Press Club

You were always going to hear a lot about disability insurance over the next few years and Tony Abbott today made sure you will hear a lot more. There are some one million disabled Australians and the Opposition Leader told them that under an Abbott government their insurance scheme would be deferred.

In addition, pensioners and low-income families were told that their welfare increases and tax cuts were on the way, but please don’t ask when because Mr Abbott doesn’t know.

In his speech to the National Press Club he logged the disability insurance and a significant number of other economic elements under ``aspirations’’ column, rather than as imminent certainties.

Continue reading "Abbott downgrading promises to aspirations" »

The conservative radio personality Alan Jones is regarded as the most powerful broadcaster in the country. So his appearance at Canberra’s National Press Club this week would have sparked interest even if his last foray to the capital had not been so embarrassing.

Then, the self-appointed champion of an ageing wedge of disgruntled Australians, was caught in what he would define (if committed by Julia Gillard) as a lie - even if it was merely an ill-informed claim rather too confidently put.

At the time, you may recall, he had railed to a smallish crowd of malcontents known as the ``Convoy of No-Confidence’’ gathered in front of Parliament House, that there would have been thousands more present if they hadn’t been stopped at the ACT border.

Continue reading "Take-no-prisoners approach could bite Abbott on the…" »