing us as much money (when every credible economists says it can’t be done). Or what “wasteful spending” they would cut to produce a surplus and what effect that would have on our economy, particularly employment levels. That’s just for starters.

    • TimB says:

      09:22am | 12/02/13

      @ Dryblower, this policy isn’t just about mining or mining towns.

    • Phil says:

      09:33am | 12/02/13

      Dryblower
      You need the water to grow things. Yes we could take public servants out there to those towns, but you cannot grow adequate food unless you have plentiful water supply something that the north does due to the rain season. Harvest this and you could water the top end and grow crops to either feed cattle or other food products.

    • ZSRenn says:

      09:38am | 12/02/13

      @ Nathan Why do you work so hard to stop the development and growth of Australia?

    • simonfromlakemba says:

      09:46am | 12/02/13

      It was Gina & the IPA who really coined the idea and as per usual got into the Liberals to look at it.

      I personally didn’t have an issue with the idea, but Tony needs to look at the leaker’s in his party who obviously weren’t too impressed by it.

      A good point raised last night on Q&A is that people who debate on policy or idea’s and when something is raised that isn’t within the square box of thinking it gets shot down instead of letting it run its course. If they were going to do it now would be the time, LIib Govs in WA, QLD, NT so implementing it would be fairly easy.

      But the poster above did have a good point, if it was such a good idea why did Tony do a runner from it instead of stick to his guns.

    • leviticus says:

      10:46am | 12/02/13

      Simon
      I really enjoyed the IPA wonk who is working with Gina Rinehart on her Northern vision quoting us CSIRO information about the amount of fertile land in “The North”.
      They believe the CSIRO when it suits there purpose, but dismiss what the CSIRO has to say about climate change.

    • ZSRenn says:

      10:47am | 12/02/13

      @SFL he didn’t It was never policy it was a discussion paper and always was.  Tony is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

      It is freaking unbelievable the spin that is being spread about what is a great idea.

      The lies so far!

      1.This is policy
      2. It was Gina’s idea
      3. Tax offsets are unconstitutional
      4. Tony dropped it like a led balloon
      5. Tony will force public servants to move north.
      6. He must be troppo to have such a crazy idea

      God I wish people would start thinking for themselves and stop writing such complete and utter bullshit!

    • SAm says:

      11:20am | 12/02/13

      well TimB the problem was not the idea of growing regional areas (not a bad idea) but the hairbrained thoughts on how to accomplish this. Seperate taxation is a stupid idea, plain and simple, and no mention whatsoever regarding infrastructure.
      A smarter way would be to actually, I dont know, Build some damn infrastructure up there which in turn would entice people of their own free will to move (driven by business).
      You wont find me knocking the basic idea, just how it was put forward

    • daniel says:

      12:22pm | 12/02/13

      Dryblower,

      If the government poured the revenue from the MRRT [after reforming it with the assistance of the state governments] back into the mining/rural communities, then they probably wouldn’t be such “inhospitable places”.

      Instead, the government has set out on promoting and pushing this idea of “spreading the boom” when in actual fact, it should be going back into communities from which it’s coming.

      That’s why I’m so against the mining tax and the linked “benefits” because it does nothing to address the current and future issues which face rural communities that rely on FIFOs and mining.

    • TimB says:

      12:31pm | 12/02/13

      ‘You wont find me knocking the basic idea, just how it was put forward ‘

      That’s just it Sam, it wasn’t ‘put forward’ it was leaked. Long before a coherent finalised policy was tabled.

      I’m well aware there are issues with it too, but it’s a base to work on. Instead we’re getting the ‘Tony is stupid’ treatement from the naysayers. It’s hardly constructive.

    • Sync says:

      05:28am | 12/02/13

      Agreed - it’s a bit rough that an idea with potential (who’d have thought that it might be a Good Idea to let areas OTHER than the current major metropolitan regions get some development and expansion?) gets shot down the days it’s floated.

      It’s something I’ve always wondered when it comes to “refugees”, and something those who support “refugees” never seem to be able to properly answer: where are the refugees going to live? What will they do for electricity? Gas? Food and Water? Public Transport? Jobs? This nation is struggling to support the people it has NOW, never mind with an extra 5 million mouths to feed.

      Tony Abbott is Mr Negative? What chance does he have when a stab at being positive is destroyed almost instantly?

      Reply

    • Nathan says:

      07:35am | 12/02/13

      ok Abbott shot this down. Others questioned it but Abbott was the one who pulled the plug. If it is a great idea then he is gutless for killing it so quickly.

      “This nation is struggling to support the people it has NOW” This is BS people have access to social security. What do you want to do? Hand out more social security? Doubt you think that, so who are these people who are not given assistance? The majority of refugees want to work so they will be putting back in not draining the system. Shows the thinking that people believe that refugees never intend on working and we will always be paying for them

    • Mik says:

      08:01am | 12/02/13

      Afghans helped with the development of Northern Australia in the 1800s, perhaps they will be prepared to do so again.

    • Sync says:

      10:29am | 12/02/13

      @Nathan: “people have access to social security”

      Yes, they do. Where does it come from? Taxes of those who work. Who pays for all this stuff? The government. What is the government’s primary source of income? Taxes. You want to develop stuff, people want to be paid for developing it. You want to build things, you need resources to build them with (and you need to be able to pay for it - don’t just keep borrowing).

      Can you see where this circle is heading, Nathan? If you want more people in, you need to be sure that the infrastructure is in to support them. It’s a fantastic idea to develop infrastructure BEFORE the people arrive, but most governments these days don’t look too far ahead…oh, wait, T. Abbott was looking to the future until his idea got ridiculed.

      Most employers want Australian residents or citizens working for them; it is their right. That means that most people who live in refugess centers won’t qualify - so until they qualify as residents, or become citizens, and then get jobs of their own, the rest of us WILL be paying for them.

    • Sherlock says:

      05:49am | 12/02/13

      It was only a discussion paper not a policy. Australian capital cities are getting bigger and bigger and something has to be done. You either get people over the idea of living on a quarter acre block and into apartment living or you have to encourage them to move elsewhere.

      This isn’t something that’s going to be solved in a three year term it’s a 30 year plan or longer. Looking at possibilities, no matter how outlandish, is what a discussion paper is about. All ideas should be canvassed and those not feasible discarded.

      People complain about a lack of vision fro our politicians yet when some is shown partisan politics come to the fore.

      Reply

    • Geronimo says:

      06:13am | 12/02/13

      The goal of a prospective Pope Abbotticus is not an attempt to transform public opinion, it is to enlighten The Brethren with a solid belief in Fairy Tales.

      Reply

    • JC says:

      06:21am | 12/02/13

      Peter, Welcome, you have come to the right forum to dip your toe in the cesspool of negativity.

      Reply

    • Levi says:

      06:38am | 12/02/13

      It actually is good policy. But we obviously can’t discuss important issues in this country because of the childish, unrestrained left-wing bias in most of the news providers, and the complete lack of foresight from the Labor party. Labor only being concerned with what will keep them in the grip of power.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      07:56am | 12/02/13

      Yes, i wake up every day thinking “i wish newscorp related news outlets were less left wing and more right wing”.

    • Levi says:

      08:40am | 12/02/13

      Provide examples or be silent. One only has to watch qanda or 7:30 to be overwhelmed by the left bias in the media. I suppose they can’t help it wheny ou look at the sorry state of our universities.

    • Rose says:

      08:50am | 12/02/13

      How can it be good policy when the very idea of a separate tax zone based on location is unconstitutional?
      A discussion about decentralization should be welcomed, but not a discussion right of Gina’s playbook!

    • Mark C says:

      09:00am | 12/02/13

      I’m with Andrew!!

    • Andrew says:

      09:30am | 12/02/13

      It is all perception isn’t it, except when you look at Fox news in the US, just as yours is a perception that Q&A and the 7:30 report it biased towards the left.

      You look at the stables of writers under the newscorp and fairfax umbrella and you see some bias. Andrew Bolt and Piers Akerman on one hand and David Marr, but their are others that fit the oppositie side as well.

      Sometimes, it is not the bias, it is just that they don’t agree with you that makes people think they are biased to one side or the other.

      Also, “give examples or be silent”? Is that really what you think considering your initial post didn’t contain anything other than a childish rant.

    • simonfromlakemba says:

      09:49am | 12/02/13

      70% of newspapers sold in Aus are NEWS LTD, a few states only have NEW LTD papers to buy, talk back radio, Sky News.

      You were saying?

      You talking about bias carries the same weight as GWB talking about world peace.

    • JoniM says:

      09:56am | 12/02/13

      Hilarious Rose !
      You would certainly not take any ideas for developing the joint from someone who has been so patently unsuccessful as Gina !
      There are hundreds of seperate tax zones in other countries including China used specifically to encourage development into those areas. It makes plenty of sense if you are serious about developing the region, addressing population issues, immigration issues, infrastructure issues,employment issues, affordable housing issues, in fact every portfolio is impacted by either doing something or doing nothing !
      The leaked draft discussion paper was perfectly employed by the Libs to lure in the relentless negativity of the ALP incompetents, whilst demonstrating to the electorate that someone has a vision for the joint, rather than the sorry incumbents mired in corruption, incompetence, deception and cover ups !

    • Tell It Like It Is says:

      10:08am | 12/02/13

      Could not agree more @Levi, with all your points. Spot on.
      I have visited Darwin many, many times over the years and in all seasons.
      Abbott’s idea is a very good and sensible one. Why the ‘discussion paper’  was leaked is a big concern.  ALP moles are everywhere, like writing Punch articles (present author excluded) and blogging on them.

    • King in the North says:

      11:58am | 12/02/13

      @Levi I agree, The ABC in the last few years has become so shamelessly biased. QANDA, media watch etc used to be really good when they were bipartisan. Now they’re all just Labor mouthpieces, paid for by the people of Australia.

    • Rose says:

      03:18pm | 12/02/13

      No, Australia should most definitely not take policy cues from anyone such as Gina Reinhart, a woman only interested in her company’s profit and not the well being of the nation. That woman sold out her own children and would have absolutely no qualms about selling pout Australia in order to boost her own wealth..
      Running a government is nothing like running a business, it’s not all about profit and loss. It is about economic management sure, but it is about the public good, providing infrastructure that, while necessary, may not bring in income, it’s about ensuring opportunity for all, not just some and it’s about ensuring that every state and territory is treated equally.

    • gobsmack says:

      06:42am | 12/02/13

      Two words: “party politics”.

      It’s next to impossible to push through any major change, even one that seems eminently sensible.  Think restrictions on poker machines or the mining tax.

      Vested interests will fight tooth and nail to oppose any reform and without a bipartisan approach the proposal is killed off or watered down to the point where it virtually pointless.

      Unfortunately, the main concern of each of the major political parties is power for power’s sake.

      The ideal of representative democracy - ie local representatives assembling to act in the nation’s best interest - is just a dream.  Instead, we have the nasty, partisan battles that makes everyone cynical.

      Reply

    • the loaded dog says:

      06:46am | 12/02/13

      this has been on going for forty years so why do the labor losers bake abbott about something that has been place for decades, get a life

      Reply

    • Tell It Like It Is says:

      10:10am | 12/02/13

      Is that a real question @the loaded dog?! 
      Desperate measures for a desperate, dodgy government and party in general.

    • Paleoflatus says:

      06:46am | 12/02/13

      The northern half of Australia has rich supplies of iron ore, coal, gas etc. What would any competent government do about it? Clearly, we should be encouraging population growth in this region and combining this bounty to produce steel for export, closely followed by fabrication industries and general manufacturing.
      What is the left-wing response to such a suggestion? Keep flying workers in and out, while continuing to export these non-renewable assets, so that clever countries can prosper by adding value that we should be earning to these products. Meanwhile, we support parasitic States like Tasmania with taxpayer handouts and States like Victoria where sheep and gold have been replaced by heavily protected and subsidised industries. Of course, these dependent States tend to support Labour and the Greens, so any sane action will have to come from the Coalition.
      Tony Abbott can see the problem, but the Loony Left can’t, or won’t.

      Reply

    • Fromage says:

      08:53am | 12/02/13

      You can’t eat iron ore, coal, gas. You can’t even drink iron ore, coal, gas.

      There is no food, there is no water, there is no infrastructure. You are thousands of miles away from civilization. No Hospitals, no housing, no secondary education.
      You want us to believe that all of a sudden, the NLP are capable and interested in infrastructure?

      Yes Pal, lets go build cities where there are non and let the rotten parasitic cities in regional Australia, particularly Tasmania and Victoria wither and die of neglect.
      I would expect this from the rabid right.

    • Levi says:

      02:35pm | 12/02/13

      But we can eat “Cheese” can’t we, Fromage?

      The whole point is you build the infrastructure, create the incentives for people to relocate, and the north becomes developed, thereby hopefully lessening the strain caused by parasitic states like Vic and Tas.

      Unlike the Loony Left who are only concerned with gaining and maintaining power by any means necessary. Including lying (ala. Wilkie)

    • Big Nana says:

      02:55pm | 12/02/13

      @Fromage- I don’t know which mushroom you live under but guess what? We do have water in Darwin, metres of it each year. We also have hospitals, a university multiple schools, both private and public, million dollar houses, agriculture, aquaculture and some of us just living up he.
      I have been really amused the last few days by the panic shown by some people at the thought that the regions that produce most of Australia’s wealth might actually get some benefit from it. God forbid the people who work in hot, uncomfortable conditions to produce this wealth should get some return for their labors. And as for tax zones, we already have them. Tax zone A and Tax Zone B. Applicable to remote areas in this country. Darwinites live in Tax Zone A and get a remote area rebate on their tax.

    • gof says:

      07:01am | 12/02/13

      “By lunchtime the Opposition leader was walking away from the paper and assuring the media it was not Coalition policy. The ‘discussion’ had not even lasted a news cycle.”
      It was enough to bring up your lunch!
      An NLP policy Parody!

      7:00am - Opposition Leader
      “We have a policy, we have a policy.. leak it now.. we have a policy..yah me! go ME team!”

      9:00am - Smart People
      “What the heck is this shit?”,“Is this costed?”,“Tax breaks! Coalition?”, (collective chuckle in the room) “,this cannot be a policy ,we have not seen one from the coalition in well over 10 years, it must be a discussion paper based on how to stop B. Joyce’s nightmares”, “Coalition and tax breaks” (chuckles turn to hysterical laughter)

      12:05pm - Opposition Leader
      “Paper, what paper? Did I sign it? No?, No?, NO! It is not policy unless it is in triplicate and I have signed and initialed every syllable that I understand, it is not policy until I know what it I am signing and the Archbishop has blessed it!”.... 20 minutes of inarticulate dribbling..

      12:25pm - Journalist
      “So is it a discussion paper then?”

      12:25.05pm - Opposition Leader
      “I am not discussing it, so NO,NO,NO, it is not a discussion paper, I am running away now!”

      Reply

    • marley says:

      08:10am | 12/02/13

      Kapow!!! Zap !!! Vroom !!!

      Geez, you’ve got a comic-book mind.  Find the right illustrator and you could make a fortune.

    • JoniM says:

      10:25am | 12/02/13

      Lots of silly questions posed, gof !

      For something that was so obviously a simple precursor to the Coalition’s strategy to emphasise to the electorate that the ALP is not only incompetent, corrupt and deceitful, but also relentlessly negative about any positive vision put forward for the development of our nation.
      And the incompetents have jumped in, hook line & sinker, to prove the point perfectly !

    • SAm says:

      11:32am | 12/02/13

      LOL! Gof your a tool a lot of the time but this cracked me up!

    • Geoff says:

      12:47pm | 12/02/13

      o   7:00am – Labor stooge leaks draft
      9:00am – Stupid labor think Tank
      “How can we borrow more money to destroy Australia?”, (collective groan from majority of Australians) “,Hey we have a draft discussion paper from the coalition. Can we steal some ideas all ours keep failing? Better not it may be too obvious let us claim it’s a fully funded coalition policy.  (Groans turn to despair)
      12:05pm - Opposition Leader
      Give accurate description of events and outline of discussion paper.
      12:25pm - Journalist
      “But the labor song sheet says this is a fully costed coalition policy how can it be a discussion paper then?”


      Fixed for you.

    • Mik says:

      07:16am | 12/02/13

      Northern and rural development, farming sustainability and water have to be part of all parties’  future planning if they are going for a big Australia.
      There are good, deep ports up north for export purposes to the Asian countries and transport costs will not be great if local produce feeds the increased local population. If all participants were willing to make a go of it, manufacturing for export should also be cheaper than shipping out of the southern half of Australia

      There are many countries where populations live in worse climatic conditions

      Reply

    • Jack Richards says:

      07:47am | 12/02/13

      I think it is a really good plan - and was when it was first dreamed up in the 1950s. The big problem has always been that it is too far away from everything else and the fact that there is no infrastructure: no housing, no roads, no ports; no railway.

      I can remember when the Federal Government was trying to sell off land up around the Ord River Project for 25 cents/acre (minimum 10,000 acres) but hardly anyone took up the offer - and those that did found a whole lot of bugs and fungi wreaked havoc on anything they planted. I was very tempted - until I found out how much it cost to get anything shipped up there - and shipped out and what a strangle hold some families already had on everything.

      Have a look at the absurd housing costs in places like Hedland i.e. a million bucks for a 10 square 3-bedroom house on a patch of barren earth with no piped water or sewerage system. Or how about $120 for a slab of VB?

      The other problem is, much of the land is already owned or controlled by the northern latifundia - a group of families that control local councils and state and territory Governments; and they are going to make sure any newbies pay through the nose for everything.

      The likes of the mining magnates are all for it because they want the southern tax-payers to provide all the infrastructure so that they can make even bigger profits and have a pool of labour with little other option than working for them and selling their souls to the company store.

      Given the megalomania of certain individuals, I can see a secession movement up there gathering strength and the whole place voting to be an absolute monarchy under Queen Gina the First. I am sure she’s be all in favour of the North being a “special economic zone” paying even less tax than the (mostly) foreign owned mining companies pay now.

      I still think it is a good idea, but a few power bases need to be broken up first and some able and honest administrators appointed to implement the policy - I think Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald, Peter Slipper and Craig Thomson will be available later this year.

      Reply

    • Mik says:

      08:40am | 12/02/13

      For Queensland alone, there were many plans, from the Plains of Promise in the 1800s (which failed, probably because of a reliance on English cycles of nature and a very poor knowledge of the geography) to a huge review in the 1930s, etc. One of the major problems was not having a good understanding of the longer term cycles of Australian natural rythmns- much more is known now, though perhaps still not appreciated enough.

    • Upnorff says:

      08:47am | 12/02/13

      Darwin and Cairns have rail, ports, houses and even electric light. Darwin is already an ore export harbour and gas hub. Send us Queensland’s coal - we only need a short rail extension between Mt Isa and Tennant Creek to make is happen - no Barrier Reef to pollute here.

    • Geronimo says:

      07:47am | 12/02/13

      If the Wacky Abbott is on to something it is certainly not a Ridgy Didgy Originy, his latest Great Big Moonbeam is a direct lift from the inventive archives of Gina’s Daddy and Uncle Joh.

      Reply

    • ZSRenn says:

      10:08am | 12/02/13

      @ Geronimo

      So what Joh built and planned a road network back in the 80’s that still serves Brisbane well today. He was even smart enough to allow for expansion as traffic increased. He brought Queensland to the fore and made it a powerful state . Remember when the joke was you are now entering Queensland Turn back your clock 10 years!

      Not today! Not now! This joke has no relevance because of Joh’s planning

      Gina R is a billionaire who has the ability to create wealth . I would rather take these peoples opinion than a paid Labor Hack!

      I wonder when did it become a crime to be successful in Australia?

    • Christine says:

      07:52am | 12/02/13

      Pardon me but as I understand it, the Coalition is not running away from the discussion paper on developing the top end.  A draft discussion paper on encouraging development of the north was distributed to certain relevant parties for comment and suggestions. This hasn’t reached policy stage yet.

      What Abbott was trying to get through to some dimwits is that it is not Coalition policy and he didn’t want to discuss it as such.  Labour and their media cohorts deliberately or ignorantly misrepresentated the discussion paper as policy when it wasn’t and they also misrepresented the contents of same as well with ridiculuous and outrageous claims which Abbott was rejecting. 

      There are already Federal, State and Local Government employees based in the top end, so many of the labour stooges are acting foolishly.  There is also plenty of activity in this resource rich region including mining, fishing, cattle grazing, dairy farming, agriculture, forestry, tourism, international airports, cruise ships,  cities, townships, air force, army and naval bases. 

      I believe we are talking about northern Australia, a very vast area. Surely, a smart political party would see the need for government input into this vast and resource rich region

      The discussion is still in investigative stage and obviously hasn’t reached the stage of whether or not it will be taken forward as policy.  I suspect Mr Abbott was surprised by the political attack on claims of it being a coalition policy which it wasn’t.  Hopefully, in the future, policy will evolve over time and continue to evolve as need demands.

      I think the labour spokespeople on this issue have made utter fools of themselves and have portrayed their own ignorance. No one is talking about making the north a carbon copy of the south. The people up here would detest that vehemently.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      08:42am | 12/02/13

      A political party completley misrepresenting something that happened on the other side of politics. Wow, what a scandal. The coalition of course would never do this type of thing we should all rise up and teach these people a lesson for playing political games.

      Lets get some honesty back in politics by voting in the coalition and i can finally go on my long awaited holiday to Whyalla.

    • Andrew says:

      08:05am | 12/02/13

      The idea of developing other population centres and easing any burden on the major capitals and other cities is a good idea. The real reason this was called a crazy idea was not for the big picture but the details of differential taxation for people living in different areas and the idea that some public service people will need to be shifted north. It makes sense looking at it as an economic incentive but that doesn’t mean it is good or even possible idea.

      The fact that most of Australia population would fall below this “northern australia” zone is both a reason as to why a discussion is probably needed but also why it would never work out and be a vote loser and why Tony Abbott ran away so quickly from it. The thing that will lose the election for the coalition is themselves doing something stupid.

      Imagine trying to tell most of Australia’s population that they need to be paying more tax than those living in the north of Australia at the same time you are complianing about all the taxes being brought on to hurt Australias familieis by the labor party. I think that has a degree of difficulty that is far byond the skills of the coalition, or anyone in parliament at the moment.

      Also, the fact that Gina Rhinehart has written numerous essays about this exact thing also meant that it was going to be seen in a negative light and the coalition pandering to her wishes. Her book was even called “Northern Australia and then some”.

      The big idea was great, lets try and create new population centres where they aren’t but the details were what the problem is and still are.

      Reply

    • Christine says:

      08:32am | 12/02/13

      Andrew, the north already has taxation zone allowances and these could be made more relevant. These zones have existed for a very long time, so what is the problem?

    • Christine says:

      08:33am | 12/02/13

      Andrew, the north already has taxation zone allowances and these could be made more relevant. These zones have existed for a very long time, so what is the problem?

    • Rose says:

      08:58am | 12/02/13

      Decentralization is a very important discussion to have, but why discuss it only in regards to the north? It should be discussed in relation to suitable regional centres Australia wide. I’m sure there are many Australians would be happy with a change to lower stress regional centres BUT, the north is a fairly extreme move, with distance and climate being a huge drawback, not to mention the huge jump in the cost of living in those areas.

    • Peter Scott says:

      08:14am | 12/02/13

      I would rather throw sulphuric acid in my eyes than live anywhere up north

      Just imagine the sheer boredom and dullness, not to mention the provincial mentality of the locals, the disgusting heat and humidity all year around, the vile creatures such as snakes and spiders lurking around every corner

      Reply

    • Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia says:

      08:27am | 12/02/13

      I am shocked by your views. Look at Singapore right in the center of the tropics, Bali, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur,  etc. Cities in the tropics can be made very livable. If we cannot do it let us outsource it to the Singapore Govt.

    • marley says:

      08:33am | 12/02/13

      Could be worse.  You could be living in Sydney or Melbourne or Perth, with the provincial mentality of the locals, the disgusting noise and traffic and air pollution, and the vile creatures such as hipsters and bogans lurking around every corner.

    • Levi says:

      08:45am | 12/02/13

      Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Just because you don’t have an art gallery around the corner where you can quoff chardonnay and view the latest and greatest in neo-classical post-modernist impressionist serbo-croat mosaics doesn’t mean it’s “worse” than your inner city leftist paradise.

      Ever been to Karijini or Millstream national parks? Didn’t think so. Beats the shit out of the stinking Yarra.

    • TracyH says:

      09:09am | 12/02/13

      You are kidding, right? I’ve lived all over the place, including Sydney, Melbourne, regional NSW, Perth, Canberra and Remote WA. the most interesting people I’ve met have NOT been from Sydney or Melbourne- not even close !

    • Rose says:

      09:23am | 12/02/13

      Dr Goh, Peter Scott has every right to not want to live in the north, I don’t blame him, conditions up there would take a lot of getting used to.
      I hardly think we need to call in the Singapore government because one man exercised his right to say he would never live there.

    • Peter Scott says:

      10:28am | 12/02/13

      @ Dr Goh

      There is no comparison between Northern Australia to Singapore
      Northern Australia is a desolate place with no infrastructure whatsoever and it’s 100000 times the size of Singapore

      For goodness sake we don’t even have proper infrastructure in the big cities!

      Don’t even get me started on air conditioning, in Singapore you can find cold air everywhere you wish and there is lots of underground tunnels for those who despise the heat and humidity

      In Northern Australia you are lucky if you find some sort of average air conditioning system in your local mall or cinema…

    • Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia says:

      10:40am | 12/02/13

      @ Rose. I note and respect what you say. We should learn many practical and useful lessons from Singapore, a very livable city. One great achievement is their clean toilets which can easily stink in hot humid weather if not managed correctly. This is a serious issue and Bill Gates is funding the design of better toilets in the world

    • ZSRenn says:

      10:58am | 12/02/13

      Will somebody please buy Peter Scott a ticket to Darwin or Cairns so he can see they now have running water and yesterday they even had one of the fast food chains set up a restaurant!

      Today’s word is ignorance!
      It’s like a blindfolded man sitting in broad daylight saying “I love the dark” and swatting anyone who tries to take the damned thing off.

      http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ignorance

    • King in the North says:

      12:13pm | 12/02/13

      @Peter Scott America has several successful cities and towns in the middle of barren deserts. The state of Nevada alone is proof of that. Maybe Packer could build a few Casino’s up there?

    • Dr B S Goh, Australian in Asia says:

      01:23pm | 12/02/13

      @ King in the North . To add to what you say, Florida near the tropics has many livable cities. Yes Arizona USA, Tucson in particular, has a very harsh desert environment and yet it is a livable place with modern building methods.

    • ExPat says:

      08:19am | 12/02/13

      Gof… your an idiot, plain and simple. (/me shakes head)
      I, as a true swinging voter would have loved to hear more about what this discussion paper was about. Having lived in FNQ, SEQ and now regional Vic i have seen the need for more decentralization. While i may or may not have agreed with all the points made in it, i think it may have been a good start to get discussion going… which is what i thought the point was of a discussion paper.
      And i would be saying the same if it had been a Labor paper.
      Discussion is good, closed minds are not.

      Reply

    • Roxanne says:

      08:27am | 12/02/13

      It was a shame to see the discussion (it was not policy)  killed so quickly, but I understand why it was.  I don’t care which side of the house wants to explore new ideas, I just wish one of them would!  There does not seem to be any serious discussion about our future at the moment, and that is not good.  Even if the discussion at first glance seems to be off the mark, or even downright crazy, at least it means people are thinking.  Ideas can always be discarded if they are not workable.  At the moment we have policy being announced without discussion, and look at the mess that has caused. Our politics seems to have degenerated to nameless kindergarten name calling.  Any discussion is subject to the sound byte or the headline, a one paragraph summation or a derisive cartoon.  This is wrong.  I was not fan of Whitlam’s and his ideas were disastrous to our economy, but at least they had ideas.  They tried.  They got it wrong, sure, but they tried.  We seem to be so quick to condemn but refuse to allow our voted representatives to even think.  Look at the punch, for example.  There are a few rabid posters here that automatically either skew everything at “Ju-liar”  or “Mad Monk”.  That sort of idiocy should have been abandoned in primary school.  (I often wonder if they realise how ridiculous they sound).  I have no love for either party, but I would definitely welcome some new ideas.  And by the way, what is wrong with decentralising our industry and our population?

      Reply

    • Joe Blow says:

      08:56am | 12/02/13

      Amazing that people just continue to post Labor spin here.  Abbott did not shoot this whole idea down.  All he said was that the coalition wouldn’t be pursuing the idea of separate tax zones.  What a surprise - they are not embracing every aspect of a draft discussion paper.

      meanwhile Labor has no idea at all about how to boost the economy ... simply some undisclosed plan to spend another $15B on NDIS and Gonski ... spend spend spend

      Reply

    • Big Jay says:

      08:57am | 12/02/13

      “Within hours of publication it was being pulled apart by prominent economists and dismissed as the crazed wish-list of mining moguls and neo-conservative think-tanks. By lunchtime the Opposition leader was walking away from the paper and assuring the media it was not Coalition policy. The ‘discussion’ had not even lasted a news cycle.”

      Thats because, firstly, it is Gina Reinhart’s (a mining mogul) wish-list and, secondly, Tony Abbott is not very smart, and can’t defend defensible things like this DISCUSSION PAPER and his “shit happens” comment.

      Reply

    • JoniM says:

      11:05am | 12/02/13

      Abbott has already won on the issue by simply demonstrating to the electorate the relentless negativity of this incompetent ALP government, to any sort of visionary future discussions for our nation !
      Job completed !

    • Tombowler says:

      08:57am | 12/02/13

      I loved the idea. If for no other reason than schadenfreude toward some fat-arsed, chain-smoking, cankled, department head shunted from the comfort of his stationary-cabinet empire in Sydney or Canberra up into the wild north.

      I can picture the lazy bastards being all confused that their ill-gotten cabcharge vouchers are useless and that their over workshopped, motherhood statements, taxpayer funded teamwork training are to no avail in a crocodile attack. Further, a last moment of indignation when the croc makes clear breaches of the OH&S guidelines…

      Reply

    • Jess says:

      10:12am | 12/02/13

      yes lets move all the public service departments and their heads to Northern Australia.
      Never mind they are already there and expand there as infrastruture allows.

      Never mind that more extreeme weather events would shut down essential services on more frequent basis than Canberra (2 or 3 extreeme events that didn’t shut down the majority of the public service in the last 10 years (a few people had a couple extra days off).

      Never mind the additional travel costs when serving the rest of the nation (it’s really expensive to fly to or from northern Australia) or when the heads of departments need to go to parliament for senate estimates or ministerial breifings.
      The amount of remote first aid training, 4 wheel drive training, tea

      Genius…

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      09:03am | 12/02/13

      Like Hell. I already subsidize the breeders down south, why would I want to subsidize tax breaks and infrastructure for the north? I’d like to see Abbott introduce this and lose the next election.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      09:50am | 12/02/13

      @Shane - there’s a difference between “paying breeders” and “investing in nation-building.”  Personally, I think there’s a nub of an idea here - and if, at some point, someone comes up with a plan to create a new economic center in the north that generates jobs, income, taxes and export markets the rest of us can benefit from, I say it’s something we should think seriously about.

    • Alex says:

      10:04am | 12/02/13

      You want this because this builds up the rest of Australia, and not just Melbourne and Sydney. It creates new jobs, new opportunities, new infrastructure. You need incentive for people to move and build up the north… Glad you’re not in politics!

    • ZSRenn says:

      11:12am | 12/02/13

      You already do!  They are called Tax offsets. The reason behind them is to encourage people to work in isolated places where our resources are most common for the benefit and growth of Australia.

      I’m over this lack of debate, I’m sad at the blindness of the people commenting on it and rather than have this ill feeling in my stomach I withdraw today.

      How much BS can a Koala Bear!

    • Meh says:

      09:58am | 12/02/13

      Funny how everyone wants everyone else to move to Karratha, but nobody wants to do it themselves.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      10:07am | 12/02/13

      If they were ever going to do this special economic zone thing, they would have to do it properly. There would need to be flat personal income and corporate tax rates much, much lower than in the rest of the country. And, given most of the labour would have to be from overseas (we already have something of a labour shortage) the zone would need its own migration programme. You would also have to suspend most planning, environmental and industrial relations policies. You would also have to sharply limit access to government benefits.

      I cannot see that happening. But it should happen.

      Reply

    • bananabender56 says:

      10:36am | 12/02/13

      Seems like a good idea to move infrastructure North. The armed forces had a rare flash of genius when they decided to relocate large numbers of the various arms of the Defence Force Northward - someone obviously realised that any likeley attacker of the Australian mainland wasn’t going to be coming from Tasmania or the Antarctic. If the Defense Force moves North then so should the support services they need. Darwin and Cairns are both great spots - just different from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Look on the bright side - if you have to move to Darwin you can get cheap flights to Bali!

      Reply

    • fml says:

      11:40am | 12/02/13

      hmmmm, if the Liberals can spin this as the mass migration of bogans to the north I think they will something both parties can support…

    • JaneB says:

      10:54am | 12/02/13

      Nobody said it was going to be easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good common sense idea to discuss how Australia’s vast undeveloped north can be developed in the national interest. Tax breaks and relocating public servants are only options on the table to facilitate this - they are not the main thrust of the scheme. The Labor party is obsessed with Gina Rinehart and seeks to demonize her at every opportunity. Clearly, making your fortune from mining legally is not the Labor way - as Eddie Obeid will tell you!!

      Reply

    • Daz says:

      11:18am | 12/02/13

      Not many people these days would consider buying or starting a business without having some kind of business plan that analyses markets, establishes the best use of scarce recources and identifies opportunities for future growth and expansion. Yet here we letting our pollies run the business of Australia, the biggest business in the country, seemingly without one. As it stands we have no road map to future prosperity. We are just letting it all happen to us.

      Hell it would seem from some of the politicised comments posted here that even that first small step of initiating a discussion about getting some kind of plan is too big an ask for some. It was a DISCUSSION paper not set in concrete policy. It was designed to get us thinking about the future growth and prosperity of Australia.

      It may or may not be part of the right plan and as they say the devil is in the detail but it does give me hope that at least someone is taking a longer term view and not focussing entirely on getting or buying immediate votes.

      Reply

    • Janey says:

      11:52am | 12/02/13

      I’m with you ZSRenn, some regular Punch commentators are so boring and predictable with the same old garbage every single day.  It makes me glad I don’t have to interact with them in real life on a professional basis.  Brick. Wall.

      Reply

    • Stuart Germon says:

      12:04pm | 12/02/13

      Imagine if instead of shooting each other down the political parties got together and nutted out a good way to achieve something. Instead of ripping it to shreds offer some alternatives. Joint policies or something.

      Reply

    • daniel says:

      12:33pm | 12/02/13

      As someone studying agriculture at university, if either the LNP or ALP went into the upcoming election with a policy of establishing a special economic zone for northern Australia then they’d get my vote.

      I know that when I graduate I’ll already have a vast amount of employment and career opportunities but a clear policy for developing northern Australia and making it a food bowl for Asia that’ll demand my skills and provide an additional incentive for making the move would be the deal.

      Reply

    • Mik says:

      01:11pm | 12/02/13

      Top soil erosion is not an insurmountable problem with properly designed groundcover management and farming practices suitable to the conditions.

    • maria says:

      12:34pm | 12/02/13

      Forgive me for my sins, but I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for Tony Abbott when I read that ;
      SENIOR politicians and judges remain immune from paying an increase in superannuation contributions tax, - despite federal government claims the rise would hit all high-income earners.

      The loophole has allowed Prime Minister Julia Gillard to avoid paying $151,000 in annual tax on her generous post-career pension, while also gifting Treasurer Wayne Swan and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott $80,000 and $70,000 respectively.

      I know why he is happy with the system we have and wants to keep that way.

      Let’s hope we don’t waste the opportunity to ask me why he is afraid to change it .

      Equal with the same rights don’t mean everyone is the same… do you support this kind of preferences?

      If the unions the so-called workers rights are genuine where the bloody hell are they ?

      Do they support too this type of preferences?

      Reply

    • StopTheBleed says:

      01:46pm | 12/02/13

      The picture of a Karratha WA family featured in this story-line prompted me to write as I have lived in Karratha at one time for a five year period. 

      For sure, Karratha has a few things going for it, like excellent winter months, little if any crime, the beautiful Dampier Archeplego, reasonable proximity to the Hamersley Ranges, lots of localised sports, but not a great deal beyond this.

      Here’s what it did not have going for it when I was there in mid to late 90’s:

      hyper-inflated rents - at present day, $1100 per week for 3beds\one bath.
      house prices - at present 3 beds\one bath $900k
      hyper-inflated food prices - example in season mendinee grapes for $15 per kilo.
      hyper-inflated building costs - homes cost 5-7 more to build in Karratha vs. Perth.
      scorching summers - forty to forty-five C.
      expensive to cool a home in summer months.
      lack of educational opportunities.
      overly expensive airfares
      remoteness
      while okay for younger children, was not for teenagers (why I pulled the plug and moved).

      Reply

    • the aussie pope says:

      05:56pm | 12/02/13

      let all asylum seekers into northern australia !
      Let no asylum seeker go south of the Tropic Of Capricorn !

      Reply
 
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