The Turnbull Government

[Tisme]

the only way the Consevertives can campaign against a Labor party affluently funded by the unions.

.

Of course the Libs hate unions because they can't, and never could, organise themselves into a cohesive solidarity, preferring to be peacocks rather than noisy minors.

 

[PZ.]

I'll pay that one

 

[wayneL]

Conservatives might have been viable, but I reckon the strong Christian component may be a deal-breaker for a lot of folk.

 

[wayneL]

Lib Dems are viable but don't have any infrastructure as a party at this point

 

[PZ.]

I've been watching the CISAus events for the past week or so with guests such as Howard, Costello, Hewson and their latest one has Tony Abbott on the state of Australia's political landscape for anyone who has a spare hour or so...

I like the bit where he said social security should be a trampoline rather than a hammock

 

[PZ.]

Smallest deficit in a decade: Treasurer

The federal government's budget deficit for the 2017/18 financial year was $10.1 billion, much smaller than originally predicted.

The deficit was $10.1 billion in the year, or 0.6 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the final budget outcome released on Tuesday.

That's a $19.3 billion improvement on the deficit originally estimated for the period.

Stronger-than-expected economic growth and more Australians in work contributed to the impressive improvement, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says.

The amount of money coming in was $13.4 billion higher than expected, while total spending was $6.9 billion less than forecast, with the Future Fund earnings up $1.1 billion in net terms.

"That's the result of a strong economy," Mr Frydenberg told reporters in Sydney in Tuesday.

"We are seeing more people in jobs than ever before, and that's more senior Australians, more women, more younger people.

"We are seeing across the economy good growth, and in 17/18 that's been reflected in these better numbers."

Real economic growth in 2017/18 was 2.9 per cent, slightly stronger than the forecast growth of about 2.75 forecast.

Mr Frydenberg said the results meant the government is on track with its plan to bring the budget back to balance in 2019/20.

https://www.news.com.au/national/br...b/news-story/fa5f3424753a5db130929f45be9ab55c

To compare the Turnbull era against the Abbott era is to compare growth against austerity.

Growth wins every time, and these numbers support it

 

[SirRumpole]

Growth wins every time, and these numbers support it

Looks like we never needed corporate tax cuts after all ?

Amazing how a government with stuff all enacted economic policy can achieve good results. It makes one wonder whether it was actually due to them or other factors.

And if it can be sustained.

 

[Tisme]

Looks like we never needed corporate tax cuts after all ?

Amazing how a government with stuff all enacted economic policy can achieve good results. It makes one wonder whether it was actually due to them or other factors.

And if it can be sustained.

Wayne Swan?

 

[SirRumpole]

Wayne Swan?

What about Swanny ?

 

[Tisme]

What about Swanny ?

Other factor?

 

[SirRumpole]

Other factor?

Well yes, there was a thing called the GFC which was handled by a stimulus package at the time, but the current government has no economic policy excerpt for corporate tax cuts which never got through so how can we say that the supposedly good economic figures are the result of government policy ?

 

[PZ.]

Well yes, there was a thing called the GFC which was handled by a stimulus package at the time, but the current government has no economic policy excerpt for corporate tax cuts which never got through so how can we say that the supposedly good economic figures are the result of government policy ?

Easy. The punters around the water cooler learned very quickly that once Abbott was gone so too was the desire to disembowel their wallets with a serrated bread knife and so they started spending their money again. You can achieve good economic results from doing nothing for as long as you don't bite the hand that feeds you. It's a perfect argument for smaller Govt and less interference which is what the Coalition was supposed to be about.

 

[SirRumpole]

Easy. The punters around the water cooler learned very quickly that once Abbott was gone so too was the desire to disembowel their wallets with a serrated bread knife and so they started spending their money again. You can achieve good economic results from doing nothing for as long as you don't bite the hand that feeds you. It's a perfect argument for smaller Govt and less interference which is what the Coalition was supposed to be about.

Wasn't Abbott supposed to be for smaller government ? Sack public servants, shove the health care burden back to the consumers, remove subsidies to the car industry etc ?

If you move to the Left, that means more government doesn't it ?

 

[sptrawler]

Well yes, there was a thing called the GFC which was handled by a stimulus package at the time,

It is when you say things like that, where our relationship, falls apart again.

That stimulus package was the biggest waste of money in Australian fiscal history, China was ramping up buying our resources from 2006-2013, but I guess if you keep saying something over and over some will believe it.
Swan was a goose.

 

[SirRumpole]

It is when you say things like that, where our relationship, falls apart again.

That stimulus package was the biggest waste of money in Australian fiscal history, China was ramping up buying our resources from 2006-2013, but I guess if you keep saying something over and over some will believe it.
Swan was a goose.

I think you are wrong there.

As has been said, the economy is about confidence. If nothing was done the foreign contagion would have spread to local consumers and they would have stopped spending, resulting in job losses, increasing deficit anyway, and a downward spiral. As least the deficit here stopped that, and we achieved an AAA credit rating in the midst of all that gloom.

 

[PZ.]

Wasn't Abbott supposed to be for smaller government ? Sack public servants, shove the health care burden back to the consumers, remove subsidies to the car industry etc ?

If you move to the Left, that means more government doesn't it ?

Yes it does but that isn't what transpired. Abbott destroyed confidence and disrupted the economy with his centre-right slash and burn agenda and I reckon if he had stayed as PM for much longer we would've copped a self induced recession. He knows that, that's why he went aye-over-tee and back flipped on virtually everything. Turnbull, as you quite rightly pointed out, did very little and IMO it was a clear case of not fixing something that wasn't broken. Australia is a smart enough country where people just want to get on with their lives, go to work, pay their taxes, buy their goods and services and veg out on farcebook and the like...

Give us infrastructure, health care, education and security and we'll do the rest.
What we don't need is the Govt to either hold our hand or to spank it.

 

[SirRumpole]

Give us infrastructure, health care, education and security and we'll do the rest.
What we don't need is the Govt to either hold our hand or to spank it.

Fair comment, except that a lot of people these days seem to think we would get all those things under Labor more than the Coalition.

 

[Junior]

The current Government hasn't been able to make any substantial changes or implement any significant policies. This has created some certainty and therefore confidence in the economy....no change is good for business!

Also.....rampant population growth. More taxpayers = more tax revenue.

 

[PZ.]

"Take me to your leader.."

https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...o/news-story/0c1bc9c16d5b67c19c9c51751cbd327e

 

[sptrawler]

Yes, even Keating has waded into the fracas, saying you would need a microscope to find what Turnbull stood for, jeez all the LNP voters said that before he was put in. lol
It was only Labor and Fairfax, calling for him to replace Abbott, now it is shock horror what a FW. lol

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/...savages-malcolm-turnbull-20181002-p507dz.html

What I can't understand is why it is such a big issue now? I guess with 24/7 media, everyone and his dog, has to have a spot.