by PAUL COLLITS – TREASURER Jim Charmless shameless Budget makes anything Paul Keating ever did look like a stroll in the park.
Business analyst Robert Gottliebsen calls his latest Budget the greatest attack on wealth this country has ever seen.
- This budget is simply high-sounding cover for a heist – a wallet raid by the ruling class who cannot live within our means.
- They squander pretty much the whole of the tax take on things that are either inherently evil or economically dangerous.
- As always, as Australia goes down the toilet, the Libs are navel gazing.
One definition of political hubris might be ruling people you hate and that you know hate you, but not caring – well, because you hate them.
Thanks to Australia’s electoral system – and the existence of the dumb UniParty mates across the aisle – the punters can’t do anything about it.
CHARMLESS
In one stroke, this charmless political class has radicalised an entire generation – ageing middle class savers-and-investors who bought property rather than investing it all in union-run super companies.
Despite the euphoria at both ends of the planet following the outcomes of Farrer and of the UK local council elections – and the suggested narrative of revolution in the air – recent events at elite-central suggest that the robots are still in charge.
Are they’re not going anywhere because they know they are secure.
Some recent examples of politics-as-normal, despite the earthquakes occurring out in voter land include:
- PM Anthony Albanese insulting One Nation voters by saying their Party has been “legitimised” by Farrer and by the collapse of the Liberals. As if One Nation voters were previously “illegitimate”.
- The insane Climate Minister Chris Bowen telling people who are paying $3 per litre for diesel to simply get an EV.
- The ghastly Attorney General Michelle Rowland is having our war heroes arrested. An insult to our veterans and an attempt to “crush the Australian spirit”.
- Then there is the attempted capital gains tax heist and the middle finger given to a whole generation – and the farcical attempt to justify it by appealing to something called intergenerational equity. This is an utter canard and unmitigated bullshit, as Henry Ergas and others have shown.
Bullshit, yes. But more importantly, simply high-sounding cover for a heist – a wallet raid by the ruling class who cannot live within our means and who squander pretty much the whole of the tax take on things that are either inherently evil or economically dangerous or undesired by anyone or all three.
The late, great Peter Walsh, a true Labor man and author of Confessions of a Failed Finance Minister, would call the current lot “saboteurs”.
The only reason they are coming for our wallets is because of their own, insane spending and their own, insane programs.
The Reserve Bank Governor knows this well. The idiot Chalmers doesn’t even know what the problem is that he thinks he is trying to solve.
Has Airbus Albo jumped the shark this time? Sky News’ Laura Jayes thinks so.
She thinks that promises and mandates still count. Still matter.
DOUBTFUL
Jayes makes the valid point that, had Albo gone to the 2025 election with a promise to raid the savings of a generation of Australians, it is highly doubtful that he would have won 94 seats in the Lower House. Indeed.
At least John Howard was honest enough to go to the 1998 election with the “promise” of a GST. Also a repellent tax.
And Howard lost most of his hard-won 1996 landslide seats in the process. The price of honesty in government.
It is a very depressing week, especially after the (false?) dawn of Farrer.
After all, Pauline Hanson herself delivered a sobering prediction that One Nation would (maybe) win about a dozen seats at the next general, and so possibly would hold the balance of power. Not quite the revolution, then.
Which brings us to the current Liberal Party dance in the weeds, aka the election of a new Liberal Party president – and to Tony Abbott.
As always, as Australia goes down the toilet, the Libs are doing what they do best – gazing at their own navels and having an internal factional squabble.
Tony Abbott is probably the most fundamentally decent leader the Libs have ever had. Only John Anderson, former leader of the Nats, matches Abbott as a decent man-in-politics.
But anyone who thinks that having even Abbott as a (ceremonial) leader will make a difference, either to the Party itself or to the nation, is sadly mistaken.
For the Liberals to become a true force – not one that just kicks out thieving Albo – they first need to kick out their own moderates and the factional preferment system in which they thrive.
No Liberal president has the authority to enact the things that are needed, for them or for us. Not even a decent and determined man like Tony Abbott can do that.
After all, they knifed him a decade ago. Wouldn’t they do it again?PC
.PC
National President of the Liberal Party position is not parliamentary party leader, ceremonial or any other description).
National Executive and State Executives are party organisational offices and personnel and Tony Abbott, or other candidate Alexander Downer Minister for Foreign Affairs Howard Government every term in office, is a candidate with experience to advise, an election campaign political leader who defeated Gillard Labor 2010 forcing them into a Greens and Others alliance to form a minority Labor government.
At the 2013 election Abbott led Coalition defeated Rudd back again Labor in a landslide defeat.
PM Abbott led the budget repair process after independent auditing of Rudd Labor Budget 2013/14 discovered so many unfunded commitments, under stated deficit and gross debt exceeding Labor debt ceiling limit and other problems. Abbott Government overturned Gillard Labor carbon tax and tried to overturn Labor renewable energy transition away from fossil fuels legislation but the repeal bill was blocked by the Senate. If Turnbull had not managed to replace Abbott with a very small Liberal MP vote majority end of 2015 I have no doubt the following three years would have been very different results.
Note 2016 election Turnbull Government lost all the new seats Abbott Opposition gained from Labor 2013, and was saved by one new seat gained by the National Party.
One last comment about the too often backward looking commentary about past events, Turnbull Party (his description) was three years in government late 2015 to late 2018, and he left Parliament soon afterwards. The left faction that increased influence from effectively from November 2007 after Howard Government was defeated, first leadership challenge first Opposition Leader Dr Brendan Nelson 2007-2008 and replaced by Turnbull, and he was replaced 2009 by Tony Abbott who for all intents and purposes defeated Gillard Labor in 2010 forcing then into an alliance with Greens and others to form a minority Labor Government. In 2013 the Abbott led Coalition defeated back again PM Rudd and was appointed PM Abbott.
PM Abbott was subjected to relentless negativity from the left faction, when replaced by a narrow margin of votes late 2015 Abbott spoke to journalists and cautioned them not to accept anonymous leaks and require the informant agree to be named before publishing or broadcasting the story. At the 2016 election Turnbull Government lost every new seat Abbott Coalition gained in 2013 and only managed to retain government with one new National seat gained.
By 2018 Dutton challenged Turnbull and the voting resulted in Morrison elected and became PM.
The media releases and other records reveal that Morrison Government as well as dealing with COVID-19 pandemic that arrived here early January 2020 had moved quickly to secure two oil refineries that were planning closure, a deal with POTUS Trump for oil (to fulfil an international obligation reserve by country for international purposes) and fuel as needed as ordered, US having lifted restrictions on drilling and digging (Trump first term) had become self sufficient and exporting more than Saudi Arabia. Also with Trump the AUKUS partnership. And with Minister for Energy Taylor the Morrison Government had many plans underway, increasing liquid fuel storage facilities and so on. And that net zero, PM Morrison did not sign any agreement at Glasgow COP 2021, he did say and following the Coalition terms and conditions first imposed by Howard for Kyoto COP emissions reduction, based on new technology and without damaging the economy, Australia would have an aspirational goal subject to the terms and conditions.
Timeline History reveals that the left factions influence has been damaging, but Sussan Ley was the last brief appearance and the new Shadow Cabinet and Leader are not followers. We all change our minds, Albanese Labor even change positions by admission, and we voters need to look at now and the future, not rear view mirror.
Perspective please, One Nation lost the VIC by election and Teal Independent with Union Labor GetUp support and Climate 200 vested interests in renewable energy and other climate politics there and next in Farrer came second both times.
Farrer by election was unusual in that the sitting Liberal MP elected again in 2025 resigned and forced the by election 2026. That is always a vote losing decision unless there was the death of the MP. To add t voter displeasure the local MP had been narrowly voted by Liberal MPs to be Leader and immediately said all policies are off the table. After campaigning on those policies for election in 2025? And that caused a rift between Liberal and National Coalition parties and after a couple of months resulted in the MP Leader losing the position with Angus Taylor replacing her with two thirds of Liberal MP votes.
The National Party leader was also replaced and Matt Canavan was selected unopposed.
It has been pointed out that in politics disunity is death, it is also noting Labor code of silence wise not to air dirty laundry in public.
Congratulations to the new One Nation MP for Farrer, I have no objection to One Nation as a minor party but I have followed their progress since 1997, now 29 years of not much achieved.
I am concerned about Labor retaining government in Victoria and Federal Government, putting opinion polling and sporting game like predictions by fans aside, to form a Federal Governmemt requires at least 76 House of Representatives MPs elected, One Nation have one so far representing Farrer and one elected 2025 for the National Party who later changed sides. Two MPs for One Nation is ridiculously tiny representation for a party that works so hard to appear to be a bigger party. And who regularly criticise and attack individuals from the Coalition parties for publicity and like the small dog barking.
Cooperate with the NOW Coalition and NEW 2026 Leaders and stop the dividing nonsense, it might make more sense if One Nation had enough members elected to be more than minor and smaller than Greens in elected members.
As most voters understand the Budget Plan is delivered by the Treasurer of the Government in office being at this time Albanese Labor Government, and House of Representatives is where the Budget speech is presented.
The Budget in Reply speech also House of Representatives was delivered by the Opposition Leader Angus Taylor last night following the tradition of our system of government.
However, in the Senate last night a budget address was delivered by minor party leader Senator Hanson of One Nation with her three Senator colleagues nearby in an almost empty chamber. No Greens Party address even though they have ten Senators to One Nation’s four Senators.
Permission to complete her address was not granted to Senator Hanson.
I have been wondering about the occasional comment about an alleged Uniparty, I have worked it out, looking at the recent election and by election results and Union Movement involvement they support and with donations Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens and Teals masquerading as Independents.
The established via Australian Workers Union (AWU) GetUp activist organisation structure imported from USA where Socialist Democrats are the left side of politics and one of the first Board of Directors member was AWU executive Bill Shorten who was later a Labor Party MP, Minister and Opposition Leader. I also found that a former Liberal Opposition Leader had input to GetUp establishing here, a left leaner.
So obviously Uniparty is three leftist parties.