he's going down fast, wonder if he can call an election by next week??


Quote:

BROADBAND Minister Stephen Conroy's claims not to be a close friend of Mike Kaiser, the man he recommended for a plum $450,000 role, have taken a blow after revelations he flew to Queensland to scrutinise for the former MP when he was elected to the Queensland Parliament. Senior Labor sources yesterday revealed Senator Conroy was personally appointed by Mr Kaiser to scrutinise for him during vote counting at his by-election in 2000 and gave a speech lauding the new Woodridge MP at the victory celebrations. It comes after Senator Conroy admitted this week that he put forward Mr Kaiser's name for the role of government relations manager for the National Broadband Network. Mr Kaiser was later appointed to the role which was never advertised.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26710734-953,00.html

Quote:

BIG business has openly criticised the Rudd government, questioning its approach to tax reform and infrastructure policy and urging a rethink of the controversial economic stimulus package. The Business Council of Australia has also warned the Prime Minister not to get ahead of the international community on climate change, condemned his refusal to consider increasing the rate of the goods and services tax and urged him to get cracking on delivering promised infrastructure investment. The BCA represents the nation's 100 biggest companies. Since 2007 it has been an unabashed fan of Kevin Rudd's economic agenda, particularly its focus on investing in education, health and infrastructure as well as regulatory and tax reform. But in a clear sign of disquiet, or at least concern, new BCA president Graham Bradley yesterday questioned Mr Rudd's progress, implicitly criticising his review of taxes, transparency of decision-making over infrastructure and the government's dedication to cutting spending. And as Mr Rudd and Wayne Swan defended the government's economic record in parliament, other business groups backed the BCA's criticism, while premiers endorsed Mr Bradley's call for a simplified tax system.........

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-losing-faith-in-rudd/story-e6frg8zx-1225829368700

does anyone else see the BIG flaw in how ruddy handled garretts sacking.

1/ Left him hanging out in public to dry
2/ then said publically garrett has ruddys confidance.
3/ said in a caucus meeting garrerrt is better than sliced bread.
   other leftards rejoice, clap garrett on the back, probably cry like girls.
4/ sacks garrett

kruddy might pop an artery under pressure.

The BCA asked for a "non volatile" tax and wanted the GST increased.

Sprint, that is utterly selfish pleading on behalf of a group of some of the richest people in Australia.

Now I will explain that.

In 2001-7 Costello cut income tax to such an extent company tax become much more significant a component of total tax revenues than ever before. These tax cuts were only possible because of the mining boom and follow huge cuts to those in the top income brackets when the GST was introduced, really massive overcompensation for the rich, massive undercompensation for the poor. So Costello piles more income tax cuts on top of that.

When the GFC hit and the mining boom collapsed--both prices and volumes exported plunged--and company tax cuts collapsed. This is the cause of most of the deficit forecast over the Forward Estimates years. Its called the Structural Budget Deficit, now a cash deficit.

Now, the BCA hombres were beneficiaries of all this income tax cutting. they know about the Structural Budget Deficit. In calling for the GST to be increased they are asking for the poorest to make up that structural deficit. Do you see that is utterly selfish pleading for a group of rich old guys? The GST is regressive--look up what that means.

I call for massive increases in the top bracket; add a superwealthy bracket, lower the top bracket and those who did so well out of Costello at the cost of the rest of us can start paying a fair share of tax! I would also close of all the loopholes these old guys and their accountants use to avoid paying tax!

It is true that GST is a regressive tax, but regressive simply refers to proportion of income paid as tax. Even if rich people pay a smaller proportion of their income as tax, they will still be paying more tax than poor people overall. Also, GST has so many exemptions that poor people could pay very little tax if they choose how to spend carefully. I support the GST as it encourages people to consume less and invest more. And what loopholes? I'm majoring in accounting and I did taxation law last year, but I don't know what you're referring to.

Well as a lifelong Labor supporter, I admit to being a "True Believer" in 1972, when we saw Whitlam come in, after 23 years of Liberal rule, which, like in Howard's time, was a major beneficiary of an unprecedented resources boom, that they pretended was thanks to them.

They were a pretty poor lot of drones that were massively biased towards seeing privilege and old wealth being supported before, and above, all else, as well as having pathetic social values and no vision for the future.

Gough was great, but he had a party weighed down with far too many union hacks, and left wing ideologues, whose gross ineptitude saw them hand the libs, under Fraser, the opportunity to steal office.

Fraser was a heartless hack who attacked the poorest and most vulnerable in the community as the source of all our woes, and loved to attack spending on schools, hospitals, and welfare, as the bane of modern society.

Then we got Hawke, a patheticly vain and puffed up self promoter, whose populist agenda was primarily about serving himself, rather than what was best for the country.

Big Fanfare!! Along came the best PM in my lifetime, the "scumbag" scuttler himself, Paul Keating, whose good governance, vision, and action, set australia up to be perfectly positioned to fully exploit the coming boom times.

Then we had the lying Rodent squander the once in a lifetime opportunity to engage in truly meaningful Nation Building, and instead will go down in history as the king of Pork Barrelling, and middle class welfare spending. (as well as for shamelessly lying to one and all, including his long suffering treasurer, who could have done great things, IF he had not been lied to and cheated by the annoying "gnawing" one)

And now we have Hawke revisited, captain Kruddy.
I say Hawke revisited, except this version is a more pious, and more cowardly version of the self promoting PM model that Hawke pioneered.

So once more we see a Labor government which could be great, failing to even meet basic standards of competency.
Conroy's appallingly naive understanding of the telecommunications industry in general, plus his being wedded to an idioticly hamstrung ideology on how broadband should be supported in our country has not seen him rise to the challenge, but rather sink to the bottom of the trough of self indulgence that would have made a 1960's Liberal politician proud.

I shake my head in shame that I voted for this lot, I always had misgivings about Rudd, I mean anyone who promotes their personal religious beliefs goes massively down in my estimation, as religion is a supremely personal issue, and should always remain private, and should not dragged out as a cloak of moral superiority to wave in people's faces.

I think Labor has got talent, and a better long term vision for this country than the Libs, but unless they change their starting lineup dramatically, I will NOT be voting for them at the next election.

So, I just added this personal opinion to show that it is not only rusted on Libs and extremist right wingers that are disenchanted with Mr Rudd, and some of his more lacklustre lackeys.

What a woeful load of bias...  well I told you years ago Kruddy was all about Kruddy and he was a liar and useless self-promoter.  yet you voted for him eh.

Your still going to vote Labor aren't you.
If you preference them above the Coalition/Libs you will still be voting Labor.

Well golly gosh, look what crawled out of the woodwork, a beoworm. ;D

Who would expect a personal opinion to hold any bias, certainly not soemone who championed the perilous pauline for so long, as well as just about all the ultra nationalist right wing claptrap you could think of, whilst still describing themselves as politically left wing,  ;) , obviously they would be far too objective for that.

I know I will not be voting Labor at the next election if Rudd is at the helm, and I also can say the same for the Libs, if they stick with their current leader, a character that only the Libs could love, with possibly only Cwissy Pyne, or Tacky Tuckey as worse candidates.

Just imagine if rudd had tried to help aussie, instead of swanning around the world to failed useless talkfests or writing kids books that fail to sell or putting us into 25 years of debt.

Mozzy...  mmmm...  getting more poisonous with age and creeping senilty it seems.

I never championed Pauline actually just corrected the scurrilous lies told about her.  Not RW or ultranationalist actually...  just ask Skippy.

Preferences are mandatory old soak...  who ya gonna put last...  Labor or the Coalition?  You know it wont be Labor...  hence you will be voting Labor.

lol, You should run for pope, along with your usual infallibility, you have now got clairvoyance going for you as well.

nope....  in the vast majority of seats that is the exact scenario..

So tell us all great mozzy...  is yours in the minority?

ruddy arrogance grow by the day.
who else with such a list of failures would push onwards, threatening all who ask questions ?

all the signs of a controlling freak micro manager who is losign his grip.
he's lost contact with his advisers, they've given up on him 'cause he does not listen.



Quote:

KEVIN Rudd seems set on becoming the Frank Sinatra of Australian politics. He's going to do it all his way and he's prepared to fight anyone: cabinet colleagues, premiers, bureaucrats and even the Japanese government to do it "my way". But Ol' Blue Eyes runs the risk of ending up with black eyes. Once a prime minister decides to pick a fight, let alone half a dozen, he puts his authority on the line and is judged by the outcome that will be there for all to see. Rudd is reacting to opposition and criticism to show that he is the spearhead, still the leader of the government's strategy and re-election campaign. This means he's prepared to dare those with different views to his to challenge his judgment on hospital reform, the timing of the release of the Henry tax review, the role of an emissions trading scheme in the election, holding a referendum at the next election on health, his style and even commercial whaling. After more than a week of accepting blame for policy failures, broken promises and personal shortcomings, and being criticised and contradicted by colleagues for overreacting, the PM has stepped back on centre stage and into the leading role. Rudd is rejecting criticism of his style, his management, handling of policy development, priorities for election issues, timing of policy initiatives and cabinet consultation. Everything is working as it should and he sees no reason to change or shift the focus from Kevin '07. What we are witnessing now is a pivotal moment for the Rudd government as the leader tries to bridge the gap between the expectation and the reality of his promise and maintain central command over the politics and machinery of government just as his colleagues begin to question his judgment after more than two years of acquiescing. State leaders and health bureaucrats are opposing his hospital reforms and some federal Labor MPs believe he shouldn't have promised to hold a referendum at the election. Rudd's reaction is to attack the bureaucrats, tell the premiers he won't give them any extra money till they agree to his reform and to reiterate his commitment to a referendum. Senior Labor MPs believe the Henry tax review is electoral poison that should be released and neutralised as soon as possible, definitely before the May budget. Rudd yesterday refused to rule out leaving it until after the election. Rudd has dug in, he's backing himself and banking on public support in the fights he's picked.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/opinion/rudd-is-bent-on-doing-it-his-way/story-e6frgd0x-1225837533242