Is Labor Shooting Itself In The Foot?

[Guest]

Federal Labor that is.

If it keeps blocking all approaches to solve the budget crisis, it (Labor) will inherit an empty kitty!

How will it splash the dosh around then?

[treblid]

Federal Labor that is.

If it keeps blocking all approaches to solve the budget crisis, it (Labor) will inherit an empty kitty!

How will it splash the dosh around then?

You want Labor to say yes to everything Abbott came up with?

 

If that's the case, why not just make Abbott Supreme Emperor then, and Labor his loyal subjects? One of 'em might even be knighted! ^_^

 

[treblid]

Hell-man I said if the opposition block everything they will have no bikkies in the tin when their turn to put snout into the trough!

Nothing in that about being Emperor.

No one will knock back a knighthood or even a "nighthood"!

It's not opposition's role to block everything, their role is to keep the government in check.

 

Instead of saying it's the opposition that blocks everything, how about seeing this from the real perspective - every policy this government has come up with is bad... 

 

Consider this - If Abbott is capable of governing, then their policies will not be blocked in the senate (hopefully you can count, unlike this nation's Treasurer :p).

[Aloysius]

It's not opposition's role to block everything, their role is to keep the government in check.

 

Instead of saying it's the opposition that blocks everything, how about seeing this from the real perspective - every policy this government has come up with is bad... 

 

Consider this - If Abbott is capable of governing, then their policies will not be blocked in the senate (hopefully you can count, unlike this nation's Treasurer ).

 

 

 

Passing strange that this was exactly what Abbott was accused of when in opposition - but hey it was wrong then!!!

 

 

Even the ALP had some good policies when in government - not that many of course and the bills have still to be paid. But seriously how can any one believe that a government has only bad policies?

 

 

As for treasurers counting: I seem to recall the last treasurer being a whole lot less talented than Hockey could ever be - he ran up the debts that Hockey is trying to pay down.

 

 

Shirley - memory is failing a few otherwise good folk!

[POWERZONE]

Hi peter. So the question you're really asking is "Is PUP shooting itself in the foot" ?


It's a bit rich to ask Labor to betray its support base by supporting Govt policies that are contrary to its entire platform and the reason for its existence... let alone Govt policies without a mandate.


The senate isn't behaving any differently to the way it was over the last 7 years.


How hostile was the senate during the Gillard years? Even more tellingly, how hostile was the opposition in parliament with its continuous no-confidence/ensure motions? 75 times they tried to stop the running of the country with their attempts to destabilise the Government - it was the most hostile opposition since Fraser and it had the same intentions.


Ask yourself this... did the Coalition who are now in Govt shoot themselves in the foot with the above behaviour?

[POWERZONE]

Labor aren't stopping all attempts at reducing the debt and deficit, just some of the Liberal attempts. And the Liberal attempts are akin to leeching all the fuel from a small car into an 18 wheeler - neither vehicle will go very far
 
How about going the other way? There are plenty of rich folk that are riding the taxpayer funded gravy train. Two examples are negative gearing and superannuation. A superannuate can earn millions in capital gain and pay no tax. Ironically, when Labor tried to tax a yearly superannuation income of anything greater than $100K the Liberal Party blocked it in the senate. Same thing happened when Labor tried a fringe benefits tax on company cars.
 
So it's not as if Labor don't know how to provide alternative ways of reducing the debt. They will wait until closer to the election before announcing their debt mitigation polices - just like Liberal have done. To do so now would be rather foolish because it depends on how much more damage the Government does to the economy in the meantime.

[POWERZONE]

Hi Peter.

You don't see anyone else making any serious attempts? Well let's start with the Carbon and Mining taxes.

Labor opposed their removal and thus the removal of the $8 billion revenue to the budget per year.

That money is now gone thanks to the Government.

Labor also opposed Toxic Tony's PPL program - which would have cost around $5 billion per year.

So in one year that's around plus $13 billion for the budget in favour of Labor. Not a serious attempt?

[POWERZONE]

The thing is though... it was Labor blocking it in the senate that saved the money. So I call that a serious attempt...

Just read that the Government's data retention policy will cost $400m a year. Not what I call a serious attempt...
I wonder if taxpayers who voted Liberal knew they would have to pay for their internet freedoms to be "monitored"?

Yes, the Mining tax raised two & six, which in today's money is around $130m. So it didn't kill the goose that laid the golden egg which makes you wonder why the Govt dropped it actually...

[POWERZONE]

You can have a pay rise mate...

See ya on Chooseday

[Aloysius]

Hmmmmmmmm so many posts that appear to blame everthing on everyone except the ALP!

 

 

Go figure, a record seven years of debt accumulation - but hey it's not their fault at all. :notworthy:  :Cry:

 

Right :ras:  :ras:

[Aloysius]

You miss the point of my post - it's all everyone's fault except the previous government - The ABC government gets no criticism from the ALp apologists particularly the ALp apologists that are quite endemic in the national broadcaster.

 

One eyed springs to mind.

 

When do these folks start to ask Electricity Bill just what his policies are to fix a growing debt problem?

 

As for saying it's Palmers fault that the Senate is obstructionist - hello? - he only has that power because the ALP is saying no to everything

[POWERZONE]

It's Chooseday

Let's have an early election.

[POWERZONE]

Double dissolution?

Now that's a good idea, we could dissolve the Liberal Party and Tony Abbott at the same time

[POWERZONE]

Hi Peter.

 

I'd be more than happy for a sweet old MIL in my bank account!

 

I said something about "Stick with the devil you know" before the election and decided at the time that having watched Tony Abbott and his idiosyncrasies since he was a Howard Minister that he would be totally unsuitable as PM. You might remember we discussed it at length in another thread.


Now we have members of his own party discussing it publicly... he can't do the job. Really, he can't. Really really.


Law of unintended consequences? Upon becoming PM he refused to apologise to Indonesia for phone bugging by previous Govts, now he asks them for a favour to not execute drug traffickers!? Of course you've got to try but you also need political capital, an ounce of luck and a truckload of goodwill to get away with that. Abbott has nothing.


He threatens to shirtfront a political leader who has the power to partially destroy the planet. Why???


He is a workchoice supporter who pretends not to be, he contradicts himself, he says one thing and does the opposite, he breaks promises, he lies, he backflips, he somersaults, he nods his head, he winks his eye, he does everything except run the country. He's an international embarrassment

 

It also appears he doesn't understand democracy. In any democracy, the majority are right - no exceptions.

But we have a PM who doesn't accept the verdict of the electorate:

 

"To pay $1.2 billion not to build a road. What does that say about Victoria? It's an example of what goes wrong when in a fit of absent-mindedness the people elect a Labor government."

 

Hello? That is a totally unacceptable statement from a Prime Minister - to critisice your own electorate?

He should be sacked just for that reason alone.

 

His 375 supporters ask what's Bill Shorten doing? Bill Shorten is campaigning for his party and winning state elections. Tony Abbott is not. Scorecard 3-0 so far.


I'll take Shorten over Abbott anytime. I also reserve the right to criticise him if he stuffs up like Abbott is now.


ooo lookie > :officechair: :officechair: :officechair:

[Aloysius]

hope you survived Marcia safely Aloy

 

 

Thanks Mello - yep we were on the fringe of the damaging wind area you would have seen more severe conditions in Sydney at times - but hey that's just dumb luck - a lot of sorry stories coming out of Rockhampton.

 

The saddest really to me is the gang of guys that are touring around knocking off portable generators that folks have been given or have bought to keep fridges running!

 

extremity - it brings out the good and the bad -  heaps of volunteer help and heaps of misery makers.

[Aloysius]

Hi Peter.

 

I'd be more than happy for a sweet old MIL in my bank account!

 

I said something about "Stick with the devil you know" before the election and decided at the time that having watched Tony Abbott and his idiosyncrasies since he was a Howard Minister that he would be totally unsuitable as PM. You might remember we discussed it at length in another thread.


Now we have members of his own party discussing it publicly... he can't do the job. Really, he can't. Really really.


Law of unintended consequences? Upon becoming PM he refused to apologise to Indonesia for phone bugging by previous Govts, now he asks them for a favour to not execute drug traffickers!? Of course you've got to try but you also need political capital, an ounce of luck and a truckload of goodwill to get away with that. Abbott has nothing.


He threatens to shirtfront a political leader who has the power to partially destroy the planet. Why???


He is a workchoice supporter who pretends not to be, he contradicts himself, he says one thing and does the opposite, he breaks promises, he lies, he backflips, he somersaults, he nods his head, he winks his eye, he does everything except run the country. He's an international embarrassment

 

It also appears he doesn't understand democracy. In any democracy, the majority are right - no exceptions.

But we have a PM who doesn't accept the verdict of the electorate:

 

"To pay $1.2 billion not to build a road. What does that say about Victoria? It's an example of what goes wrong when in a fit of absent-mindedness the people elect a Labor government."

 

Hello? That is a totally unacceptable statement from a Prime Minister - to critisice your own electorate?

He should be sacked just for that reason alone.

 

His 375 supporters ask what's Bill Shorten doing? Bill Shorten is campaigning for his party and winning state elections. Tony Abbott is not. Scorecard 3-0 so far.


I'll take Shorten over Abbott anytime. I also reserve the right to criticise him if he stuffs up like Abbott is now.


ooo lookie > :officechair: :officechair: :officechair:

 

 

 

Mate I reckon you deserve to get your wishes and choices - clearly repeating the past and expecting a different result is the stuff of fairy stories.

 

Bill is stuffing up the country from opposition - no mean feat - just imagine how effective he would be in government - serving his real electorate his buddies in Trades Hall.

 

 

WE can all reserve our rights. ports:

[POWERZONE]

Thanks mate. Dunno how it's possible to stuff up the country from opposition? The senate is holding the Government to account, just as it's done for the last seven years. It's only now that some people have a problem with it...

 

I say some people because the majority of the people are actually quite happy with it

 

Respondents were more likely to think the Senate should vote against all listed outstanding legislation.

 

The strongest opposition was to increasing the fuel excise (72%), the $7 Medicare co-payment (68%) and cuts to university funding (65%).

 

http://essentialvision.com.au/government-legislation

 

Anyway, see ya Toosday, all the best up there

[Aloysius]

Thanks PZ you put your finger on the major problem with our present political culture and the inability of the electorate to understand that sometimes short term nongratification leads to longer term benefit. While ever we have a system where a senate can block the introduction of legislation that was taken to the electorate at an election we actually see an undermining of the political process and disenchantment with politicians. In short the will of the electorate is thwarted.

 

If the ALP had merely followed their announced intentions prior to the election a number of issues would have been resolve quickly - folks just don't seem to understand that oppositions break prior promises too.

 

 

That folks don't want to pay more tax is obvious.

IMO.

[Aloysius]

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/breaking...7287956789

 


NT Labor leader's future in doubt
 


<p style="text-align:inherit;font-size:18px;">THE concerted strategy by the Northern Territory's opposition leader to discredit an inquiry has left "a bad taste in the mouth" of democracy, the chief minister says.


<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Guardian Sans', Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', TrebuchetMS, sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(245,245,245);">ADAM Giles said several Northern Territory Labor MPs, including leader Delia Lawrie and her deputy will be referred to the privileges committee for misleading parliament.

A judgment handed down in the Darwin Supreme Court on Wednesday found that Ms Lawrie colluded with her lawyers to discredit the commissioner of an inquiry that found she had acted improperly and with bias by handing an historic Darwin site to Unions NT.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Guardian Sans', Tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', TrebuchetMS, sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(245,245,245);"> 

The then-Labor government bypassed the usual tender process to hand them the Stella Maris site on a 10-year lease for zero rent the day before entering caretaker mode for the August 2012 election.

 

Mmmmmmmmmmm

 

Unless and until this corrupt partnership is ended the credibility of a once proud political party is doomed.

[POWERZONE]

Small beer compared to what's been happening to the Government up there. It's chaos city for the LNP.