Comments for The Red And The Blue

Comment on Gillard, Swan: Fantasy Scare Campaign Begins Now by Muphin

Muphin — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:39:00 +0000

Scare campaign #2, the superannuation industry. They claim there will 55 billion dollars less in super accounts.

Are they not looking after their own profits?
The fees on balanced accounts are around 0.45% . $55 billion at 0.45% is $247,500,000.
$247,500,000 PROFIT that the Super Funds will lose, no wonder they are against it.

Comment on Gillard, Swan: Fantasy Scare Campaign Begins Now by karabar

karabar — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:07:07 +0000

And that’s not to mention the truly Soviet end run on the local government referendum. Whereas constitutional referendum traditionally are debated for a minimum of twenty six weeks, the government sprung this one with 120 days left. In order to try to make it fly, Labor has been hounding away at the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) amendment bill 2013 which is now through the senate. This insidious little stunt alters the existing 1984 bill by allowing government to use taxpayers’ money to spruik one side of the referendum or the other. Whereas the 1984 bill required each elector to be serviced with a pamphlet outlining the pros and cons, this amendment changes this to one per household. There is a reason that changes to the constitution should be a the behest of the people; and not the government. This mob of Bolsheviks, however, as always consider that they are more capable than the electorate. [http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013B00083]
“All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him. If it be aristocratic in organization, then it seeks to protect the man who is superior only in law against the man who is superior in fact; if it be democratic, then it seeks to protect the man who is inferior in every way against both. One of its primary functions is to regiment men by force, to make them as much alike as possible and as dependent upon one another as possible, to search out and combat originality among them. All it can see in an original idea is potential change, and hence an invasion of its prerogatives. The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is very apt to spread discontent among those who are.” – H.L. Mencken

Comment on Budget Reply Has Sausages And Sizzle, But Skips The Wedges by Yale Stephens

Yale Stephens — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:29:39 +0000

Perhaps you could explain in detail why you think it was a good budget, how Wayne Swan has won the politics of it thus far, and why Abbott didn’t handle it well? I’m curious, deknarf. I’ve been pretty easy on the ALP, all things considered; the only positive I can find for them in the past week is the NDIS, and even that is a strongly bipartisan initiative and can hardly be presented as an outright victory.

How has this set the ALP up for victory?

Comment on Budget Reply Has Sausages And Sizzle, But Skips The Wedges by deknarf

deknarf — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:26:28 +0000

Simple (for 10 year olds), honest (‘fraid not), credible (really!).
Don’t mind reading a decent critique on Labor or Liberal/NP politics but really! Any attempt to propound that this meandering waffle was anything more than a joke response to the budget from a person who doesn’t have the capability to be a Prime Minister is truly exceeding the bounds of credulity!

Comment on Disgraceful Racial Tokenism: Macklin Announces Aboriginal “NDIS” by JohnB

JohnB — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:14:59 +0000

Watching the bit about the pairing is funny. Apparently the child got sick Sunday moring and Michele Rowland husband has taken the time off work to look after her. Presumably the ALP doesn’t think a man is capable of looking after his daughter.

One also has to wonder why, if it is so important to be home, the pairing request wasn’t made Monday? One also has to ask, if it was so important that a pairing be granted so Michele could go to Sydney to care for sick child, why did she choose to give media interviews rather than rush to Sydney and care for her child?

Perhaps rubbishing Abbott was more important?

Comment on Wayne Swan And Labor’s Position On The Budget by Rich

Rich — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:41:00 +0000

I think I know what that 25-year comment means. I think he was saying that the spending levels for this budget are in line with those of the last 25 years. The way to test that, I would think, is to measure the real-terms, year-on-year increase in spending for each of the previous 25 years, then average them and compare them to the increases for 2013–14 budget.

What I found the most gobsmacking was his inability to answer the challenge that he appeared to be taking credit for the good stuff and laying off blame for the bad stuff. His response was that he gave a speech in December to announce the write-downs. In the abstract, that would seem meaningless, but as he had already spent the preceding five minutes or so explaining that the write-downs weren’t his fault, it was clearly non-responsive. I think he just wanted to mention the write-downs again. Or maybe it was on his talking points to mention the December speech, but he hadn’t done it yet.

Comment on Plain Liberal Party Talking On The Federal Budget by karabar

karabar — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:35:51 +0000

Some question for Michelle Rowlands which would make a great post Yale.
This information is in Andrew Bolt’s blog.

Does Michelle Rowland’s child have adequate care? ……..Yes, her husband is at home
When was Michelle first aware of the illness?………Sunday May 12.
Is the illness of a serious nature?…….While illness in infants can become serious, the symptoms were typical of infant sniffles.
If the illness was considered serious why was she in Parliament on Tuesday?
If the illness was serious why did she come to Parliament on Wednesday?
When did she first request a pair? Wednesday morning.
Were Pyne and Eschton made aware of the reason for her request for a pair?…..No
When the request was initially declined did she approach the opposition with the reason?..No
When she left parliament on Wednesday did she go directly home? No, she went to Fairfax offices for a pre-determined interview.
If she was that concerned about her offspring, why was it more important to go to Fairfax?
Is this the sort of tactics used by Adolf, Joe, Saddam, Khadafy, Fidel, and Nikita? Most definitely YES.

Comment on Wayne Swan And Labor’s Position On The Budget by JohnB

JohnB — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:42:52 +0000

Geez, after that even the ALP voters in Treasury will be glad to see his back. I don’t think I’ve ever see a politician so broadly and fatuously blame public servants for his mistakes. The mantra is “It’s not our fault. The Treasury people gave us bad advice.”

And what does “Our spending is at sort of 25 year levels, 25 year levels in terms of last 25 years” actually mean? Granted it was an unscripted interview, but that one will go down in history.

Swan demonstrates his absolute lack of connection to reality with “It (government revenue) hasn’t grown in a healthy manner at all. It certainly hasn’t grown in a healthy manner.” Every person with an IQ larger than their shoe size would call a 6% or 7% per year a reasonable growth. Swan is upset because he didn’t get the 15% he expected (and spent). It takes a real union hack to claim he was diddled because the pay rise was only 7% and not 12%.

6 budgets have shown that Wayne Swan couldn’t find fiscal reality with a Ouija board and a star map.

Leigh Sales had better watch out too. Asking hard questions of the ALP might get her included in the “hate media” ranks.

Comment on BREAKING: “Baby Bonus” Abolished In Federal Budget by Ali

Ali — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:36:41 +0000

About time people lived within their means and not popular our country with yet another generation of no hopes ..

Should have happened years ago !!

I must say the only people who will be offended by this change are the ones put out by it .. Now they may have to find a job to support themselves, and their families.

Amazing how we complain about a government allowance no other country has !! We just love to waste money

Comment on Plain Liberal Party Talking On The Federal Budget by Taylor

Taylor — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:55:33 +0000

Awaiting your further post! The real thing that is annoying me about this whole situation is that the argument and bashing is taking place over issues, which either way really don’t provide growth producing change which would negate the need for cutting in the first place…..

That being said NDIS is the bomb, both on the human side and the creation of a much larger market in that sector….establishment of a cannabis trade??