Abbott the quiet achiever...

[Rorschach]

Mantra reply part3.

Howard signing us up to an FTA with the US has been an abysmal failure for Australia, but the US have reaped the benefits. We're indebted to them for billions. How much will we end up owing China especially since Hockey is breaking a promise to us that foreign ownership would be reduced to $15 million. China is demanding their ownership be increased to $1 billion per acquisition.

So? Both major parties are bipartisan on FTAs I’ve already addressed this stuff… you should read the answers instead of just writing crap about how badly you are treated and blaming others for it.

True or false? Keep up. We have a trade deficit with the US of $14 billion - in their favour. They export far more to us than we do to them. It has been an uneven playing field from the very beginning. See above.

True or false? As far as China demanding ownership of our agricultural land - Abbott made an election promise that foreign ownership would be decreased to $15 million - now he's got Hockey negotiating with China over an increase to $1 billion because they're demanding this figure be increased as part of the FTA. Who wants an FTA with China? Previous governments haven't made the plunge for obvious reasons, but Abbott is gungho about going ahead. No…. for 2 terms (remember mandarin Rudd…he who speeky Chinee) the ALP have been driving this FTA. Do you or I disagree with FTAs? Yes… so did One Nation… they are unnecessary and we usually come out 2nd in negotiations.

Howard started the process of an Australian fire sale - Abbott will finish it.

True or false? There is already talk about Federal owned businesses which are going to be privatised. Howard went beserk selling off anything he could and now Abbott is about to do the same. Rubbish… that is just your opinion and it is a lie, coloured by your personal and political bias. Qantas, Commonwealth bank, ALP sell off...pre Howard.

[mantra]

Mantra reply part 2…

Abbott has explained nothing to a stunned public. He has not only nearly doubled our debt ceiling in a few short weeks, he is signing us up to an FTA with China of all countries. Why? Abbott hasn't told us why. How do we compete with a nation of 1.3 billion who use dirt cheap labour?

no one is stunned mantra... except you perhaps and I've covered this already. We do know why, we've already been told why. You are lying again.

True or false? The Abbott government has increased our debt ceiling from $300 billion to $500 billion. That was in the news all of last week.

Did I specifically state that was incorrect? No. But we do know why they want an increase in debt limit and it is due to the increasing debt due to ALP policies.

We know what reason the Coalition gave for these borrowings. They put it all on the previous government when in fact it was to meet the Coalition's $70 billion black hole in their promised budget. They lied. Blaming the previous government for this huge increase in borrowing is pathetic and you know it. The Coalition made unrealistic promises and as a result of this - are putting this country further into debt. Did they tell the electorate they were going to borrow $200 billion in the first month of their leadership?

True or false? Abbott stated we were going to sign up to an FTA with China in a year or so. Are you denying that he didn't say that? If you bothered reading anything - you would know that there are those on the right, including some from his own cabinet who aren't happy with this. Do you deny that China's wages are low - hence the exodus of our manufacturing over there.

Abbott doesn’t control Chinese wages any more than you do. The ALP have been negotiating the FTA with China… yet as usual with you its always Howard hate or Abbott hate… I’ve already addressed all this shit.

You haven't answered true or false and why is this not surprising. Yes the ALP negotiated with China - so did Howard, but Abbott has made a commitment to sign up within a year. Bit of a difference. As far as controlling Chinese wages - where did I say Abbott controlled the wages - but use your common sense. How does a country with a population of 25 million paying reasonable wages to the workers, compete with a country of 1.3 billion where wages are generally very low?

You're the one who uses the word hate - you are the hater. The word hate is not in my vocabulary and I've never used it. I dislike Howard and Abbott for their ideology, but I hate no-one - even you.

[mantra]

Mantra reply part 4.

From your own recommended RW newspaper.... liar liar pants on fire.... again... if I had to pick an Aussie paper I'd pick the Age.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6747656783

If I could be bothered - I'll go through the rest of my posts. You are in complete denial IQ. Read up a bit on politics before you start calling me a liar. Because you have little credibility anywhere - don't try and drag me down to your level. Try and keep up and you won't look like such a dummy. Oh look IQ

Sorry IQ it's all yours....
Seems to me IQ has every right to call you a liar.

Get your facts together before you accuse me of lying. We know who the liar is and it isn't me. I didn't say the Australian was your recommended newspaper - the post was addressed to IQ quite clearly. So you're lying or either you're really stupid or perhaps you need new glasses? I go for you're "really stupid".

I don't see anything coming out of the media except for occasional opinion pieces from Fairfax fuckwits, and we all know how well Fairfax papers are selling dont we?

There's so few of you leftwing fuckwits around they are going broke because not only does no one read their drivel, you left wing dregs are too cheap and poor to buy the only rag that espouses your singular viewpoint.

At least News ltd carries both left and right ing commentators but you lot of perpetual fucking moaners sob about Murdoch conspiracies without even batting an eyelid at your own hypocrisy.

No wonder the course of history has you lot of leftys as a bunch of whiny fucking losers.

http://www.ozpolitic.com/polanimal/view ... 3&start=50

[Hebe]

You might have started this thread - but you've destroyed it with your personal insults and deliberately disruptive off topic comments.

Yeah, that's what puts me off this place really. You can't have a discussion about anything without it turning into personal abuse and attacks. It makes the whole thing pointless and boring.

It's a pity because I was starting to develop an interest in coming back, but really, everything ends up the same. I have better places to be on the net, where I can actually find stuff out.

Anyway, regarding the quiet achiever bit, here's a take on it

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politi ... 2wt5k.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They're quiet because either they aren't achieving anything, or because they don't want people to know what they're doing.

Remember - only 30,000 votes got them in. Bring on a double dissolution (which they won't because they're too gutless), and they won't even last a full term.

[mantra]

You might have started this thread - but you've destroyed it with your personal insults and deliberately disruptive off topic comments.

Yeah, that's what puts me off this place really. You can't have a discussion about anything without it turning into personal abuse and attacks. It makes the whole thing pointless and boring.

It's a pity because I was starting to develop an interest in coming back, but really, everything ends up the same. I have better places to be on the net, where I can actually find stuff out.

I was thinking exactly the same thing yesterday. It's pointless putting an effort into posting anything political when the opposition hasn't got the ability to respond intelligibly, only shout you down with insults.

Anyway, regarding the quiet achiever bit, here's a take on it

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politi ... 2wt5k.html

They're quiet because either they aren't achieving anything, or because they don't want people to know what they're doing.

Remember - only 30,000 votes got them in. Bring on a double dissolution (which they won't because they're too gutless), and they won't even last a full term.

This is obvious even to a thinking supporter of the Abbott government, but will be denied by those who can't think. It's a good article. Well worth quoting.

It's extremely worrying, not only for the electorate, but for associated federal departments who have to be held accountable. The public are being treated like idiots.

Since winning office, Abbott has fronted the nation's media just eight times. Calls to his office, and to his ministers, frequently go unanswered or unreturned.

During the week, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop was a star speaker at the Australian Council for International Development conference in Canberra. The two-day event was open to the public, including the media - except for Bishop's speech. It's understood the media was barred at the request of the minister, who is tasked with enforcing the government's $4.5 billion cut to foreign aid over the next four years.

Announcing the government would respond to Australia's ballooning credit card bill by almost doubling the borrowing limit to half a trillion dollars, Treasurer Joe Hockey held a 10-minute press conference and took few questions.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has radically overhauled the approach of his department and others to information about asylum seekers. No longer does Customs issue advice about boats in distress en route to Australia. No longer is information on boats arriving in Australian territorial waters released to the public as soon as it comes to hand. Nor is the rebadged Department of Immigration and Border Protection authorised to provide previously innocuous information about asylum seekers.

Now, as The Australian Financial Review's James Massola revealed a fortnight ago, Morrison has been joined each week in Sydney for briefings either by acting operational commander Air Marshal Mark Binskin or full-time commander Angus Campbell, who have travelled at taxpayers' expense each week, four staff in tow, to sit side by side with the minister and field questions.

Given the briefings are held in Morrison's home state of Sydney, rather than in Canberra, the press gallery responsible for covering federal politics cannot attend, and so the number of journalists attending has dwindled.

snip...

The strict control on information being run from the Prime Minister's office - directed by Abbott and his chief of staff Peta Credlin - is causing ructions in the federal public service, responsible for delivering the new government's agenda.

Already rattled by the looming axe that will fall on 12,000 jobs (many within the service doubt that many can be found by natural attrition alone), the public service is doubly rattled by the centralisation of decision-making within the Prime Minister's Office.

Public service sources report at least two ministers have made themselves known to their public servants only by conveying the message, "don't f--- it up".

One section head said: "His [the minister's] office won't tell us much".

"Pretty much all we've heard is, 'I want no f----ups'. No one wants to upset the minister, but he needs to talk to us. There's a lot of confusion, at the EL [middle management] level at least, about what we're meant to be doing. Some of us are doing nothing because we're waiting for answers from the minister."

This, in turn, is affecting the flow of information to the public.

AusAID, which has been rolled into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as of Friday, has been telling journalists it could take a week, or more, to provide information previously released within hours. Other departments and ministers' offices have simply failed to return calls and emails.

snip

The list of roadblocks is growing.

In 2010, Treasury and 15 other departments released under freedom of information laws partly redacted versions of "red books", the briefs prepared in advance for a re-elected government to the media and to the then Coalition opposition.

But this year, requests for the Treasury, Prime Minister and Cabinet and Attorney-General's department "blue books", or advice prepared for an incoming government, have been flatly rejected. The documents typically provide a frank assessment of the party's election policies and the public service's view of the economy and other information designed to allow a smooth transition between governments.

The Treasury official responsible for the decision wrote that "release of the incoming government briefs would interfere with the establishment of an effective working relationship between the Treasury and Treasurer".

"The need to develop a trusting relationship is particularly important in the early days of a new government, to set the tone for the future working relationship of the whole department.

"Disclosure of the incoming government brief would not be conducive to establishing a productive, trusting and effective relationship with the Treasurer and would adversely affect Treasury's effectiveness as a central policy agency, which I also find to be contrary to the public interest."

Peter Timmins, a lawyer specialising in freedom of information, says Treasury's refusal to release its advice to the incoming government was in clear breach of the public interest.

"It's been in the Freedom of Information Act for 30 years that advice, opinions, recommendations, in the course of the operations of an agency isn't protected - except if, on balance, it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose it," he said.

"I think certainly parts of that brief that are Treasury views about the state of the economy, Treasury's view about a range of economic issues, I think there'd be a very strong public interest in disclosure of that information."

Last week Abbott's department said it would keep secret its first briefing for the Prime Minister because disclosure of its advice would be contrary to the public interest.

At least five departments have now refused outright to release incoming government briefs, while another five have asked for fees of up to $2356 to release the information that previous governments have released.

snip

What we haven't been told

- Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop's speech to the Australian Council for International Development conference in Canberra is closed to the media.

- Treasurer Joe Hockey holds a 10-minute press conference, and refuses to take many questions, announcing the government will almost double the borrowing limit to $500 billion.

- Treasury refuses to release advice to the new government on the state of the economy and other issues, claiming its release "would interfere with the establishment of an effective working relationship between the Treasury and Treasurer".

- The capacity at the Manus Island (PNG) and Nauru offshore asylum seeker processing centres and the Christmas Island processing centre.

[Neferti]

They're quiet because either they aren't achieving anything, or because they don't want people to know what they're doing.

Remember - only 30,000 votes got them in. Bring on a double dissolution (which they won't because they're too gutless), and they won't even last a full term.

Where did you get that figure from, Hebe? According the the AEC http://vtr.aec.gov.au/ the Official Results were:

Australian Labor Party..................5,583,215 ..... 46.55 ..... -3.65
Liberal/National Coalition.............6,411,134 ...... 53.45 .... +3.65

According to my calculator 6,411,134 minus 5,583,215 equals 827,919 a lot more than 30,000.

[Neferti]

...snip

What we haven't been told

- Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop's speech to the Australian Council for International Development conference in Canberra is closed to the media.

- Treasurer Joe Hockey holds a 10-minute press conference, and refuses to take many questions, announcing the government will almost double the borrowing limit to $500 billion.

- Treasury refuses to release advice to the new government on the state of the economy and other issues, claiming its release "would interfere with the establishment of an effective working relationship between the Treasury and Treasurer".

- The capacity at the Manus Island (PNG) and Nauru offshore asylum seeker processing centres and the Christmas Island processing centre.

The first comment about that article says it all, really.

The papers hate it because they want politics on the front page to sell papers - I want government to go about its business efficiently and quietly - I don't need to see (as Labor did nationally and here in Victoria) daily press announcements about what a great job they are doing (based solely on self-assessment) and ads promoting themselves - when we need to know tell us but otherwise just keep the head down and work - two ears - one mouth - problem with reporters they seem to have 4 mouths and no ears.

[Phil E. Buster]

Too right Neferti.

Mr Abbott hasn't taken ANY actions - that's what everyone's saying.

This is GOOD GOVERNMENT, and suitably grown-up.

Take that, leftards.

[Phil E. Buster]

There is a Mr Doyle, Neferti. Just look at the name Neferti, 'Doyle.' That is written in leftard, isn't it. Mr Doyle said that eleven of the Coalition's new seats are held on a margin of less than 4000 votes. Ridiculous, isn't it Neferti. Shame Mr Doyle Shame. He did not stop there, that awful leftard, Nefeti. He also said that Mr Abbott's wonderful victory isn't a clean sweep, no matter how the hacks spin it. 'Hacks,' Neferti, he said, 'hacks.' How dare he.

We must be praising Mr Abbott now the adults are in charge, Neferti.

Only Mr Abbott can stop the boats, well, they are stopping, slowing somehow, but they will be stopped Neferti, sometime.

Pathetic Lefards, just pathetic!

[Rorschach]

Mantra reply part 2…

Abbott has explained nothing to a stunned public. He has not only nearly doubled our debt ceiling in a few short weeks, he is signing us up to an FTA with China of all countries. Why? Abbott hasn't told us why. How do we compete with a nation of 1.3 billion who use dirt cheap labour?

no one is stunned mantra... except you perhaps and I've covered this already. We do know why, we've already been told why. You are lying again.

True or false? The Abbott government has increased our debt ceiling from $300 billion to $500 billion. That was in the news all of last week.

Did I specifically state that was incorrect? No. But we do know why they want an increase in debt limit and it is due to the increasing debt due to ALP policies.

We know what reason the Coalition gave for these borrowings. Really? But you just said that nothing was explained... you lied mantra. They put it all on the previous government when in fact it was to meet the Coalition's $70 billion black hole in their promised budget. Rubbish... They lied. You believe unproven ALP propaganda. Blaming the previous government for this huge increase in borrowing is pathetic and you know it. I know you are pathetic and believe crap because of your personal and political bias. The Coalition made unrealistic promises and as a result of this - are putting this country further into debt. Did they tell the electorate they were going to borrow $200 billion in the first month of their leadership? The TREASURY estimates based on the ALP figure say that there will be a $370 billion hole... so are the ALP figures wrong is Treasury wrong... it has nothing to do with the current government they have only been in for 50 days and parliament hasn't sat yet.. you are making foolish statements.

True or false? Abbott stated we were going to sign up to an FTA with China in a year or so. Are you denying that he didn't say that? If you bothered reading anything - you would know that there are those on the right, including some from his own cabinet who aren't happy with this. Do you deny that China's wages are low - hence the exodus of our manufacturing over there.

Abbott doesn’t control Chinese wages any more than you do. The ALP have been negotiating the FTA with China… yet as usual with you its always Howard hate or Abbott hate… I’ve already addressed all this shit.

You haven't answered true or false and why is this not surprising. Because there is no need to... my statement makes that clear. Yes the ALP negotiated with China - so did Howard, but Abbott has made a commitment to sign up within a year. Bit of a difference. Nope... the ALP would do the same, they have always wanted an agreement why do you think they've been negotiating for so long for one? As far as controlling Chinese wages - where did I say Abbott controlled the wages - but use your common sense. The obvious question is why bring them up everyone knows they work for less. But then China is not australia and all conditions are different cost of living political structure etc, etc... How does a country with a population of 25 million paying reasonable wages to the workers, compete with a country of 1.3 billion where wages are generally very low? Duh... really

You're the one who uses the word hate - you are the hater. No mantra you are... you always hate you always bring up howard you always ridicule and defame Abbott... you don't do that to people you like now do you? The word hate is not in my vocabulary and I've never used it. Bullshit... you are a bitter and twisted individual these days. I dislike Howard and Abbott for their ideology, but I hate no-one - even you. Then you should amend your bad behaviour to others and stop telling lies. I don't dislike people I disagree with unless they are horrible people and horrible to me and others. Liberal or Labor is no reason to dislike anyone, it's insane.