Australian Politics Forum - Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money

imcrookonit

Ex Member

Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money
Sep 6^th, 2012 at 8:01am

Language policy is labelled a waste Sad

Date
September 6, 2012

TONY ABBOTT'S ambitious goal to have 40 per cent of high school students study an Asian language within a decade has been branded a multibillion-dollar waste of money. Sad

Four months after Mr Abbott announced his policy, an analysis prepared by Benjamin Herscovitch from the Centre for Independent Studies yesterday dubbed the policy an expensive waste of time. Sad

Mr Herscovitch said Australia's multicultural composition rendered it an Asia-literate country by default.

''Multicultural Australia's diverse composition also means that Asian cultural literacy [language and a knowledge of culture] is being acquired by wide sections of Australian society without the government enacting a policy response of any kind.''

He said an estimated 10 per cent of Australians - or 2.2 million people - spoke an Asian language at home and this, combined with the increasing number of couples being of mixed backgrounds, meant multicultural Australia was mainstream Australia.

Fewer than 6 per cent of secondary students study an Asian language, and just 12 per cent of high school students study any foreign languages at year 12. But Mr Herscovitch maintained that English, rather than being on the wane, remained the world's preferred language, and the case for Australians to adapt to its region's languages had not been made. Huh

However, the executive director of the Asia Education Foundation, Kathe Kirby, branded the report ''selective'' and said businesses were crying out for a more Asia-literate workforce.

Ms Kirby said Australia needed to transform its business with the Asian superpowers from an export relationship to trading in services such as financial services, engineering and marketing.

''Speaking an Asian language isn't just to do with communication; it's also to do with understanding a culture,'' she said. ''And whilst a lot of our current trade with the Asian region is export-based, the future is the export of our services.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/language-policy-is-labelled-a-waste-20120905-25evd.html#ixzz25dPtE8HR

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BatteriesNotIncluded Gold Member Offline MediocrityNET: because people died for this! Posts: 26966	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #1 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:08pm Where's maqqa for the professional comment?
Back to top	Sure....they're anti competitive as any subsidised job is. It wouldn't be there without the tax payer. Very damned difficult for a brainwashed collectivist to understand that I know.... (swaggy) IP Logged

Kat Gold Member Offline Socialism IS the answer. Posts: 17709 Everywhere and no-where Gender:	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #2 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:13pm BatteriesNotIncluded wrote on Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:08pm: Where's maqqa for the professional comment? BAAAAhahahahahahaha!
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adelcrow Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 20133 everywhere Gender:	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #3 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:14pm BatteriesNotIncluded wrote on Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:08pm: Where's maqqa for the professional comment? hes busy inciting hatred against gays and calling it free speech
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BatteriesNotIncluded Gold Member Offline MediocrityNET: because people died for this! Posts: 26966	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #4 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:35pm We have numbers, Here: Coalition $1.18, Labor $4.50 http://centrebet.com/#Sports/Event/2062830
Back to top	Sure....they're anti competitive as any subsidised job is. It wouldn't be there without the tax payer. Very damned difficult for a brainwashed collectivist to understand that I know.... (swaggy) IP Logged

philperth2010 Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21097 Perth Gender:	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #5 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 7:32pm Add it to the list..... Direct Action$$$ Nanny's$$$ Paid maternity leave$$$ Disability insurance scheme$$$ More money for Private schools$$$ Tax cuts$$$ Remove the means test on the Health care rebate$$$ Scrap the MRRT$$$ Scrap the ETS$$$
Back to top	If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 78311 Gender:	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #6 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 7:57pm Many would argue that Mr Abbott is also a waste of oxygen .....
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

rabbitoh07

Gold Member

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Australian Politics

Posts: 2783
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Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money
Reply #7 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 8:11pm

philperth2010 wrote on Sep 6^th, 2012 at 7:32pm:

Add it to the list.....

Direct Action$$$

Nanny's$$$

Paid maternity leave$$$

Disability insurance scheme$$$

More money for Private schools$$$

Tax cuts$$$

Remove the means test on the Health care rebate$$$

Scrap the MRRT$$$

Scrap the ETS$$$

Huh

THe Liberal Party has perfectly sound policies to pay for all of that. They are....

....LOOK OVER THERE!!!
BOAT PEOPLE!
!!!!!

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Dsmithy70 Gold Member Offline ire futuis vobismetipsis Posts: 13147 Newy Gender:	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #8 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 8:17pm It would be funny if not true
Back to top	REBELLION is not what most people think it is. REBELLION is when you turn off the TV & start educating & thinking for yourself. Gavin Nascimento IP Logged

philperth2010

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Australian Politics

Posts: 21097
Perth
Gender: male

Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money
Reply #9 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 8:46pm

Dsmithy70 wrote on Sep 6^th, 2012 at 8:17pm:

It would be funny if not true Undecided

The reality will slowly dawn on the faithful as Abbott becomes more policy focused.....So far Abbott has avoided scrutiny of his policies and the long term consequences of populist politics.....When the time comes for Abbott to answer the hard questions on his policies the obvious flaws will emerge in his rhetoric!!!

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If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

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MOTR Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6646	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #10 - Sep 6^th, 2012 at 9:40pm BatteriesNotIncluded wrote on Sep 6^th, 2012 at 5:35pm: We have numbers, Here: Coalition $1.18, Labor $4.50 http://centrebet.com/#Sports/Event/2062830 Now that's an overlay if I ever saw one.
Back to top	Hunt says Coalition accepts IPCC findings "What does this mean? It means that we need to do practical things that actually reduce emissions." IP Logged

Prevailing Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 7169 Stop Men	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #11 - Sep 7^th, 2012 at 5:34am Languages are best kept optional and left to the parents...
Back to top	I condemn Male Violence Against Women The Government Supports Gynocide There Is Something Dreadfully Wrong With Men IP Logged

salad in Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5941	Re: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money Reply #12 - Sep 7^th, 2012 at 7:41pm Quote: Mr Abbott Its A Multibillion Dollar Waste Of Money What happened to the 'clever country' mantra?
Back to top	The ALP, the progressive party, the party of ideas, the workers' friend, is the only Australian political party to roast four young Australians in roof cavities. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! IP Logged