Friday, 9 November 2007

The truth will out on WorkChoices rhetoric

"Guest post by Chris White
Watching the National Press Club's debate between Joe Hockey and Julia Gillard, I was once again struck by the Government's big lie about the so-called 'job destroying unfair dismissal laws'. I remember Minister Peter Reith's answer years ago (when he first put this in a press release) when I asked, how could this be? I said SA had the first unfair dismissal laws operating for many years without hearing from employers about such a notion. He gave this amazing reply.
"Of course, when a worker is unfairly dismissed it adds to unemployment. My press secretary reversed what happens. It creates jobs. He made it up " he said proudly.
"But how could that be?", I persisted.
"Look, its all about politics. We'll just assert abolishing these unfair dismissal laws creates jobs" and laughed. He thought this was a great joke and being very clever."
 
Larvatus Prodeo full post:
Posted by WaterDragon at 05:33 0 comments
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The looney far-right of the Liberal Party speaks

The Courier Mail on Monday:
"'Rise could be positive'
But federal Liberal MP for Blair Cameron Thompson said a rate rise could have a positive impact on the Coalition campaign, as it would highlight its economic strengths.
"I'm saying that I think that what it does is underline the strong economic performance of this Government and to that extent if you want to draw a political line under it, it's a positive for the Government," Mr Thompson said."
 
Given the Reserve Bank forecast I bet Mr. Thompson wishes he had kept that thought to himself.
Word on the blogosphere is that this MP sees himself as Costello's successor.
 
A North Coast view of the interest rate rise isn't optimistic as this unrealistic Liberal. "The rate rise is also expected to hurt renters, with property investment firm Braxton Chase predicting increases as investors cover their increased mortgage repayments. The firm predicted a rise of about $12 per week on properties presently renting at $250 per week.---- There's no way we could afford any more, Ms Brown said yesterday, after she and Mr Ashcroft squeezed their week's groceries from $70 at Lismore Central.
"I'll never be able to afford to buy my own house, I've accepted that. I wanted to start a farm, but I'll never be able to."
Rising interest rates and high property prices had killed off that dream. Asked if the Government was to blame for the rise, Ms Brown said: "Yes."
The Northern Star on Thursday:
Posted by clarencegirl at 05:18 0 comments
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Campaign Day 26

Don't know what was worse. Watching Howard trying to drape himself in the Australian flag when not apologising for the interest rate rise. Or listening to Costello's convoluted arguments which started out with the promise to keep interests rates lower than the other mob, inflation down, employment high, and then moved to an explanation that low unemployment causes inflationary pressures which in turn drive up interest rate rises.
Talk about a bob each way!
Posted by Petering Time at 04:58 0 comments
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Thursday, 8 November 2007

JW Howard - aka the practising perfectionist

How's Honest John's form?

When things are AOK he laps up all the glory, but when events are not as he'd prefer he runs for cover.

"Rising interest rates?" asks Honest John.

"Don't blame me or my government," he says.

Better still, according to Honest John, the best way to address economic events that don't go according to plan is to do a "Reg Gasnier" (sorry, Reg, you shouldn't have to have your name associated with this flea, but your side step in Rugby League is legendary) and side step them.

Sounds a bit like avoiding dog droppings on the footpath doesn't it?

To read more about Honest John's efforts, which was "part regret, part explanation, part defence and part attack" go to
http://blogs.abc.net.au/thepollvault/2007/11/the-press-confe.html
Posted by Clarrie Rivers at 20:41 0 comments
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Federal Election 2007: Opinion on climate change may decide who is the next Prime Minister

"Voters gave great importance to climate change in their choice of Prime Minister and rate Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett more highly on their seriousness in tackling climate change.
  • Seven out of 10 voters (69%) in nine selected marginal seats believe climate change will have either a 'very important' or 'important' influence on their choice of Prime Minister. This includes one quarter (27%) who rated it as 'very important' and a further 42% who saw it as 'important'
  • 43% said Mr Garrett was 'very serious' about taking action to address climate change compared to 28% for Mr Rudd, 11% for Mr Howard, 7% for Mr Turnbull and 6% for Mr Costello."
The Climate Institute survey of marginal seats:
Full Australian Research Group November 2007 report with tables:
 
Posted by WaterDragon at 16:22 0 comments
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John Howard you are a bl**dy liar!

I took a peek at the news online just now and saw this News.com.au headline - "Tax cuts erase rate rise pain: PM".
 
John Howard is quoted: "PEOPLE are getting more money back from the Coalition's tax cuts than they are spending on mortgage increases, Prime Minister John Howard has said.
Rejecting the idea that the tax cuts were fuelling the inflation which prompted yesterday's interest rate rise, Mr Howard today said home buyers had come out ahead under the Coalition.
He said the average family received about $80 a month from last year's tax cuts and would have $120 a month under proposed cuts from next year."
 
Leaving aside the fact that the $80 is gone to previous rate rises and the $120 is still out there in the Never-Never somewhere; banks, investors and businesses are going to pass costs rising from interest rate increases onto their clients and customers.
 
So low income people on the North Coast who do not get these tax breaks will be paying more for a wide range of goods and services. Ordinary households and families with mortgages which have already pared their budgets and abandoned any luxury spending will really feel the pinch of these flow-on effects.
 
Nothing the Coalition has offered during this election campaign will compensate for this, especially as the current rate rise is only the first in what might be a long string of Reserve Bank efforts to dampen inflationary trends.
 
The Prime Minister may point to external factors in an effort to assign blame, but this is only partly true. His own profligate spending on election sweeteners (combined with past budget giveaways to shore up his position) are also to blame.
 
So don't tell the North Coast that we will feel no pain. We know it's a bl**dy lie! 
Posted by clarencegirl at 11:59 0 comments
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It's rates, rates and more rates in the media & it's rates, rates and more rates at the kitchen table

With a continuing upward trend for interest rates being confirmed and the typical home mortgage repayments likely to pass $2,000 a month for the first time, interest rates are THE topic of conversation at many a table in the last twenty-four hours.
 
With housing affordability moving further and further from the reach of average Australian families, are we finally seeing the death of home ownership as a feature of our way of life?
 
Low income earners living on the North Coast are likely to face further rent rises as investors seek to pass on additional costs.
 
"Yesterday's quarter of a percentage point rise in the Reserve cash rate, to 6.75 per cent, could be passed on to borrowers within days, taking the banks' standard variable mortgage rate to 8.57 per cent,-----Experts said higher rates could also worsen the housing shortage, pushing up rents."
Full article in The Age today:
 
With the major banks expected to raise their own interest rates above the Reserve Bank increase, it is no wonder that John Howard trails Kevin Rudd in the 'trustworthy', 'cares for people', 'likeable', "in touch with the voters' and 'understands the major issues' categories according to the latest Newspoll.
 
The Age on home loan defaults:
 
Posted by WaterDragon at 06:30 0 comments
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