Category: Politics

How unfair is that? Bob Ellis has to be the funniest blogger in Australia – he is trying to be funny isn’t he?

THOUSANDS of asylum-seekers could have their bridging visas cancelled and be returned to immigration detention under a tough new asylum-seeker policy the Coalition is set to announce. Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott are expected to outline plans today to deal with the more than 25,000 asylum-seekers already in Australia, but whose refugee claims have not yet been processed.

The TPVs would allow refugees to work but would prohibit family reunion rights, a feature critics of TPVs have argued creates an incentive for men to bring women and children on boats with them. One of the biggest changes proposed by the Coalition relates to refugee processing in Australia, which was suspended from August 12 last year, when the Houston expert panel on asylum-seekers handed down its report, until last month. During that time more than 25,000 asylum-seekers arrived, creating a massive backlog most in the field expected would take years to clear.

Since Tuesday, three boats carrying 252 asylum-seekers have arrived.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the plan was simply a rehash of a discredited Howard government policy. He said boat numbers had dwindled since Labor announced its PNG offshore resettlement policy on July 19. Dwindled to three boats since Tueday!  Yeah…right Jason and I presume the “discredited Howard government policy” that actually stopped the boats is what you are referring to. Can’t lie straight in bed!  

Six months agothe Coalition talk about northern development;

The Coalition’s white paper, released in June, centred on a 20-year strategic plan for northern development and proposed reviving Darwin, Cairns, Townsville and Karratha through lower personal and business tax rates, relocation subsidies and investment incentives, as well as a water project development fund.

When Abbott announced this the ALP rolled around the floor laughing and queued up to redicule the plan Gold footpaths in Karatha…grid lock in Sydney crows Bradbury and went on to describe it as “an absolute disaster” that would “divide Australia in two” and force higher taxes for people in western Sydney. That was six months ago Since then Rudd has decided it’s a good idea and all the ALP talking heads are forced to retract and remark on the brilliance of Rudd’s thought bubble. Yep…thought bubble- that’s what it is.  Rudd is in panic mode as polls go bad for him.  Remember I said all us conservatives need is for Rudd to be in the chair long enough for the country to remember why they didn’t like him last time. Well, it’s happening.  

I’ve said it many times before – the ALP’s only possible plan is to attack Abbott as they certainly can’t campaign on their achievements. Abbott says;

“They’re young, feisty,” replied Abbott. Starting to grin, he added: “I think I can probably say they have a bit of sex appeal and they’re just very connected with the local area.

….and the ALP and media go into hyperdrive.  Rudd, who abused a RAAF flight attendant to the point of tears, thinks its terrible that Abbott should compliment a woman in a light hearted manner and Latham, ever the bombshell, says Abbott must have had his beer goggles on. Penny Wong says;

Tony Abbott’s “sex appeal” gaffe gives a glimpse into the opposition leader’s views on women.

Other than the use of the word ‘gaffe’ I tend to agree with Penny.  Like the majority of Australian’s, Abbott appreciates beauty and brains and isn’t afraid to pay compliments where due.  If the ALP and the media think that is a ‘gaffe’ and Australian’s will think poorly of Abbott  then they are mistaken. Now, back to the question.  How are you going to fix the $30 billion defecit.

Paul Howes remembers Beattie talking about Rudd;

(PETER Beattie) told me plainly that “that bloke stuffed up the Goss government, stuffed up his own government and during the election did his best to stuff up Julia’s government. No one should ever forget the damage that he has done.

But all is forgotten now;

WE have had our differences but it takes a bit of strength and a bit of guts from the Prime Minister to rise above that and say ‘what’s good for the campaign, what’s good for Queensland’.

I, and all Queenslanders with an attention span longer than a lightening strike, also remember Beattie stuffing up Queensland then fleeing the scene and handing over to Anna Bligh who didn’t help at all. Newman is doing his best to bring us back on line but he continually has to fight the rusted on Labor voters and unionists who seem to think the state can keep on borrowing money to pay its bloated public servants. Beattie now thinks it would be good for Queensland and Rudd thinks Beattie is an answer.  I can only say -WOW!

KEVIN Rudd has made a $200 million withdrawal from the budget’s secretive contingency reserve fund to prop up the car industry amid warnings his fringe benefits tax changes will smash domestic manufacturers In a separate measure, Labor has mandated a 100 per cent Australian-made target for the commonwealth car fleet.

The Prime Minister said supporting the car industry was critically important for the economy, as it provided an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.

If the car industry is so important to the economy why the hell did you do your honest best to cripple it with changes to the fringe benefits tax? I heard Senator Carr rattling on about how he was telling every government department, including the Army, that they had to buy local. The standard ALP rule of unintended circumstances applies.  Can’t you just see Rudd’s thought bubble appearing;

“I’ve got a geat idea to fix up our disasterous economic situation – let’s change the FBT….done.  Hang on, the industry is now reeling, looking to close down…mmm – let’s throw them $200 million – noone will notice – we are already $30 billion in deficit.”

No wonder Holden has today stated they are going to wait until after the election before committing money to expansion. Waiting for the adults to take over like most of the business investment decisions around the country….32 days to go. Trust the ALP on the economy – my arse