Federal Budget 2015

The hockey storm in a teacup is just the latest weekly blowup for the outrage class to get up in arms about. Every week people have to find something new to vent about. I mean, seriously, the housing market is what it is. If you want to live near the city in a beautiful area of the country be prepared to sacrifice and work hard for it. Wouldn't have thought there is anything particularly novel and earth shattering in that pronouncement.
I'm far more concerned by the whole wind farm fiasco to be honest

I reckon Ben that the renewable energy industry is the greatest scam of all time.

Instead of Government and Community recognizing and agreeing on the need to rid ourselves of fossil fuels, we allow private industry to take over and subsidies them with millions of tax dollars.

So what we have in wind and solar are commercial solutions that suit the industry profit motive, but do little in bringing down carbon levels and just add to the consumers costs.

Now I do have ambitions to rule the planet, and I would make renewable energy mandatory for all buildings, and ensure the best engineered solutions were used all controlled by Government.

I hate the wind industry and know they are greedy, unscrupulous crooks, and I also know that most of the solar panels on our roofs will need replacing in the next 5 years. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

The hockey storm in a teacup is just the latest weekly blowup for the outrage class to get up in arms about. Every week people have to find something new to vent about. I mean, seriously, the housing market is what it is. If you want to live near the city in a beautiful area of the country be prepared to sacrifice and work hard for it. Wouldn't have thought there is anything particularly novel and earth shattering in that pronouncement.

Always been the same, and the “housing” bubble has been going to explode since at least 1974 in my experience. I would have liked to buy my first home in Toorak, but had to be a “renovators delight” in Ascot Vale.

And then built a house way way out in the sticks in Diamond Creek; my Daughter just built one in South Morang, hundreds building homes here in Bacchus Marsh. Nothing much has changed


That sort of thinking was real common everywhere prior to about 2007. “Nothing’s actually going to happen”

So what has changed ?

The hockey storm in a teacup is just the latest weekly blowup for the outrage class to get up in arms about. Every week people have to find something new to vent about. I mean, seriously, the housing market is what it is. If you want to live near the city in a beautiful area of the country be prepared to sacrifice and work hard for it. Wouldn't have thought there is anything particularly novel and earth shattering in that pronouncement.

Always been the same, and the “housing” bubble has been going to explode since at least 1974 in my experience. I would have liked to buy my first home in Toorak, but had to be a “renovators delight” in Ascot Vale.

And then built a house way way out in the sticks in Diamond Creek; my Daughter just built one in South Morang, hundreds building homes here in Bacchus Marsh. Nothing much has changed


That sort of thinking was real common everywhere prior to about 2007. “Nothing’s actually going to happen”

So what has changed ?

It happened. You may have heard of it if you paid attention to SBS.

What’s SBS ? Is it on Foxtel?

Record Cut to Australia’s Foreign Aid

Posted: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 09:59

Author: Xavier Smerdon
Google +

The Abbott Government has delivered the biggest single-year cut to foreign aid in Australia’s history, a move that Not for Profits claim will hurt our international reputation.

In delivering last night’s Budget, Treasurer Joe Hockey revealed that $1 billion, or 20 per cent of Australia’s current foreign aid budget, would be cut, bringing the total cuts to the aid program since the Government was elected to $11.3 billion.

World Vision CEO Tim Costello said the Government had put both lives and stability in Australia’s immediate region at risk with its decision to go ahead with the record cut.

“It seems incredible that we should be willing to undermine the stability and security of our own region, hitting the area of closest and most immediate need and undermining our chances for future prosperity,” Costello said.

The peak body for Australia’s aid agencies, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), said the Government was neglecting its international responsibilities.

“Millions of women, children, and men in poor communities in our region who benefited from our highly effective aid program will no longer get a helping hand from Australia,” ACFID Executive Director, Marc Purcell said.

“These Budget cuts will damage Australia’s relations with our neighbouring countries. We have hamstrung our ability to tackle global and regional issues that affect us all: poverty, conflict, terrorism, climate change, migration, disease and poor governance.

“The budget figures show that by 2016-17, our aid budget as a share of national income will fall to just 0.22 per cent, or 22 cents in every $100.

“We have a shrunken aid program – and will become an insular and less fair Australia as a result.

“These massive budget cuts shrink Australia’s place in the world, reducing our ranking from 13 to 16 out of 28 countries in the OECD aid generosity index by 2018 below New Zealand, Ireland and Belgium.”

According to Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, Tanya Plibersek, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar have seen their aid cut by 40 per cent.

Plibersek said aid to Sub-Saharan African countries had been cut by a “horrific” 70 per cent and the Middle East and North Africa region and seen aid to it cut by 82 per cent.

“This is hugely embarrassing for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who promised before the election to grow the aid budget, but now presides over the weakest foreign aid program in Australian history,” Plibersek said.

“Many countries have suffered cuts, with numerous critical programs facing the axe – including child protection, domestic violence, HIV prevention, health, education, and clean water projects.

“The Abbott Government’s aid cuts are hurting the most vulnerable, and hurting Australia’s international reputation as a good global citizen.”

Plibersek said the cuts were also putting Australia’s national security at risk

“Leading think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), says that reducing deprivation and inequality in our region delivers significant strategic benefits to Australia,” she said.

“ASPI warns that the Abbott Government’s cuts to foreign aid could lead to civil unrest in nearby states.”

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop defended her aid budget, saying Australia still had a good international standing.

“Australia will provide an estimated $4 billion in total Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2015-16, making us approximately the 13th largest donor in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in dollar terms,” Bishop said.

“The aid program will reflect the different development and economic trajectories across the region and will continue the Government’s commitment to development in the Pacific and building economic partnerships across Asia.

ChildFund Australia CEO, Nigel Spence, said only Cambodia, which has agreed to resettle refugees who travelled to Australia by boat, had been spared significant aid cuts.

“We are deeply disappointed that this devastating cut to Australia’s aid program has gone ahead. This means vital aid projects for the world’s most vulnerable children and families will be drastically scaled back, resulting in less children accessing the basics they need to survive and thrive – clean water, healthcare, education, protection,” Spence said.

“We reject the idea that cuts to aid are necessary to repair the budget or fund domestic programs. Aid spending amounts to just 1 per cent of the Federal Budget. E​ven wiping out the entire aid program would have little impact on the Budget’s bottom line.”

Tim Costello said welcomed the Julie Bishop’s announcement of a $50 million competitive Gender Equality Fund for the Indo-Pacific region, but he said this would not make up for the “devastating impact on women and girls of the massive across-the-board cuts in our aid to Asia”.

“It is hard to think about gender equality and economic empowerment when you are dying in childbirth in a remote village without access to adequate health care or your child is perishing in your arms because of an untreated case of diarrhoea,” Costello said.

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) labelled the Budget as “mean-spirited” and “short-sighted” for its failure to respond to the world’s growing humanitarian crises.

“The massive cut in the overseas aid budget and the Government’s failure to begin reversing its 2013 cut to the Refugee and Humanitarian Program will be viewed internationally as signs that Australia is indifferent to the massive displacement of refugees in the Middle East or the large-scale humanitarian crises in Asia and Africa,” RCOA CEO Paul Power said.

“If the Abbott Government was interested in doing its fair share, and cared about the growing international challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees, it would be increasing the number of people we resettled and providing more aid where the needs are greatest, to challenge displacement at the source.

“This Budget is mean-spirited to the world’s refugees, it continues to demonise asylum seekers who are Australia’s responsibility, it will inflame tensions with the region and continues to undermine our global reputation as a generous global citizen.”

Budget Papers on Foreign Aid can be found HERE

I have no problem with cutting aid to Indonesia (not because of the executions) but I am disappointed with the massive cuts in aid to Africa, the need there is desperate. If the Gov is worried about pouring money into the coffers of the governments over there then fine, don’t give it to them, but reducing the aid flowing through the charitable organisations that are trying to establish sustainable support is poor form. Cut aid to those that do not need it, to those that are wasting it and to those who are abusing it but this has gone beyond that imo.

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it’s insane.

As a small business owner, I am happy with the ability to write off 20k in one year. It was originally anything over $1000 had to be written off over three years which kind of sucked.

Actually you can write off any expense that’s under 20,000 as far as I’m aware. This means you could claim multiple purchases of up to 20,000 in the same year e.g. you buy two cars for 20,000 each.

Tax cut for small business will help.

WiIl get increase for child care as well.

Some of the more obscure or under reported aspects of the budget: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/federal-budget-2015--weird-announcements-and-surprise-cuts-galore-114431341.html

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

And Abbott.
And I’m sorry, and it amuses me to say this regarding Liberal policy, but what private companies do that’s over and above government funding is none of the government’s business.

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

And Abbott.
And I’m sorry, and it amuses me to say this regarding Liberal policy, but what private companies do that’s over and above government funding is none of the government’s business.

double dipping is what got some of these people in the parent trap in the first place

amirite

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

One of the ramifications of this will be a decrease in already low breastfeeding in the first 12 months of a childs life because mothers will go back to work sooner.

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

One of the ramifications of this will be a decrease in already low breastfeeding in the first 12 months of a childs life because mothers will go back to work sooner.

Do breast pumps attract GST?

(note: not a real question)

A Debt and Deficit Disaster of a budget

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

One of the ramifications of this will be a decrease in already low breastfeeding in the first 12 months of a childs life because mothers will go back to work sooner.

Do breast pumps attract GST?

(note: not a real question)

LOL...Probably need an adequate room to pump in support of management first.
The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

One of the ramifications of this will be a decrease in already low breastfeeding in the first 12 months of a childs life because mothers will go back to work sooner.

Do breast pumps attract GST?

(note: not a real question)

LOL...Probably need an adequate room to pump in support of management first.
Reminds me of a story... The ex was on the pump after she returned to work and her employer was very supportive. At one point though she had to attend a conference. She rang ahead a few weeks before to confirm there would have somewhere to do it, and was given the OK, she would have a private room available to her. She rang 2 days before to reconfirm, and was given the OK and again had the private room option confirmed to her.

She got there on the day and was told to use the disabled toilets. Gobsmacked she challenged them and was given the “is it really that important?” line. Disgusting.

The cuts to maternity leave is pretty much the only thing I know about the budget, and it's insane.

Not all of it, the double dipping is a bit over the top and needed to be looked at. But yeah, it is a complete reversal of how Howard saw ML.

One of the ramifications of this will be a decrease in already low breastfeeding in the first 12 months of a childs life because mothers will go back to work sooner.

Do breast pumps attract GST?

(note: not a real question)

LOL...Probably need an adequate room to pump in support of management first.
Reminds me of a story... The ex was on the pump after she returned to work and her employer was very supportive. At one point though she had to attend a conference. She rang ahead a few weeks before to confirm there would have somewhere to do it, and was given the OK, she would have a private room available to her. She rang 2 days before to reconfirm, and was given the OK and again had the private room option confirmed to her.

She got there on the day and was told to use the disabled toilets. Gobsmacked she challenged them and was given the “is it really that important?” line. Disgusting.

I have had to pump in my car and in the toilets too.

negative gearing, super concessions and multi nationals wasn’t touched.

But was never going to be eh

If they wanted to stimulate SMEs, re-work the payroll tax thresholds (yes I know it is state based) but lifting the cut out from 500k to say 1.5mill - would help out small businesses. Perhaps merge the workcover and payroll tax under one payment. It would encourage jobs to stay in straya

I confess to having bugger-all economic knowledge, but if ever there was a time to even modify negative gearing, surely it would be when the housing market is overheating?

I confess to having bugger-all economic knowledge, but if ever there was a time to even modify negative gearing, surely it would be when the housing market is overheating?

I likewise know ■■■■ all about economics but things are done by people and not by times and do you reckon these are the people to do it?