Tony Abbott and who should be allowed a decent education

Tony Abbott as President of the Sydney University Student's Representative Council  in 1979:

…you see the Marxists that I said are operating in the universities…they realise now that the universities play a crucial role in the education of the elite of modern society. And they understand that if they destroy the academic standards and perhaps even the moral standards of that elite well then they have perhaps fundamentally and fatally undermined liberal democratic society…

What I am saying is that there are a number of academics of Marxist leanings in the university who are actively working to destroy academic standards. I wouldn’t put a plot coordinated from the Kremlin but there is certainly a general tendency towards destroying academic standards and the impetus is coming from this sort of person….

Well I see women as having an equal opportunity in every area as men have…mind you, I must add the proviso that while I think men and women are equal they are also different and I think that it is inevitable and don’t think it’s a bad thing at all that we will always have, say, more women doing things like physiotherapy and an enormous number of women simply doing housework and probably more men doing things like digging ditches…”

Tony Abbott  as Australian Opposition Leader in 2011:

''It's all very well keeping kids at school past year 10, but they've got to be the right kids being kept at school past year 10,''

In 2012:

Tony Abbott will slash financial support for university students and gut the current funding to Australia's higher education system. Opposition spokesperson, Brett Mason, today confirmed the Coalition will cut student support payments, including the Student Start-up Scholarship, meaning only those students from wealthy backgrounds will be able to afford to go to university.

In 2013:

Coalition leader Tony Abbott says the federal government’s proposed education changes are too expensive and unnecessary because there is no fundamental problem with the way schools are funded…..

But Mr Abbott said he would maintain the changes to university funding which the government announced earlier this month…..

‘‘I don’t think anyone should expect those cuts to be reversed,’’ Mr Abbott said.

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's contempt for journalists and voters generally couldn't have been more obvious

http://youtu.be/_jjdssGPuRI

At a press conference he called himself at the Adelaide Ice Service factory on 26 April 2013, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott abruptly walked away when asked a question concerning his contradictory stance on the Good and Services Tax (GST).

Re-writing the ‘official’ record the Liberal Party published transcript has Abbott closing the question segment with a Thank you and not the sight of his retreating back.

This Adelaide press conference is also noted for the fact that Abbott described the ice factory as a business which is going to be badly damaged by the carbon tax; is being badly damaged by the carbon tax despite the fact that it had been approved for a $90,000 grant from the Gillard Government Clean Technology Food and Foundries Program to offset its energy costs with the installation of an 87.5-kilowatt solar power system.

How the NSW North Coast rates on the NSW Food Authority's penalty register

There are 1652 penalty notices currently in the NSW Food Authority penallty register, which was last updated on 2 April 2013.

The NSW North Coast does not feature heavily and, thankfully no local business has been named so far this year.

How the region rates:

BONDIE'S AT THE BAY	BALLINA	BALLINA	3095439133	2012-10-11	BOND, GARY
BONDIES ON THE BAY	BALLINA	BALLINA	3095439142	2012-10-09	BOND, GARY

BUSHMAN'S BAKERY	COFFS HARBOUR	COFFS HARBOUR	3013502508	2012-08-08	BIDAROL PTY LTD
BUSHMAN'S BAKERY	COFFS HARBOUR	COFFS HARBOUR	3013502517	2012-08-08	BIDAROL PTY LTD
BUSHMAN'S BAKERY	COFFS HARBOUR	COFFS HARBOUR	3013502526	2012-08-08	BIDAROL PTY LTD
BUSHMAN'S BAKERY	COFFS HARBOUR	COFFS HARBOUR	3013502535	2012-08-08	BIDAROL PTY LTD

DALLEY ST CAFE

EAST LISMORE

LISMORE

3042506318

2012-06-19

PRIGMORE, DAVID

ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD	BYRON BAY AND OTHER DIVERSE PLACES		3013501848	2011-08-20	ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD
ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD	BYRON BAY AND OTHER DIVERSE PLACES		3013501857	2011-08-20	ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD

GORMAN'S BIG OYSTER

YAMBA

Clarence Valley

3013502829

2012-11-08

EURUNDERIE INVESTMENTS PTY LTD

KFC BALLINA

BALLINA

BALLINA

3095439151

2012-11-26

QSR PTY LTD

NOODLE CAFE

LISMORE

LISMORE

3042506271

2012-06-06

YOU, COLIN

ST ELMO'S

BYRON BAY

BYRON

7641791796

2012-12-13

HONEYWELL, ANGELA

UTOPIA CAFE

BANGALOW

BYRON

7641791778

2012-08-29

HERNANDEZ, JUAN

WHAT A LOAD OF CREPE

LISMORE

LISMORE

3042506336

2012-09-16

BURKE, JOHN DAMIAN

While Metgasco spins its prospects the top investor loses interest

On 23 April 2013 The Northern Star reported that Metgasco Limited had left the door open to activating Dobie Bight wells, Harrier 01 and Corella P1.

This is a classic case of misdirection in the hope that local media and interested Northern Rivers’ residents would not notice recent share sales.

On 22 April Metgasco also lost CSG Nominees Pty Ltd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of  Liquid Natural Gas Group Limited) as its largest shareholder, when these companies divested themselves of 24,310,732  of the 34,570,577 shares  held at 21 September 2012.

It is unclear as to whether CSG Nominees intends to sell any remaining shares.

This share sell-off raises doubts about Metgasco’s somewhat unrealistic insistence that it still has prospects, presumably in Queensland and possibly in relation to LNGL’s Gladstone LNG Project.

The Australian Stock Exchange records Metgasco shares closing at 5.6 cents on 24 April 2013.

Anchor Resources expands its exploration footprint further into Clarence River Catchment

Chinese-owned Anchor Resources Limited has lodged a further mining exploration application ELA 4731 which will extends its proposed gold/antimony mining projects further into the Nymboida River sub-catchment of the larger Clarence River Catchment.

The Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour  local government areas primarily draw the drinking water for an estimated 120,000 people from the Nymboida River system.

ELA 4731 sits above and below EL 6465 – Anchor Resources’ Blicks Project which is targeting gold, copper and molybdenum.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott holds New Zealand up as a fiscal pattern card for Australia

This was Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during an ABC 7.30 interview on 24 April 2013:

Well, that's not a correct figure. Yes, we do have to find significant savings, but it's nothing like that figure. Nothing like that figure at all. And let's look, if I may for a moment take you across the Tasman to New Zealand. The New Zealand National Government is on track to get total government spending down from 35 to just 30 per cent of GDP without savage cuts by two things. First, they've made changes that have promoted economic growth, and second, they have religiously guarded against additional new spending. And that's where this government has gone so wrong. Every day we have ministers talking about difficulties with the revenue and every day the Prime Minister is out there announcing billions in new spending.

Apparently Abbott believes that the New Zealand national economy is doing better than the Australian economy because the NZ Government is spending less, posted an operating deficit before gains and losses of $3.025 billion in the five months ended to 30 November 2012 and, expects to have a modest operating surplus of $66 million in 2014/15.

So just how well is New Zealand doing in comparison with Australia?

Yes, Australia has a budget deficit in 2013 but then so does New Zealand.

Australia is also carrying a degree of government debt:

January 2000 to April 2013

But then again, New Zealand is no stranger to government debt either.

Yes, the Australian Government spends more on infrastructure creation than New Zealand:

However, Australia also has a better international credit rating (AAA) than New Zealand (AA).

Another difference is the fact that the New Zealand Government suspended payments into the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in 2009 and has not resumed them to date, while the Australian Government superannuation co-contribution payments have not been suspended and its safety-net pension payments have increased.

If one looks at 2013 March Quarter data found at the New Zealand Treasury website then it is obvious that Australia still compares favourably with New Zealand across a number of the eight graphs shown below.

Australia has higher real GDP growth, lower government debt as a percentage of GDP, smaller current account deficit, a lower unemployment rate and a higher gross national income level.

New Zealand only

New Zealand only

WhileThe World Bank allows this comparison of Gross National Income based on purchasing power parity:

The witch didn't die - she just morphed

https://twitter.com/KieraGorden

In April 1918

 

Oh, for heaven's sake! Read a history book or two Kevin

I went on the website of Federal Nationals candidate, Kevin Hogan, who is hoping to win the seat of Page from Labor’s Janelle Saffin.

Kevin had this to say:

The Nationals website also outlines further policy details as we make them available in the lead up to the election. Click here.

As I was still looking for Mr. Hogan’s stance on education I clicked the link and found this:

The nationals helped pioneer government funding for independent schools…

Has Kevin and his cohorts gone crazy?

Last time I looked it was Governors of the Colony of New South Wales who helped pioneer the funding of independent schools in the 1830s and 40s. 

The National Party of Australia has only been in existence since 1920 by its own reckoning so it had no influence on that decision at all.

Anzac Day 25th April 2013

At the waterhole

Gallipoli

May 1915

The myth that the Howard Government left absolutely no government debt when it departed

 

How the Federal Liberal Party would like you to see Australian Government Debt

 

http://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2013/03/27/labor-must-recognise-facts-about-australias-record-debt

 

How the rest of the world sees Australian Government Debt

 

Historical Australian Government Debt

 

 

 Australian Governments 1990 to 2013

 

 The Howard Government

 

 

No matter which way the bread is sliced the fact remains that the Howard Government went to the 2007 federal election with government debt on the books.

 

NSW first to sign up to National Education Reforms in April 2013

Australian Government

NSW first to sign up to National Education Reforms

Media Release

Tuesday 23 April 2013

The Australian and New South Wales Governments have today reached an historic agreement which will benefit over 1.1 million students across the state.

The Prime Minister and Premier of NSW today signed the National Education Reform Agreement, kicking off the biggest change to school education in Australia for 40 years.

It’s an agreement that will drive long term improvements in NSW schools and a fairer approach to funding based on the needs of every student.

Building on recent Federal and NSW reform directions, the agreement incorporates the National Plan for School Improvement. This will see the two governments work together to achieve:

• Stronger requirements for entry to teaching courses and better induction and support for     new teachers;
•  Higher teaching standards and annual teacher performance appraisals;
• The Australian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 in full;
• Publicly available school improvement plans and reports;
• Empowered school leadership through greater local authority in staff selection and roles;
• School readiness assessments for students on entry to school;
• A priority focus on reading instruction for students in kindergarten to Year 2; and
• Greater provision of Asian languages across all year levels.

Both Governments will adopt consistent needs-based funding arrangements, with the Federal Government moving to legislate its funding commitments over coming weeks.

This will provide NSW schools with additional investment totalling around $5 billion over six years. Of this, the Federal Government will contribute 65 per cent ($3,270 billion) and the NSW Government 35 per cent ($1,761 billion).

On top of this, the Federal Government has committed to grow its school education spending by 4.7 per cent per year from 2014 into 2015 and throughout the agreement. In return, NSW has agreed to grow its own school budget by 3 per cent per year from 2016 onwards.

Both Governments have agreed a year-by-year transition that will see funding for NSW schools reach at least 95 per cent of the new Schooling Resource Standard in 2019 in a fair and consistent way.

The NSW Government runs the largest school system in the country. Today’s announcement confirms that the National Plan for School Improvement, including new funding arrangements, can and should apply to all Australian students.

This agreement between the Federal and NSW Governments sets the benchmark for other states and will drive the reforms we need to see if Australia is to be in the top five in the world in reading, maths and science by 2025.

The Australian Government is determined to keep working closely with all remaining state and territories– and with schools, parents and communities right across the nation – to see these reforms agreed by 30 June 2013.

This will give schools the certainty they need to plan for next year.

These reforms are in the interests of all Australian children, and they are in our national interest so we can take economic advantage of the opportunities of the Asian century.

Tony Abbott's lifestyle

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott lives at 32 Lady Davidson Circuit, Forestville, NSW.

Houses offered for sale in that street can have an asking price of $1 million plus, houses for rent sometimes cost renters close to $900 a week.

Forestville is in the Warringah local government area - which is in the "least disadvantaged" category when assessing socio-economic advantage and disadvantage.

Mr. Abbott is paid a base salary of $190,550 per annum plus allowances as a Federal Member of the House of Representatives. As Leader of the Opposition he also receives a further 85% of that base figure as additional salary. His wife works in the private sector. He has three adult daughters.

Tony and Margie Abbott would have a combined gross weekly income in excess of $7,000 dollars a week.

Despite this generous household income Mr. Abbott also expects Australian taxpayers and voters to pick up the tab for his wife and daughters and, in the first six months of 2012 they cost the nation $9,694.48:

Presumably so that the Abbott family could enjoy photo opportunities similar to this:

Again despite his comfortable income, Tony Abbott also appears quite happy to accept gifts of Max Liondos tailored suits and clothing from Les Taylor.

There seems to have been only one blip in this happy scenario. Apparently unwilling to alter his life-style after he went to the opposition benches in late 2007 as an ordinary MP, he appears to have entered into a shared equity loan arrangement - possibly in 2008 or 2009 when the Rudd Government was supporting these loans through investment by the Australian Office of Financial Management in the very financial institution listed in his mandatory declarations found in the Register of Members' Interests when he finally entered the details in mid-2010.

According to Google Earth the property snapshots below are of Mr. Abbott’s family residence, complete with pool and entertainment area.

So, the next time this privately educated son of a successful English orthodontist pulls a long face and talks about the need to reduce pensioner allowances, the advisability of forcing those under 30 off unemployment benefits, removing superannuation tax cuts for low income wage earners or that under his leadership it will be necessary for budget measures to "hurt" ordinary people – remember that he has no real idea of how ordinary people live in this country.

Australian Opposition Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and national unemployment rates

Opposition Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey frequently refers to Australia having had a lower national unemployment rate during the Coalition’s last term in federal government. He was doing so on again on 11 March when discussing that month’s unemployment figures.

On the floor of the House of Representatives in February 2012 he erroneously stated:

Let us remind ourselves of what Labor inherited from the coalition: the lowest unemployment rate in a generation. I was the minister for employment that left Labor in February 2008 with an unemployment rate of four per cent, the lowest in at least 20 years. 

Here Hockey was shamelessly taking credit for a low national unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent (not the 4 per cent he quoted) which occurred during the term of the Rudd Labor Government.

Interestingly, his idea of a generation is somewhat limited as Baby Boomers might recall that unemployment in their childhood years was well below 4 per cent, averaging out at 2 per cent between 1945-6 and 1974-5.

So how much lower was the Howard Government’s unemployment rate during its last term when compared with the current Gillard Labor Government?

Well for the record Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals it was between zero to a provisional 1.2 per cent lower across the Howard Government’s final term, using ‘swearing in’ months, end of year month figures and general election months.

Unemployment rates during the Federal Coalition Government’s last term in office from 16 November 2004 to 24 November 2007:

5.3% Nov 2004

5.1% Dec 2004

5.1% Dec 2005

4.6% Dec 2006

4.4% Nov 2007

A change of federal government occurred on 24 November 2007. The Howard Coalition Government departs and the Rudd Labor Government is sworn in on 3 December 2007, ending the caretaker period overseen by the public service.

Global Financial Crisis (mid 2007 – late 2009) begins to significantly impact on Australia in 2008.

Unemployment rates during the Federal Labor Government’s current term in office 14 September 2010 to date:

5.1% Sept 2010

5.1% Dec 2010

5.3% Dec 2011

5.4% Dec 2012

NK   Sept 2013

Or if you prefer a graph - here is one from Grog's Gamut: