Australian Politics thread [merged]

[1965]

Tony is god

At the very least he thinks he is.

 

[Smokey]

Hey '65, what's your stance on a national education system or keeping the status quo with state-based systems?  No hidden agenda in my question, I'm just interested in your thoughts as a teacher.  What prompted me to ask was an article I read in The Australian today:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/national-curriculum-mired-in-half-baked-fads/story-fnbkvnk7-1226738503819

[1965]

Complete waste of time unless the money is spent to do it properly.

 

[1965]

John Howard would have sacked the lot of them.

Quarter of frontbench in expenses storm
Political News Date October 12, 2013

A quarter of Tony Abbott's frontbench is now embroiled in the expenses scandal after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert repaid taxpayer funds for attending a colleague's wedding.

Six frontbenchers, including the Prime Minister, are involved in taxpayer-funded trips, with the total charge to taxpayers for the Coalition's wedding attendances now more than $16,000.

Only a quarter of this has been refunded. About $12,000 of the total includes ''study tour'' entitlements claimed by three MPs to return home from the wedding in India of the granddaughter of Gina Rinehart's business partner - an expense they maintain is legitimate.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/quarter-of-frontbench-in-expenses-storm-20131011-2vdxb.html#ixzz2hTVIYCnj

[1965]

and proof...

Ministerial code of conduct

The coalition campaigned on a policy of "clean government" as a contrast to the previous government. A "Code of Ministerial Conduct" was introduced in fulfilment of this pledge. The code required ministers to divest shares in portfolios that they oversaw and to be truthful in parliament. The code eventually led to seven cabinet ministers resigning following breach of the code. Jim Short and Brian Gibson both resigned in October 1996[20] as both held shares in companies that were within their ministerial portfolios. Bob Woods resigned in February 1997 over questionable ministerial expense claims. Geoff Prosser resigned in July 1997 following the disclosure that he was a shopping centre landlord whilst he was responsible for commercial tenancy provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1975. John Sharp, David Jull and Peter McGauran resigned in September 1997 over irregularities in the use of ministerial travel allowances in what became known in the media as the "Travel Rorts Affair". John Moore and Warwick Parer survived revelations about his shareholdings.[28] Parer however was not reappointed to the Second Howard Ministry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Government

[1965]

So where are all the Abbott lovers?

[one-eyed]

So where are all the Abbott lovers?

Did he really have any? Governments are thrown out more than Oppositions voted in.

Shorten the new Opposition leader btw.

[Chuck17]

So where are all the Abbott lovers?

You have bored the crap out of everyone with your posts in this thread and they avoid it like perving on a tryst between Rudd and Gillard

[1965]

So where are all the Abbott lovers?

You have bored the crap out of everyone with your posts in this thread and they avoid it like perving on a tryst between Rudd and Gillard

Except you, hey?

 

[Chuck17]

It's like road kill I can't help but take a look

[1965]

It's like road kill I can't help but take a look

 

[1965]

Fast becoming the worst Prime Minister in history.

read the article and see what a moron this man is.

Abbott walking tricky tightrope on diplomacy
October 15, 2013
Hugh White

Our Prime Minister needs to think before opening his mouth, both here and abroad.

Travelling abroad, Tony Abbott has been saying things very different from what we have heard from him in Australia. There are two ways to interpret this. One is to praise him for suddenly becoming a statesman, putting the national interest over petty domestic politics. The other is to see him as weak, unprincipled and insincere. The first interpretation has prevailed among Australia's kind-hearted commentators. But our regional neighbours are not so generous and they will incline to the second interpretation. So Abbott's diplomacy is off to a shaky start.

Abbott has made two mistakes common among domestically oriented politicians when high office thrusts them into foreign affairs. One is to think that diplomacy means avoiding disagreements by saying what you think your interlocutor wants to hear. This gets you into trouble when different people want to hear different things.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/abbott-walking-tricky-tightrope-on-diplomacy-20131014-2viqg.html#ixzz2hkGyT9Hh

[Judge Roughneck]

Republican s in good form

[1965]

Another Liberal scum bag rorting the system.

Little Johnny Howard would have sacked him.


WA MP Don Randall claimed travel entitlements for 'electorate business' in Cairns

By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths

A Federal MP from Western Australia has claimed more than $5,000 in travel entitlements to go to Cairns on "electorate business".

The Liberal member for the WA seat of Canning, Don Randall, claimed the cost of a one-night stay in the far north Queensland city for himself and his wife, as well as two airfares from Perth each worth $2,388.20.

A week after the November 18 trip, Mr Randall updated his register of members interests to declare that he had bought an investment property in Cairns.

"My wife and I have taken possession of the house at the Cairns location. We intend to rent the house as an investment," he stated in the register on November 26.

A spokeswoman for Mr Randall says the MP has "no comment".

The ABC has asked via email whether the money is within entitlements and whether he intends to repay it.

The story first emerged on Fairfax media this afternoon and is the latest in a string of revelations involving both Coalition and Labor MPs making questionable claims. Some have been repaid.

It has also emerged that Mr Randall used his parliamentary allowance to purchase books, including the Guinness World Records and a book about Broadway Musicals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-16/questions-over-don-randall-expense-claims/5026388

[1965]

More trouble in paradise for Abbott.


Parental leave may trigger revolt
 
October 17, 2013

Mark Kenny

Chief political correspondent

Tony Abbott may have a more pressing challenge than convincing Labor to abandon its carbon price - keeping his own senators in line over issues such as his generous paid parental leave scheme.

Simmering resentment within the Coalition parties over both policy and personnel within the still new Abbott government, including anger at what one called ''the iron fist approach'' of the Prime Minister's office, has increased the possibility of an outbreak of ill-discipline as early as the new year.

Rightly or wrongly, some MPs blame Mr Abbott's chief of staff, Peta Credlin, alleging she has exercised excessive influence over everything from policy priorities to public appearances by senior ministers.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/parental-leave-may-trigger-revolt-20131016-2vn0x.html#ixzz2hvCcC5mL