We continue to await the return of Newspoll for the year, which I imagine might be forthcoming ahead of the return of parliament next week. With Essential Research having an off week in the fortnightly cycle, this leaves me with nothing to report on the poll front. Two bits of electoral news worth noting are that the Liberals won the supplementary election for the Victorian state seat of Narracan as expected on Saturday, confirming lower house numbers of 56 for Labor, 19 for the Liberals, nine for the Nationals and four for the Greens; and that Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has announced that the by-election for the seat of Arafura, following the death of Labor member Lawrence Costa on December 17, will be held on March 18. With that, over to you.
HOLMES: I have to say, this challenges credulity. If there’s anything you want to say about this, here’s your chance.
WEST: That’s my recollection and on the documents I’ve reviewed.
https://mobile.twitter.com/maximumwelfare/status/1621312552486727681
This is not the first time I’ve heard Holmes say “here is your chance” and there’s no doubt in mind she is explicitly stating it with the pretext “to redeem yourself”. I can only remember her saying it to lawyers.
Dominic Perrottet has punched down on a bid by South Australia to pinch the New Year’s Test from Sydney, claiming that even a washed-out SCG was preferable to spending five days in Adelaide.
Boom Boom
Barney in Cherating says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:09 pm
Who would have thunk it?
Barnaby Joyce, “Ill-informed!”
———————————————————————————————
The more we hear from Barnaby the better, he’s a constant reminder of why the Coalition are on the nose and lost the last election. It could only get better if we heard from Morrison.
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:13 pm
LVT
you have touched a raw point
I get annoyed with retired public servants who fly the red flag and attack SMSF as a rort while taking a defined benefit pension- a rort with a massive effect on the bottom line.
What happened to the last tranche of Telstra shares?
————————————————-
Defined Benefit Pensions were grandfathered when replaced for new entrants by accumulated fund schemes for both APS and Federal Politicians.
They were grandfathered because they were a condition of employment which is perfectly reasonable.
The Future Fund is intended only to cover the unfunded liabilities of those Defined Benefit recipients.
Lars Von Triersays:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:29 pm
“I’m a hunk of burning love”
Yep, the complete deadshit !
Boerwar says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:08 pm
The Greens are back to making all sorts of demands, noises and the like. Medicare access for prisoners, fixing up Morrison’s gas drilling decision and psychiatric drugs. The usual noisemakers are on full decibels. It turns out that Labor is a bad government.
But the Greens are silent on the Voice. Bandt simply hands the baton to Mundine, Littleproud and Dutton.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/feb/03/australia-news-live-medicare-national-cabinet-anthony-albanese-dominic-perrottet-daniel-andrews-robodebt-royal-commission-voice-to-parliament-vic-nsw-qld-politics
___________
Surely you’re not suggesting all Greens bar one are doing their best to divert attention from their Party’s position(s) on the Voice…?
TPOF says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Simon Henny Penny Katich says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Barnaby Joyce, “Ill-informed!”
Of course he isnt ill informed. He is deliberately trying to spread falsehoods to rile up his base and create division and scuttle this referendum. The real questions isnt a fact check on what he says, but why is he lying? Why does he really want the referendum to fail?
_____________________________________
Basically we are left with two alternatives. Either the former Deputy Prime Minister is pig-ignorant of the Constitution and cannot be fucked to find out what a 1 minute search of the internet will tell him or else he is wilfully lying to the Australian public.
Either way, he is the type of crap that drags this country down. Not for his opinions, but for his laziness and divisive lies. And to think a majority of New Englanders prefer this to Tony Windsor!
——————————————————————————————-
I rightly think poorly of the voters of my own electorate of Dickson but I have to say that the voters of New England take the cake. At least Dutton only scraped in.
Funny. I’ve been contributing to an SMSF for 30 odd years and I have had to respond to virtually annual changes in government policy.
I haven’t been able to say I deserve this because it was a condition of employment when the country was a very different place
Ven says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:35 pm
“Basically we are left with two alternatives. Either the former Deputy Prime Minister is pig-ignorant of the Constitution and cannot be fucked to find out what a 1 minute search of the internet will tell him or else he is wilfully lying to the Australian public.”
Barnaby. Pig-ignorant? An insult to pigs.
Barnaby is a farmer apparently. I doubt he is the smartest on his ‘animal farm’
Sceptic: Oh, I dont know…think I prefer Adelaide where we can drive on our own roads for free and not have to pay tolls to some multi-national or other
OC: “I haven’t been able to say I deserve this because it was a condition of employment when the country was a very different place”
The gov is a very powerful organisation.
Snappy: “Surely you’re not suggesting all Greens bar one are doing their best to divert attention from their Party’s position(s) on the Voice…?”
NOWAI!!!
BK says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:57 pm
What has struck me about the royal commission hearings is that there were so many witnesses who had neither the curiosity nor logical capacity to examine the obviously flawed averaging method of debt calculation.
Or was it lack of willingness or courage to do so? A bit like those people who won’t go to the doctor in fear of what the advice and consequences might be.
———————————————————————————————
BK
Curiosity has been in short supply but moral courage has been absent entirely.
Oakeshott countrysays:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:26 pm
Funny. I’ve been contributing to an SMSF for 30 odd years and I have had to respond to virtually annual changes in government policy.
I haven’t been able to say I deserve this because it was a condition of employment when the country was a very different place.
————————————————————–
Huh!
SMSF says it all! Your arrangement is with yourself.
Porky Barilaro gets off on mental health grounds (he’d been under a lot of pressure I’m told) .
Meanwhile, turfing out the liars and grifters will help here…
2022 Data
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
andrewmck says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:07 pm
Rex Douglas says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3:31 pm
BREAKING: https://twitter.com/DavidShoebridge/status/1621364794568884224
**********
After their 2 day workshop, I thought it might have been his announcement of support for the Voice.
——————————————————————————————-
Morally speaking, what can be so hard about agreeing to the word Yes? Does it really take two days for a group of supposedly decent humans to search their souls to decide whether to support the inclusion of indigenous recognition in the constitution?
RC
Who wrote that slanderous analysis on Prof. Carney?
No my relationship is with my employers and the government but I manage it rather than either a corporate shonk or retired union boss
Dominic Perrottet’s childish sledge against Adelaide is a long line of smears he has thrown. It is pretty tasteless and classless.
The comments are about 90 percent against him- people pointing out Sydney is hardly a paradise.
I pointed out we are about to start 6 weeks of Festivals here with 7000 performers- something Sydney couldn’t host if it tried, so there is plenty to do!
TPOF says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:40 pm
Boerwar says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:20 pm
‘Rossmcg says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:17 pm
TPOF and BK
An acquaintance who worked in Canberra a long time once said to me “nobody ever says no to a Minister”
I imagine for public servants the same applied with Department Secretaries.
….’
=========================================
Not true, IMO. I know of several instances where APS execs told ministers or more usually their senior office staff that something was illegal. In every single case that was the end of it.
______________________________________
I think that is definitely true. It started to change with Howard, but it was smashed by Abbott and his successors. That said, I really don’t think Morrison was told it was illegal and decided to smash through anyway.
I think, in my own opinion and after listening to a lot of evidence so far, that this was a career move by Golightly and Campbell, that they were falling over themselves to please Morrison by promising t squeeze billions of bucks out of one of the most despised groups of people in the Liberal cosmos.
After that juggernaut was launched it took on a life of its own with some players joining the career advancement train, some joining the I can’t afford to fuck my career by asking the wrong questions and some who lacked the imagination or, particularly, confidence to follow up the sense that things were not quite right.
It could happen anywhere, but scale of the mendacity, fear, stupidity and impact on people in robodebt made this royal commission material. I hope and expect the lessons from this ghastly episode will have positive benefits throughout government.
____________
I know there’s a theory that whenever one invokes Nazi Germany, one loses – but hear me out…
Adolf Hitler never signed an order for the extermination of Jewish people.
What he did was make his anti-Semitic attitude plain (even to the extent of declaring that, should war come, it would result in the annihilation of the Jewish people of Europe) AND create a “government” (lots of chaos, not much governing) in which the most radical solution to any “problem”.
Hitler called for the “final solution” to the “Jewish question”. Other Nazis met at Wansee in early 1942 to develop plans for industrial-scale mass murder (there’s a Kenneth Branagh movie “Conspiracy” which explores the cold calculation of those involved).
The Coalition has made plain their attitude to welfare recipients. They have also made plain their desire to maximise revenue whilst granting tax cuts etc that benefit their mates. They rewarded certain types of policy work and punished others.
The Coalition, at the very least, created a culture in which the federal budget could be improved whilst simultaneously demonising welfare recipients.
Two birds, one stone.
Snappy Tom 5:12 pm
“ Albanese has failed to provide sufficient detail on the Greens position!”
———————————————————————————————-
😆 Nature abhors a vacuum.
“There was actually bugger all advice on OCI [Robodebt] prior to the furore breaking out in the media”
— archival email from Maris Stipnieks, former General Counsel, DHS
Cronus says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:44 pm
Snappy Tom 5:12 pm
“ Albanese has failed to provide sufficient detail on the Greens position!”
———————————————————————————————-
Nature abhors a vacuum.
中华人民共和国
Snappy Tom wins quote of the day! Well done cobber.
C@t: avert your gaze now …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/02/malcolm-turnbull-says-labor-has-failed-to-answer-if-aukus-deal-compromises-australian-sovereignty
Well exactly. What a shameful episode this will turn out to be. Even if it somehow, miraculously, avoids being a total clustercuss.
Robodebt
“GREGGERY: Despite being written in as neutral language as possible, the report is a damning indictment of DHS and debt recovery?
WEST: I wouldn’t say ‘damning indictment’…significant room for improvement.
G: Anything you thought was working well?
W: Not really.
———————————————————————————————
If it weren’t so sad this would be hilarious. To suggest this was a damning indictment of Robodebt is an understatement.
Pi says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:28 pm
OC: “I haven’t been able to say I deserve this because it was a condition of employment when the country was a very different place”
The gov is a very powerful organisation.
Snappy: “Surely you’re not suggesting all Greens bar one are doing their best to divert attention from their Party’s position(s) on the Voice…?”
NOWAI!!!
____________
Apposite quote from Wayne’s World: YES, WAY!
Almost as good as “Asphinctersayswhat?”
In the first instance you contribute to superannuation (it is your money you are putting into superannuation, it does not grow on trees) – and you are restricted from withdrawal until you reach retirement age (basically).
Those contributions are taxed at 15%, below the marginal tax rate but your money is being tied up until you reach retirement age AND when, depending on the amount you have contributed (and earnings and compounding over 40 odd years) you may not be eligible for the Aged Pension or any other government benefit (noting the Commonwealth Senior’s Health Care Card where application is subject to an income test only now sees that income for a couple at $144,000- a year).
In accumulation phase, earnings are taxed at 15%.
So you are taxed on the way in, your earnings are taxed AND there is no tax on the way out (an Allocated Pension).
Defined Benefit Schemes are subject to a 15% tax offset.
Given YOUR contributions plus the benefit of time and compounding see the accumulated amount at $1.7 Million on retirement, an Allocated Pension minimum draw of of 5% of the balance adjusted annually (age based) as the legislated sees minimum annual Allocated Pension draw of $85,000- tax free.
So not a fortune and not an extravagant life style noting the needs in retirement including expenditures on health services, which all come from your own pocket after rebates (if applicable, these rebates available to the wider community not just self funded retirees) and Private Health Cover contributions (so you require Private Health Cover).
At the end of the day, due to your own diligence and discipline across the near 50 years in the workforce until retirement, now at age 66, the government (so taxpayers) do not know you exist (unless your income is below $144,000- as a couple and you have a Commonwealth Senior’s Health Care Card (receiving discounted medicines).
Other concessions, available to Aged Pension recipients are simply not available to self-funded retirees.
So there are no concessions available anywhere unlike for Aged Pensioners.
There is no complaint because, quite frankly, you do not want government in your life.
But, perhaps, self funded retirees should turn the blowtorch on those reliant on the Aged Pension (or part thereof) and ask why they receive what they receive including their income.
And more particularly on those who project to rely on the Aged Pension in retirement.
Why are they the ongoing burden on taxpayers they are?
Relying on tax payers to pay their salary and otherwise subsidize their existence.
They have had the same opportunity as those who are self funded retirees in retirement.
I reiterate that this is not a complaint, but the attacks on those who have contributed to their retirement income across their working lives and are now self funded retirees makes such a defense appropriate.
Why should we miss out on the government gravy train in retirement because we have been disciplined over our working lives (for the purpose of enjoying retirement)?
We have paid off our home mortgages, raised our families, paid our taxes (including at an upper marginal rate of 60 cents in the $1-) and otherwise contributed to society and to the economy.
And now we pay a GST.
And never judge the majority (so self funded retirees on a reasonable income in retirement – including because no tax is paid) with the few who may see the superannuation system as a tax minimization vehicle.
$1.7 Million, being the account cap currently, gives you a tax free income of $85,000- PA.
If anyone thinks that $85,000- is a “high income” in these times, then they are bludgers of the first order – because in these times of employment opportunity $85,000- PA is not a high income and a very long way from it
Torchbearer says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:41 pm
Dominic Perrottet’s childish sledge against Adelaide is a long line of smears he has thrown. It is pretty tasteless and classless.
The comments are about 90 percent against him- people pointing out Sydney is hardly a paradise.
I pointed out we are about to start 6 weeks of Festivals here with 7000 performers- something Sydney couldn’t host if it tried, so there is plenty to do!
中华人民共和国
Good on you cobber!
He don’t like Queenslanders too. SA and QLD lots in common. SA makes the best wine in Oz and QLD makes the best alcohols (Bundy and XXXX). NSW only got Tooheys and Tyrells. Plus they lose the State of Origin and Cricket (Go the Heat) more than not.
Observer, please give us an update on your financial position: stocks, bonds, realestate and collectables. How is the 3.5 million in super going?
Interesting post Observer.
Of course people should save for their retirement, yet there are also people who for no fault of their own need the aged care pension. Similarly what should a humane society do with the mendicants? Let them starve because they have been profligate and reckless with their income?
Of course the flaw in your argument about getting $85K tax free for the balance of your life – is that presumably the same people have fully paid off a home or perhaps even a holiday home. In these circumstances $85 K is excessively generous because apart from utilities the balance of the money is theirs to spend as they see fit (ie discretionary spending and perhaps health care)when compared to an aged care pensioner who has to live off $15K.
Upnorth says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Dom may come from an education system where developing a chip on ones shoulder is encouraged?
HWGA
I admire your courage
Upnorth says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Torchbearer says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:41 pm
Dominic Perrottet’s childish sledge against Adelaide is a long line of smears he has thrown. It is pretty tasteless and classless.
The comments are about 90 percent against him- people pointing out Sydney is hardly a paradise.
I pointed out we are about to start 6 weeks of Festivals here with 7000 performers- something Sydney couldn’t host if it tried, so there is plenty to do!
中华人民共和国
Good on you cobber!
He don’t like Queenslanders too. SA and QLD lots in common. SA makes the best wine in Oz and QLD makes the best alcohols (Bundy and XXXX). NSW only got Tooheys and Tyrells. Plus they lose the State of Origin and Cricket (Go the Heat) more than not.
____________
So, can’t spell “beer” (XXXX) and can’t count the number of Sheffield Shields won by NSW (47 since 1892/3; also the most match wins AND highest percentage of match wins of any state)…?
It is also my privilege to live in the Hunter. A short drive and I’m surrounded by some of the finest vineyards in the world.
Actually, several states have some of the finest vineyards in the world, just not Qld.
Talk about balanced.
Albanese has also failed to give sufficient detail on Dutton’s position.
I would be shitting myself if I were Ms Essex.
Oakeshott Country says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 6:05 pm
HWGA
I admire your courage
____________
“Courage” as in Sir Humphrey’s “That would be a courageous decision, Minister”?
‘Steelydan says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:19 pm
You would not have found an aboriginal woman in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Yuendumu, Papunya…I am talking the coal face here that would have wanted to get rid of the cashless debit card. Just more money for men for grog and all the freakish misery that brings.’
————————
You are wrong in fact but don’t let that stop you now.
Upnorth says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Cronus says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:44 pm
Snappy Tom 5:12 pm
“ Albanese has failed to provide sufficient detail on the Greens position!”
———————————————————————————————-
Nature abhors a vacuum.
中华人民共和国
Snappy Tom wins quote of the day! Well done cobber.
——————————————————————————————
How was Mongolia fella or are you still there?
I like Sth Australians. Very genuine people (unlike people from NSW). But geez they’re sensitive to a bit of interstate rivalry. 😆
Could be a summary of the whole day really…
The group who suffered the most with the multiple changes to retirement arrangements are largely gone now. These were the people who were not public servants but who provided for their own retirement before compulsory superannuation came into effect.
Some were very bitter about the lack of government support despite being taxpayers throughout their working life.
We need a fossil fuel windfall profits tax.
This Govt won’t deliver one, of course.
Now I am definitely not saying a broad range of people knew robodebt was unlawful and indefensible, I have no way of knowing that, I will say they are all behaving and giving evidence in the way that some who knew it was unlawful and indefensible but persisted with it anyway would.
“The group who suffered the most with the multiple changes to retirement arrangements are largely gone now. These were the people who were not public servants but who provided for their own retirement before compulsory superannuation came into effect.
Some were very bitter about the lack of government support despite being taxpayers throughout their working life.”
Were there benefits reduced or removed with the introduction of compulsory super (and the massive tax sacrifice involved?
WeWantPaul @ #2243 Friday, February 3rd, 2023 – 6:27 pm
Will any of the scum face serious justice ?
Of course not.
Cronus @ 5.53
If it weren’t so sad this would be hilarious.
____________________________________
Listening live, when he said this I burst out laughing. It almost sounded like he was laughing at the whole world of consultant-speak:
WEST: I wouldn’t say ‘damning indictment’…significant room for improvement.
FYI…
ISW is reported as assessing a likely early Spring Russian offensive, but most likely with an outcome which would displease the Kremlin:
“Russian President Vladimir Putin may have overestimated the Russian military’s own capabilities again, and therefore its major offensive in the east of Ukraine will end prematurely in the spring rainy season and will not be effective, analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) are convinced.
Source: ISW
Details: Andrii Cherniak, Representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, told the Kyiv Post on 1 February in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the Russian military to capture all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by March 2023. Cherniak also stated that Russian forces are redeploying additional unspecified assault groups, units, weapons, and military equipment to unspecified areas in the east of Ukraine.
“Putin may have overestimated the Russian military’s own capabilities again. ISW has not observed any evidence that Russian forces have restored sufficient combat power to defeat Ukraine’s forces in east of Ukraine and capture over 11,300 square kilometres of unoccupied Donetsk Oblast (over 42 percent of Donetsk Oblast’s total area) before March as Putin reportedly ordered,” ISW emphasised.
According to the ISW’s preliminary assessments, a major Russian offensive before April 2023 would likely prematurely culminate during the April spring rain season before achieving operationally significant effects.
“Russian forces’ culmination could then generate favourable conditions for Ukrainian forces to exploit in their own late spring or summer 2023 counteroffensive after incorporating Western tank deliveries,” a report of ISW said.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/02/3/7387718/
Alpo/Cronus/Boerwar/C@tmomma/others: thoughts on this ISW assessment? I agree that Russia will likely be ready for a major offensive earlier than Ukraine this year, largely due to NATO’s incrementalism (or more bluntly, feet-dragging) in increasing the power of their weapons supplies to Ukraine. The sheer scale of the Russian infantry “meat wave” assaults in Donetsk recently have been brutal, and very costly in Russian lives, but have achieved some marginal successes. I can only hope right now that ISW is correct in its assessment.
”
Snappy Tomsays:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:44 pm
TPOF says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:40 pm
Boerwar says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:20 pm
‘Rossmcg says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:17 pm
……………..
………….
………….
————–+
I know there’s a theory that whenever one invokes Nazi Germany, one loses – but hear me out…
Adolf Hitler never signed an order for the extermination of Jewish people.
What he did was make his anti-Semitic attitude plain (even to the extent of declaring that, should war come, it would result in the annihilation of the Jewish people of Europe) AND create a “government” (lots of chaos, not much governing) in which the most radical solution to any “problem”.
Hitler called for the “final solution” to the “Jewish question”. Other Nazis met at Wansee in early 1942 to develop plans for industrial-scale mass murder (there’s a Kenneth Branagh movie “Conspiracy” which explores the cold calculation of those involved).
The Coalition has made plain their attitude to welfare recipients. They have also made plain their desire to maximise revenue whilst granting tax cuts etc that benefit their mates. They rewarded certain types of policy work and punished others.
The Coalition, at the very least, created a culture in which the federal budget could be improved whilst simultaneously demonising welfare recipients.
Two birds, one stone.
—————-+
I take issue with the point that this LNP politicians of last 9 years wanted to “improve the budget”.
As a proof look at the Debt. It doubled by the time Pandemic set in
Frydenburg tried ” it is all because of Pandemic” excercise. But that is a poor excuse.
This LNP politicians never believed in “Budget surplus” after Abbott became LNP leader. It was just a wedge to beat ALP. That’s all.
They would have given “Tax cuts” irrespective of budget situation.
Standard features of last 9 years of LNP budgets was “Tax cuts” and “assets write-offs” for Tradies.
“Robodebt” is “IPA IDEALOGICAL ITCH” fulfilled by LNP and cheered on by Murdocracy. They just wanted to torture poor and needy. That’s all. Prime example is “Boat people”.
Remember what Alan Tudge said “We will hunt you down”. He was talking about vulnerable human beings here not animals. LNP government of last 9 years was filled with that is kind of people. Cruel and inhuman people with no moral compass.
Boerwar says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 6:11 pm
‘Steelydan says:
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:19 pm
You would not have found an aboriginal woman in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Yuendumu, Papunya…I am talking the coal face here that would have wanted to get rid of the cashless debit card. Just more money for men for grog and all the freakish misery that brings.’
————————
You are wrong in fact but don’t let that stop you now.
____________________________________
He couldn’t be wrong. Jacinta Price told him personally!