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Abbott's breathtaking shift in economic management

The Drum
By ABC's Barrie Cassidy

Posted March 20, 2015 06:53:10

Prime Minister Tony Abbott Photo: The Prime Minister's news conference Wednesday was the most important he has held all year. (AAP: Lukas Coch)

The Prime Minister signalled a new approach to economic management this week that will have an enormous impact on how the Government is regarded by business and economists, writes Barrie Cassidy.

After 18 months of rejection by the public, and more importantly the Senate, the Abbott Government has decided to declare victory and move on - or more accurately, stand still.

The Prime Minister's news conference on Wednesday was the most important he has held all year, signalling not only a change to the spin but a fundamental switch in economic management.

First the spin. The Government will now claim they have essentially addressed the budget emergency, taking the situation "from out of control to manageable".

The Prime Minister offered up the Intergenerational Report as evidence of that saying: "The document shows that we have halved Labor's debt and deficit going forward. Debt as a percentage of GDP which would have been 120 per cent under the policies of the former government is about 60 per cent under the policies of this government."

So the Government plans to ignore the raw figures that will in the near term at least show bigger deficits than they inherited; and they'll argue instead that they have done better than Labor would have done had they got re-elected and did nothing further to address the deficit.

That's a somewhat hypothetical argument but nevertheless the glass half full analysis that he prefers.

More to the point though is the declaration - and that's what it was - that the heavy lifting is over, at least until after the next election. That will have an enormous impact on how the Government is regarded by business and economists.

The direct question was put to the Prime Minister: "What's your response to people who may fear that that means you're easing up and resting on your laurels rather than doing more on structural reform?"

Good question.

The answer: "Well this budget certainly will be much less exciting than last year's budget because the task this year is at least 50 per cent reduced from the task last year. So inevitably it will be a much less exhilarating budget for those who are budget devotees and structural reform enthusiasts."

That was his response to the "structural reform enthusiasts"; a breathtaking abandonment of both previous rhetoric and economic strategy; a virtual acceptance that they are "easing up" and "resting on their laurels", such as they are.

And then the coup de grace. To the question, what happened to the promised surplus? or, as the journalist put it, "that graph that you showed us ... isn't it true that when you look at it, at no stage do you reach a surplus in the next 40 years?"

Abbott: "We get very close to balance."

Very close - in 2019-20 - and then, according to the document and the enclosed graph that he referred to, it all goes south again, in a big hurry.

And even that outcome is based on the assumptions that growth will average out at about 2.8 per cent; that Australia will have favourable terms of trade; and that the Government will keep bracket creep for at least another five years.

It has come to this partly because most Government ministers are incapable of dealing effectively with the eight crossbenchers.

Rather than build relationships and reach out and find compromises, the government instead whinges and complains about the "feral" Senate.

The Australian in its editorial Thursday raised a classic example.

The newspaper pointed out that Abbott, faced with hostility from Senator Jacqui Lambie, increased military pay.

But Abbott "saw the issue ... as merely another barnacle to be removed. He simply changed his position."

"A more productive play would have been to extract a quid pro quo, tying the policy change to support for stalled budget measures. That's politics."

Indeed.

Rather than build relationships and reach out and find compromises, the Government instead whinges and complains about the "feral" Senate.

The failed reforms to higher education is the latest example. That a problem exists is beyond debate. Governments are no longer prepared to adequately fund universities, and yet the Senate now denies the universities the means to make up the shortfall. The Government failed to meet the crossbenches even half way, and so the breakdown in the political system continues unabated.

Against that background, the crucial pre-budget debate begins in earnest, and as Chris Uhlmann reported this week, there are already ominous signs.

The ABC has spoken to senior officials across several portfolios who say they are confused by what the Abbott Government wants to achieve with its second financial blueprint, as it struggles to settle key elements from its first.

Time is fast running out for ministers to set a clear direction.

"It's five minutes to midnight," one said.

Further exacerbating the problem, the Government plans to cloud the pre-budget period with the release of a landmark report on taxation that deserves its own timeframe free of the budget. That discussion - like the faux debate on accessing superannuation - will now go on without any real prospect of short or medium term outcomes, and will only serve to confuse the message between now and May.

Likewise, the Government is also close to releasing the Grants Commission report into GST distribution. That will have a separate and just as unhelpful impact at a critical time, especially in Western Australia.

The direction has changed but the new pathway is no easier to negotiate.

Barrie Cassidy is the presenter of the ABC program Insiders. He writes a weekly column for The Drum.

Topics: abbott-tony, business-economics-and-finance, budget

Comments (417)

Comments for this story are closed, but you can still have your say.

  • APM:

    20 Mar 2015 7:13:05am

    Which is more likely; that these professional LNP politicians have poor negotiating skills, or that they are dealing with cross bench senators who are variously; brutish, do not possess the minimum skills for the job, are belligerent by nature, and have little respect for the office they hold and the public? I cannot see Jacqui Lambie in any sort of sane, stable, constructive relationship inside or outside of politics. Some people are just really difficult and unpleasant.

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    • Alpo:

      20 Mar 2015 8:44:02am

      Neither, the L/NP politicians are a bunch of incompetents because they are driven by policies dictated by a Neoliberal ideology, with some addition of nasty and obtuse Conservatism.

      That's what the major opposition Parties and the independents are rejecting. The more you guys delude yourself, the harder the blow of the electoral baseball bats will be.....
      Simple and straightforward.

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      • marc:

        20 Mar 2015 9:03:32am

        Surely this is from bad to worse.

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      • Jay Somasundaram:

        20 Mar 2015 9:25:07am

        Yes. Cassidy's got this part wrong: "will have an enormous impact on how the Government is regarded by business and economists"

        Really? And how is the regard for the government going to be any different from what it was?

        The problem for Abbott is that the backbenchers will realise that the longer he remains PM, the more of them are going to lose their seats at the next election. The group whose regard is going to be impacted are the backbenchers.

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        • RON:

          20 Mar 2015 11:15:00am

          So many posters here and elsewhere saw this disaster coming well before the last election. We saw through the false three word slogans, and the fear and smear campaigns which went with them, while most in the mainstream media nodded in approval when interviewing the likes of Abbott, Hockey, Brandis and Morrison. Its now a bit rich for the mainstream media commentariat to snipe at the result of what can be termed as Australia's big mistake. We all told you so, but you would not listen.

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        • velcro:

          20 Mar 2015 12:43:45pm

          "RON,"
          Even the drover's dog could anticipate that the attempt to impose a "dictator" mindset on a fair minded democratic society would not be a comfortable fit.

          Now, after the first dose of bad medicine......last year's budget....... failed, Tony is playing the optimistic illusion card.

          Men who prefer optimistic illusions to reality can never become wise. Only those who face facts and adjust them to ideals can achieve wisdom. Those timid souls who can only keep up the struggle of life by the aid of continuous false illusions of success are doomed to suffer failure and experience defeat as they ultimately awaken from the dream world of their own imaginations.

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        • Luke:

          20 Mar 2015 12:54:22pm

          Pretty much.

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        • Andrew Thomas:

          20 Mar 2015 1:54:40pm

          Hi Ron,

          I felt the same way as you did about Abbott. From the first time I saw him speak as part of the Howard government, I always thought he was a bit of an odd ball (actually, more than a bit).

          The media's behaviour was just as odd during the last election campaign, and they seemed like fools orchestrating their own downfall. And so it was for the ABC. Since then, it has been hard for me not to see most media professionals as small minded, short sighted gossips.

          Let's hope they have learnt their lesson that short term focused reporting is not just bad for the country, but bad for them personally. For that matter, let's hope the electorate as a whole has learned their lesson.

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        • Judy Bee:

          20 Mar 2015 2:33:47pm

          Before the last election, the electorate apparently respond to Uncle Rupe's tabloidism - "Kick this Mob Out". The same electorate are looking to do the same with this government. With far greater justification.

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        • GreyBags:

          20 Mar 2015 3:21:26pm

          You've got it spot on there RON.

          Abbott got a dream run from the media who repeated his every slogan, smear and lie as if it was Gospel truth. I was horrified at the prospect of a Coalition government getting in on the basis of intentional misrepresentation with such and obviously unfit for power person in Abbott. He was always the bullying headkicker.

          I am pleased to say that yet again I picked the disaster before it happened. I was also a big critic of Kevin Rudd before he got elected in 2007 because I thought he was too much of a Howard-lite character moulded by the media. I was right about him not being a good PM as well. Gillard I had big hopes for and apart from kicking the single parents in the tender spots she did an excellent job. Unfortunately she was a bit wooden and was not a darling of the media.

          We need a new government and a new media. Even the ABC is being gutted of resources and appointing more avowed right wingers as if this 'false balance' will result in people being more informed as to the facts.

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        • SVJ:

          20 Mar 2015 2:54:55pm

          So, Lambie who voted down the university deregulation which the majority of chancellors want and then suggested those chancellors 'man up' and advise the government what to do! Effectively she voted to keep regulations the sector doesn't want and is so intelligent she criticized the sector for telling her what she didn't understand.

          But hey, good chance for another Abbott bash.

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        • james g:

          20 Mar 2015 5:55:19pm

          Only the most ignorant, one eyed, right wing fanatic would believe Hockey's claim that the projected debt after 40 years of ONE party (Labor) in government and supposedly acting in an economic vacuum could run up a 120% to GDP debt as fact.
          And that the 50-60% "not bad" figure quoted by Abbott as HALF of this projected debt figure has credibility.
          Please. Do these clowns think we're morons?
          This ludicrous suggestion from Hockey confirms he lacks the intelligence to balance the budget. EVER.
          And Abbott's continual reference to the IGR and these truly improbable figures again confirms his economic illiteracy and absolute incompetence to head this inept government.
          Just when we want this fool to show ticker and call a DD, he squibs it.
          Oh sorry, yes, he's ,um, a changed man.

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      • TheKat:

        20 Mar 2015 9:25:50am

        And what is the option? The nitwits from the ALP/ABC. Barrie Casssidy and the other nitwits from the ABC have been agitating for regime change. Barrie if he had any integrity should resign from the ABC for breaching its charter. If the LNP is returned in the next election, Barrie will feel my full wrath. and so will Alpo Yank and the very stuffed Olive

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        • Cedric:

          20 Mar 2015 9:46:35am

          Barrie has enough wit and sense to never interrupt someone when they're making a mistake.

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        • Weary:

          20 Mar 2015 10:36:55am

          Ideologues aka party hacks such as this commentator should refrain from interupting a reasonable conversation. Using the media to make threats is, I suspect an offence. It is certainly less than intelligent. The party file is no doubt marked - not for promotion but a useful sort (or insert appropriate word).

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        • splod1:

          20 Mar 2015 10:39:28am

          Tossing insults at those with whom you disagree does not further your cause. Might I suggest that you present an evidence-based argument which people will be happy to consider?

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        • peter:

          20 Mar 2015 10:42:58am

          Typical Barrie Cassidy never let the truth get in the way of a good story, Barrie always ready to criticise the people that people trying to fix the problem however never mentions the people that caused the problem

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        • Not Left:

          20 Mar 2015 11:02:21am

          Exactly peter!

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        • Andrew Thomas:

          20 Mar 2015 2:00:35pm

          Not left,

          Partisan behaviour is a scurge this country could well do without.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:50:14am

          Peter, the budget has gotten worse by the tune of $80 billion under the Libs. Which party is causing the problem?

          Now that it has blown out that much Abbott claims its no longer a problem.

          Guys get you approach straight. One day saying one thing and the next saying the opposite seems an awful lot like attempts to put the chaos theory into practice.

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        • Waterloo Sunset 2016dd:

          20 Mar 2015 12:56:06pm

          "Which party is causing the problem?"

          Thanks for giving me that chance to solve your problem. I always seem to get the easy questions.,

          Answer: anyone who is blocking the budget measures.

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        • Algernon:

          20 Mar 2015 1:37:40pm

          Yet those measures being blocked in the senate won't solve anything and the country doesn't want them. On top of that $70 ploughed by Hockey onto the deficit. The government is creating the mess.

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        • Waterloo Sunset 2016dd:

          20 Mar 2015 2:16:20pm

          The Chancellors do. Mind you they know a bit more than "the Brick" and a retired soldier.

          The country elected The Coalition, by a million miles. WE do want the reforms. The majority at the election said so.

          So now is your golden opportunity Algernon. We await with baited breath for 'your' solutions??

          Go ahead.

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        • Algernon:

          20 Mar 2015 3:17:56pm

          No WS they didn't want the coalition they wanted rid of the previous government. Now they've realised the errors of their ways and they want Abbott gone. Hockey doesn't have any solutions.

          As a parent of two University students I don't want deregulation of university fees.

          BTW the people voted for what the got in the senate. Perhaps the government (if thats what you want to call them) could try negotiating like most governments before them did. This band of twits choose the media to broadcast instead of talking to democratically elected Senators.

          Perhaps if Abbott is so aggrieved at the Senate he could call a double dissolution. He's got the triggers he just doesn't have the ticker.

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        • Ws:

          20 Mar 2015 4:04:19pm

          And your solutions?
          We're all waiting!

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        • Waterloo Sunset 2016dd:

          20 Mar 2015 5:40:45pm

          Back to a computer now, mobiles are awkward to type on.

          C'mon Algernon, you have a once in a lifetime opportunity. You're always telling us how wrong we are. Why don't you explain to this forum just how you would rectify the budget deficit (not immediately of course) and put some plans into place to propel employment.

          We are all waiting.

          It's been a six year wait, however I'm sure that your advice will have been worth waiting for.

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        • GreyBags:

          20 Mar 2015 3:47:13pm

          " Mind you they know a bit more than "the Brick" and a retired soldier."

          This government exhibits the main characteristics that are seen in such reality adverse people as global warming denialists and it is no surprise you have so many within their ranks. It is what I call 'studied ignorance'. They are extremely well versed in areas of proven failures. They have all the right wing slogans and petty point scoring comments down pretty well pat. They have studied the tactics of the US Tea Party in details and learnt dirty tactics at the feet of US right wing think tanks and our own IPA.

          They are filled with 'information' but like any system it is GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out. They ignore all the experts and get their information from fact hating ideologues. They are indeed versed in 'studied ignorance'.

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        • SVJ:

          20 Mar 2015 2:57:06pm

          Algernon,

          Which is worse?

          Voting for Shorten or you voting....it's not a trick question.

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        • mattoxic:

          20 Mar 2015 1:47:07pm

          Oh yeah, it's not the government who should be negotiating, it's the senators who won't pass bad policy. So simple!

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 4:40:49pm

          How about the one that is in government. After all Water... it was Labor's fault when they were in government.

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        • Sheoakbloke:

          20 Mar 2015 1:13:06pm

          "Now that it has blown out that much Abbott claims its no longer a problem."

          Exactly. In much the same vein as record low interest rates were "an emergency setting" under Labor and even lower interest rates under LNP, set to go lower as previous drops have failed revive business confidence, are announced as a positive boon.

          Then there's the petrol price surveillance; ACCC concedes there is gouging in the country and prices could be lower but only 'reforms' by the LNP have allowed ACCC to make us aware we are being ripped off. "we are not doing anything about it but we are responsible for oil prices falling so much" is a little bit the LNP's GFC? what GFC?
          So many complete failures and yet they have the audacity to present those failures as success.
          Mr Pyne's "I am a fixer".... a bit of adhesive on the back of a $1 stamp would be more effective.

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        • peter:

          20 Mar 2015 4:06:20pm

          Sorry yank but you need to do some research I think you will find Abbott is starting to bring the budget under control however you are correct he still has along a lot of work to do

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 4:38:21pm

          Bringing his own budget under control! Ha !

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        • CraigOfBathurst:

          20 Mar 2015 10:59:29am

          "Barrie if he had any integrity should resign"

          'Progressives' don't resign or get sacked from the sheltered workshop.

          Anyway, I thought after the last week or so of confected outrage at Abbott's 'lifestyle choice' statement that someone would finally provide their advice to 'close the gap'. Barrie, Jonathan, Mungo and others provided zilch. They only wanted to berate Abbott - but that's all we expect from them these days. I thought Barrie would take today's opportunity to right his wrongs but...

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        • GregL:

          20 Mar 2015 11:43:34am

          Craig your use of the term sheltered workshop is offensive to people with a disability.

          It is not Barrie's role to provide advice, he is a political commentator. Abbott deserves to be taken to task for his misjudgements, appalling language and behaviour. Just yesterday he likened Shorten to Goebbels a dreadful comparison to make at any time about anyone. Then there was the lifestyle choice issue another example, condemned by even his strongest supports within the Aboriginal community. He just does not learn. As an aside I have not seen too many people who have willingly and unequivocally jumped to the defence of Abbott on both issues.

          Abbott has often said that his operational mantra includes doing something and then seeking forgiveness after. A childish approach to life.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:05:14am

          Oh I am sooooooooooo scared. What happens if Abbott loses? Do you turn your wrath on yourself?

          Your wrath and around $3.50 will get you a cup of coffee.

          Headline in today's AFR ... "Budget gets $80b worse under Libs" ... and you want these guys to be re-elected?

          Curious are you so afraid that my comments are having an impact on Abbott's electability? If so I am flattered.


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        • mike2:

          20 Mar 2015 2:24:05pm

          your a joke yank,,when labor borrows 300 billion you say its not much in the scheme of things but 80 billion is the end of society if libs do it,,do you ever look at reality or just vote lavbor like a brainless follower?

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        • spacey 101:

          20 Mar 2015 2:53:24pm

          Its not how much you spend, its what you spend it on.
          If I spend a few hundred thousand dollars on a home, more than likely its a good investment.
          If I spend a few hundred thousand on fluffy toys, probably not such a good investment.
          Same money, two different outcomes.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 3:26:48pm

          Didn't say that. I said the LNP have according to an article in the AFR gotten $80 billion worse under the LNP.

          And these were the guys with a plan. They were going to have a surplus in their first year. Now Abbott says having a debt level of 60% of GDP isn't so bad.

          Don't you see how ridiculous he is?

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        • Jerry Attrick:

          20 Mar 2015 11:05:56am

          @TheKat: no doubt your "full wrath" will be as ineffectual as your obviously right wing and anti-labour attempts to shift the focus away from Abbott's team. Barrie and a range of other ABC journalists are equally capable of pointing out the foibles and failures of Labor politicians as of Liberal politicians. But at the moment the main show is the coalition, and it would be hilarious to watch if it were not so damaging to Australia's future and its image within the world.
          The recent tactic of claiming victory over Australia's economic "emergency", with essentially no action at all, is particularly comical.

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        • Andrew:

          20 Mar 2015 11:06:13am

          So I take it everything Barrie said is spot on then. But don`t worry when the ALP wins government we won`t come kicking your door in.

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        • hello dave:

          20 Mar 2015 11:09:35am

          How long are those on the coalition side going to delude themselves that the problem is those nasty Stalinists at the ABC and not the unpopular, ideoligically driven policies, lies and trickiness of this government.
          A government and especially a leader better suited to opposition than government where three word slogans can be repeated ad nauseam with the cooperation of a friendly right wing press

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        • maelcolium:

          20 Mar 2015 11:16:15am

          That kitkat, is called a rant; why bother? While you were busy picking the wit out of nits you missed the point of the article but never mind. Your "Barrie will feel my wrath" comment indicates personal megalomania which may be controlled by medication.

          As to the options. A considered, sensible, cohesive plan delivered with statesmanship to the people and the parliament would be a start. Then maybe we wouldn't have to suffer the hums and haws or backflips when ideological policies meet opposition. If anyone has breached anything it's the LNP broken promises fiasco.

          The leader of the government having convinced no one there is a budget emergency over 18 months is now saying the IGR fairy tale is proof that the emergency is over. Surely you can see the idiocy in that position?



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        • Brad:

          20 Mar 2015 11:26:18am

          The ABC and Labor have one simple agenda at the moment - twist everything Abbott says, no matter how benign, into some sort of major controversy.

          That was no more obvious than yesterday's ridiculous faux-outrage at the Goebbels comment, including the disgraceful scene of a Jewish MP using the memory of his own people's suffering to score political points.

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        • Luke:

          20 Mar 2015 12:58:31pm

          Nobody has to twist what he says when he immediately admitted he said the wrong thing, by withdrawing and apologising....or did you miss that part?

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        • Delstar:

          20 Mar 2015 11:39:44am

          Hahahahaa oh lordy people like you were so easy to spot in the play ground, you were the ones buring ants with a magnifying glass. Things you say and do have no purpose or reason to the human race. Have an opinion and not an insult - remember what your brainless leader said - adults in charge now, so act like one!

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 12:28:28pm

          According to your logic TheKat they should all have resigned sometime during 2010/13 when they all seemed to be barracking for Abbott but never questioned their policies, or rather lack of policy detail. I will miss feeling your 'wrath' after the next election because I'm becoming more certain that the LNP will be in Opposition.

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        • Jay Somasundaram:

          20 Mar 2015 12:45:10pm

          To be fair to Rudd/Gillard/Swann, they did make many changes to curb expenditure/ increase revenue, including with regards to Super. Their economic management was quite well respected internationally.

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        • Lee Tinson:

          20 Mar 2015 1:30:06pm

          Kat ... shouldn't write while angry. Feel your full wrath? Really?

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        • Tiresias:

          20 Mar 2015 1:58:47pm

          TheKat, you may well feel your full wrath.

          And you will not be the only one, because the ALP/ABC are not the only ones finding it very difficult to be in any way positive about what the Coalition has achieved in 18 months.

          Even the Murdoch press is having harsh words to say about Abbott and the Coalition.

          In fact, the Murdoch press is sounding more and more like the left-leaning media which has been hammering the Coalition from day one. Even Alan Jones is not completely satisfied.

          And it is to be noted that you yourself have not provided one positive thing in support of Abbott and the Coalition. That is the real reason you should be full of wrath. Your team has let you down.

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      • geo:

        20 Mar 2015 9:34:24am

        Abbott says the budget has succeeded and they've addressed the debt. A monumental whopper of a lie. When you ask the Libs what they did they say "well we got rid of the carbon and the mining taxes". Both were revenue raisers. So we are supposed to believe that by lowering the tax intake without lowering the spending we are somehow in a better position. It boggles the mind. The Libs clearly don't know what they are doing. They are navigating by some ancient ideological star. No wonder the cross-benchers keep siding with Labor, they at least have a thought out position.

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        • APM:

          20 Mar 2015 10:07:26am

          geo, I get sick of people complaining that the budget hasn't succeeded and at the same time wish to block everything. Labor and the cross benchers have 'a thought out position'? NO! Most of them don't have a position. If Labor had answers they would have stopped piling up debt for six years and not lumbered the LNP with time bombs. How did you not notice Labor budgets not succeeding? - and most of their measures were passed.

          I have just been reading the pre-election PUP policies and they are quite mad; they are full of massive populist increases in spending across the board and cutting taxes at the same time.

          There is only one party with a plan and the most of the Senate refuses to step up and do difficult things for our future and hides behind electorally convenient slogans about 'fairness and 'lies'.

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        • Not Left:

          20 Mar 2015 10:48:59am

          Fully Agree APM!

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        • godbothered:

          20 Mar 2015 10:55:39am

          APM,

          "...convenient slogans about 'fairness' and 'lies'".

          That's the problem for you tea party tories, you think fairness is nothing more than a "convenient slogan", while most of the rest of us think that fairness is EVERYTHING.

          You lot have given up on even claiming that your policies are fair, and have moved on to demonising the very concept of fairness. Priceless!

          If it's not fair, it's not on.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:07:10am

          one party with a plan ... the trouble is they had so little faith in that plan that they didn't bring it to an election.

          If they had and it was blocked in the senate you'd have a point but they didn't so you don't.


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        • Not Left:

          20 Mar 2015 11:37:49am

          At least they have a plan...

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:51:47am

          Not left ... which is what?

          Because they are confusing the heck out of their own people.

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        • Bazza:

          20 Mar 2015 12:38:40pm

          @APM, Not Left

          A terrible plan that isn't working or acceptable to Australia and if implemented in full will see us spiral downwards faster than ever before.

          Their plan has seen unemployment at decade long record levels, increased the debt and deficit that they spent years complaining was the WORST THING EVER, damaged our international standing, damaged our educational institutions and produced nothing of value.

          This government's plan is all pain (unless you're rich), no gain (unless you're rich).

          Complaining that your policies are blocked by a majority of the senate is complaining that the majority of elected representatives of the upper house don't agree with your plan. Instead of trying to modify the plan to make it workable they've whinged about people not mindlessly supporting whatever half baked ideas they throw together.

          Further the fact that the LNP accept no responsibility what so ever for their failures after this long in government is unacceptable - Labor has been in opposition now for going on two years, at what point will the LNP realize that they are the government now and that the buck has to stop with them?

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        • splod1:

          20 Mar 2015 1:30:30pm

          The Abbott plan: "We have a budget problem! Something must be done. Aha, this is something: let's do it." It's a pity that his "something" was counter-productive. Oh well, "at least they have a plan..."

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        • ALAN -Gold Coast:

          20 Mar 2015 2:10:23pm

          Didn't Campbell Newman go to the last Qld election celebrating he had "A Plan."

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        • Judy Bee:

          20 Mar 2015 2:39:37pm

          Hello Not Left,

          There is no plan only an inflexible unrealistic agenda.

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        • Andy:

          20 Mar 2015 11:08:39am

          In case you hadn`t noticed this opposition comes straight from the Abbott handbook on say no to everything. What`s good for the goose..............

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        • maelcolium:

          20 Mar 2015 11:23:50am

          APM, the PUP policies you mention recommend increasing government expenditure rather than austerity. What's mad about that? Austerity hasn't worked in Europe.
          The problem is that the plan of the party is seen by the Senate to be wrong so they are just doing their job. They haven't blocked everything, just the contentious policies.

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        • geo:

          20 Mar 2015 11:28:50am

          APM, I'm not complaining the budget hasn't succeeded, I'm glad it hasn't succeeded. The whole notion of debt and deficit disaster was a scare campaign which is proving to have the very negative effect of preventing the government investing in infrastructure at a time of very low interest rates. The RBA is dropping rates but its not working and the government won't do their thing and give a little stimulus because of politics.

          Have a guess where Australia is in net debt as a percentage of GDP? 112th out of 161. Hardly a debt and deficit disaster. Labor brought in the whole renewables package (co2 tax, ren energy fund, ten energy target), reformed the aus school curriculum, brought in the NDIS funded by a tax increase, started the NBN, which would have been one of the greatest infrastructure projects Australia had seen if not for Turnbull. Name one Lib proposal that isn't about enriching their mates. That is how many people see the Libs, just the political arm of big business.

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        • Jerry Attrick:

          20 Mar 2015 11:37:39am

          Did you hear about that thing... what was it?... the GFC!
          Labor at least had some sort of excuse.
          What's Tony's? That he can't bring himself to let industry and wealthy Australians share a proportionate part of the pain?
          Maybe he's right. Maybe the unemployed and the pensioners ARE the problem.

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        • Lee Tinson:

          20 Mar 2015 1:39:56pm

          APM. Does that stand for Australian Prime Minister? You come across a bit like Tony Abbott, I must say.

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        • APM:

          20 Mar 2015 2:17:42pm

          I'm like Abbott? Next, all the responses I get will be misrepresentations of reality to make everything I say and do 'embarrassing' and' offensive' and a 'gaffe'. I own a blue tie and I wink sometimes. Is this ok? Will the ABC be obstructionist in my attempts to get the budget position under control? (well yes actually, last five comments in a row).

          It's AntiPostModernism. Can't be bothered typing it.

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        • Judy Bee:

          20 Mar 2015 2:42:42pm

          Hello APM,

          You have just duplicated yourself beautifully, PostModernism indeed.

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        • GreyBags:

          20 Mar 2015 3:53:21pm

          APM. Yet again the completely dishonest tactic of ignoring the GFC.

          Most of the debt was due to decreased revenue, not spending. The spending that Labor did during their stimulus program was acknowledged throughout the world as a success that saved the Australian economy from crashing and even greater debt. This also resulted in the Coalition inheriting the best performing economy in the OECD with the third lowest debt to GDP ratio in the world.

          Blaming Labor for leaving them one of the best economies in the whole world is bad enough. Blaming Labor for the decisions of the Coalition and their inability to bully the right wing majority of the Senate into measures they lied about before the last election is insane.

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        • whohasthefish:

          20 Mar 2015 10:08:48am

          Basically agree with your comment geo except for your assertion that the cross benches keep siding with Labor. They are independents and have operated in that fashion. The crap put out by the LNP that they are being 'picked on' by a 'feral' obstructionist Senate is a lie. We should all remember that the LNP passed the Carbon Price and Mining Tax repeals as well as Freedom of Financial Advice legislation. Labor has consistently acted in support of the Government on National Security. Other legislation has been passed with the help of the Senate. Hardly an obstructionist Senate. They have acted as they should as the house of review and have found a lot of the LNP's proposed agendas as poorly thought out, unfair and unjust policies that do not have the backing of the majority. In fact the Senate has served its purpose as per its Charter and should be congratulated as a true house of review that has represented the views of the electorate. The Senate is not there to support Government lies but instead to represent the Australian people. Something the LNP government has been unable to do. Thank god for an eclectic Senate, because the alternative would be to have a dictatorial government run by the far right Tony Abbott. Now that would truly be a 'feral' and scary government.

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        • geo:

          20 Mar 2015 11:12:56am

          whohasthefish, great post. I had the uni reforms in mind when I though about siding with labor but I agree they are acting independently and I think the current mix are proving quite good. Even the initially maligned Muir seems to be taking to it.

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        • Rhino:

          20 Mar 2015 2:04:10pm

          Dare I say it, but Senator Muir has matured rapidly into his role and seems to have some grasped of Senator Xenophons better attributes and seems to be generally avoiding excessive limelighting like some other senators (notwithstanding some issues in his staff).

          Likewise Senator's Lazarus and Wang have been good Senators. Heck, even the DLP Senator Madigan has been a beacon of sensibility in the senate. Lambie and Leyonhjelm have.... been themselves, but I don't think we are worse for wear because of them.

          Crazy world we have right now.

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        • Dr Anne:

          20 Mar 2015 12:17:40pm

          Thank you, whtf. Finally a rational, well-argued, supported comment. Decent, reasoned, non-vitriolic conversation is not dead, after all.

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        • bobtonnor:

          20 Mar 2015 10:19:55am

          what you fail to take into account geo is that this is what this govt has done since day one and before in opposition, they will repeat this over and over and some (fools) will believe it, 'we have fixed the budget crisis', ad nauseam until the next election, the 'debt and deficit disaster' worked a treat for them, even though it was complete BS, people were even humming it on the buses. So according to the govt they have fixed something that was not broken by doing nothing, fairy's at the botttom of the garden me thinks.

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        • geo:

          20 Mar 2015 11:09:14am

          Bob, totally agree.

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      • Alpo:

        20 Mar 2015 10:11:13am

        "Malcolm Fraser dies at age 84".....
        Honour to the man who in recent years has shown to the Liberal Party and to Liberals around Australia, that there is a different Liberal way!!

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        • Dave:

          20 Mar 2015 10:27:10am

          Precisely, Alpo. Fraser's time as PM is only remembered by the well-over-50's crowd, his efforts to bring some conscience to the Liberal Party are his lasting legacy. Vale.

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        • Malcolm:

          20 Mar 2015 10:36:56am

          As he grew away from the Liberal Party he actually became a true liberal. Perhaps the current Liberal Party should ponder that.

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        • Algernon:

          20 Mar 2015 10:41:11am

          Exactly Alpo, Malcolm Fraser was a leader and a Liberal leader at that. The last Liberal leader Australia's had. Unlike Abbott who neither a Liberal or a leader.

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        • JackMeadows:

          20 Mar 2015 11:21:06am

          We all remember a very down to earth Liberal in Malcom Frazer (RIP)

          Now we will have to listen to some very mealy mouthed words from the pollies.

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        • velcro:

          20 Mar 2015 1:40:27pm

          Malcolm Fraser a true statesman, a man of character and heartfelt compassion for his fellows irrespective of colour or creed, a life well lived.

          A man that continued to grow in stature and dignity well after his time as prime minister. Go with grace over there and a cheer from those who carry on here.

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      • gbe:

        20 Mar 2015 10:19:42am

        Alpo: As I said last year the penny would drop that the Senate will not pass anything Abbott puts up. So Tony being Tony will ensure if Shorten wins government he gets Labors mess back with interest. Justice I would have thought.

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        • Chris L:

          20 Mar 2015 11:58:28am

          The senate supported everything Mr Abbott had a mandate for (removing the carbon price and the super profits tax). It also looks like they're going to wave through all the extra surveillance the government wants over the populace.

          Looks like the only things they haven't waved through are the surprises that Mr Abbott promised wouldn't happen.

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        • gbe:

          20 Mar 2015 12:41:38pm

          Lets be clear the senate will not pass anything that would result in a reduction in government spending. Sadly people are too silly to realize the longer they leave it the bigger the cuts required. Bit like a cancer left untreated eventually no cut is enough. Sigh !!

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        • spacey 101:

          20 Mar 2015 1:58:21pm

          You do realise gbe that the first things Abbott did was cut revenue streams?? You think if he'd left them in place the 'cuts' you keep asking for wouldnt need to be so big? Maybe if they had kept these streams of revenue, instead of picking on 3 of our most vulnerable, the disabled, the unemployed, and pensioners, possibly they could have just targeted 2 out of the 3, or even 1 out of 3? A lot less fights needed then.
          But no, out of brutish ideology he just had to destroy anything labor introduced, and out of that same brutish ideology he just had to attack those less fortunate. He couldn't help himself. And now he is paying for his actions. I repeat his actions, not Labors, not the senate, not the cross benchers, his actions. You reap what you sow.

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        • gbe:

          20 Mar 2015 2:08:37pm

          Don't tell me your calling a carbon tax the required electricity prices to rise to be effective and a MRRT that would now be costing the tax payer Billions in reverse tax a revenue stream.

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        • Adjo:

          20 Mar 2015 6:28:06pm

          NOt sure what state or country you're living in gbe, but my elctricity prices have been going up - regardless of anything being dropped. Get a grip!

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    • mel:

      20 Mar 2015 8:45:45am

      APM, most people actually think "brutish, do not possess the minimum skills for the job, are belligerent by nature, and have little respect for the office they hold and the public" is a description of your professional LNP politicians.

      If you believe them to be good at what they do, could you provide examples of LNP negotiating skill?

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      • hairy nosed wombat:

        20 Mar 2015 9:33:40am

        Given 4 Coalition senators voted against the government last night, i would strongly suggest the Coalition might have difficulty with negotiations even within itself. But then i would argue the two most recent ALP terms provided even worse examples of negotiation - both paying too little attention, and also paying too much. The "coalition" with the Greens was catastrophic, and the Rudd government negotiated with the cross benches even less than the Coailtion.

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        • mikhailovitch:

          20 Mar 2015 1:44:40pm

          The Gillard government, however, without a majority in the Senate, was one of the most efficient governments in Australian history in terms of getting legislation through. This was mainly due to their outstanding negotiating skills, even in the face of Abbott's "Dr No" opposition tactics.

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        • FB:

          20 Mar 2015 4:59:00pm

          True, the Labor government was much more successful at passing legislation than the current Coalition one. However, it was also due to having an opposition which actually supported the vast majority of what was proposed, unlike the current opposition which opposes even those policies it was in favour of prior to the election...

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    • Room full of elephants:

      20 Mar 2015 8:50:39am

      You can't blame ferals for your own failings to implement the ideology you took to the election.

      I seem to remember the liberals claiming to end the age of entitlement and middle class welfare. So far we have the excessive ppl scheme and the latest, billions on childcare for the rich. And if that wasn't enough, now the taxpayers are subsidising maids to look after the children of the rich in their own mansions.

      If I want a middle class welfare party, I will vote labor. They are professionals in this field.

      If I want to end middle class welfare, which party can I vote for. Certainly not the LNP.

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      • Edward:

        20 Mar 2015 9:13:04am

        Meta-data and other security legislation. Credit where it's due.

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        • Edward:

          20 Mar 2015 9:40:18am

          Sorry, meant as reply to mel.

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        • PhilB:

          20 Mar 2015 11:48:41am

          Edward, if you think those are based on good LNP negotiation then you are deluded. That legislation as well as security legislation is based on fear ... fear generated in the electorate by politicians looking to gain some credibility and fear from the opposition that they would look weak if they rejected them.

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        • Dr Anne:

          20 Mar 2015 12:24:22pm

          Actually, Edward, Mel asked for an example of negotiating skills. Putting forward a policy that Labour happens to agree with is NOT negotiating. No credit here, methinks.

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      • Stevegoesonline:

        20 Mar 2015 10:22:25am

        Actually, if you look at the record of the Howard years, it is the Coalition who are the experts at middle class welfare.

        Income tax breaks, baby bonuses, super concessions, capital gains tax concessions - that's where your real middle class welfare is.

        And it is these very policies that are causing the structural defeciits we are struggling with today.

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      • Bazza:

        20 Mar 2015 12:47:23pm

        @Room full of elephants

        Elephants are supposed to have better memory than that - John Howard created the 'age of entitlement' and got Australian's hooked on middle class welfare.

        Hell he blew the biggest boom in Australian history on it, even selling everything but the kitchen sink to keep his vote winning largesse going until we were left in structural deficit with a 'surplus' that wouldn't cover one year of it.

        Sure Labor could have cut it back but to do so during the worst global market failure since the great depression would have created more problems than it solved and put us in worse position as it would have caused the economy to shrink (see Europe and others for examples of how poorly austerity works to stimulate an economy).

        This government doesn't face the GFC and yet still we see the policies you mention - paying for nannies for rich kids, subsidizing private schools, trying to make uni more 'exclusive'. Meanwhile the deficit and debt that they literally spent years screaming nonsensically continue to mount faster than ever on their watch - remember that Labor was actually cutting government spending in real terms by the end of their time in power.

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    • JamesH:

      20 Mar 2015 8:54:01am

      So you actually know Jacqui Lambie personally APM or is it your LNP brainwashed empathy spilling out of your mind that you label Jacqui insane. As a ex military person who has served I say Jacqui is doing a fine job, difficult as it is her military training is kicking in against the enemy within the LNP ideology for the rich and stuff the poor.

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    • Malcolm:

      20 Mar 2015 8:54:59am

      APM I think you will find that the real situation is that Abbott played the budget emergency card for as long as he could whip up the poorly informed to agree with him then dumped it after he found out the public were a wake up to him. Just as he caved in to Lambie when it was the only choice open to him - her personality doesn't really matter, it's her vote that counts.

      As for "...or that they are dealing with cross bench senators who are variously; brutish, do not possess the minimum skills for the job, are belligerent by nature, and have little respect for the office they hold and the public?" you might care to consider the behaviour of some of the Coalition senators or are you a secret Keating admirer revisiting his famous quip about "...unrepresentative swill"? I note that Prime Minister Gillard who was 10 times the PM that Abbott can ever hope to be seemed to be able to negotiate her way through entrenched majority opposition and did so calmly and graciously not resorting to public displays of frustration.

      Face it APM - Abbott's first budget was a crock built round a manufactured "budget emergency" and he is hoping that we will all forget it.

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      • Homer:

        20 Mar 2015 9:41:04am

        The sad part is most of us probably will forget it. He's reverting to the "just stand still" game plan that he used in opposition. It won him the last election after all.

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        • graazt:

          20 Mar 2015 5:23:52pm

          Is that an acceptable strategy for government though? I'm mindful it seems to be the approach Labor has adopted in opposition.

          Are we going to see the equivalent of a staring match over the next year?

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      • jonmarks:

        20 Mar 2015 10:34:10am

        To me this is a stark argument point for a change to our electoral terms. Our three year federal term is a Westminster joke and undermines the effectiveness of the commonwealth government.
        Here we are only 18 months into a new term from a party that has been out of power for the previous two, they have done almost nothing and now, with an eye firmly set on the next election, tell us the bulk of work and achievement is done and we can all relax now.
        What utter nonsense.
        They did stiffen and expand the existing provisions to 'Stop-The-Boats' and while this is morally questionable they did at least flag this before the election and have 'achieved' this. Otherwise their record is to have cancelled, repealed and abandoned existing and proposed legislation and policy. It really doesn't take much organisation and ability to put a line through legislation and 'Axe-The-Tax'. Abbott's favourite line towards Bill Shorten at the moment is 'What would you do, what would you do...?', well Prime Minister 'What have you done, what have you done...?'.
        I loathe this current Coalition government - they have nothing positive to offer the nation - but they were elected and yet they have utterly wasted their term to date and are already in caretaker mode for the next election and this represents a complete waste of money for the taxpayer. After paying for the last election and all its added party support funding and then the whole process of installing the new government and the associated sweeping away of swathes of senior public servants and replacing them, here we are now, only minutes later it seems, looking forward to the next with precious little to show for all that investment in 'Good Government'.
        I despair.

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    • Edward:

      20 Mar 2015 8:55:56am

      APM,

      I can accept what you say to a point, but would put forward the observation that the much grumbled about cross bench Senators are probably more representative of the average Australian than the leadership of either Party.

      With regard to the negotiating skills, both Parties may be fairly good at behind the scenes wheeling and dealing and I'm shure that when push comes to shove they are capable of pragmatism. It seems clear, however, that they are woeful at presenting their ideas to the public. To win against the cross benchers they have to rely on public opinion. I'm sure Lambie et al would bend to the public will. After all, of all our politicians, they are more likely to go with what their constituency say as it's the only way the have of getting re-elected.

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      • v:

        20 Mar 2015 9:27:26am

        Edward,

        "It seems clear, however, that they are woeful at presenting their ideas to the public."

        I'm not so sure. If you look at their poll results in isolation, it would be possible to conclude that the Tories are pretty hopeless salesmen. But I suggest that, when you take into account just how repugnant the "product" is that they are trying to sell, you would have to say that their salesmanship is probably not that bad.

        This is the problem that they have. So far it has been suggested that the problem is Mr Abbott, the make-up of the Senate, poor salesmenship and so on. Nobody seems prepared to entertain the possibility that they Australian people are not all that chuffed at the policies the government is trying to push through.

        Now we are being told by Australia's most respected financial journal that, had Labor remained in power, the budget position would be better off by about $80 billion over four years than it will be under the Tories. So even those few peole who believed that the pain being inflicted was worth it if it improved the budget bottom line must now be starting to have some doubts.

        Australians have on several occasions demonstrated that they are prepared to make sacrifices for the national interest. But when they find that their sacrifices have actually made the situation worse, they are unlikely to be in a forgiving mood.

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        • Edward:

          20 Mar 2015 10:10:42am

          V,

          I get what you're saying but my mind always comes back to the psychology of selling. The aim of a salesperson is to convince someone that they want something they don't really need. Scam artists use the same techniques.

          I suspect that you and I think a little more on policies than the average. This website shows that some weld themselves to an ideology without thought. And the great unwashed, who couldn't really give a stuff, usually seems to rely on brief glimses of the news to determine what's good and who the baddies are. In this environment it comes down to the management of perceptions. If you look back at a little political history you find all sorts of bad policies that have gotten through because the public have bought the con.

          Putting all the crap aside I stand by the hypothesis that the government has lost the PR game. Abbott now looks unstable and comes across as willing to do anything to stay in the Lodge. In my view he's now in an unrecoverable position because he has given too much ammunition for a advertising blitz at the next election. As it stands the Opposition could easily win without having any policies. And that's frightening.

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        • v:

          20 Mar 2015 11:27:13am

          Edward,

          "Putting all the crap aside I stand by the hypothesis that the government has lost the PR game."

          Indeed, it would be very foolish of me to deny it. I wasn't suggesting that they were GOOD salesmen, just that, considering what they are trying to sell, you would have to say that a failure to sell is not necessarily an indication that they are BAD salesmen.

          I don't care how good a salesman you are, if all that you are selling is dead cats, you are not going to sell many.

          But give me a break edward, I was really just trying to say something nice about the government which, as you realise, doesn't come easy for me. However, if you prefer, I am happy to accept that they are hopeless salesmen trying to sell dead cats. You can't get much more reasonable than that, can you?

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        • Edward:

          20 Mar 2015 1:00:38pm

          V,

          I get that you were trying to say something nice about the LNP, but you came a little off track later on in the post. I know it's hard. With a little effort I'm sure it will get easier.

          From the LNP's perspective one thinks that they should be really worried when their "friends" are trying to highlight their weaknesses and their "foes" are doing their best to point out what's good about them.

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        • velcro:

          20 Mar 2015 2:00:01pm

          "v"
          How long till the "dead-cat-bounce" hits the ground with a resounding "thud?"

          Perhaps till just after our fearless treasurer delivers his "steady-as-she-goes" 2nd budget.

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      • Not Left:

        20 Mar 2015 10:54:16am

        Edward - you nailed it! "representative of the average Australian". Which is just the problem. Doesn't mean that every average Australian understands running the country... That's why the average Australian's are so fickle they will vote one party in and within months they're calling for an election wanting the other party in. QLD, Victoria, Federal - whose next?

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        • splod1:

          20 Mar 2015 3:52:43pm

          Thanks, Not Left: You've just helped me crystallize a a thought prompted by the above Edward/v discussion.
          Edward suggested that "The aim of a salesperson is to convince someone that they want something they don't really need." What if it's actually something that they actually need? Since "the average Australian" doesn't necessarily understand how to run the country, we employ folk who are supposed to know how to do this. There will be times that a government firmly believes that the best solution to a problem facing the nation is likely to be unpalatable to the electorate. It is at this point that the major governmental job is not so much one of "selling" the solution, but clearly explaining and justifying it. This is what Abbott & Co have difficulty doing. Their approach is invariably patronising: "This is your illness, this medicine will fix it, so just take the medicine and don't ask questions or spit it out!"

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        • Edward:

          20 Mar 2015 5:30:28pm

          Splod1,

          I'm not sure it's as straightforward as that.

          It could be argued that the selling process occurs in two stages. The first involves convincing everyone that something needs doing and the second involves selling them a set of policies that meets this perceived need. In this case the salesman's "problem" is "Labor's debt and deficit disaster" and we "need" to fix it, where the reality is that the LNP want to rejig the books so they can give a tax cut to the mega rich (let us not forget the musings of possible future tax cuts floated at the time of the last budget).

          The Liberals have a certain mindset and that is that lower taxes are good. This is one thing that Tony keeps banging on about.

          The LNP therefore have to sell us the idea that lower taxes is a good idea and that to get this "benefit" at some point in the future we have to pay by accepting spending cuts now. And this is where the con comes in as most of the electorate will get hit by the "cuts" and not benefit from the tax reduction.

          It's like the old three card trick distract the electorate by giving a tax cut and at the same time hit them below the belt in another way which only shows up years down the track. An example might be to give seniors a shiny new tax offset and as a balancing item reduce the indexation of their pensions. The reduction in indexation doesn't bite in for years and the tax offset is meaningless unless you're wealthy. But the media is conned and everyone is happy.

          To do this requires a certain gift of the gab and a very good grasp of policy and the psyche of the average mug.

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 8:59:27am

      She has already had 1 nervous breakdown and she looks to me as though she is unwell. Her behaviour is too erratic to be considered 'normal'.
      Lazarus and Muir - both thick as the proverbial planks. How could anyone negotiate with them when they have not the slightest bit of intellectual capacity to understand complex issues.

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      • Kerrie:

        20 Mar 2015 9:42:05am

        I have 4 degrees. If Muir and Lambie were in SA I would voter them second and third after Xenophon. I don't care that muir and lambie aren't intellectuals. They represent average Australians, including me, better than most of the professional pollies who have very limited life experience. The senate is a house of review: it works best when there are lots of different types of people.

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        • crow:

          20 Mar 2015 10:23:11am

          you don't require they have a minimum level of intelligence to ensure that they are capable of reviewing complication Government legislation?

          simply being 'one of us' isn't much of a selling point to me

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        • v:

          20 Mar 2015 12:39:47pm

          crow,

          "you don't require they have a minimum level of intelligence"

          First of all, intelligence is impossible to measure in any meaningful way, so it is difficult to see how we could insist on a "minimum level of intelligence" from our politicians. But I don't think that knowing how smart our pollies are would help, even if such a thing were possible.

          I think that the most important qualification for anyone aspiring to become an MP is a good understanding of how society works as a system, what is possible for politicians to achieve through legislation, and what has to be achieved through leadership, example and persuasion.

          In many ways, this is where the current government is falling down. Now, I don't believe that many current MPs on either side of the house or on the cross-benches really understand these core questions well enough. But I think that the lack is most obvious in the current government, where blind, nihilistic ideology seems to be the driving force.

          The first lesson that any MP or even PM must learn is just how little power they really have. This knowledge should allow them to make more realistic promises and manage public expectations in a much more successful way.

          You don't need to be particularly smart to get on top of these questions, but you do have to be prepared to put in some hard work, do lots of reading, and keep an open mind. I think that the ingrained sense of entitlement that is so obvious on the Tory front-bench really gets in the way of learning the fundamental lessons that all MPs must have.

          I think that Lambie, Lazarus and Muir have as much chance of learning the requisite lessons as any other MP - it is just a matter of whether or not they are prepared to make the effort. The Tories clearly aren't but maybe the three amigos are.

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        • Dear Leader:

          20 Mar 2015 4:36:51pm

          crow,

          If you are so convinced that Lambie, Muir, Xenophon are not intelligent people, why don't you run for Senate and see how you go? Surely you would have no difficulty doing better?

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        • graazt:

          20 Mar 2015 5:29:42pm

          Well there's only, what, 8 of them, if that's any comfort. There's tons of highly intelligent Senators on the LNP and Labor benches that will rubberstamp whatever idiotic position their leadership tells them to.

          The sort of person who calls a report biased that they don't read.

          Hopefully that provides some comfort.

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        • crow:

          20 Mar 2015 10:23:14am

          you don't require they have a minimum level of intelligence to ensure that they are capable of reviewing complication Government legislation?

          simply being 'one of us' isn't much of a selling point to me

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        • mikhailovitch:

          20 Mar 2015 1:49:05pm

          If having a certain level of intelligence was a requisite, I can think of a few Cabinet members who would clearly not make the cut.

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        • Edward:

          20 Mar 2015 10:35:19am

          Kerrie,

          Isn't it a good idea to have someone in office who at least has a bit of "rat cunning". I couldn't give a stuff what someone's qualifications are on paper, but I think it's a good idea to ensure that they have an ability to understand what they're voting on. My worry is that someone like Senator Lambie will by the con rather than vote in accordance with what is truly in our best interests.

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        • mt_syd:

          20 Mar 2015 11:25:12am

          I dont much like Jacqui Lambie, and she is certainly no genius

          She does have a very good understanding of what will get her elected next time around. In other words, she knows very well what a substantial fraction of the electorate want, and she is doing a good job of representing those people. This is democracy.

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        • Eric:

          20 Mar 2015 12:32:13pm

          She won't have Palmer's money to spend on her re-election program. She will fade away - and the sooner the better.

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        • Reddog:

          20 Mar 2015 11:31:05am

          Also Eric, if you actually listen to Muir's parlimentary address you will realise he seems to have a better grasp of what fairness actually means in this country, and has experienced hardships that many career politicians continuously spruik in order to get heard.

          I would vote muir in a heartbeat over any of the Liberal frontbench and many of the laborites.

          However, I continue to believe the best canidate for the national leadership would be Penny Wong.

          Intelligent, consultative and dedicated with a backbone and the ability to negotiate.

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        • Eric:

          20 Mar 2015 12:31:13pm

          Reddog - you cannot be serious. Penny Wong. failed each Ministry she was involved with. Loved by the left for her alternative lifestyle choice. Please - she is so false and nasty to boot.

          As for Muir - do you think he wrote the speech himself? Probably a great bloke but not as a Senator.

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        • splod1:

          20 Mar 2015 3:59:28pm

          Eric: "her alternative lifestyle choice"??? If you're implying that homosexuality is a "choice" rather than a biologically driven imperative, I suggest that you do a significant amount of research. Do people "choose" to be heterosexually inclined? No! Both sexual orientations are hard-wired and natural to those who have them.

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        • velcro:

          20 Mar 2015 2:07:17pm

          Kerrie,
          I'm right with you, in valuing human qualities over cleverness.
          Cleverness is no substitute for character.

          Show me someone who can sincerely answer a honest question without obfuscation and they have my support.

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      • v:

        20 Mar 2015 10:45:19am

        Eric,

        "She has already had 1 nervous breakdown and she looks to me as though she is unwell. Her behaviour is too erratic to be considered 'normal'. "

        I'm sorry, but this is just offensive, and is a demonstration of your own ignorance and lack of understanding of a very serious issue.

        It is well known that at least one member of the current front-bench suffers from a chronic mental illness. It is also widely believed that he is one of the better-performing ministers in cabinet.

        "Nervous breakdowns" can happen to anyone, and having one is therefore quite "normal". People who suffer from a nervous breakdown often return to work with no lasting side-effects and live happy, productive and extremely "normal" lives. Having a nervous breakdown is not an indication of incompetence, low intelligence or weakness. They can be triggered by a single traumatic event, persistent misfortune, or even disrupted sleep patterns, and they can even be manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder.

        I am no particular fan of Ms Lambie. I do believe that she is probably out of her depth, but this simply shows the high level of ability and skill that exists in most politicians, but which we take for granted. It should not be seen as a negative reflection of her as a person. But her health is her own affair, just as the front-bencher's (who I am deliberately not naming in case you don't know) health is his own business.

        We should judge politicians on what they do, not their health, marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethinicty, religion or anything else that is not relevant to their performance as a politician.

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      • Gilbert:

        20 Mar 2015 4:41:02pm

        Eric
        Whatever the weaknesses of any cross-benchers, they are in the spotlight as is every misspoken word, there for you and others to remark upon.
        I suggest that the capabilities and competencies of these cross-benchers just to get elected is rare.
        Those of the two parties may not be seen in such sharp relief. I suspect, and more, that there are a good number of less then capable and competent members of the Senate and the House hidden away in their parties, perhaps because they were useful servants of the union, perhaps because their name has a hyphen, but certainly not because they are as good a politician as the independent senator from South Australia. (If you would like examples look at the current and previous members for Hindmarsh, both zeros.)
        Xenephon, like Harrigan before him, is an operator, and perhaps some of his cunning will infect a few more on the cross-benches if they get to spend their full six years in the red house.

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    • Spinner:

      20 Mar 2015 9:00:23am

      "Difficult and unpleasant" they may be; elected by the voters they most certainly were.

      In a system of democracy, this is the way it works. This situation is the wish of the voters. You, and the rest of us are, for better of for worse, stuck with it.

      Now this then falls back on the government to deal with this situation. Skilled politicians who are able to conduct useful negotiations, would have no insurmountable problems handliong this situation. They might have to adjust their entrenched policies to successfully deal with the Senate, but that is the way democracy works. If the Senators do not see those policies as good for their State electorate, then the policies, unamended, will be rejected. Fact - no matter who controls the Senate.

      So a competent government would sit down with the senators and work out the necessary compromise to make it work.

      This deceitful and incompetent bunch of nitwits currently running the government, professional or not, (and perhaps they shouldn't be), are simply nopt capable of accepting the fact that theirs is not a divine right to govern, but a privelege to be able to work with the other members of the Parliament to adapt policies to what the voters have decided they want - via their representatives.

      You may not like it. I may not like it. Abbott and hnis henchmen definitely don't like it. But we are all in the same boat. We are stuck wqith it.

      Get on with it and deal with it. (A most unlikely scenario however under this mob of dishoonest dills).

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      • Oaktree:

        20 Mar 2015 10:10:10am

        Just saw the news that Malcolm Fraser has passed away. Now there was an able and respected man who learned from his time in politics. Vale Sir Malcolm.

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      • GreyBags:

        20 Mar 2015 4:01:27pm

        Gillard discussed policy with the conservative (right wing) independents and got a massive amount of legislation passed and old legislation cleared from the books.

        Abbott has annoyed, belittled and bullied the right wing independents and small parties in the Senate to pass legislation that he had no mandate for.

        Judge people by their actions, not their slogans. The Coalition are an extremely poor government.

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    • PEarn:

      20 Mar 2015 9:03:17am

      APM

      I beg to differ. Labor is in opposition standing up for their values that cover the less well off. Why on earth should they cave in on bad policies that go against their ethos, just for the sake of it.

      LNP have come into government and have gone against every single promise they made, (only 3 weeks before election), and have now doubled the deficit.

      Remember they got rid of two revenue streams - $9B carbon tax and the mining tax, not to mention the $9B they gave to the RBA. Seriously - have you noticed this $550 promised refund in your energy bills because I know I haven't. They have dismantled the renewable energy sector and lost $20B investment and many jobs and companies no longer want to invest here because they have no confidence in the policies.

      I am afraid you are on your own in blaming everyone except the government. And lastly - good on Jackie Lambie for going against policies that make people worse off. She is standing by the very promises she made when entering parliament and calls this government out for what they are.

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      • Daniel:

        20 Mar 2015 2:51:27pm

        Hardly every promise. They promised to cut those taxes and make the problem worse. They kept that promise.

        ABC fact check has the full lit. Plenty of broken promises but clearly not all.

        And Labour had no trouble selling us out of metadata or starting wars and plenty of other issues. Bipartialism is alive and well where it servers the parties common masters.

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    • spacey 101:

      20 Mar 2015 9:06:24am

      I think the answer to that is obvious APM. They can't negotiate. Hell, Christopher Pyne had his first, yes, first and only meeting with Lazarus last week.
      Now if you are Christopher Pyne and you truly, hand on heart believe in your Uni 'Reform' bill, no matter how hard it might be, no matter what the obstacles are, you must get a face to face meeting with all the senators. No ifs, no buts. That Pyne only had his first face to face with Lazarus, AFTER the bill had been struck down yet again, is an absolute disgrace! What is Pyne doing? What is this government doing??

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      • Eric:

        20 Mar 2015 11:13:04am

        Please get your facts right. It was Lazarus who refused to meet with Pyne - not the other way round as you suggest.

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        • Tiresias:

          20 Mar 2015 2:14:58pm

          Eric, two of the cross-bench have said they have had 2 meetings each with Abbott and they were a waste of time. (Remember how Wilkie also criticised Abbott's negotiation skills back in 2010?)

          Lambie said she thought Abbott is not very good at politics. She is not alone.

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        • spacey 101:

          20 Mar 2015 3:40:16pm

          My point still stands. Pyne wanted to pass this legislation, still does. Its up to him to bring people to the table.
          Pyne has a long history in politics. It amazes me that with all that experience he lacks the ability to get someone to have a beer with him, a brunch, a nice afternoon stroll, whatever.
          Hell, if it was that important to him, Pyne should have gone to Lazarus office and said I'm not leaving till I see him. It would have got the point across as to how important it was to him. At worst it would have given him the moral high ground in stating that he had done everything possible to meet Lazarus.
          What did we have instead? Threats to cut research funding and childish behavior of calling the senate 'feral'.

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    • Truthful Tony:

      20 Mar 2015 9:06:56am

      After watching this group of #guffaw adults conduct themselves, I would have to say they have the negotiating skills of a five-year old having a monster tantie after guzzling a bottle of delicious sugary cordial.

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    • Stablequirks:

      20 Mar 2015 9:07:14am

      Well both are somewhat the case, the cross bench is inexperienced and fickle, and the government has handled it badly by not recognising how to deal with people who aren't career politicians. But mostly it's because the specific reforms themselves were very black and white, there was little wiggle room. You have regulated universities or not, you have a copayment or not. These were large fundamental changes to major areas close to many Australians which would have been almost impossible to reverse if put through, and there was nowhere for either side to shift once they firmly opposed each other on the major components of the bills. As Pyne said, 'everything is on the table except deregulation', but it was deregulation that all the argument was about anyway, so putting the other stuff on the table made no difference.

      The question then becomes whether the government was right to push forward with bills that had no chance of succeeding and were wildly unpopular. Sure they may believe that these reforms are the right thing to do, but clearly others don't (many voters included given the polls), and hence it may have been more politically expedient to simply gauge response and then find another way. They did do this (eventually) in other areas such as the PPL scheme, which they now appear to have altered into a childcare reform which most people are much happier about.

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    • Iorek:

      20 Mar 2015 9:07:35am

      A touch of both, I think.

      I wouldn't describe Nick Xenophon or David Leyjohnholm (sp?) as brutish, with minimum skills for the job, belligerent or disrespectful of their office or the public. Perhaps some of the others have some of those traits.

      The PM on the other hand has a reputation for brutishness (punching walls, anyone?) and is often belligerent and/or disrespectful, unless one happens to be a bloke draped in a friendly uniform of some description.

      The Libs and Nats don't seem to be able to negotiate between themselves, so how on earth they will negotiate with others, who either want something from them or disagree with them?

      And you are right, some people are difficult and unpleasant-a fair chunk of the government front bench, for a start.

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    • hamburglar :

      20 Mar 2015 9:07:48am

      Xenophon didn't seem to have any trouble negotiating with Lambie. Remember COCS (the Coalition of Common Sense)?

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    • Stuffed Olive:

      20 Mar 2015 9:09:52am

      Clearly it is the first. But first and foremost the problem is Tony Abbott.

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    • the yank:

      20 Mar 2015 9:13:52am

      APM, two questions did the LNP take the measures that have been blocked to an election? The answer is no.

      If the budget is now no longer in danger, as the PM now says, then why would we need to pass the measures that are blocked? Can't have it both ways. Either there still is a budget emergency or there isn't. If there isn't then take the measures that are now being blocked to an election and see what happens.


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      • Oaktree:

        20 Mar 2015 9:55:01am

        Hi Yank, agree. One wonders why and how the "budget emergency" has been fixed with so few measures to fix it succeeding in the Senate. Well, one would wonder if not knowing from the outset that it was a big fat lie.

        How much longer is the Government going to be able to come out with fatuous statements which do not reflect reality and make them the official "truth"?

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      • The Other John:

        20 Mar 2015 10:02:20am

        Yank, since when have ANY annual budget measures, aside from material structural reforms such as the GST, needed to be taken to an election? For God's sake, did Wayne Swan take his Mecca promised budget surpluses to an election each year?

        You really do make very little sense on most days, you know.

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        • Oaktree:

          20 Mar 2015 10:35:29am

          TOJ, It is well known that the best form of defence is attack.

          Restructuring university funding, cutting welfare payments, and letting manufacturing head overseas are all measures that would not have been popular had the voting public clearly seen the way Abbott would govern. He did not make the choices clear and worked on fear to win the election.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 10:52:45am

          my question to you john is why shouldnt such measures be taken to the electorate?

          it seems to me we have been saddled with some of the worst salespeople on the planet

          they were fine when they followed the popular line and did not have to explain their policy position or policies such as rebuilding our borders or abolishing juliars and that nutcase milnes tax on the air we breath.

          however they have not explained any of the long term benefits or costs to what they have proposed since... you may be willing to give politicians carte blanche to rule you life, personally i dont trust any of the career scumbags a millimetre, let alone an inch

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        • Prime Lemur:

          20 Mar 2015 11:13:31am

          Oh, heh. I see a wedge here!

          But seriously, what do both of you, The Other John and Peter of Melbourne, think of the report that the Abbott/Hockey government are now trying to sell us on income tax cuts as part of their 2016 election strategy?

          I'm not trying to wind anyone up here ... I'm genuinely interested how this will be judged by the conservative supporters here.

          For reference, the story was front page of The Courier-Mail today.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 11:45:39am

          lemur i just opened that website and they dont have that article

          however i have made my views plain on such matters... practically ever policy which has been implemented since howard took government now needs to be fully reviewed by professional experienced economists and where problems have arisen those policies need to be completely reversed.

          howards and rudds tax cuts are the first reversals that need to happen, leave in the amended tax free threshold as it is a fair and equal measure across all the economy, however those tax cuts have created a major issue with the nations revenue stream.

          all tax minimisation schemes need to be stepped on and stepped on hard from family trusts to operating under the umbrella of private companies, you can even add negative gearing in there just expect rental prices to increase as a result and for the most vulnerable amongst us to take the hit.

          hell as far as i am concerned a complete review is needed of all policies which have been implemented over the past 40 or 50 years since globalisation and neo-liberalism began their steady march across the globe.

          i am a conservative, i am happy to admit that, however i am a social conservative.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:10:34am

          Promised not to touch health, education, ABC, SBS, aged care or welfare and then backtracks on everyone of those promises.
          And you don't think that matters?

          One of the reasons Labor lost last time was the lie that it told regarding a carbon tax and its own disunity. When they were in power your lot was crying all the time about those issues and now you are telling me they don't matter?

          Wow what a set of ethics you have.


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        • The Other John:

          20 Mar 2015 11:18:01am

          Peter, we have a budget process annually and an election process every three years.

          Which do you prefer, an election every year, or a budget commitment every three years?

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 11:48:36am

          john

          as far as i am concerned there is not a reason in hell we cant have a budget commitment every three years.

          it will stop all the stupid thought bubbles for a start

          it we then give the political parties no excuse not to release the details of the budget 12 months ahead of time so that it can be fully debated and any issues dealt with by finding alternatives

          business can then plan for the medium term which will hopefully increase confidence and create longer term employment

          it is long past time this nation had some stability in its economic and social policies rather than the continual experimentation we have been subjected to by the ideologues at both ends of the political spectrum.

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        • the yank:

          20 Mar 2015 11:59:29am

          I want a government that didn't feel it needed to lie to get elected. Is that too much to ask?

          Gillard told one fib and you banged on about it until she was overturned by Rudd. Now you want us to believe Abbott's lies don't matter.

          A party should be to outline its goals and how it will achieve those goals during the election process. It may well take them three years to achieve those goals but that is OK as LONG as the measures they took to the election were truthful.

          Abbott's weren't, hence the problem.

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 12:23:53pm

          Budget measures are rarely used to announce major policy changes (they are not reforms) to Medicare and Higher Education of the nature we saw in the 2014 Budget. Generally the first Budget after an election does not break every election promise either. TOJ, it is you who is not only not making sense - you have invented a new history.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 1:03:31pm

          olive

          whilst the budget is rarely used to announce policy we have seen that that is exactly how the tea party has used the budgetary tool

          it is long past time we had full disclosure on all economic policies and social policies from both state and federal governments months if not years ahead of elections... that includes no more secrecy surrounding trade deals or so called public/private partnerships as well

          the only time a mandate can be claimed from any government is when their policies are included on a ballot with a yes/no box next to the question which requires a tick/mark

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 1:31:37pm

          Good to read that Peter. I just can't understand how anyone, Left, Right or Centre, can support/defend what was revealed in that Budget.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 2:17:38pm

          olive

          thankfully there are not many people supporting it

          i am actually quite surprised that there has been so much opposition, i expected all the usual backdoor political deals so that most of it could be passed... and it is clear from media reports that some of it almost did to our detriment

          i will keep repeating this as it is simple yet undeniable truth.
          all political parties are exactly the same in that they are comprised of people with similar vested interests, and it has been proven time and again they will always put their own vested interests and ideology ahead over everybody else due to the fact that that is human nature.

          we need a political system where such people, and their vested interests, are marginalised which is why i advocate for direct democracy

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 3:43:35pm

          Oh dear Peter, I think you might be partly right again. Liberals' vested interest is themselves and business buddies and Labor's is in good government for all the people. Vested interests but very different.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 4:17:54pm

          labor has proven not to put the will of the majority ahead of theri own vested interests time and again.. whether it is state or federal politics.

          no vested interest group can be trusted with governing the people of this nation. that power needs to be removed from them completely, all the administration should be doing is managing the day to day affairs of the nation and implementing the policies which the voter directly gives them a mandate to implelent

          after labors past 6 years of woeful performance and the past 24 months or so of the teaparty i would rather entrust my senile 15 year old dog to formulate and implement policy for this nation than any of the mongrels in our parliaments and senates across the nation

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        • GreyBags:

          20 Mar 2015 4:03:46pm

          Hockey promised a surplus in his first term and every term after that yet you only remember Swan?

          There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

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      • Econ:

        20 Mar 2015 10:45:58am


        I agree Yank, the years in opposition Abbott was pumping how words like debt & Deficit and words of shock and horror that we were in a desperate state ..... and now there is no problem, the years in opposition were all deceit.

        We need a PM we can trust.

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        • Malcolm:

          20 Mar 2015 12:33:48pm

          Econ that is the primary question that Abbott will not answer. His claimed budget emergency was simply a scare tactic to get himself elected, and when faced with the reality he has been trying to deny the lie.

          The economy is going along fine - what we are suffering is the usual boom and bust cycle that is endemic to the mining industry. The reality is that our iron and coal will stay in the ground until the market picks up and then we will be back in a mining boom. Australia's real problem is that successive government's have been only too willing to rely on primary industry at the expense of of adding value to our resources by encouraging local secondary industry.

          But that aside Abbott hasn't helped the budget by ditching two taxes for the only reason that they were Labor initiatives while continuing to keep in place the measures that Labor put in place to offset their effect on ordinary Australians. He knows that he cannot do that and remain in government so once again he is putting his job as PM ahead of his perceived economic duty to correct what he claimed was a budget emergency. The man is simply all front and no back and his government just drifts along in caretaker mode until the next election which, if he had any sense of moral duty, would be this year so we can be rid of him.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 12:34:40pm

          well econ

          we are not going to get a pm we can trust

          abbott lied, shorten is a proven backstabber, the rest of the cabinet and shadow cabinet have proven to be 100% "yes men" and "yes women"

          hell if you want to dream, then dream about an electoral system where the voter has actual control of the political system rather than those of the political system having complete control over the voters

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    • ratty:

      20 Mar 2015 9:16:29am

      Example of the skills demonstrated by LNP Senators- I haven't bothered to read the report because it is biased. How do you know it is biased if you haven't read it? And the good ole boy from Qld, Barry O'Sullivan says- because it is! Anyone finding it difficult to find a qualified or professional senator in their ranks?

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      • GreyBags:

        20 Mar 2015 4:07:23pm

        Hockey waved around the Intergenerational report claiming that is was honest, gospel, all the truth from the Treasury.

        The Treasury has come out now to say that the report is not theirs.

        More lies by the Coalition.

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    • Vaticinator:

      20 Mar 2015 9:17:27am

      Even since the democrats were punished with extinction for negotiating in good faith the GST legislation, it is not in the long term employment interest of Senators to pass anything slightly controversial.

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      • Kerrie:

        20 Mar 2015 9:52:37am

        Except people voted for the democrats to oppose the legislation. Howard promised to introduce the bill. The democrats promised to oppose the bill. The democrats got the balance of power and should have stuck to their promise.

        I know some people love the GST. I hate it. It means the government and consumers are vulnerable to price volatility of things like oil. When petrol is $1/ltr, we pay 10c, when petrol is $1.50 we pay 15c. The government doesn't control petrol prices and has a conflict of interest on the issue:more tax vs lower cost of living. How can either group adequately budget with such volatility?

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        • Kocsonya:

          20 Mar 2015 11:38:45am

          It's actually interesting with the Democrats.

          They basically broke *one* election promise and that cost them their existence.

          Apparently Gillard's cardinal sin was that she broke her election promise about the carbon tax; she's a goner.

          Yet this government have been breaking election promises one after the other and still they still have pretty much the same primary vote as that of Labor.

          Are people really that simple to manipulate?

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        • maelcolium:

          20 Mar 2015 11:46:47am

          That correct Kerrie. The democrats dropped the ball on GST which is why they fell apart and no longer exist. Some people do remember and vote accordingly.
          GST works when the economy is buzzing along, but when consumption is down in a dawdling economy we get the hysterical calls to increase the rate of GST. It's an insidious and regressive form of taxation and too easy to increase. For all the so called problems with the replaced wholesale sales tax regime, it was much fairer and no less "efficient" to collect than the GST. As to the GST curing the black economy, well that was just spin.
          Taxation generally is neither fair nor sensible. If governments were really serious about fiscal reform, then taxation would be a good starting point and maybe then they could "budget" adequately.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 12:10:01pm

          mael

          all other forms of sales tax which the gst replaced worked exactly the same... hell some of them were sitting at well above 30% for basic items

          - the gst needs to be increased to a reasonable level, the same with the medicare levy with maybe an education levy added to all incomes,
          - a considered review of our income tax system needs to be conducted with a rate rise across the board if need be,
          governments need to release more land and need to increase investment in basic infrastructure
          - government needs to allow public infrastructure which has been privatised to either thrive or fail with no subsidisation from the taxpayer, and when they fail as they invariably will, then they need to be repurchased at a considerable discount, else all new public infrastructure emplaced to compete with the failed ventures

          there are many other issues which the incompetents of the liberal and labor party have saddled this nation with over the past 50 years of failure in policy which need addressing, however the labor/greens and liberal/nationals are not the entities which should be trusted with fixing their failures

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        • Prime Lemur:

          20 Mar 2015 11:49:47am

          Kerrie, an interesting point.

          The GST is a funny beast. It was not the whole cause of the Democrats' demise.

          Kim Beazley campaigned on the "roll-back" of the GST ... unsuccessfully.

          I'm quite OK with it, and wouldn't get rid of it if given the choice. Its important to remember ... its just one of a mixture of taxes. On its own, it'd be regressive ... as part of a mix, its a benefit.

          Not so long ago, I recall some goose telling everyone he'd arranged his affairs so he didn't have to pay tax to support bludgers. Bet you he pays the GST.

          Its volatility as part of the Cwth Grants Scheme is an issue ... state spending can be contractionary when the economy contracts (and GST revenue falls), but there is a lag between grant and spend by the states. Still, its a potential positive feedback loop. But its a tax that grows with the economy, something that sets it apart from other taxes that grow or contract independent of the economy, which leads to ... surprise, surprise ... structural revenue shortfalls. And when you get into the situation where you won't, don't or can't raise taxes, you need to cut spending, diminishing government service provision.

          Back to the subject, small parties do come and go (at least, their representation in parliament does, even if the party continues without a seat).

          Funnily enough, I have found my interests keep on aligning with The Greens. Its been a party that opposes the metadata law, opposes welfare, concessions and loopholes for everyone except the poor, and many other policies that make sense in terms of equity and fairness. However, there are possibly just as many policies I don't agree with. Still, as of today, and for me personally, The Greens have a much better strike rate than either major party. I'm having trouble finding anything I agree with from either Labor or Coalition.

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      • The Other John:

        20 Mar 2015 11:21:13am

        Kerrie, can you tell us what it was that you loved about the wholesale sales tax system that we had prior to the GST?

        Was it the hidden tax rates on everything you consumed, or the fact that Strawberry Quick had a lower salestax rate to Chocolate Quick, just for example?

        Seriously, anyone who speaks of the GST without understanding what preceeded it, ought to be more honest.

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        • Kerrie:

          20 Mar 2015 12:16:37pm

          Of course you are right John.

          I didn't like the preceding sales tax system for the same reasons as GST. Personal and company taxes are my preferred methods of taxation. Of course thieves can always hide their money and so pay little or no tax. I just don't like volatility in revenue. Point of sales taxes seem more volatile.

          I'm looking forward to the tax review and I'm hoping (haha) that they consider the benefits of removing GST on everything and not just broadening and/or increasing it. That would meet my definition of an unbiased review.

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 1:42:24pm

          I believed the old system was just fine. With the odd exception as illustrated by the strawberry v. chocolate quick (not exactly a major part of our diet) it taxed luxury goods higher which is as it should be. The GST is not just on goods, it is on services and that 10% goes on all electricity/gas/telephone,etc. It adds up to a lot of money and affects the less well off more than others. I hate it.

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        • Peter of Melbourne:

          20 Mar 2015 2:23:05pm

          olive there are already exemptions to the gst

          it could quite easily be amended so that essential services are not taxed, that is a fault of governance, not of the tax per se.

          labor had more than enough opportunity to correct that aberration as have the liberals and yet neither have done so.

          in victoria the largest consumer of electricity, at 25% of output, is alcoa, they also receive a heavily subsidised rate for their consumption which means they are not paying a fair share of gst on that consumption whilst all other victorian households are subsiding them.

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    • Mr Zeitgeist:

      20 Mar 2015 9:18:01am

      @APM
      You are obviously quite comfortable with the 12 election promises broken by the LNP coalition.

      To blithely accept dishonesty and then blame those senators who are actually keeping THEIR election promises, demonstrates at best wilful myopia and at worst an inability to disseminate facts from neo-liberal propaganda.

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      • The Other John:

        20 Mar 2015 10:03:01am

        Which PM said "I did nothing wrong".

        Talk about dishonesty.

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        • Mr Zeitgeist:

          20 Mar 2015 11:54:47am

          @The Other John

          We have no idea what you are talking about

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        • Bernie:

          20 Mar 2015 1:10:20pm

          TOJ
          Just in case I have recognised that you are throwing ideologue stones still attempting to smear the best Prime Minister this country has ever had with "I did nothing wrong" obviously you did not watch the right wing politically ideologue motivated TURC as it occurred nor do you seem to be au fait with the outcome, so please give up on the asinine dribble. Think hard about both sides of politics with the ICAC deliveries before we hear another of your boring ideologue standbys.

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        • Reinhard :

          20 Mar 2015 6:01:31pm

          Then there is the Treasurer who was asked about the North Sydney Forum, and (under oath) he said ..."Nothing to do with me."
          Now that's dishonesty

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    • Regionalgranny:

      20 Mar 2015 9:35:05am

      You are correct APM that some people are difficult and unpleasant. Trouble is, accusing people of such traits simply because they do not fit your idea of how they should behave and whether they support your actions and ideals, is not really the way to gain their support.
      M/s Lambie may not be as articulate as some but she apparently, was good enough to serve in the armed forces. She may not have the same ability to express her thoughts as some but she may be someone many in the community can relate to and recognise in themselves. Do not judge too harshly.
      M/s Lambie may not be behaving in a way you would prefer but she does appear to understand the role of a Senator to represent the interests of her State. We seem to have lost the understanding of the various institutions we have, with the modern party politic approach to government.
      I am afraid that insulting and denigrating people is not the way to gain their support or even sympathy for your cause. It seems to me your question answers itself when you launch into a tirade against those the government seeks to convince that their policies are what is required and desirable for Australia's future.

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    • John51:

      20 Mar 2015 9:56:24am

      APM, you must have the shortest memory of anyone I know. Surely you have not forgotten what Abbott and the LNP were like in opposition. Abbott was known as 'Mr NO' to everything labor put up.

      Abbott as opposition leader even stated many many times that his only role in opposition was to oppose. But of course as anyone with a passable memory remembers Abbott took his opposition much further than that. You talk about brutish. Well Abbott attacked and denigrated everyone and anyone who he saw as in his way of gaining government.

      And as we can see clearly since he came into government that he not only attacked and denigrated his opponents to gain government. He also lied with lies piled on top of lies to gain government. And than he has the hide to attack the Senate as feral which I find hypocritical in the extreme.

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    • Mitor the Bold:

      20 Mar 2015 10:09:20am

      "Some people are just really difficult and unpleasant"

      Would that be the man who asserted at every Question Time "will you apologise for saying there will be no carbon tax under a government I lead" rather than discuss the legislation being proposed? Would that be the party that opposed everything that the government proposed, leaving Gillard to negotiate - successfully - with the cross benchers? Would that be the man dubbed 'Dr No' base on his rejection of everything the government proposed simply because he was so sore that the Independents didn't want to buy his 'ass' that he was prepared to sell?

      The definition of 'difficult and unpleasant' is not 'disagree with brutal ideology', it's 'push through brutal ideology regardless'.

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    • struck dumb:

      20 Mar 2015 10:30:55am

      You forget the reason we had a Gillard/Rudd government was because she was a far better negotiator than Abbott. Basically the current bunch of LNP pollies could not negotiate their way out of a paper bag! No amount of 5-year-old-style tantrums works on intelligent adults.

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    • garybenno:

      20 Mar 2015 11:18:33am

      There is another scenario you haven't mentioned, " these professional LNP politicians " have developed policy that looks like a turd, smells like a turd and has been clearly identified as being a turd, even a five year old will avoid a turd so it is no wonder the " cross bench senators who are variously; brutish, do not possess the minimum skills for the job, are belligerent by nature, and have little respect for the office they hold and the public " have rejected it.
      Never mind though APM you just get out your Mr sheen and a chux rag and keep working on it, just be aware to get it to shine will be " just really difficult and unpleasant ".

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    • blax5:

      20 Mar 2015 11:19:53am

      Politics is the art of the possible, with regard to the Senate. Jullia Gillard foresaw what the structures would lead to after the 2010 elections and dealt with it accordingly. Abbott & Co acted as if they thought they could force their way through but that did not go to plan.

      Why do people vote for an ever increasing cross bench? Because they no longer appreciate the 2-party-system that has been bipartisan a little too often.

      Coming back to the economy, last time I looked on census.gov we have/had a 10 billion Dollar annual trade deficit with the US, for years. 'Managing the economy' would mean, IMHO, to talk about it and address it. If there is no room for that in the 2-party-system, we'll vote independent, speaking for myself.

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      • Dave:

        20 Mar 2015 12:11:41pm

        "Jullia Gillard foresaw what the structures would lead to after the 2010 elections and dealt with it accordingly. Abbott & Co acted as if they thought they could force their way through but that did not go to plan."

        Considering that Xenephon and Lambie and Day have all been Liberal Party members at one time or another (not sure about Leyjonhelm), Wang represents Palmer who is ex-LNP and Madigan is not averse to the odd conservative idea it boggles the mind that this mob could not be negotiated with by the Liberals.

        Mind you, if Shorten wins in 18 months he's in just as much if not more trouble no matter how friendly the Greens are.

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        • blax5:

          20 Mar 2015 12:49:26pm

          I was also a Liberal Party member for about a year or two. I became disgruntled and these others were, too, apparently.

          You sign up for something, but something changes and you leave, but that does not mean you remain a Liberal at heart for life. Day was a Liberal candidate in this electorate in 2007, but did not win. My impression was that he did not win preselection afterwards. Leyjonhelm said he had been in the Liberal Party until Howard's gun buy backs which he did not support.

          Right, now what about that persistent trade deficit, which I consider more important than the past of the crossbench.

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        • Dave:

          20 Mar 2015 1:10:41pm

          "You sign up for something, but something changes and you leave, but that does not mean you remain a Liberal at heart for life."

          Quite correct and I wasn't suggesting otherwise. My point was simply that if you want a constructive negotiation you start with some points of commonality or similarity and it's hard to believe that Liberal senators can't find a few with folks who were once sufficiently interested to actually join up (compared with 98% of the population who never join a party).

          Such as the trade deficit. You've got Day and Leyjonhelm listening right off the bat there. Defence is a Lib "strength", surely even Lambie recognises. Wang's undoubtedly into business. Xenephon's always up for increasing efficiency and reducing waste in government. The Libs had every chance to get the cross bench to work (a la Gillard and the Greens) and they've completely fluffed it.

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    • Ashigaru:

      20 Mar 2015 12:23:58pm

      APM, that's an easy question. The answer of course is that "these professional LNP politicians have poor negotiating skills". Their performance over the past eighteen months, and their rabid attack-dog attitude when in Opposition before that, shows this plainly.

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    • Mark:

      20 Mar 2015 4:49:58pm

      And ofcourse all the LNP senators have the minimun skills required, are not beligerent or just their for the money. your just like Abbott, dont agree with me and you are feral and unworthy. LNP Senators have no idea what compromise is, arrogance is the key factor in their so called negotiations.

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    • havasay:

      20 Mar 2015 6:15:29pm

      These LNP politicians are the antithsis of professional and the Senate is doing a very good job of representing their constituents - the Australian people - the majority of whom DO NOT want to see a GP Co Payment OR Deregulation of Tertiary Fees

      So very poor deflection indeed

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  • Mike:

    20 Mar 2015 7:18:11am

    What a shambles! Our beloved leader seems to be aiming at a new career in comedy
    What a joke this Government has become!

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    • spacey 101:

      20 Mar 2015 9:15:24am

      I watched the interview. Abbott couldn't keep the smirk of his face. Even he knew how ridiculous his statements were. At the same time he looked like the cat who caught the cream. Shameful.

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    • dafall:

      20 Mar 2015 9:21:42am

      Oooo - you cynic, you ...
      but he could give John Cleese a run for his money as the Minister for Funny Walks.
      The rest of it just isn't funny - and I repeat, the rest of it just ...

      The woffle preamble to the G20 was cringeworthy; if it was anyone else, you'd tell him to keep his day job but we don't want him there either.

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    • Alfie:

      20 Mar 2015 11:20:48am

      "What a shambles! Our beloved leader seems to be aiming at a new career in comedy"

      You being Labor supporter, presumably the reference to "our leader" is Bill Shorten. In that case I am inclined to agree - what a clown.

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      • Chris L:

        20 Mar 2015 1:27:21pm

        The old "I'm not, you are!" approach. A classic in the art of barracking. Nicely done Alfie.

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  • hairy nosed wombat:

    20 Mar 2015 7:22:38am

    Which just goes to show that nothing is as important to this government as keeping Tony Abbott in the PM's seat. Even if 80% of the rest of us don't. The economy and balancing the budget are apparently entirely secondary issues.

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    • GregL:

      20 Mar 2015 9:13:23am

      Wombat you are on the money. Nothing matters more than power. It is inconceivable that Abbott and his senior ministers did not have a secret plan up their sleeves during the last election campaign and only as claimed developed their first budget strategies from the time that they come to office. They deceived the electorate. We have gone from a budget emergency to a manageable budget in the space of 18 months and guess what almost nothing has changed. The deficit was ALAWYS manageable.

      As for the cross benches thank heavens they are there. People need to understand that had there been a compliant senate all the budget measures would now be LAW and nothing would be 'dead, buried and cremated". The defence forces would be short-changed, university degrees would skyrocket in price, there would be co payments, so on and so forth. The agenda now being "abandoned" will re-emerge if the LNP happen to get clear air, like taxes and death there is nothing more certain.

      This government is a shambles and Abbott is a fool. He simply does not have the ability, particularly the emotional intelligence to be Prime Minister. His call yesterday likening Shorten to Goebbels was simply appalling but for anyone was watching question time yesterday you would have seen plenty of nodding agreement from the LNP people behind him.

      This country deserves better.

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      • rusty cairns:

        20 Mar 2015 11:44:22am

        Ah yes roll on the NSW election.
        I recon there will be a change in views again once it's over.

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  • Gruffalo Soldier:

    20 Mar 2015 7:23:49am

    It's no surprise.
    LNP is all about staying in power - even though you have no idea what to do when you're there.
    They will now say, having done nothing but worsen the budget, that they are now proven as better economic managers.
    Breathtaking arrogance and dishonesty - but will hopefully seal their fate.
    LNP meantime have steadfastly ensured that the big end of town and super wealthy will continue to reap billions in welfare. So LNP donations will be maintained.

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    • Sotapanna:

      20 Mar 2015 8:57:42am

      Gruffalo Soldier:
      "LNP meantime have steadfastly ensured that the big end of town and super wealthy will continue to reap billions in welfare. So LNP donations will be maintained."

      This seems to be consistent with actions of political parties whilst in government.
      Perhaps there is a need for transparency in this regard?

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 9:02:50am

      GS: how about some balance then.
      'Kim Carr at a university speech nearly a year ago stated the Alp main plan was to force a DD even if it meant blocking cuts that they planned to do if they had retained power .

      This has nothing to do with Fairness etc its all about forcing the government to go to a DD as Kim Carr believes they will win the election.'

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      • Oaktree:

        20 Mar 2015 9:58:05am

        Dear God, I hope they manage to force a DD. There seems to be no other way of kicking these clowns out of office.

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        • CraigOfBathurst:

          20 Mar 2015 11:20:36am

          "There seems to be no other way of kicking these clowns out of office."

          You could employ Bill Shorten to work behind the scenes. He successfully kicked out two and took the top job. He has form.

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      • Chris L:

        20 Mar 2015 10:44:24am

        G'day Eric. I've been trying to find that comment from Kim Carr you quoted.

        I found a statement from Mr Carr that they would not support education cuts if they were going to just line the government coffers instead of pay for Gonski, which was the original purpose. Is that the quote you were referencing? I can't find any mention of trying to force a DD.

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  • Akubra:

    20 Mar 2015 7:26:05am

    Please help me here. Is this "good government" finally kicking in, or are "the adults" trying to say they are now in charge, or is this the knee jerk reaction of a government in its final death throes.

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  • Hermanmunster:

    20 Mar 2015 7:27:33am

    We get very close to balance? do you believe this Abbott, we get very close. He has lost the plot and is absolutely the emperor with no clothes. We are more than very close to having a 'dunce' as Prime Minister we have a complete Idiot with manure for brains.

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    • virgil:

      20 Mar 2015 8:31:00am

      Yes if we had a PM who didn't repeat everything they said twice they'd get twice as much done.

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      • CJ22:

        20 Mar 2015 9:10:28am

        It is only twice on a good day. I heard him yesterday repeating a line 4 times before he got to the next point. What an embarrassment he is as a PM.

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        • yusefbloe:

          20 Mar 2015 9:42:04am

          Yes it's because he is trying to convince himself that his fantasies are true

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        • Jacqueline K:

          20 Mar 2015 10:10:49am

          "It is only twice on a good day. I heard him yesterday repeating a line 4 times before he got to the next point. What an embarrassment he is as a PM."

          His "I withdraw, Madam Speaker" of yesterday was repeated five times. I counted them.

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      • maelcolium:

        20 Mar 2015 11:50:58am

        lol virgil.

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  • Freddie Frog:

    20 Mar 2015 7:31:35am

    The government now has pretty much admitted failure in making any structural reform on spending and taxation measures this term. And they're extremely likely to lose the next election so it's basically going to be another few wasted years when we should be preparing for a much tougher financial future.

    Although you can't really blame the government on not being able to convince 6 out the 8 senators necessary on some of this policy when the senators are so ideologically varied and when you have loose cannons like Lambie who don't actually know what they want. Take the university deregulation. You had some senators fully supporting deregulation and cutting funding and others claiming that they wanted to make university 100% free for all comers. Finding a middle ground on that for most of them is nigh on impossible no matter who you are.

    So we're probably back to square one. C'mon Abbott the electorate needs it's fix of budget entitlement candy. Give me, give me.

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    • Paul01:

      20 Mar 2015 8:46:42am

      FF, $6 back to the government for every dollar invested in tertiary education, $4 to the individual.

      Awesome ROI for both the government and the individual. It is just plain common sense to invest in education for any kid smart enough to get into uni or a trade.

      What sort of future do you want for your kids?

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      • Freddie Frog:

        20 Mar 2015 9:21:54am

        Paul,
        I'm sure you've got the modelling handy showing that the overall ROI would lower under the proposed policy and that it's the best possible ROI that the government can achieve from spending measures in various areas.

        I mean you wouldn't be making a point based on a statistic that by itself is meaningless right?

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        • Paul01:

          20 Mar 2015 10:08:33am

          FF,

          If the government invests less then they get less in return. As to modeling, the SMH did it based on OECD data and it showed that the US system has a lower ROI than Australia. Pyne is trying to take us to a US style system, user pays.

          We are talking about investing in our future, in our economy, in what sort of country Australia will be in the coming decades.

          Investing in education is probably the most important investment any government can make so why make cuts that only affect the less well off?

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        • Freddie Frog:

          20 Mar 2015 11:22:38am

          Paul,
          "If the government invests less then they get less in return"

          Who said anything about investing less? I'm talking about investing scarce taxpayer dollars in the most efficient manner. Stating that the ROI on education spending is 6 is meaningless without the ROI that could be achieved by using that money in other areas and also the changes in the overall education ROI from various funding sources (private and public). What are the opportunity costs?

          "the SMH did it based on OECD data and it showed that the US system has a lower ROI than Australia. Pyne is trying to take us to a US style system, user pays."

          No they're not. Our proposed system, even under deregulation of fees is not anywhere near the US system and never will be. They day someone suggests tearing down universal HECS and making us exactly the same as the US system, I'll be the first to argue against it.

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        • Paul01:

          20 Mar 2015 1:25:01pm

          "Who said anything about investing less?"

          Pyne did and that is the whole point of deregulating fees. The unis need to recoup the funding cut and higher fees are the easiest way.

          The LNP are seeking to turn our tertiary education into a US style system and selling the HECS debt, with the accompanying interest increases, is another step in that direction. You think students in the US don't have student loans?

          The LNP are seeking to privatise universities by stealth a stage at a time. Time to start arguing against it.

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        • Freddie Frog:

          20 Mar 2015 2:27:18pm

          Paul,
          you think deregulated fees are the sole reason that the US system is the way it is? I disagree.

          And can you point out the student loan system in the US that's anything like our universal HECS/HELP? The LNP are not trying to take us down the path to the US system and it's disingenous to claim they are. Act on what they suggest, not what you think they'll suggest in five years time.

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        • Chris L:

          20 Mar 2015 3:26:39pm

          "I'm sure you've got the modelling handy showing that the overall ROI would lower under the proposed policy"

          What would be really handy is if Mr Pyne had some modelling showing it would increase... or, at least, not decrease.

          Perhaps the problem in getting the changes approved by the senate is the government's inability to show why they should be.

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    • spacey 101:

      20 Mar 2015 9:25:54am

      I'm sorry Freddie but the government can be blamed for not being able to negotiate. Negotiations usually go something like this. As the seller (the government), I decide what I want, and the price I am willing to accept. I start with a high bid knowing the other side will want to negotiate down. I give up a little, they give a little. It goes back and forth until I get roughly what I want, and the other side is moderately happy.
      What did this government do? It decided what it wanted and the price it was willing to pay. Then it went on to 'negotiate' by saying that they would not accept any other price, would concede nothing, said that the buyers were 'difficult' and 'feral', and when 'negotiations' stalled, had a big public whinge, and then backed down anyway.
      Personally, I wouldnt trust one Coalition senator to negotiate the purchase of a second hand car on my behalf. I'd send them away with 5k to purchase a Holden, they would come back with a tricycle crowing about the fact they got a shiny new bell thrown in for free. Then they'd ask me for the extra 2k they still owe the dealer.

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      • Eric:

        20 Mar 2015 11:21:52am

        spacey - I have been heavily involved in negotiations for 20 years in large corporations/ unions/ etc. Negotiations only take place where 1 party has something the other party wants or needs. When 1 party has no need or want there can be no negotiation.

        Lambie especially, and Lazarus, are not even interested in negotiating. I suspect Muir might be the same.

        So how can the Govt negotiate when 1 or more senators are interested in any discussion. Lazarus even refused to meet Pyne for weeks/ months re the deregulation matter.

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        • spacey 101:

          20 Mar 2015 4:03:22pm

          But thats kinda my point. We are talking about people who have been in politics for their whole adult life. Surely one of the first things you learn in politics is the art of negotiation.
          Now you say Lambie and Lazarus are not interested in negotiating. Then guess what, you put sweeteners in there and make them want to negotiate.
          All I hear are excuses as to why it cant be done. Minority governments have always needed to negotiate, and the majority of minority governments have been successful in doing so. Having difficult characters in politics is quite common I would think.
          Im really getting annoyed with people saying that THIS government is somehow different to governments past in getting legislation through. That somehow THIS government gets a free pass.
          Doesnt it seem odd that most of their legislation has been passed except for the controversial ones or the ones they said hands on heart they would not do? So is the Senate the problem? Or the remaining unpassed legislation??

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      • Freddie Frog:

        20 Mar 2015 2:30:07pm

        Spacey1,
        as Eric says above.

        Lambie has said that she'll reject anything the Liberals propose and she supports 100% free university for anyone that wants it. Some of the others are similar. The only one legitimately talking about negotiation and recognising the prolem is Xenophon. And I'm not usually a fan of his, but on most issues he at least can examine the concepts and challenges presented.

        You can't negotiate with someone who refuses to engage and isn't actually interested in anything you're selling.

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    • Prime Lemur:

      20 Mar 2015 9:49:36am

      Freddie, I like you and APM, because you guys are willing to argue and debate a point (usually heh). You're not just trolling like some jokers. APM has been going a bit heavy on the Bolt-isms, but ... meh.

      Look, the Coalition has more than just two options: 1) completely deregulate, or 2) give up and walk away. There are so many things that can be done between those two points.

      Here's what I think, and I invite you to respond ...
      The Coalition have gone looking for a massive pot of money. They thought university funding was low hanging fruit. I think Pyne is a lazy minister. He's only there because he's Tony's mate. I think they always intended to gut universities, which makes their promise before the election so much more cynical. And we now know why they wanted a quick, easy bucket of money. It wasn't to pay down public debt. As revealed in today's Courier-Mail, the Coalition intends to bring forward the tax cuts foreshadowed in the IGR (originally in six years time) to make it an election pledge in 2016.

      Does this fit in with a narrative of fiscal responsibility? I think even moderate conservatives realise we need to address both spending and revenue. Giving out tax cuts is just as irresponsible as the squanderings of Labor. It looks like its all about clinging on to power, rather than securing our future. I think the Coalition have been getting some rotten advice, both internally, and from people like the IPA and Mr Bolt, along with the other ultra-conservative commentators.

      I will be looking very carefully at how Mr Bolt spins this, and I'll be looking very carefully at how the government does too.

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      • Freddie Frog:

        20 Mar 2015 11:29:20am

        Prime Lemur,
        the reasons you've outlined are why I'll never support the Liberal party. They are too beholden to their benefactors. Even when they know the right changes to make, they are constantly littering them with other linked policies that don't serve the public good.

        With regards to university funding, the current situation is untenable. We either go back and cap university places or we need some form of fee deregulation.

        My preferred middle ground on this issue would be a policy where fees were deregulated but an independent body would place a nominal cap of the yearly fees for each type of degree. A university could then raise their fees above this cap if they wished but for every dollar higher than the cap, they would lose some of their taxpayer funding on a sliding scale.

        That way, some universities would be able to market themselves to the "elite" if they wished, but they would be almost solely privately funded. Competition in the education market would find different price points for what different groups of students are willing to pay and the whole sector would be more efficient.

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    • Regionalgranny:

      20 Mar 2015 3:29:21pm

      Why do I get the feeling that these people engaging in this part of the debate work down the corridor from one another? Why not go down the corridor and talk face to face. I apologise in advance if I am wrong.

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  • CJ22:

    20 Mar 2015 7:34:55am

    Do and say anything to remain in power hey. What scares me is that a sizeable portion of the voting public will believe the spin, as always happens, at the next election.

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    • TrevorN:

      20 Mar 2015 9:28:31am


      Too right, CJ. There never was a budget emergency. Abbott invented it and kept repeating it over and over until enough people believed it to get himself elected. Now that it is inconvenient for them to keep up the pretence of a budget emergency Abbott has simply invented the story that he has fixed the budget problem, and he will keep repeating it over and over until enough of us believe it to get him re-elected.

      This government is delusional. They have lost touch with reality and are simply inventing the world they want to live in. Abbott is a incompetent captain in charge of a ship of fools. He will run this ship up onto the rocks and we will all be downed unless we get rid of him. Anyone want to join the mutiny?




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  • the yank:

    20 Mar 2015 7:35:50am

    So we can now forget about cutting 20 billion from education, a reduction in payments to the elderly and no more cuts to health?

    Abbott is playing for an early election. We will probably see more troops going to Iraq and or a major swoop on Muslims with plastic swords on their walls.

    The man is a fool and anyone that believes a word he says is a fool.

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    • Freedom of Speech:

      20 Mar 2015 8:35:10am

      This Government will run its full term, Abbott however will not be PM by next election, much to Shorten chagrin.

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      • Tom1:

        20 Mar 2015 9:55:08am

        FofS. You are obviously a frustrated Coalition supporter clutching at straws, anything to save your beloved party.

        However you are probably right. No party is suicidal enough to keep someone as demonstrably inept as Abbott in a position of leadership to a point of ensuring certain defeat.

        Turnbull is sure to see the quiet, unassuming, fruits of his recent work succeed. It is only a matter of time because he is the only one on the Coalition front bench that can string two words together with any sort of intelligent message.

        Unfortunately for Australia though it will still see the Liberals in charge, and this will still be a disaster unless he, as most of his party suspect, discards harsh Liberal ideology, and joins the human race.

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  • Skeptic:

    20 Mar 2015 7:36:46am

    'Chaotic' is the new 'organized' with this mob! Or are they so deluded that they sincerely believe that everything they do is good for Australia, no matter who gets kicked in the guts along the way?
    Ah well, the polls will tell, no matter when the next election is held. My guess is that the longer they wait the worse the drubbing will be and the more time it will be before the are in office again.

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  • Monty B:

    20 Mar 2015 7:37:34am

    I wonder how many people are really surprised that Abbott has changed his approach to austerity. From the polls it seems very few voters accepted his rhetoric about fixing Labor`s mess. Even fewer accepted the further rhetoric that the government`s only failing has been to `explain` to we apparent dimwits the genuine need for austerity. And now we are being fed a different narrative.

    When it suited him to say he would lead a grown up government that would keep its promises, he said so. When it suited him to say he would not win government and then blame the sorry state of the books to break some promises, he said so.

    Anyone genuinely surprised by anything this cynical, professional opposition leader says is kidding themselves.

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  • al:

    20 Mar 2015 7:37:37am

    Ah, Barrie is at it again...blame the current government for not being able to fix Rudd/Gillard's mess. They are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

    Barrie would serve his "legions" of readers a lot better if he (for once) forensically analysed the reason why the country is in a mess, instead of leading the rancid mob in trying to obfuscate and lay blame at the feet of the incumbent.

    Even better Barrie, share your considerable "expertise" with us and the government, and tell us what to do in order to extricate ourselves from this mess. It might be a bit more difficult than it appears from behind the ABC desk at which he sits.

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    • Stan:

      20 Mar 2015 8:31:29am

      But Abbott is claiming he fixed the mess Al. Are you, like the rest of us, finding it hard to believe a word of what he says?

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    • Algernon:

      20 Mar 2015 8:33:18am

      Al lets be clear here there was no Labor mess. This is nothing more that LNP spin. There is simply no evidence for this. If the country was in a mess why on earth did Hockey load up the deficit by $70b .
      The government isn't competent and won't be any time soon. Heck they can't even negotiate with the senate and don't even try.

      It's not a question of blame, its a question of this government being able to do the job. Any clear minded person will tell you that they are not. They demonstrate this on a daily basis.

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      • Merlin 23:

        20 Mar 2015 8:55:31am

        I have to disagree there. Swan promised the whole time to deliver a surplus but didn't.

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        • Algernon:

          20 Mar 2015 9:03:40am

          But Swann got his measures through Merlin, these buffoons can't. On the other hand you haven't answered the question. If a budget emergency exists why did Hockey load up the deficit up with $70b of spending.

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 9:31:43am

          Yes, but he freely accounted for why the surplus did not eventuate and he did not blame the Liberals or the Nationals.

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        • v:

          20 Mar 2015 9:56:11am

          Merlin,

          "Swan promised the whole time to deliver a surplus but didn't."

          And how, exactly, does this constitute a "mess"? Throughout the term of the Gillard government, Australia out-performed the rest of the world. But the downturn has proved more prolonged than most experts anticipated (which didn't really surprise me) and the budget remained in modest deficit as a result.

          But this was not a problem because the policies of the previous government were having considerable success in rebuilding and re-orienting our productive capacity in a way that would have, over time, provided substantial boosts to that capacity, which would result in far higher streams of revenue for the government.

          Government spending and deficit budgets are not problems per se. They only become a problem when you nobble the economy as Hockey has done, and as a consequence reduce the flow of revenue into government coffers. What was a modest deficit under Labor has more than doubled under the Tories, and our projected peak debt has nearly doubled as well. Projections of future economic activity and growth have been pruned by Treasury to reflect the depressing effect of current government policies on demand.

          Mr Hockey claimed at the time of the election that the possiblity of debt reaching 16% of GDP was "too horrifying to contemplate", and constituted a "buget emergency". Now we are being told by Mr Abbott that a debt of 50-60% of GDP is OK!

          Now THAT's a mess.

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        • Alpo:

          20 Mar 2015 11:20:10am

          Brilliantly put, "v": Precise, informative down to the very core of the issue.

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        • Tom1:

          20 Mar 2015 10:06:27am

          Merlin: Does that make it a Labor mess? The Libs. are facing the same problems with falling commodity prices. Abbott promised a balanced budget after his first term in office. We will never know because only a party intent on self destruction will let him see out his first term.

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        • Merlin 23:

          20 Mar 2015 10:12:37am

          Well yes it does really. Everyone knew Swann was never going to make it but kept on having press conferences like the little engine who could.

          He is no different to Abbott who continues to talk out of his arse at press conference.

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        • Stuffed Olive:

          20 Mar 2015 11:03:00am

          No comparison there Merlin - Swann was upfront and honest and didn't spend most of his time blaming Libs. The GFC effect was profound.

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        • Algernon:

          20 Mar 2015 11:43:54am

          I'd have to agree there SO. The Liberals refuse to believe that the GFC ever happened. It's still here now. Unfortunately Hockey thinks the blue sky will go on forever. The reality is we're looking at a recession all of his own making.

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        • v:

          20 Mar 2015 10:57:25am

          Tom1,

          "The Libs. are facing the same problems with falling commodity prices."

          Commodity prices do not have a major effect on the budget because over 80% of economic activity in Australia is directed to the DOMESTIC market. Labor managed to keep DOMESTIC demand relatively high by stimulating the economy in various ways. While this cost money, it also ensured that public revenues remained and that the demand on the budget from social security was minimised. So the net effect of the stimulus on government coffers was positive.

          The sharp decline in our economic fortunes since the election of the Abbott government is the result of a sharp downturn in DOMESTIC demand, which is in turn a result of the "austerity" tactics introduced by Mr Hockey, and the constant negativity of the government when discussing the economy.

          There is very little that any Australian government can do to influence the behaviour of international markets. And, as I said, exports are responsible for only a relatively small part of Australian economic activity anyway. The principal responsibility of any government with regard to the economy is to manage domestic demand and to ensure that domestic activity remains strong regardless of the prevailing international conditions. And it is in this area that the failure of Abbott and Hockey has been most striking.

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        • Tom1:

          20 Mar 2015 5:14:28pm

          You are right of course, but falling commodity prices do not make balancing the budget any easier. I am pointing out that the Coalition would not cut Labor any slack, but use that particular excuse for their own problems

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        • graazt:

          20 Mar 2015 11:25:59am

          Well so did Hockey and he won't. And he promised to get rid of middle-class welfare, but private health insurance subsidies aren't going to be means-tested anymore? And the Liberal Party wants us to fund other people's nannies.

          So who's going to fix their mess?

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    • Alpo:

      20 Mar 2015 8:50:35am

      al,
      The only mess we are in is the one created by this incompetent government of Neoliberal/Conservative lunatics. The mess is BIG, it's runaway and the earlier with Kick This Mob Out, the better for the country.
      Don't just read these articles and posts here, go out and ask the increasing number of unemployed people, those in financial strife, the homeless, the sick who can't afford to buy medicines, our farmers affected by climate change, our industries decimated by cheap imports ... it's just getting worse and worse under this Government.

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    • Paul01:

      20 Mar 2015 8:52:07am

      Well al if we could grab a time machine and go back in time to tell Howard and Costello that the booms do not last forever then maybe we would be off to a good start.

      Failing that we could simply cut the largesse of the Howard years by getting rid of super rorts for the rich, private health insurance rebates, over generous tax cuts then get rid of negative gearing and corporate welfare and get the corporations to pay some tax, plenty of fat to cut.

      You get the idea but Tony just put the blow torch to the poor and the aged and then wondered why people got upset.


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      • Tom1:

        20 Mar 2015 10:11:43am

        Paul01. You have got it. However a smart government would only incremental reduce all of these perks over time, and stop when when the state of the economy is on a level footing. That way there would be no shock and awe, or anyone severely hurt.

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    • paulm:

      20 Mar 2015 8:58:29am

      Lag and inertia always play a role in governance. Government is a ponderous beast. This means the good work claimed by some Governments will actually be the result of matters started by the previous, and so too with messes. Assuming a mess, however, when is a Government not entiltled to say any longer that they are still fixing up the mess from the previous Government and this Government can now stand on its own two feet without looking backwards. Depends on the size and quality of the mess of course, or, when a leader in the new Government claims the mess has now been fixed. The Prime Minister has essentially claimed the mess of the previous Government has been fixed. I now look forward to this Governemnt not looking backward and being accountable in and of itself for everything that now happens in the future. Sorry 'al', the "mess argument" was arguable yesterday but not tomorrow - the PM has closed that line. I wait with baited breath to see where we go from here. Of course, in the true spirit of spin and rhetoric we can always identify other messes to hang our arguments on.

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    • PEarn:

      20 Mar 2015 9:10:41am

      Al

      Just about every economic expert is calling Abbott out for being a fool. Pick up any paper, including the Financial Times and they are all saying he does not have a clue and is in fact doubling the deficit.

      Barrie is calling it for what it is, the facts (given this is his job he is quite able to read the IGR), and like the majority of the public can look past the rhetoric.

      Everybody and I mean everybody can come up with ways to fix the budget and set it on course. Make sure big business pay their tax, get rid of super concessions and negative gearing, bring BACK the carbon tax which was raising $9B. My 11 year old has better ideas than this government.

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      • Oaktree:

        20 Mar 2015 10:05:24am

        The Government is not there to represent the people which is why it is a success in its own eyes, I guess. It repealed the mining tax and seems to think that is a great thing. It manufactured a border security threat and then dealt with it.

        Until the public loses its gullibility, we are stuck with this manipulative lot.

        Where is the Opposition???

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    • omega:

      20 Mar 2015 9:14:16am

      Gee Al,
      Taking a leaf out of your beloved leaders book... or should I say pamphlet? Shoot the messenger, just like Abbott tries to do with the Human Rights commissioner, the UN or anyone else that criticises his policies.
      Maybe you can take off your ideological blinkers long enough to explain to the rest of us how, after declaring a budget emergency and a debt and deficit disaster, increased debt and increased deficit under Abbott constitutes a good reason to have a' steady as she goes' approach to the new budget. We're all a bit confused about that one...

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    • CJ22:

      20 Mar 2015 9:18:48am

      The country is in a mess because of many things. Here are a couple of them.
      1. The state of the global economy.
      2. The failure by Howard and Costello to recognise that the boom years they enjoyed, and which they played no part in creating, could never last forever. If they had recognised that then they would never have handed out the vote winning tax cuts, super rorts, capital gains discounts, etc. etc that are now coming back to bite us on the proverbial. The paltry amount they put into the future fund (around 7% of the windfall they received) was never going to be enough to help us get through what was always going to be the inevitable downturn.

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    • Truthful Tony:

      20 Mar 2015 9:20:00am

      I assume you are referring to the appalling behaviour (aka: lets spray mining boom v1.0 up against the wall) of the Howard circus?

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    • spacey 101:

      20 Mar 2015 9:36:15am

      I thought the mess was fixed! Didn't Tony just say so? After being told day in day out that we had a 'debt and deficit disaster' and that we were going to hell in a hand basket I have had to increase my medication. But then tony said everything was all ok and fix and I'd started to feel ok again. I'd even cut my medication down to half. But now al has told me that's not the case and I'm feeling all anxious again and can't breath!!!

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    • v:

      20 Mar 2015 9:45:53am

      al,

      "Ah, Barrie is at it again...blame the current government for not being able to fix Rudd/Gillard's mess."

      Perhaps you should read Laura Tingle's article in today's AFR. Or are you suggesting that Laura Tingle is biased too?

      I think that this whole "bias" nonsense is a bit like a five-year-old who isn't very good at hopscotch blaming the chalk-lines or the scoring system for the fact that they are always the first to get knocked out.

      We were promised "adult government" (as though we didn't already have it), but we thought that this would mean "grown-up", not "X-rated" in its obscenity.

      One of these days you may face up to the fact that this government is a dud. It is not that the world is baised against them, it is just that they are hopeless. They couldn't run a bath, let alone a nation.

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    • Tom1:

      20 Mar 2015 10:03:10am

      al: You surely must be in line for a civilian bravery award of some kind! Perhaps it would need you to put your real name to your contribution to be successful though.

      The award would go something like "For standing his ground, against overwhelming odds of common sense and reality hurled at him. For being able to disregard the obvious ineptitude of his party without concern for his own reputation, and for going down fighting, continually blaming the enemy"

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    • Prime Lemur:

      20 Mar 2015 10:17:52am

      You know they're on the ropes when they can't talk about the subject ... just the author.

      Meanwhile Mr Bolt is working feverishly to shift the discussion ... It turns out we've had it all wrong. It's not incompetence or the arrogance and buffoonery of Mr Abbott, no ... he and the government are the victims of the "Abbott-Hating Media". It seems everyone is out to hurt and punish Tony with a vindictive campaign of hate, lead by the "Labour / Greens / ABC Alliance". Why? No-one's gotten around to explaining it, other than "Leftists Hate".

      Be aware friends. Go have a look for yourself. Most of the ultra-conservative posters here are sourcing their ideology from just one person. And it's becoming scarily like a cult movement, where reason isn't required, as long as you can reverse everything rhetorically: the government is the victim of a biased media (yes, they all read The Australian, too), white Australians are the victims of Aboriginal greed, the wealthy are the victim of "leaners", employers are the victim of unions, etc, etc. all you do is take what you know about the world, and turn it upside down: if you have it all, you're the victim of those with nothing.

      Simple. Revolting, corrupted, absurd and perverse. But simple. Meanwhile every moderate or small "L" Liberal supporter is wondering where this is all headed. After all, what could an ultra-conservative government with authoritarian leanings gain by trying to destroy the country's biggest and most popular independent news service?

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  • Merlin 23:

    20 Mar 2015 7:38:05am

    As an LNP supporter and voter my entire life I can only say this. I will not vote for the LNP if Tony Abbott remains as its leader.

    He is the embodiment of breathtaking incompetence.

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    • Alpo:

      20 Mar 2015 9:03:56am

      Finally, a honest conservative!

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    • Forrest Gardener:

      20 Mar 2015 9:13:31am

      Yeah, yeah. LNP supporter. Why should anybody doubt you?

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      • Alpo:

        20 Mar 2015 9:36:45am

        Hey, Forrest, are you saying that you doubt there are any honest Conservatives?..... Hmmm, interesting.

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        • The Other John:

          20 Mar 2015 10:10:49am

          Conservatives by very nature are far more honest and transparent than leftists.

          Behold the fact that LNP politicians stand aside whilst ICAC investigates any mention of impropriety.

          Labor politicians, when the law finally catches up with them, stand up under parliamentary privalege and tell the nation that "they did nothink wrong", then suddenly they admit to everything just to escape a jail sentence.

          Or take the CFMEU, that great benefactor of all things ALP. The levels of criminality, corruption and thuggery are indisputable, yet the union and its criminal leaders have the full support of the Victorial and Federal ALP behind them. What the...?

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        • Alpo:

          20 Mar 2015 10:36:51am

          TOJ,
          Let's just say that your comment is pretty biased. A Coalition supporter defending Conservative politicians and criticising Labor politicians?.... Surprise, surprise!

          The NSW ICAC investigation has shown that, especially in NSW (the home of Australian Neoliberalism), political corruption is at truly worrying levels and it affects both major political sides that have hold positions of power in the NSW State Government.

          The level of "criminality and corruption" in the CFMEU is dwarfed by the level of criminality and corruption in the Business community: major supporters of the Liberal and Nationals Parties.

          Please take those blinkers off!

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      • Dave Davis:

        20 Mar 2015 9:56:48am

        FG, it's pretty clear from previous posts that Merlin 23 is no Labor apparatchik.

        If you're too lazy to use a search engine, how about this support for Hockey's first budget on 14 May 2014 8:57:58am: "Labor would never deliver a budget like this because their budgets were alway very light on the detail. And were based on mythical assumptions. (Never got that surplus did you Swanny?)" by Merlin 23.

        So, unless today's Merlin 23 is a stolen pseudonym, you're wrong and playing the man again.

        No need to thank me. I'm here too help.

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      • Merlin 23:

        20 Mar 2015 10:04:02am

        If you are questioning my credentials as an LNP supporter - please supply the evidence. I have gone head to head with the likes of Alpo, yank and Helvi more times than I can remember.

        I consistently roasted Rudd and Gillard and the Rudd again for thier poor performances of PM and there perchant for blaming others, when as the PM they were accountable.

        The fact is Abbott is an arrogant bugger who thinks its beneath him to negotiate/liaise with anyone - including his own Cabinet! The knighting of Prince Phillip is one of many examples. He can't keep his foot out of his mouth. The backbenches are clueless to the message the Government is trying to push and as Cassidy has correctly identified - he is backing down to shut people up.

        The result is he comes across as someone who breaks elections promises, has policies that are populous driven and will say anything to stay in power.

        Why would you vote LNP if they were going to make some incompetent their leader?

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        • Tom1:

          20 Mar 2015 10:21:53am

          Merlin: Thank you for your bout of honesty. One can only wonder why it took you so long. does that mean that all the time Abbott was opposition leader you believed his every word. If you and others had spoken out then your beloved liberal party may be sailing along now with a competent leader. It took a few elections before people woke up to Howard.

          Put all of that aside, you are only stating the bleedingly obvious, and you know that Turnbull will take over in the not too distant future, and with his acceptance within some Labor supporters, as being the best of an incompetent bunch there is some chance he could win the next election for you.

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        • Merlin 23:

          20 Mar 2015 2:50:17pm

          Whoa there Nelly! Just because Abbott is incompetent doesn't mean Gillard wasn't. Fair enough she had the Herculean task of cleaning up the disaster known as PM Rudd, but Gillard show a general inability to negotiate - case in point when she rolled over on the Carbon Tax to appease the Greens (the Greens were never ever going to support the LNP) or when she mining companies basically designed there own based.

          To be fair though, Labor is much better at developing personable relationships with other pollies as recognised yesterday in an interview that was on ABC radio.

          I am starting to come to the conclusion what Australia really needs is a 'First XI' made up from all the political parties. Imagine having the politicians who act like adults who can actually debate policy rather than vomit rhetoric.

          Xenophon, Bishop, Plibersek, Tanner (bring him out of retirement), Ley, Wong. The talent is there.

          As for the airbags (Conroy, Abbott et al); please resign. You cost us at least $180K each and I would prefer an additional nurse at my local hospital.




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        • velcro:

          20 Mar 2015 3:48:52pm

          Good question to consider Merlin 23.
          ".........Why would you vote LNP if they were going to make some incompetent their leader?.........."

          Generally the best qualified and one of strong moral character and keen intellect is chosen as leader........the LNP deserve to have their most competent and worthy representative as leader.

          Australians would expect the best and most able person to take on that great honour of service, no one less.

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      • Stuffed Olive:

        20 Mar 2015 10:15:52am

        You're not very observant Forrest.

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    • velcro:

      20 Mar 2015 7:13:02pm

      "Merlin 23,"
      there is a great leader waiting to step up from within the rarified one percent of the population.

      Leadership is vital to progress. Wisdom, insight, and foresight are indispensable to the endurance of nations. Civilization is never really jeopardized until able leadership begins to vanish. And the quantity of such wise leadership has never exceeded one per cent of the population.

      Right now, 7pm 20th March 2015 our population is 23,782,606 that means there are 237,826 potential wise leaders out there.

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  • a happy little debunker:

    20 Mar 2015 7:40:57am

    Not happy Jan,

    The decision to moderate fiscal control measures, whilst understandable in the face of a feral labor and green senate, is dissapointing.

    However, if pundits are correct, then Labor will re-inherit their own mess at the next outing.

    They have already stated that their strategy is too borrow more and more.

    Helloooo Greece, here we come!

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    • Algernon:

      20 Mar 2015 8:34:22am

      If Joe stays as Treasurer then Greece is a strong possibility bunk.

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    • Sharebludger:

      20 Mar 2015 10:19:04am

      Don't be absurd. Australia can never be Greece, while it makes its own currency. The "budget" should always be in deficit, while the economy is in a shrinking and deflating state. Surpluses, like taxation, withdraw liquidity from the economy, shrinking it even further. As the Government creates the credit required for the economy to function, it has no need to repay itself with its own money.

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    • graazt:

      20 Mar 2015 11:29:29am

      Why do you say Greece?

      We'd have to get to the debt levels of the USA first. The guys who's polices on health, education and spying on their citizens this mob is trying to emulate.

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    • Tom1:

      20 Mar 2015 5:25:59pm

      happy: I have never read anywhere that Labor has stated their intention to borrow more and more. Perhaps you have been reading your own articles.

      It is disingenuous to believe that Labor is not learning from this inept government. It is just as disingenuous to believe that they will not bring in policies to reign in spending in a fair and equitable way, at the same time attempt to increase revenue.

      There is only one suicidal party in Federal politics at the moment, and it is not Labor.

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  • Dave:

    20 Mar 2015 7:41:22am

    ""that graph that you showed us ... isn't it true that when you look at it, at no stage do you reach a surplus in the next 40 years?" Abbott: "We get very close to balance."

    This is the equivalent of Rudd dumping further attempts to get the carbon emissions trading arrangements through the Senate. Abbott told us this was critical, now he's happy to be occasionally close to the mark. Pathetic.

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  • Prime Lemur:

    20 Mar 2015 7:41:53am

    I find it absolutely breathtaking that this government, with its shrill screeching about Australia's fiscal situation, in the form of its golden mantras: "Labor's Debt & Deficit" and "Budget Emergency" has now said, "Hey, it's all good" like some Barry White barritone of re-assurance.

    For the last two weeks, I've been saying here we go, its the rhetorical pivot required to shift from "the sky is fallin"g, to an electoral bribery exercise in the form of tax cuts before the next election. Well, like a six year old on Christmas morning, unable to resist sneaking downstairs at 2am to shake the gifts in anticipation, this morally bankrupt government has now invited us to stick our hands in the cookie jar ... the Courier-Mail reports the Abbott / Hockey government has brought forward the six year timetable of income tax cuts to make it an election pledge.

    Absolutely un-be-lieve-able.

    Of course, there's a rider on that ... the Senate just has to pass all its budget measures.

    This is the whole story, now being revealed, in all its glory. We're going to take from the sick. We're going to take from pensioners. We're going to take from students. And if you let us ... here's some money for the middle class and wealthy.

    Just one problem ... with Abbott and Hockey at the helm, who's going to believe a single word of this pair says before an election.

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    • KevinS:

      20 Mar 2015 9:04:37am

      Money buys blind faith and loss of memory in an electorate. It's worked before. The PM and most of the Front Bench know it; they were members of the government that did it.

      Tax cuts which is just a form of borrowings that increase the deficit are reckless, but politicians like our Prime Minister and Treasurer don't care. It's just part of the cost of re election campaign. A cost that they do not need to repay because they pass the cost on in budgets.

      Wedged as they are, we all will see if our cross bench and opposition senators have what it takes to counter Abbott on this one.

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    • Forrest Gardener:

      20 Mar 2015 9:12:41am

      More to the point PL, what is left for Labor? The most they can now say is that they stopped the government from repairing Labor's damage and will give free ice creams to the kiddies.

      It's kind of tough to attack your own policies and vacuum's suck.

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      • Chris L:

        20 Mar 2015 5:23:41pm

        They wouldn't have to mention "Labor's damage", Forrest, because the only people who believe in it are the Coalition faithful. You won't find any economists nodding their head to the slogan unless they're falling asleep.

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  • rockpicker:

    20 Mar 2015 7:44:19am

    Every time I see Abbott in a photo, he appears more and more demented. I am biased, I never thought he was fit to lead the nation, but he really does seem to have lost the plot utterly. There is certainly no sign whatever of good governance.

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    • dafall:

      20 Mar 2015 8:54:40am

      @ rockpicker

      Too true. You'd reckon he'd at least have the common sense to peel the bloody onions ...

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 9:09:05am

      demented: crazy; insane; mad;

      My oh my.
      You are correct - you are certainly biased. I in no way see a person who is crazy, insane or mad.

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      • maelcolium:

        20 Mar 2015 12:28:08pm

        I don't think you are looking close enough Eric.
        Abbott lies, lies about lying, makes irrational statements, exhibits aggression, demonstrates mood swings, has inappropriate behaviour, exhibits memory failure, possesses an unusual gait, has delusions of grandeur to mention a few. He may not be clinically insane, but he is certainly mentally disturbed.

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    • maelcolium:

      20 Mar 2015 12:21:03pm

      A good point rockpicker.
      When it was announced that Fraser had passed away this morning, the pm's office was asked for comment. Their response was that "the pm was preparing a statement". What does he need to prepare? A respected conservative statesman has died and he has to think about what to say? To me that speaks volumes about a troubled mind dealing with reality. Add to that the sheer idiocy that the leader of our nation points to a forty year forecast (the IGR) and proudly pronounce that the so called budget emergency is over, just adds relevance to your comment.
      It is not illegal to have an illness, but if that illness means that your are incapable of performing your job, then processes are in place for another person to step in and fill that position. I wonder if politicians have to have medical evidence before taking office that they are medically fit to carry out their duties? Prospective employees do so shouldn't politicians?

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  • Geronimo:

    20 Mar 2015 7:50:00am

    One hazards a wild guess "Abbott's behavior" is highly likely to have a Great Big Impression on the electorate too.

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  • Tathra:

    20 Mar 2015 7:53:34am

    We don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem.
    When are we going to have a "conversation" about that Mr. Abbot?

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  • The weed:

    20 Mar 2015 7:53:54am

    Wow! We can all rest now that Abbott has "fixed" the budget! I had no idea how easy it was going to be, based on the "seriousness" of the problem.

    Abbott got into power using spin and he seems to think he can run the country using spin.

    I think the economy is moving forward despite Abbott rather than because of Abbott.

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  • Paul01:

    20 Mar 2015 7:56:46am

    As Paul Keating said "if Tony Abbott becomes PM, God help us ....."

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    • Dave:

      20 Mar 2015 9:51:51am

      Or as Kevin Rudd would have said if asked "It's probably not a great career move if your number one priority for the next generation, in my case carbon emissions and in Tony's case debt and deficit, gets trashed in the Senate and you then just do a complete backflip on an issue you've described countless times as vital. It certainly didn't go well for me." Kevin never said this of course, but I'm sure it's only because no one has asked him.

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  • virgil:

    20 Mar 2015 8:06:12am

    The Australian newspaper ran several anti-government articles yesterday. The last time they did this was in the lead up to the leadership spill.

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 9:12:29am

      Correction. The Oz has 3 writers who for the last several months have constantly written anti-Abbott articles and the readers have not held back on these writers opinions [ie given the both barrels].

      Like the ABC, these anti-Abbott writers quote 'unnamed sources' a 'senior member of the govt stated', etc . Pathetic journalism.

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    • ingenuous:

      20 Mar 2015 10:01:16am

      virgil, I hope you're right. Until now I thought Abbott and co were just the usual mean spirited neo-cons out to strip the poor of their pennies. Now I wonder if it's more akin to Nero watching Rome burn. I think we can start to even question sanity, not just motives.

      There must be some relief from all this. If Turnbull doesn't make a move now, when will he ever?

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      • Jacqueline K:

        20 Mar 2015 1:35:56pm

        " If Turnbull doesn't make a move now, when will he ever?"

        He's left it too late. He had a good chance at the time of the leadership spill but didn't have the courage to declare himself. Since then he's played a sad little "see how good a PM I will make when you get rid of Tony for me", and contrasting Abbott's and Hockey's bizarre take on good government with his own "adult" pronouncements. SO obvious. But it's backfired - it's given us all the "clear air" to remember little things like Godwin Greche, and the sell-out of the NBN.

        No, he doesn't look at all like a quietly heroic PM-in-waiting. Just cunning and opportunistic. Like the rest of them, really.

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  • john:

    20 Mar 2015 8:07:44am

    The senate has fortunately prevented the liberals from implementing draconian and un australian policies that would have plunged us into recession and fundamentally changed the nature of society for the worse. The de-funding of health though will be felt down the track. There is nothing else the libs have to offer, there is no vision except to fool enough people into voting for them again so they can further attack the workers and the underprivileged, and line the pockets of the wealthy.

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 9:14:43am

      Can you please be more specific and show how the Coalition has defunded health. And please do not quote the 80B of unfunded monies Gillard promised beyond the forward estimates before being defeated.
      So - what or where has the Govt cut health funding?

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    • tombeithemist:

      20 Mar 2015 9:20:58am

      It is as straight forward as you state John. "Joe and Joan Public" need to start paying attention.

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    • The Other John:

      20 Mar 2015 10:17:42am

      I'd take my fiscal advice from the professionals over at Treasury before I would listen to the ramblings of the seriously unhinged Jackie Lambie, John.

      Lambie is not making decisions on legislation in the best interests of Australia. The proof of this will be the financial mess this country will find itself in by 2025, and you know what? I will be making sure that every Senator that blocks sensible savings measures today, is reminded of their treachery when it all comes crashing down.

      Selfish voters all wanting someone else to pay their share, ought to wake up to themselves.

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      • GreyBags:

        20 Mar 2015 4:17:07pm

        "I'd take my fiscal advice from the professionals over at Treasury"

        Hockey claimed that the Intergenerational report was a Treasury document. The Treasury felt the need to come out and say that it was not a Treasury document.

        When the Coalition start taking expert advice instead of employing right wing ideologues from the 'business' community to give them instruction then they might have half a chance. I think you would find it hard to track down and expert in their field that hasn't been disbanded, defunded or smeared by this government.

        63 leading Australian economists brought out an open letter last September saying that there was no 'debt and deficit crisis' and claiming there was risked damaging the confidence within the economy. This was ignored by the Coalition who continued with that lie right up until now when despite their only successes being handing back revenue and blowing out the debt, they claim to have 'fixed' the problem.

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  • mark:

    20 Mar 2015 8:18:49am

    I honestly don't know how anyone could be surprised at this behaviour by Abbott. He has always been a man of no substance, someone who would say and do anything to get a political outcome, great at slogans and hopeless at negotiation. Just look at his pre-election response to difficult questions.. say nothing and walk away, or worse still - stand frozen and nod like a maniac.
    Abbott is an incompetent joke. He is the worst PM in history and the fact that he will play games with this country and do untold damage in the process is testament to what a selfish and small man he is.
    We should revoke his pension, remove all portraits of him from the halls of power, and we should hold the Liberals to account for this disaster for decades to come... they gave us this twerp and they don't have the guts to dump him when they are fully aware of his gross failings.
    Rudd was a Dud and to Labor's credit they dumped him (but they didn't go far enough and expel him from the party). Abbott is an Airhead, and how do the Libs respond? Tell us everything is great, they've fixed all the problems... timed to be relaxed and comfortable.
    What a joke

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    • Edward:

      20 Mar 2015 9:03:31am

      Yes, but any moral superiority the ALP got from dumping Rudd disappeared the second they put him back in the top job.

      They're all as bad as each other. Children squabbling and bullying each other to get the prize of a couple of years in the adult's chair.

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    • B. Ford:

      20 Mar 2015 9:14:37am

      Well at least one person agrees with my sentiments about Rudd. Had the Labour caucus not supported him and his divisive tactics, this country could have continued to prosper under the stewardship of Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan.

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      • The weed:

        20 Mar 2015 1:35:58pm

        Well said folks.

        Rudd was a dud but the labor party reinstated him because Abbott had all but destroyed Julia Gillard whom I think was one of Australia's greatest Prime Ministers. He did this by using the most deceptive, nasty lies possibly ever seen in Australian politics.

        Abbott is using the same immoral, highly offensive deception on the Australian population now. The LNP doesn't have Australians' interest at heart, they want to get what they can out of Australia for their own benefit.

        Unfortunately, I fear that with Murdoch's help they may even get back into power, after all one doesn't have to convince thinking people when propaganda works so well.

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  • Algernon:

    20 Mar 2015 8:20:22am

    I just wonder when good government will start, today next week next month who knows. What we have here is a government who had no idea what to do when the came to government let alone prepare for it.

    It is abundantly clear why in 2010 the independents chose Labor over the LNP. They were able to negotiate and deliver responsible government. What we have now is a clueless rabble. They won't negotiate with the senate, if they did they'd find they'd be able to pass most legislation. The LNP has discussed a double dissolution. Perhaps that's the way forward. The country may then get a Government capable of governing rather that what we have now.

    This is by far the worst government we've had since WW2. It even makes the McMahon government look competent.

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    • Stuffed Olive:

      20 Mar 2015 9:04:47am

      Precisely my thoughts.

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  • Theos:

    20 Mar 2015 8:24:28am

    The government's second budget will be designed with one goal in mind - to avoid the political pain they suffered last year.

    What budget emergency?

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    • Kerrie:

      20 Mar 2015 9:23:31am

      Theos, I hope you're right, but based on previous behaviour I think not. Hockey and Abbott are idiots, but believe most of the electorate are. Consequently, they believe that most of the electorate will believe what they are told.

      For example they budgeted for a $7 copayment with $5 going into general revenue for medical research fund. They didn't get it. The government conceded defeat on legislating a copayment. So they planned to reduce the doctor's payment by $5 so that the doctors would be forced to increase their fees by $5. Voila a $5 copayment that they hoped the electorate would not notice.

      The government is in negotiations with the AMA on introducing a copayment. Who wants to bet that the next "boring" budget goes over the same or similar ground?

      My guess is in the next "boring" budget we will seen the "listening" government try again to introduce structural "reforms" on higher education, welfare, Medicare. The proposed tangible benefits to Australia will be almost identical, but the government is hoping the electorate is too disengaged/stupid to notice. After all, only lawyers and economists really understand and care about the Australian economy. Other people who claim to know and/or care are left wing trouble makers.

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  • John Brown:

    20 Mar 2015 8:25:07am

    Imbeciles that run this country as an utter disgrace and an embarrassment of all Australians. This Coalition Government have no idea what they are doing and were voted in on lies and deceit. Bring on the next election ASAP!!!

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    • toorightmate:

      20 Mar 2015 10:36:30am

      I n your first sentence, I thought you were referring to Rudd and Gillard.

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      • GreyBags:

        20 Mar 2015 4:32:28pm

        Rudd and Gillard were applauded throughout the world for their economic handling of the GFC and subsequent good governance. Best in the world. Gold medal performance.

        The only problem with Labor was Rudd's ego was bigger than the party.

        Now we have another PM who is actually performing disastrously in government as well causing internal ructions like Rudd did but because of the massive, overblown hullabaloo the Coalition had over Rudd's demise they are now stuck with a dangerous fool.

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      • Sir Bones II:

        20 Mar 2015 6:17:15pm

        Is that why everything is Labors fault? You still reckon they are in government...

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  • Losimpson:

    20 Mar 2015 8:26:51am

    So things are being allowed to stall. It is not a good thing for a government to do but given the nature of the things that were previously being touted I guess I can live with it. It's a shame it appears totally beyond Abbott in the meantime to look unfavourably at the largesse being thrown at selected other recipients.

    Two ominous issues are approaching. One is the closure of the motor industry with the loss of $29 billion and 200,000 jobs. That is going to hurt us and Abbott, and it will be irreversible. The other is the taxation report. It is odds on to recommend an increase to the GST to mug the economy and allow the continuance of tax evasion and concessions. Being divorced from reality, Abbott will blame the senate which he has turned feral.

    We urgently need an opposition.

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    • Algernon:

      20 Mar 2015 8:40:17am

      Judging on the way the LNP operate, you'd think they still are.

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    • NotthatTony:

      20 Mar 2015 9:57:58am

      Losimpson, we have an opposition but with the Adults in charge and a biased speaker they are continually being told to sit down and shut up or to go stand in the corner . The few times I've been able to stomach Question time on aunty I have been disgusted with the performance of the speaker.
      I would not be surprised that come election time the adults in charge use the figures of the amount of opposition ejections to point out how feral the members opposite are .
      On the bright side, as a low income family we are glad the budget emergency is over .

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  • wandererfromoz:

    20 Mar 2015 8:29:49am

    We seriously cannot keep flip flopping around switching governments because one lot proves just to be as hopeless as the last lot which Mr Abbott has proved by deeds alone - and not just by his choice of incomprehensible appalling words.

    The public would prefer a change in leadership than a change in Government - 60% of GDP? --- Get a grip folks that is reaching on current terms some $800,000,000,000 in debt! - "stop laughing (hysterically) - this is serious". I used the zero's to try to hammer it in - $800 billion and will be higher in actual terms if the economy continues to grow.

    The taxation system is in a mess - across the board there is a need for reform re the GST (extend it to all sectors), scrap all middle class welfare, aggressively pursue by any means the corporate skilled tax dodgers, re-examine a raft of vested interest 'benefits' re Family Trusts dodging billions in tax, query benefits such as imputation credits despite the logic - particularly when you use yardsticks as homelessness, disability support and improving education.

    Start with what we really need - do not start with 'wants' - and then work out how to fund it - and then have a leader who persons will respect, hold in high regard, TRUST and follow.

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    • Jib Jockey:

      20 Mar 2015 9:19:43am

      The use of 12 zeroes = a billion is old school. They now use the old Millard (9 zeroes) to specify a Billion. Either way it seems an awful lot of zeroes for a bloke like me.
      Australia s debt is 20% of GDP, or about like your average household buying a quality second hand car.

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      • wandererfromoz:

        20 Mar 2015 10:12:11am

        Thank you for the update re the zero's and you are correct debt is 20% but if you read the Intergenerational Report (I downloaded the lot but only read the 25 page summary) that 60% is a result of future projections (some of which I personally do not trust or believe) - future projections assuming we just sit on our hands and do nothing.

        Indexing pensions to CPI - medicare benefits to doctors at CPI - are not the answers. It is a revenue problem first seeded by the Howard/Costello axis and then foolishly followed by Rudd and not corrected by Gillard.

        The answer lies in taxation restructuring on a massive scale, getting rid of the 'wants' of people and concentrating on the 'needs', cutting middle class welfare and luxury items like Family trusts in the way are used and tackling the massive inequities in the Superannuation system. It is a national disgrace that in accordance with Maslow's hierarchy of NEEDS we cannot even meet the basics for at least 15% of the population.

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  • TheJohno:

    20 Mar 2015 8:31:21am

    Clear articulation of the unclear thinking of the "adults" in charge Barrie!

    At a time the country needs clear, practical, pragmatic direction, we get 3 years if this pack of jokers.

    History will reveal the truth about this bunch and how they have damaged this country economically and it's reputation as a world leader in so many areas.

    To top it all off Barie, the PM today released a video condemming bullying...seriously, the guy who will bully anyone who disagrees with him (within the legal protections of parliament of course)?

    We have as PM;

    A minister for woman who believes the impact of repealing the carbon tax is understood as a benefit by the woman who iron.

    A minister for Indigenous Affairs who believes living in remote communities is a lifestyle choice.

    And now, an advocate for anti-bulluying who openly bully's. He did state that the bullying he was against was in schools and on the internet though, which means he's safe from scruitiny! You would have thought he would say "any form of bullying in any forum" but hey, that would cut too close!

    What a joke and he is our PM. Shame on us all......

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  • MickJ:

    20 Mar 2015 8:32:35am

    Just goes to show that all through life we wade through Bulldust and the pollies are not excluded.

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  • Giles:

    20 Mar 2015 8:38:30am

    The Senate is clearly feral. No first term government has faced such a hostile Senate since Whitlam (and media and Opposition for that matter). The Senate in its wisdom has opposed sensible legislation such as the ones cutting red tape and reinstating the ABCC.

    The government's hands are tied: any measures they take to balance the budget will be portrayed as unfair by the media, the Senate and the opposition. This is because 50% of taxpayers pay no net tax. Any real attempts to cut spending will affect the poor who are already subsidised by the wealthy through the tax system.

    The solution according to the government's opponents would be to tax the wealthy more even though they already pay most of our tax.

    The author is a former Labor staffer, perhaps he can explain what the ALP's solutions to deficit are. Shorten has opposed 90% of the government's legislation but he has not proposed many solutions as alternatives. Abbott was accused of being negative but he supported 87% of the R/G/R legislation.

    The media and the social media crowd spent some time this week attacking Abbott over his St Patrick's Day observations that the Irish like to drink Guinness. Apparently it is considered to be stereotyping. The problem for them is that Gillard and Rudd made far worse comments about the Irish liking a drink when they were PMs. All politicians make gaffes. Abbott is no worse in that respect than any other PM.

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    • Kerrie:

      20 Mar 2015 9:31:28am

      That is not fair, Gilles. Some of us don't want the rich to pay more tax. Some of us want the rich to receive less money: a lower salary, smaller profits, etc as appropriate. Of course this will hurt the trickle down effect even more than high taxes, but it has the benefit of freeing up money for more staff and reduced costs of products so that the welfare bill is less and money buys more.

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    • spacey 101:

      20 Mar 2015 9:55:37am

      Giles, the reason the media, the senate and the opposition 'portray' the government as unfair is because they are.
      I understand that you believe it's unfair for the government to be held to account, but what should the media, the senate and the opposition do when the government is caught lying and doing things they promised they would not do? Give them a free pass? Say nothing and just let them be?
      Abbott said this was to be a government of no excuses. From day one, anytime something has gone wrong their excuse has been 'labor' or the 'feral senate'. Their real excuse should be 'sorry but we do not know what we are doing'.
      Abbott said that a government MUST not, I repeat MUST not say one thing then do another. The man has broken so many promises that we have completely lost count.
      Abbott and his supporters brought the standard of parliament down into the gutter during his time in opposition, and you Giles and other right wing zealots applauded and cheered from the sidelines, you couldn't get enough. Then Abbott stands up in Parliament as Prime Minister and says we should all hand a mature debate.
      Hypocrites, hypocrites, hypocrites! And yet, of course, the media, the senate, the opposition and the people of Australia should keep our mouths shut and say nothing. Absolutely insane.

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    • Dave Davis:

      20 Mar 2015 11:22:39am

      Giles, the Senate are simply holding the government to the promises it made prior to the election: 'No cuts to pensions, no cuts to health, no cuts to the ABC, no new taxes, unity ticket on Gonski', etc.

      If the government did not mean to deliver on those promises, it should not have made them.

      It is the height of arrogance to damn as "feral" people who are simply attempting to deliver to the Australian people something akin to the policies they voted for.

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    • graazt:

      20 Mar 2015 1:14:50pm

      "All politicians make gaffes. Abbott is no worse in that respect than any other PM."

      Abbott is worse than even Latham was. Agreed the St Patricks day thing was a bit of a beat up. But when you add it to helpful message to Scottish nationalists about how they're enemies of freedom, the Chinese reaction to Abbott's comments on the honour and professionalism of Japanese troops during WW2, the Indonesians in various ways, the Russians, the UN, the HRC, Australian Muslims, and all manner of other Australians, it's fair to say diplomacy is not his strong suit.

      This is the guy who dodged a meeting with Bernie Banton, and then ad-hominined him on behalf of James Hardie Industries. A bit of advocacy James Hardie executives could have gone without.

      To pretend every PM is equally as bad is a failure of imagination. Some are worse than others. And this guy is one of them. I'd want him advocating for people I don't like personally. And thankfully he seems to be doing just that most of the time.

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  • whatif:

    20 Mar 2015 8:39:12am

    desperate measures call for a desperate call from the captain, not that you could believe him, he is so caught up in lies that he actually believes them himself, why would you even think of a new budget when the old one is still unresolved, its the same old whinge and whine from the LNP , poor buggers wanted to be in government so much they sold a pack of lies and now its all come back to bite them on the arse, from adults to bullies, from demanding one day to pleading the next, do they really think the people of Australia are so stupid, its all labors fault, its labor that wont let them pass the budget that will cripple the poor and needy, good on them, what about the rest of the senate, who wont pass these crippling policies onto the public. I have noticed that it doesn't matter who speaks in the LNP, morrison, bishop, hockey, pyne, or any of them for that matter especially abbot, they cant get through a media conference with out some how blaming labor for all their troubles, they don't stop and think it maybe they just don't have the knowledge to run a government, they have a leader who is obnoxious, as is most of the LNP party, they have the means to now call a DD and if they are so sure of them selves they should call it and let the people decide. But they wont, they would rather destroy Australia and what it stands for then concede they are not capable of doing the right thing.

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  • Jib Jockey:

    20 Mar 2015 8:40:36am

    Most other countries are doing the modern day equivalent printing money to deal with their debts and ongoing deficits. Japan has doubled the amount of money in circulation over the last year or two. USA has tripled theirs over a longer period. The E U is embarking on quantitative easing now.
    Where is Australia in this new era of debt reduction via currency amplification? Wallowing In antiquity it seems, with the ongoing burden shouldered by taxpayers. ARC UP THE MINTS !!!

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  • Forrest Gardener:

    20 Mar 2015 8:46:47am

    A fascinating analysis Barrie. The government has given up on trying to repair Labor's damage. I agree that it is shameful stuff.

    Labor of course always said there was no damage and no problem to fix. Just keep borrowing. You are usually interested in the ramifications for the opposition. Why so silent this time?

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  • Alternatvue:

    20 Mar 2015 8:46:54am

    Our economic challenges require us to take on a reimagination that is beyond the usual scope we ascribe to our Economics. We have to change - structurally change - the way we live in future and to do so we need to change the structures of our thinking and of our institutions and our processes of society.

    Our options seem to fall into three quite different approaches: top down, 'State' directed; plutocratic quasi feudalism; or sociable democracy. Presently, we seem to be following a joint State/plutocratic feudalist approach but one that has remains stuck in the failed Political Economics mindset that has produced the crises that now require our complete structural change.

    If we continue down a State/plutocratic line it is likely that we will subordinate our social actualisation to our perceived political economic imperatives to a much greater extent than we do now. Most of us can look forward to a future as disposable worker ants (many unemployed and so immediately inconsequential except as part of a Mob that may follow a wide variety of alternative angers). It is almost certain that the overlord States and the Rich-and-Powerful will battle among and between
    themselves. I expect our political and economic mind sets will become quite simplistic, Maciavellian almost, concerned fundamentally with the preservation of a situation that concedes almost nothing to the people and the planet that are not regarded as essential to the Courts of power and influence.

    In their ways, the Conservative approaches of Howard-Abbott and the mis-minded ways of Keating-Rudd (all fascinated with the mind sets of power) have seen a development of a potential line of PostModernism based in the primacy of wealth and power.

    Our present situation, when refracted through the lenses of our present mind sets of politics and economics, is a tool by which contestants for primacy in this course may justify more and more of their agendas for deformation of society. I think the present incumbents have 'changed tack' because they have come up with a strategy in which our economic deficiencies can be turned to their sel-interested advantage. Rather than persist in demonstrating themselves as being failures in dealing with the bogeyman of Labor's Whatever they have placed themselves to take up a Winner mantle - notwithstanding that most of us lose under either party.

    It's time to turn to sociable democracy.

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  • Rough Passage:

    20 Mar 2015 8:56:07am

    Barry is there ever going to be a day when you something positive about the Coalition or must we wait until Bill Shorten is in power. That day is worth of you to speculate about and how it will utterly destroy this country. You seem to completely overlook the fact that Labor has absolutely no plan to take charge of the debt and deficit. They created it yet all you seem to do is to talk about Mr Abbott and his failings. How about yours.

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    • Alpo:

      20 Mar 2015 9:16:57am

      Okay, a challenge for you: Name one thing, just one thing, that you regard to be positive about this Coalition Federal Government....

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      • Merlin 23:

        20 Mar 2015 10:07:45am

        They did reverse the flow of economic refugees into the country.

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        • Alpo:

          20 Mar 2015 10:57:42am

          Merlin,
          "Reverse the flow" is an acceptable description of what this Government have done. But they didn't "Stop the Boats", which is what they promised to do. The boats have kept coming but they are now turned away. Innocent people are still in danger of drowning (apparently this was a major concern of Liberal supporters during the Labor Government, but not anymore), and legitimate refugees who are turned back are sent to face danger to their lives (but apparently out of sight, out of mind is an acceptable principle for Liberal supporters now).
          I do hope that the new Labor Government can sit down with a new, more moderate, leadership of the Coalition and put together a consensus plan for refugees, to take the very nasty political sting out of this issue. Hatred for refugees is spilling over the ethnic relationships within our diverse society. We cannot allow that to happen.

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        • Beachcomber:

          20 Mar 2015 11:59:42am

          Or at least stopped letting us know about them. Wonder though why they need to buy some extra boats from Vietnam, if there are no people coming here to use them.

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  • tombeithemist:

    20 Mar 2015 9:04:48am

    The PMs comments re the economy this week in the light of the rhetoric since being elected beggars belief. He is clearly living in a world above the clouds. Are they (LNP) prosecuting good policy in a good way or simply wishing to stay in power? Who comes first here the Australian people or the LNP?

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  • Alpo:

    20 Mar 2015 9:05:25am

    Abbott has just accepted the total defeat of his Government. He may as well call for an early election by the end of the year and finish this farce once and for all. After all, he has officially declared "Mission (half) Accomplished"!

    As predicted with mathematical precision, an Abbott shift towards a Populist stance (his natural ground) will produce a massive reaction from the wounded, moribund but still nasty Neoliberal ranks. They are not going to accept defeat from the hands of any Laborite, let alone from a brainless Populist from their own ranks!

    So, expect increasing turmoil and an Abbott desperate decision to go for an early election, in a desperate attempt to take Labor by surprise and "win" (in his deluded mind and that of his stormtroopers) or minimise the losses (in the mind of the more intelligent Liberals).

    Malcolm is still insisting that he would be able to deliver the Neoliberal goodies by means of his capacities to charm everybody into submission, if he is allowed to take over now.... Sorry Malcolm, your time will come, but only after the demise of this Government at the election. You will have to earn your (potential) Prime Ministership starting the ascent from down below!... In the meantime, you may as well go and have a chat with "uncle" Rupert, see what he can do for ya.

    -------------
    P.S. Please, please, Mr Abbott, don't offend our intelligence with that crap of an IR and fantasy projections into the future!!!

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  • Alex greenleaf:

    20 Mar 2015 9:05:32am

    The premise that the budget will be "X" (insert here your prediction)in 20,30,50 years time has now taken the political discussion into the realms of absolute fantasy. If any person walked into any A & E hospital and started making utterances along similar lines the people in charge would certainly look to ease the patient's mind with an appropriate medication and begin the process of therapy!. It beggars belief that pollies sprout this intellectual merde as if it has some basis in reality, it also beggars belief that journos take it up and join in the conversation and the promote it as " the story"
    Now our Prime Minister(Our first and very best) and his treasurer's world of dire predictions (Debt and Deficit!!! no less)Told us that the world as we know it was sooo baad that it was a looming disaster. In the space of two years, yes two ,they are telling us they have fixed it!!but still talk about what it will be in 50 years time!
    Defies common sense in my mind.
    When a budget is based on assumptions you move from reality to fantasy I prefer the real.

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  • foolking:

    20 Mar 2015 9:08:33am

    Abbott: "We get very close to balance." Yep we all saw that graph ,then it falls away dramatically..

    This article, and projected financial outcomes for the country should be largely ignored.

    Everyone knows we need to raise revenue and having fed the public on selfish, fearful, lowest common denominator politics with modern media capabilities, both political camps are gutless pikers when it comes to raising tax.

    The real question is raise GST or return income tax to pre mining boom levels.

    If there was a way of flashing your card[chip in your arm..ha] and getting no GST because you were poor, then maybe it could work ,but it sounds dodgy.

    One of these to parties is going to have to be realistic and go to the election asking to raise taxes, a bonanza for their opponents, and giving ground,or in this case wriggle room.

    Any serious development policy ,ie the housing problem,local employment initiatives R&D,free training, planning for a better future is otherwise just rubbish.

    We need to wake Australia up, hopefully not with patronizing jargon.. like this. You should all help, don't forget the hundredth monkey.

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  • Mark:

    20 Mar 2015 9:08:54am

    Abbott claims to have "halved the deficit" ..when the REALITY is the deficit has so far DOUBLED since the Coalition came to power. Additionally Govt debt has BLOWN OUT by more than 50%.

    Those are FACTS ..yet Abbott insists on trying to convince us "the budget is in better shape" than under Labor..

    For goodness sake ..we're not stupid ..we know Abbott & his gang are destroying our economic future ..as well as our society & our environment. They are a gang of out of control VANDALS.

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  • Hoju:

    20 Mar 2015 9:09:20am

    Barrie, you could have presented the argument thus:

    "The government, having accepted that the Senate is simply not interested in any reform, has decided that they will stop bothering with tough legislation, and instead find a way to convince/bribe enough people to swap their votes that in the next Parliament they will have less (to steal a phrase from Paul Keating) swill to deal with in the Senate."

    Lambie said the government should not have to tell universities how they should be run. She said that they need to decide.

    She seems to have missed the fact that 40 of 41 Vice Chancellors said the government's legislation was desperately needed.

    Lazerus seems far more concerned with his wife's employment status than making decisions.

    Labor and the Greens will vote against everything, unless its national security, in which case Labor will vote for it but the Greens will still vote against it.

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    • graazt:

      20 Mar 2015 1:19:21pm

      A government of no-excuses.

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  • Gryffon:

    20 Mar 2015 9:12:48am

    Are we NOW seeing, "the real Tony"? (I thought we were supposed to be getting that now after the, "good government starts now" thing a few weeks ago.

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  • Anastasios Manolakis:

    20 Mar 2015 9:12:59am

    Abbott has given up on real world economics and now is resorting to fiction. Abbott is Harry Potter representing the Good, White Magic and the rest are evil, Black Magic.

    Abbott and Chaos

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  • Hubert:

    20 Mar 2015 9:13:17am

    I suspect this is all part of a grand plan...

    Spend the first 12-18 months in Government going on about the mess they've inherited. Shift to "we've fixed it", and then leading up to the next election offer sweeteners.

    The hugely failed budget from last year was a bit of a side show me thinks, an attempt to see what they might be able to get away with. Not much as it turns out.

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  • 123:

    20 Mar 2015 9:16:05am

    Do not blame the government. Blame the people. As they say, people will always elect the government they deserve. A portion of people in this country are over-privileged and refuse to look forward. This does not leave much for the government to do. I do not think anything will be done until the situation becomes really bad, which forces people to change.

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    • Kerrie:

      20 Mar 2015 10:00:46am

      Are you referring to the latest left wing government in Greece.

      Yes, it seems that when things are really bad, the population chooses to change away from austerity.

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      • The Other John:

        20 Mar 2015 11:26:58am

        And it will be interesting to see how it all works out for the Greeks, Kerrie. Not to mention the serious change of tone by the Socialists since taking office.

        Not so brave when they are faced with the reality of fiscal responsibility and a nation on the ropes, are they?

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      • Eric:

        20 Mar 2015 11:34:10am

        Kerrie - I think you need to do a bit more research re Greece/ austerity/ left govt. The new left govt have over-egged their promise to move away from austerity. The Germans in particular are not moving very much at all and expect Greece to meet its financial obligations and repay its debt.

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        • graazt:

          20 Mar 2015 1:20:58pm

          Well the EU has a bit to lose as well. And it'll be good for the Greeks to have their own sovereign currency if it comes to that. As it is for every nation that does.

          Let's see what happens.

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  • tieresias:

    20 Mar 2015 9:16:42am

    This seems to me to show the same lack of political courage that saw the end of Rudd, who didn't stand firm on climate change. Now Abbott doesn't seem to believe in the necessity of budget surpluses, despite years of asserting just that . What policy would he fight for to the death?

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  • Napoleon42:

    20 Mar 2015 9:18:04am

    Abbott, like his government, is a man groping and stumbling in the dark breaking everything. As for building and maintaining a relationship with people, a group or even a country, he is lamentable. The only thing that interests him is his self interest.

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  • citizen smith:

    20 Mar 2015 9:23:21am

    After the PM's outburst in comparing the Leader of the Opposition to a member of the most heinous and evil regime in history, this government could pull gold bars out of their collective arses to pay off the deficit and still it would not get my vote.

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  • bettysteve:

    20 Mar 2015 9:25:57am

    amazing how, for such a "feral senate" they can all jump into bed together to strip the privacy of the individual with their metadata legislation.

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  • ScottBE:

    20 Mar 2015 9:26:05am

    Declared Victory? Its a miracle! He's got the faeries at the bottom of the garden to weave their magic woollen swatches over his own eyes and abra cadabra - the economy is fixed in only 18 months!

    The World Bank should award him the Greatest Economist in Global History Award and make him honorary King of the Planet.

    Or else he's run out of thought bubbles and is a wee bit tired and wants to hide behind a rock for a while. All the ungrateful people "out there" are just too much and moronic to recognise his greatness.

    I truly begin to feel for the man. Stress does terrible things.

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  • wowsers:

    20 Mar 2015 9:28:22am

    3 ABC news channels....end the waste

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  • Alpo:

    20 Mar 2015 9:31:53am

    Abbott has just accepted the total defeat of his Government. He may as well call for an early election by the end of the year and finish this farce once and for all. After all, he has officially declared "Mission (half) Accomplished"!

    As predicted with mathematical precision, an Abbott shift towards a Populist stance (his natural ground) will produce a massive reaction from the wounded, moribund but still nasty Neoliberal ranks. They are not going to accept defeat from the hands of any Laborite, let alone from a brainless Populist from their own Party!

    So, expect increasing turmoil and an Abbott desperate decision to go for an early election, in a desperate attempt to take Labor by surprise and "win" (in his deluded mind and that of his stormtroopers) or minimise the losses (in the mind of the more intelligent Liberals).

    Malcolm is still insisting that he would be able to deliver the Neoliberal goodies by means of his capacities to charm everybody into submission, if he is allowed to take over now.... Sorry Malcolm, your time will come, but only after the demise of this Government at the election. You will have to earn your (potential) Prime Ministership starting the ascent from down below!... In the meantime, you may as well go and have a chat with "uncle" Rupert, see what he can do for ya.

    -------------
    P.S. Please, please, Mr Abbott, don't offend our intelligence with that crap of an Intergenerational Report and fantasy projections into the future!!!

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  • Greg:

    20 Mar 2015 9:42:17am

    Not that long ago, Tony Abbott was complaining about the carbon tax as a tax on a "colourless, odourless gas." Now his main claim to merit is that his mob are better than an opposition that has never existed, that you can find only in the government's self-interested futuristic fantasies.
    That empty chair that got 39 votes is looking better by the day. One thing is certain -- good government will not begin before the next election.

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  • John51:

    20 Mar 2015 9:44:04am

    Barrie, I still find it incredible that journalists like you are still even making mention of this Abbott governments so called Intergenerational report. Why? None of the reports put out by this Abbott government have any credibility with this Intergenerational report have the least credibility of all.

    It is not only a political document as many journalists and commentators have noted. It is also a heavily flawed document. They have in fact distorted the assumptions, modelling and finding to such an extent that no one should place any reliance on any of it. It certainly should not have a place in future policy. And it should only be treated with contempt.

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  • Electronic Graffiti:

    20 Mar 2015 9:44:43am

    Put every phrase and remark our highly esteemed and internationally respected Prime Minister has said about the economy ... put them into a box, and they'll eat each other.

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  • Nova4avr:

    20 Mar 2015 9:46:35am

    It's starting to look like the Abbott Govt. are lost in the wilderness & have no idea of how to find their way out. Of course they rushed into this mess with last years budget, which was so unfair, with all the cuts aimed at the low income sector & failed to include revenue raising measures & cuts to corporate welfare.
    Now the chickens are coming home to roost & they still have no idea what to do. Abbott is now saying the budget emergency is over & they are on track for a surplus later. Sounds like another untruth from the PM, who is really starting to show that he really doesn't have a clue.
    There was some talk of a double dissolution earlier this week, but I think they suddenly realised that a double dissolution is completely different from a double disillusion, which they were obviously suffering from.

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  • salishan:

    20 Mar 2015 9:51:02am

    Abbott just invents the world around him. Now, after lying about the state of the economy when elected, he invents his solution and proclaims the economy has been improved.
    Abbott's fantasy world will come crashing down at the next election. I cannot remember a government so despised, so ridiculed, nor a prime minister so hated and reviled.

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  • averagejoe:

    20 Mar 2015 9:55:07am

    In the 2010 election when Abbott was campaigning on "fixing the debt", Australia's debt to GDP ratio was 5%, the third lowest in the OECD. Now were told that 60% is good. Says it all really

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  • anote:

    20 Mar 2015 9:56:29am

    It is a reversal and retreat but no less rhetorical flourish and spin than is typical. Hopefully, it is the first step to reformation of the Coalition but they are still in a stage of denial.

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  • Patrick:

    20 Mar 2015 9:56:35am

    The only people still listening and believing Sir Tony the Truthful are the rusted-ons and others who will benefit from his attack the poor and feed the rich agenda.

    Never, ever has a government in this country been as incompetent, deluded and self-serving as this miserable lot. They sniff the wind and change tack purely based on opinion polls never realising that their lies and broken promises have divorced them from the electorate and that cold fact will not alter no matter what devious plans they hatch to redeem themselves.

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  • GCS:

    20 Mar 2015 10:15:11am

    I reckon rather than scrape the barnacles the 'Captain" should scuttle the ship. No point in wiping your bottom if your top is full of crap.

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  • Bah, humbug:

    20 Mar 2015 10:15:25am

    I have a lot of problems understanding this Government, and the PM in particular. For years, including after transitioning from Opposition to Government, Both Abbott and Hockey have been hammering away at the debt issue, and how we must get used to receiving less and paying more, including the "end of entitlement" mantra. Now, having failed to get much of the measures they insisted were the minimum necessary to stop the budget deficit spiralling out of control, you would think they would be even more insistent that the situation, while not dire, is urgent. Yet here is the PM changing tack and saying the emergency has receded and there is only a little more to do, despite there being no major improvement in our financial outlook in recent months. If anything the IGR claims (I say 'claims', since it is a political document rather than an economic one) the situation, after a few reasonable years, will deteriorate badly. And here's where I'm confused: if their own document still shows a worsening situation, why the reversal of rhetoric? I would have thought they'd be saying "We've improved the outlook, but we can't afford to stop or even slow working on improving it more." But, no...bizarre.

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    • graazt:

      20 Mar 2015 1:30:43pm

      They're the most post-modern mob we've had. Words don't need to reflect truths. Narratives don't even need to reconcile with other narratives.

      It's just a bizarre dance of action and reaction. A pinball getting bounced around between one flipper representing their vested interests, and the other flipper representing their constituents.

      By being everything to everyone, they've become nothing to anyone.

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  • I. Salis A.:

    20 Mar 2015 10:31:13am

    Mr. Abbott's concerns about intergenerational discrepancies are half-hearted at best. If Mr. Abott would invest in:

    a) building low-cost housing (thus providing jobs, and a roof over the heads of the young who do not want to be forever living with their parents) and

    b) invest in solar, wind and thermal power (thus providing jobs
    and avoiding the lethal risks of uranium mining)

    everyone in Australia and beyond will benefit.

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  • TRevor:

    20 Mar 2015 10:36:32am

    One could fill pages and pages on the hypocrisy of this government and its flawed; no non existent strategy for the economy, and I am sure posts to this article will cover this. I feel though, the major flaw goes to pre election, and that flaw is that gaining power was the only strategy. No effort went into what they would do when in government, that is now plainly obvious. The media events staged when Tony would wave about his blue pamphlet claiming this was his fully costed policies was a clue. The wafer thin pamphlet contained nothing but motherhood statements. Why he was not taken to task for this by the main stream media is the question. I understand the cheerleading by News Corp as they were part of the strategy for gaining power, but the rest?

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  • Stirrer:

    20 Mar 2015 10:40:10am

    Is anyone really taking this clown seriously? Watching his performance in Parliament yesterday maybe he should 'withdraw" permanently.

    However it now seems he and his Government have either realised the truth or they are so confused they have no idea of which way is up.

    The truth is that the free market economy and monetary system they, in collusion with other Governments around the world and financial capitalism created, was based on DEBT.

    Suffice to point out that since 2000 earning grew 20% while private/household debt grew 80%. Exponential growth is a mathematical impossibility - debt funded exponential growth is insanity.
    Which is what we have had since the 1970s but which really went berserk in the 2000s.

    Why is this so hard for Governments- politicians-economists-commentators and punters to figure out?

    There is NO way a 'surplus" can be achieved any time soon unless there is a total economic and societal collapse.
    It took over 40 years to get where we are today.

    it will take another 40 to dig ourselves out. We have no alternative but to use even more 'sovereign' not private debt- to transition our system and our society into the 21st century by taking advantage of merging and emerging technologies.

    This new China led development bank as a competitor to the US led predatory World Bank may just be the first step- but watch out for a US and a QE money flushed Wall Street led global greater recession.

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  • clete:

    20 Mar 2015 10:42:09am

    You make me laugh, Barrie.
    One minute you're slanging off on Abbott for trying to do to much too soon, when it's not even needed.
    Then, when the government accepts that the cross benches in the senate don't have the mental capacity, or the willingness to negotiate over certain bills, you're slanging off at him again because he's not doing enough.
    It's obvious the public, constantly coaxed and encouraged by the ABC, doesn't accept the need for structural economic change in the short term.
    Abbott has listened and responded.
    This article is proof positive that no matter what Abbott does, that Abbott haters will still rant and rave.

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    • R Supwood:

      20 Mar 2015 11:09:20am

      They will, because he is a lying anus, totally untrustworthy.

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    • PPSCR0:

      20 Mar 2015 11:14:48am

      clete: Barry tells it as it is - which is that Mr. Abbott changes his tune so often that you don't know whether he is really attuned to people's needs.

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    • FREEMAN:

      20 Mar 2015 12:47:25pm


      Just waiting for the headline "the ABC's breathtaking shift on economic reporting", when they all of a sudden acknowledge the budget crisis, and want to know what ABBOTT is doing about it.

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  • Bernie:

    20 Mar 2015 11:03:59am

    What is more breathtaking Mr Cassidy is the fact that the overwhelming majority of Australian MSM still support this person.

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    • PPS:

      20 Mar 2015 11:20:54am

      Ah well Bernie, that was at the last election when voters were
      frustrated with Labor's internal difficulties. If there was an election now the current PM will be no more.

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  • garybenno:

    20 Mar 2015 11:07:27am

    Abbott is incapable of backing away from his ideological vision of Australia but has just enough intelligence, no that is wrong, his minders have just enough intelligence to back off and try to build some support in the polls. They have their DD triggers and as soon as a couple of favorable polls are published Abbott will be into his bimmer and off to see Sir Peter. Anybody who believes Abbott's "I have seen the error of my ways and you will now see collegiate Tony" will be looking under the shrubs this easter.
    The new plan is doomed as I think the next election will be done and dusted long before Abbott gets a favorable poll, it is a fundamental of Australians, we don't like being lied to and we respect a fair go for all, the problem for the LNP is that we are also smart enough to see a lie and unfair policy.

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  • BMinor:

    20 Mar 2015 11:10:11am

    So this is what you get when you elect a Government that is beholden to right wing nutters such as the National Civic Council - complete and utter chaos. This is not a Liberal/National Party government - it is a DLP government. Bob Sanataria would be so proud of them. I am currently reading the biography of Dick Hamer by Tim Colebatch. Now there was a real Liberal. Where are today's real Liberals?

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    • Alpo:

      20 Mar 2015 11:54:50am

      "Where are today's real Liberals?".... In Parliament they seem to be currently a minority (about 30-40%). In the community at large I am pretty confident that they are more numerous among the traditional Liberal voters. Some voters feel attracted to the Liberal Party because they believe that the Liberals are still the Party of small and medium businesses.... Ah, if only that was true..... The Libs are in the grips of Big Business (and now, with Abbott and a big chunk of his front bench, we also have to add the Catholic Church), everything else is pretty much irrelevant.

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  • Ture Sjolander:

    20 Mar 2015 11:46:55am

    What a narrow little world. Another day as usual with all the vary same players faces as illustrations to all the articles as well as on television.
    A small little tribe dominating us on this huge continental pancake.
    Very detrimental!

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  • starevich:

    20 Mar 2015 11:47:16am

    The worst Prime Minister in Australia's history leading the similarly worst Government are again asking the people to suspend their disbelief - this time in relation to the Prime minister and government actually having achieved anything at all in their wretched tenure of the government benches. The community already knows we were were duped into believing the Labor Government was the Beelzebub of integrity and social-political-economic management they are now being asked to believe that in less than two years of inability to convince the rational among us of their unilaterally proclaimed 'unprecedented Labor spawned dire emergency' they they, the dunces each and every one still supporting Abbott have proved to be, are now claiming they have saved us by doing bugger all.

    Abbott, the people singly and en voting mass are not so stupid as you think.

    The flip-flops are also asking us all to suspend disbelief in the bleeding obvious inevitability that once the next election is theirs they will without haste resume their crushing cruelty towards Australian ethos and society in general and the most helpless among us in particular.

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  • Jack44:

    20 Mar 2015 11:53:48am

    Dear Barrie. What you say in the above has some truth within it, but not the totality of truth.

    So far as I can see at the moment, the press has embraced the propositions put forward by the opposition. And by the opposition I mean the ALP. As far as I can see, the principal thrusts are as follows:

    a. You cannot reform Universities, because that will lead to $100,000 degrees, a fact I note that nobody in the press ( including you ) is disputing.
    b. You must not reform pensions. You need to inject more money.
    c. You must not reform Health. You need to inject more money.
    d. You must not reform the social services. You must inject more money.
    e. You must not reform education. You must inject more money.
    f. You must not reform Aboriginal Affairs. You must inject more money.
    g. You CERTAINLY must not reform Industrial Relations. Let it be.
    h. What you MUST do is tax the rich. We won't define exactly who these ethereal characters are ( apart from Gina Reinhart, Google, and anyone who smokes cigars and is overweight ) but our point is made - the rich are the bloodsuckers feasting on society.

    Now Barrie, you have been one of the chief supporters of this inane BS, and to be candid with you, I have yet to see either you or any of our leading press try to see what either the ALP, the Greens or the Independents actually stand for rather than what they stand against. You have been heavily critical of the government whenever they tried any of the above things. Maybe with good cause Barrie. Now, apparently, you are even more critical when the Government decides it's getting too corrosive to keep trying.

    So Barrie, I'm asking myself exactly what you and the Press Gallery stand for. Do you stand for correction of a system which is clearly breaking down ? Do you ask anyone in Opposition what their plan is in the event that they may plot a better course?

    Nope. Concentrate on what the meaning of "Lifestyle" is. Debate whether reporters should be regarded as different species to the normal citizen. Give everyone a bucketing about metadata. But never, and I mean never, debate the issues of the most compelling importance.

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    • xstephen:

      20 Mar 2015 12:11:31pm

      Yes, I get the same flavour as you. All over Governments are in serious financial trouble - the debt problems haven't been addressed and they are all buying time with Central Bank policies aimed at creating even more credit. What a ludicrous proposition that more debt can solve the debt issue. So we have people continuing to want MORE from the Government and saying 'other' people should pay MORE. Despite the global proof of Socialism and communism not maximising the benefits to the maximum number of people there seems to be a yearning for simple solutions. The real solutions come from the imperatives upon us all to make our way and the risks/innovations that comes with that.

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      • Stirrer:

        20 Mar 2015 1:08:14pm

        @xstephen- I would appreciate a comment from you on my post above.

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    • Eric:

      20 Mar 2015 12:43:28pm

      Excellent commentary. I will be interested to see what the usual suspects on these site have to say/ respond.

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    • A pocketful of wry:

      20 Mar 2015 12:43:48pm

      I look forward to the day when you, and the (diminishing, it must be said) legions like you come to grips with the notion that the word "reform" has been used and misused for such a long time now that people are both sick of it, and incredibly wary of it.

      You are welcome to resubmit the DETAIL of each of your so-called "reforms" and have them considered, but if you insist upon waving the term around as some sort of Holy Grail to be admired and swooned over whilst on bended knee with head bowed then you are in for a long, sad, disappointing balance of your allotted time on this planet.

      Hopefully this fleshes-out this "totality of truth" of which you speak. It's hard to be taken seriously when you throw out challenges for all-and-sundry to come to a meeting of ideas, and all you've got to contribute is a small plate of cold sausage rolls and a single word which could conceivably mean anything.

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    • Jess:

      20 Mar 2015 5:16:03pm

      The questions to be asked about each policy is what issue is it trying to solve? how does it solve it and does the policy impove the quality of life of the people it affects? What is the evidence that the proposed policy will work or at least evidence that it doesn't not work. Evidence based policy making. The cost of a policy should be measured against benefits.

      Cutting funding with no alternate policy in place is not reforming. The government is not making the case for ANY policy.

      a) Reforming to a system that doesn't work and makes university more expensive for both the government and the students is not good policy and is moving in the opposite direction to most countries in the world. Certainly the opposite to all countries that sit near us or above us on on any development/wellbeing/whole society index.
      b) there is ample evidence that most pensions leave people near or below the poverty line. The reforms suggested do not address this initial problem and even go the other way pushing more people into poverty.
      c) there is ample evidence that the proposed health policy isn't solving a problem and is targeting the cheapest section of the health system where medical intervention is cheapest and most effective is poor policy.
      d) see b.
      e)What education reform reducing funding and stating that considered policy thats taken years of cooperation at the state level isn't education reform
      f) this government isn't "reforming" Aboriginal affairs it's cutting funding without funded replacement policy
      g) IR reform that only reduces the wages of hourly workers is not good policy.
      h) taxing the rich where they won't go without neccessities or luxuries is a very valid thing to do. Taxing a wealthy person who doesn't need to spend all their income to have all their needs and wants met is very different to taxing people who spend every cent on needs.

      Intresting that while in opposition the Liberal party was never requested to produce detailed policy 18 months out and when it did produce alternate policy it was more expensive (economists) and less effective (experts in the policy area) policy or otherwise known as policy for the sake of being different not policy that was better.

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  • neil:

    20 Mar 2015 12:17:02pm

    There is nothing new here they are simply following the Howard formula. First budget builds a war chest, second shows stability and fairness, third cuts taxes and hands out middle class welfare and gets you re-elected. It worked for Howard three times.

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  • Brewsta:

    20 Mar 2015 12:38:44pm

    Give poor old Tony a break.
    It's all our own fault for not buying his brand of vacuum cleaner.

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  • gbe:

    20 Mar 2015 12:45:21pm

    Barry appears to be enjoying Abbotts predicament. I wonder if he has given any thought at all to the very real prospect of these issues being left for Shorten, Plibersek and god forbid Chris Bowen.

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  • Terry2:

    20 Mar 2015 12:47:11pm


    According to the government's own figures , the net federal debt rose from $178 billion at the end of 2013 when labor left office to $239 billion by the end of 2014 - an increase of 34.6% - and is scheduled to be $244.8 billion by the end of 2015.

    Is somebody telling porkies ?

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  • GRF:

    20 Mar 2015 12:55:36pm

    Ahhh... another Friday and another anti-Abbott rant by Cassidy. Well, look on the bright side, at least some things in life are predictable.

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  • Terry2:

    20 Mar 2015 12:59:51pm

    Frequently, in this confected debate about dipping into super to fund the deposit on a house, reference is made to the Singaporean situation where every citizen has their own Central provident Fund (CPF) account which can be used for funding a home, usually a Housing Development Board (HBD) apartment provided by the government, as well as for other purposes including a retirement fund.

    What needs to be understood if we are going to make these comparisons is that in Singapore 37% of your gross wage goes compulsorily into the CPF (employee 20% and employer 17%). It reduces as you get older until, at age 60 -65 it is 16% ( 7.5% employee 8.5% employer).

    Our compulsory super at 9.5% just isn't sufficient to provide the necessary funds for young people to access for a house deposit and provide for retirement.

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  • Brendan:

    20 Mar 2015 1:00:57pm

    So it is interesting that a number of comments posted attack either politicians or other people making comments. This would seem to be a common complaint of most that politicians play the 'man' and not the ball. I dont think having opinions about different politicians are 'idiots' actually raises public discourse. Surely the level of discussion can be raised to be a bit better than a school yard - or is this is what we aspire to ? A race to the bottom ?

    A key factor in my opinion with how politics is played in Australia is that the term lengths are far too short as politicians are never out of election mode.




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  • ben:

    20 Mar 2015 1:26:55pm

    Tony Abbott has given up trying to govern. He was an effective opposition leader by opposing everything, but he has no idea what he is meant to do now that he is PM. He tried for 18 months so do a bit of this and that, mostly reversing everything Labor had done in office. Now that he has reversed what he can, and been blocked on several others, he's lost. He has no agenda. He's got nothing to do. So he's just going to sit there, blocking Malcolm Turnbull or Julie Bishop from taking over and actually running the place. Hoping that by doing nothing the polls will be kinder to him. This is a truly hopeless "government". The sooner we have an election and the grown ups are back in charge.

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  • Rasmuncher:

    20 Mar 2015 1:35:31pm

    The problem with governments of today is they believe that the ascention to power gives them an absolute control of the purse for their team's benefit rather than accepting it is a position of stewardship that should be set to bring about a broad consensus to implement policy that will suit ALL Australians.

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  • Pat P:

    20 Mar 2015 1:36:24pm

    Barry, you should thank god for Tony Abbott. If it wasn't for Tony Abbott your earnings would be drastically reduced.

    Pity all your articles about Tony Abbott are so unidirectional that they are actually boring. One can fully understand your articles without even reading them.

    This time Tone Abbott is not fixing Labor's debt fast enough - and - offcourse it is all Tony Abbott's fault. Never mind the ones who got us this huge debt. You wouldn't write about them. They are your mates - they can do no wrong. Never mind some of the feral Senators who would not let Tony Abbott fix the Labor's debt. It is all Tony Abbott's fault anyway. No matter what.

    I can wait for your next article to find out what else Tony Abbott is responsible for and how he mocked it up.

    Keep up the good work Barrie. Your Labor and your ABC mates love you for it.

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  • David of Adelaide:

    20 Mar 2015 1:37:32pm

    Sorry to upset those that support individual political parties but, all political parties have lost their ideology. The labour party only supports big business and most labour supporters and politicians have probably forgotten what the labour party is supposed to represent, they may never of even heard of the toll puddle martyrs! And the same goes for the liberals/ conservatives they have forgotten their ideology. now in politics it's about nest feathering, there has to be a change as no party at the moment can be voted for or trusted, as it's all about sound bites and not about real policies. We hear a lot about voter apathy, I wonder why?

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  • Forrest Gump:

    20 Mar 2015 1:40:50pm

    Its obvious that the government is more concerned over its ratings than getting our fiscal position corrected.

    We are currently in the Cyote and Road Runner free fall over the Grand Canyon regarding the capex cliff and end of the mining boom.

    Abbot and Hockey are inept at tackling the real issues and making the real hard decisions that will turn our economy around. They are more interested in keeping favor with voters.

    As one clued up lady noted on Q&A this week.

    The real policies that Tony & Joe must make include the ending of Negative Gearing. Our housing bubble that RBA Glenn warned Hockey & Abbott about will only get bigger as Captain Glen cuts rates again. Fiscal policy (axing NG) is required (note for Tony A and Joe H) to stop local and overseas speculators stealing the homes of the innocent.

    Tony and Joe...are you listening?....szzzzzz...szzzzzzzz

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  • TonyC:

    20 Mar 2015 1:55:16pm

    The only promise the LNP seem to have kept is the one about not negotiating.

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  • ram:

    20 Mar 2015 2:00:24pm

    "...will have an enormous impact on how the Government is regarded by business.."

    No is won't, Australian business already considers this government lower than whale droppings!

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  • JMJ:

    20 Mar 2015 2:01:18pm

    Barrie, if I may add the Abbott government needs to get on top of the game for the illegally dumping of goods into this country is now cause for concern. There is no doubt the Anti-Dumping Commission is doing a good job but more needs to be done if local producer are to reap the rewards of their hard labour.

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  • JMJ:

    20 Mar 2015 2:01:18pm

    Barrie, if I may add the Abbott government needs to get on top of the game for the illegally dumping of goods into this country is now cause for concern. There is no doubt the Anti-Dumping Commission is doing a good job but more needs to be done if local producer are to reap the rewards of their hard labour.

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  • The woman next door:

    20 Mar 2015 2:23:49pm

    Tony Abbott seems to be completely divorced from reality. What comes out of his mouth is as startling as what goes into it (raw onion!). He seems to have very desensitized taste buds, as well as the ability to say just about anything he feels like, even when it is completely at odds with everything he has ever said before, and the present circumstances he finds himself in.

    I have NO faith in anything that comes out of his mouth, as he will say ANYTHING, just as he will eat anything, if he thinks it will win favour with some (fools) in the public.

    He is a dangerous man who it out of touch with reality. The longer he remains 'leader' of this country, the more imperiled we all are. :(

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  • GreyBags:

    20 Mar 2015 3:10:37pm

    All you heard from the Coalition was crisis, crisis, crisis despite an open letter from 63 leading Australian economists saying that there was not crisis, merely a structural deficit that needs to be rectified in the medium term.

    They ignored the Treasury figures from the PEFO, loaded up the figures with changed parameters including their own decision to hand billions to the Reserve Bank. There first actions were to remove two sensible revenue streams in the form of the carbon pricing and the mining super tax. They then ramped up expenditure on the War on Asylum seekers, lost planes, another stupid invasion of Iraq and on it goes.

    They blew out the debt left from Labor by their own actions and now claim they have it under control because of some figures handed to them by a magic future seeing pixie that said that Labor was BAD.

    They are a complete and utter joke. They couldn't lie straight in bed.

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  • Geezer Smith:

    20 Mar 2015 3:39:59pm

    Numerous commentators, not unlike the Government itself refer to a feral senate. This week reports emerged that Abbott had, almost inconceivably, raised the prospect of a double dissolution to deal with the matter. I might be missing something and I would be pleased to have it clarified for me, but isn't the senate SUPPOSED to be the house of review? Isn't that fundamental to our system of government? Weren't the senators elected democratically by their electorates? Isn't the system working the way it is meant to?
    Regardless of what anyone thinks of the capabilities of the Lambies and Muirs of the senate, the alternative argument is contrary to any form of democracy as we know it. The problem may well lay with the adversarial two party system of government.

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  • jwo88:

    20 Mar 2015 3:50:42pm

    Best. PM. Ever.

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  • Reinhard:

    20 Mar 2015 4:31:45pm

    So it seems there is no longer a "debt and deficit disaster" despite Abbott & co sending the budget backwards by at least $80 billion according to the Fin Review..
    It seems to have finally dawned on them that they are in govt now and they can't keep blaming Labor for everything, even after 18 months in "office" acting like more like the opposition's opposition than a functioning government. Rather than be upfront and honest about the real budget issues like declining revenues, they refuse to even discuss changes to capital gains tax, negative gearing or super tax concessions. They keep pushing the same tired old false narrative that the problem is spending, and even as the commodities market continues to fall Abbott is pushing the same old lie, declaring this week in QT that "we don't have a revenue problem we have a spending problem".
    The next election cannot come soon enough.

    Alert moderator

  • i Graffiti:

    20 Mar 2015 5:56:37pm

    It just sounds like complete chaos to me. Things they have done seem to be destructive in the main, such as funding cuts willy nilly all over the place largely unchallenged and cuasing such distress.
    Why is Abbott allowed to get away with such utter lies and twisting of reality in relation to economic figures.
    There's no plan, no vision and many people are confused, lacking confidence and angry. Good job.
    The main honchos around Abbott appear to be utterly incompetent.
    Do we seriously have to put up with his craziness till next year. Even rusted on Liberals need to think hard about ridding the country of him and the hard right as the highest priority.

    Alert moderator

  • ru4real:

    20 Mar 2015 6:47:29pm

    Instead of saying the 'Government plans to ignore the raw figures that will in the near term at least show bigger deficits than they inherited' ... why not call a spade a spade and say Abbott is telling more porkies.

    The deficit has worsened because of LNP policies, and the government's continuing to blame Labor is utter rubbish. They are not collecting anywhere near the revenue from business (particularly mining), so the structural deficit has to worsen.

    That the 'the heavy lifting is over, at least until after the next election' is also likely to be nonsense, particularly if the government persists in wanting to change the way pensions are indexed, and want to slug young people for their education.


    The truth is that the LNP has killed off business and consumer confidence: people are scared for their jobs after the government sent the car industry to its demise.
    Industry doesn't know if it's coming or going - is energy for the future going to focus on coal or renewables, where do investors put their money, what's going to happen to superannuation etc.?

    Let's face it, the LNP wrecking ball has thrown Australians, and the economy into chaos.
    And the 'promised surplus'? Another lot of bunkum.
    40 years of deficits is where they've put us - and they talk of 'inter-generational fairness'?.
    Hogwash.
    This mob doesn't know what it's doing.
    It lacks policies, and is running with ideologies which are trying to destroy the social fabric of this country which generations have struggled to build.
    It's not Abbott's style to negotiate, with cross-benchers, or anyone.
    His style is to defame and denigrate others by sticking nasty labels on them.
    His 'Goebbels' remark, hastily withdrawn like all his other ambushes, is possibly the most disgusting of his recent 'errors'.
    You can't expect people to negotiate with you if you call them 'ferals'.
    Another example of his incompetence is to refer to 'barnacle to be removed'.
    We're talking about people, their lives, and policies which change lives.
    And all the PM can do is treat people as obstacles.
    GST was going to go to the next election.
    Bring it on, and get rid of the worst PM Australia has ever experienced.

    Alert moderator

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