Abbott's paid parental leave scheme seen as way to outbreed women from the "low socioeconomic welfare groups"

Snapshot of the thoughts of Katrina Ludewig, a Brisbane-based sales executive at Signet Pty Ltd, writing on the Liberal Party Facebook page (Hat tip to theantibogan).

Ms. Ludewig appears to be engaged to a manager at Baker’s Delight in Tamworth NSW.

She has a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from Southern Cross University and, ‘likes’ Tony Abbott’s official Facebook election campaign page.

This is Abbott's ‘woman of calibre’ in person:

And this is the man she wants to breed with:

I hope that Signet, Baker’s Delight and Southern Cross University are enjoying all the publicity Ms. Ludewig is sending their way.

Competing Labor and Coalition NBN policies explained with a simple analogy

The Conversation on the subject of access to high speed optic cable internet connections, 22 August 2013:

If all this technical explanation is confusing, here’s a way to think about how both policies work. Suppose our major roads were sealed, minor roads were gravel, and access roads to homes were dirt. The ALP’s policy is like having all roads sealed, with 93% of access roads being sealed and the remaining 7% being upgraded to gravel. The Coalition’s policy is like having all minor roads sealed, but access roads will only be sealed if this is cheaper than gravel. If you want a sealed road to your home, you are welcome to pay for it yourself.

Metgasco Limited and its coal seam gas plans are a federal election issue in 2013

This is an advertisement published in The Northern Star on 29 August 2013, authorised by the NSW Australian Labor Party:

Shame, DEX, shame

If there's not a red face or two at The Daily Examiner office today, especially in its classifieds department, there bl**dy well should be.

Today's Examiner has an In Memoriam notice with a conspicuous blooper (see below).

Enough said!

Credits: None worthy of mentioning!

Attention Ethical Consumers: Meadow Lea Alert

In August 2009  Goldman Fielder’s claimed of its Meadow Lea margarine:

Farmers grow our canola & sunflower seeds
MeadowLea spreads are made from over 70,000 natural seeds. The canola seeds that go into our MeadowLea spreads are Non-Genetically Modified. Our canola seeds are sourced locally from Australian Seed growers, whilst the sunflower seeds are sourced from the warm climate of South America.

In August 2013 Goldman Fielder's claimed:

The canola oil in MeadowLea comes from canola seeds grown in Australia. MeadowLea is proud to be supporting Australian Farmers, as we select only Australian grown canola seeds to make MeadowLea. In Australia canola is grown in the winter months, harvested in November / December and is the largest oil seed crop grown in Australia.

Sunflowers are native to South America and MeadowLea's sunflower seeds come from Argentina. Sunflowers are a summer crop and can grow as high as 2 metres.

Its margarine packaging now omits any reference to non-GM canola seed:

Goldman Fielder’s non-genetically modified claims were always somewhat misleading as only 52 per cent of the vegetable oil listed is/was produced from canola and sunflower seeds, with 48 per cent of the remaining oil unidentified.

This reluctance to identify all oils leads one to suspect the presence of environmentally destructive palm oil form SE Asia.

However to see this company abandon any commitment – however small - to consumers who prefer GMO free foods is disappointing.

A product to avoid at the supermarket.

Clive Palmer continues to claim Liberal-National Party candidate Mal Brough asked for money to destroy Peter Slipper's reputation

Brisbane Times 22 August 2013:

Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has claimed LNP candidate Mal Brough asked him for money to fund a campaign to destroy Peter Slipper’s reputation.

Mr Palmer dropped the bombshell on Thursday, more than a year after the alleged meeting at Palmer’s Coolum Resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in April 2012.

Mr Brough, who is standing as LNP candidate for Mr Slipper’s seat of Fisher, has been approached for comment.

‘‘Mal Brough said it was important the Liberal Party should win the seat of Fisher,’’ Mr Palmer alleged.

‘‘He said to me, ‘we need to destroy Peter Slipper’.

‘‘He said he had all the evidence that would put Slipper way for a long time.

‘‘He then outlined to me a case he had that would destroy his integrity and what the community thought about Mr Slipper.’’

The mining magnate alleged Mr Brough asked him to fund a sexual harassment lawsuit James Ashby would bring against his former employer, Mr Slipper.

Mr Palmer also alleged Mr Brough asked him to employ a woman who would play an integral role in the former House of Representatives speaker’s downfall.

He said Mr Brough did not outline the woman’s role……

Coalition admits it will be clawing back over $9.4 billion from low income households to fund its 2013 election promises

On 28 August 2013 the Federal Coalition issued a joint media release unaccompanied by any supporting documentation.

This confirmed that any Abbott-led federal government intends to save $3.7 billion by removing the Low Income Superannuation Government Contribution, $1.1 billion by abolishing the Income Support Bonus, $4.6 billion by abolishing the School Kids Bonus and $1.6 billion by deferring the scheduled Superannuation Guarantee increase.

Which means that it will be predominately those Australians who can least afford it who are expected to subsidize over 29.74% of the Liberal-Nationals Coalition’s identified ‘savings’ over the current forward estimates period.

Australian Liberal-Nationals Coalition 28 August 2013 media release re election policies/promises costings