Laughing At The One-Trick Tony: the best of #missingbudget

Crikey 22 September 2013:

The message from the Coalition has been loud, shrill and as sophisticated as a slap in the face with a cold fish. Since Tony Abbott's budget reply speech in May, he, Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb have been emphatically claiming Australia is in a state of "budget emergency." The perpetrators? Those gol-darned Reds in the Labor party.

Despite the country's AAA credit rating and that whole "one of the strongest economies in the world" thing, the former opposition have been pounding the panic button and attempting to convince as many people as possible that Australia is going to hell in a fiscally irresponsible hand basket.

For pure sensationalism and hyperbole the Coalition's so-called "budget emergency" is reminiscent of the Labor's government's tendency to declare war on everything: the war on waste, the war on binge drinking, the war on soft meat pies at the servo, etcetera.

But since the election we have heard nothing of the disastrous "budget emergency." Abbott and co have kept mum on the subject. How could such a horrible spectre disappear so quickly? Where did it sneak off to?

On the weekend an army of intrepid Twitter truth-seekers decided to go looking......

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23missingbudget&src=typd&f=realtime

Tara-Leigh Davison ‏@questionabubble19h

And my personal fav - #BundyBear was willing to have his pic taken in support of finding the #missingbudget Bless him pic.twitter.com/IFehlcnFpj

Carlie Bonavia ‏@carliebonavia6h

#missingbudget in a windy Denmark pic.twitter.com/adpkfagSNF

 

Denise Hilton ‏@denihil5h

Sorry, no printer on North Hero, Vermont, USA, or budget either. #missingbudget  pic.twitter.com/3lvbtnnrlu

Maybe ‏@Maybeee201114h

OMG !! MT "@lukebuckmaster: Budget Emergency may have caught plane. Signs up in NY (not Photoshop) #missingbudget pic.twitter.com/PgltJGpF8v"

Jo Evans ‏@4jevans17h

My only regret with #missingbudget hunt was medical centre & chemist were closed. I couldn't search in the cabinet of suppositories #auspol

Emma ‏@emmsyish12h

Thought I'd found the #missingbudget, but it was just an empty Mars Bar wrapper.

Mel Watson ‏@melwhatson51m

#missingbudget has probably eloped with #stopthegoats! Probably enjoying a well deserved honeymoon in sunny Christmas Island...

After a mere ten days there is no dignity left in the office of Australian Prime Minister under Tony Abbott

@CandiceWyatt10

http://youtu.be/SdcgQL8NxI8


http://youtu.be/JhQYehcGweg

SIEV count since Abbott came to power and applied media blackout concerning asylum seeker boat arrivals.

On 18 September 2013 the Abbott Government was sworn in and Australia became subject to an official information blackout concerning the number of unscheduled boat arrivals involving people thought or known to be seeking asylum in this country.

Here are the boat details so far:

22 September - HMAS Maitland and another vessel escorts SIEV boat into Christmas Island harbour – the Cahaya Baru contains 31 passengers and 2 crew.

24 September – SIEV boat containing 7 asylum seekers arrives on Australia’s Boigu Island in the Torres Strait 

25 September - SIEV boat containing 19 people arrives at Darwin Harbour sometime during the night of the 24^th or early hours of the morning of the 25^th.

26 September - SIEV boat arrives Christmas Island Harbour with an estimated 80 passengers including children. HMAS Ballarat takes part in the rescue of another 44 asylum seekers in Indonesian waters with these people transferred to an Indonesian rescue vessel for return to Indah Kiat port in Java.

27 September – boat heading towards Australia and estimated to contain up to 125 asylum seekers sinks off southern coast of Java. At least 20 bodies, mostly children under 15 years, washed ashore so far. Australian Customs Vessel ACV Triton rescues 31 asylum seekers from another boat and is thought to be still at sea off Timor.

Estimated total number of boat passengers and crew: 339

UPDATE

30 September - 2 RAN patrol boats enter Christmas Island harbour with an estimated 80 asylum seekers (men, women and children) on board, thought to have been picked up from a boat which was either sinking or was otherwise considered unseaworthy.

Estimated total number of boat passengers and crew as of 30.09.13: 419

UPDATE

10 October 2013 SIEV boat with unknown number of asylum seekers on board found off Cocos (Keeling) Island.

17 October 2013 at approximately 8am HMAS Warramunga put into Christmas Island and disembarked an unknown number of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa. Including one 8 year-old boy, eight to ten women and two individuals requiring wheelchairs.

* Figures derived from eyewitness accounts tweeted from Christmas Island, international and national media reports.

The whimsy of graffiti well done

http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index1.html

Yet another liquor outlet for Maclean NSW?

It would appear that Richies IGA Super Plus Liquor intends to add to the existing seven hotels, clubs and bottle shops in Maclean NSW (population 2,612) where one can obtain alcohol.

Eight outlets in total would mean there would be one place to obtain alcohol to drink on the premises or take way for every 326.5 town residents.

Any local resident wishing to make a submission concerning the Richies Stores Pty Ltd application may do so here. 

The Lower Clarence can look forward to this type of alcohol promotion if Richies’ application is successful:

* Application images found at Lower Clarence Ratepayers, Residents, Business Owners Facebook page

* Competition image found at http://www.ritchies.com.au/competitions-and-promotions

Is the Abbott Government about to starve local councils of regional funding opportunities?

The Abbott Government is dissolving the Regional Development Australia Fund and, replacing it with the more limited in scope National Stronger Regions Fund which only has a $400 million budget and no funds for distribution until the 2015-16 financial year.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss on the subject; the establishment of the fund would mean the abolition of Labor's Regional Development Australia Fund and a Coalition Government would not honour projects approved for the next round of funding. [Weekly Times,29 August 2013]

Federal Nationals MP Michael McCormack had this to say about the last round of funding promised under the original scheme; Regional Development Australia fund round 5A is also being viewed as an election promise. [The Area News,26 September 2013] 

This is what local governments on the NSW North Coast were expecting to receive under RDAF—Round Five—Funding Allocations to eligible local governments — $150 million:

Ballina (S)	10250	NSW	$232,667
Clarence Valley	11740	NSW	$668,200
Coffs Harbour (C)	11800	NSW	$484,932
Byron (S)	11350	NSW	$149,681
Kyogle	14550	NSW	$229,587
Lismore (C)	14850	NSW	$436,455
Richmond Valley	19050	NSW	$316,430
Tweed (S)	17550	NSW	$613,184

If this previously promised funding is not forthcoming and, funding under the new 50-50 financial obligation regional grants system will not be available for another twenty-one months, how will this affect projects already planned by these eight councils?

Richmond Valley Council was to use its promised funding to kickstart its planned indoor sports centre at Colley Park.

Clarence Valley Council was intending to use the funding for much needed upgrades to Grafton and Yamba public swimming pools.

Kyogle Council was looking to upgrade access to the Kyogle Memorial Institute and to improve public right of way in C Ward.

Lismore City Council planned to provide covered carparking and walkways in its central business district.

While Coffs Harbour City Council wanted to refurbish the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum.

I'm sure that the remaining North Coast councils also had firm plans for the expected grant monies.

Perhaps the Federal National Party MPs for Cowper and Page might like to explain to voters how they are going to assist councils in their electorates with this problem.