Politics

Oh but they’ll see it as good news! We need to cut business taxes so we can compete with the world blah blah blah.

Labor NSW leading the way again.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/alp-wont-refund-250k-donated-by-ron-medich-despite-promises/news-story/68dd3f29fd993e005adaf8552a6361bb?nk=bcfe72b70bb529a11a8b2c2504f298a0-1524523463

It’s all them immygrents!

Let’s be a little bit real

April 24, 2018 Written by: Kaye Lee

On Sunday, Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer finished her now infamous interview on Insiders with the indignant admonition “Let’s be a little bit real.”

Yes, let’s.

Ms O’Dwyer was trying to sell the line that her government has strengthened the corporate watchdog.

The facts are somewhat different.

The 2014-15 federal budget called for a $120 million dollar funding cut to ASIC over four years, as well as an additional $47 million “efficiency dividend” reduction.

At the time, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Steven Ciobo said “The Government thinks that there is scope for the financial services industry, and for all the other industries, to self-regulate more. There will always be (as a general statement of principle) our preference for self-regulation over the need to have a regulator [that is] tax-payer funded intervening in the field.”

Gee that’s worked well.

The following year, the budget cut another $15.8 million from ASIC funding, and they weren’t the only regulatory body to suffer.

In the Coalition’s first three years in office, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission lost 14 per cent of its staff, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 10 per cent of its staff, and the Australian Tax Office 16 per cent of its staff.

According to the Australia Institute, the total staff cut among corporate regulators was 14.9 per cent, about 3900 employees.

Whilst there has since been some restoration of funding, the loss of experienced staff has been devastating.

But not so in the relentless pursuit of unions.

Whilst the other regulators were losing staff hand over fist, the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate staff levels jumped by more than half from 100 to 155.

And now we have the Australian Building and Construction Commission and the Registered Organisations Commission to bolster the attack. In fact, we had the expense of a double dissolution election specifically to establish these union-busting organisations.

As opposed to the “sober” and “careful” consideration that eventually led to a Royal Commission into the financial sector (after they realised that their own members were ready to cross the floor), they immediately launched into Royal Commissions into the unions and the Home Insulation Programme, dragging Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Bill Shorten into the dock in a desperate attempt to smear them personally.

When that didn’t work, we witnessed the debacle of Michaelia Cash’s abortive attempt to get Bill Shorten over a union donation to GetUp! over a decade ago. The decision to tip off the media to police raids is still being investigated.

From the outset, this government has been running a protection racket for corporate malfeasance whilst engaging in a full-scale frontal assault on the collective bargaining capacity of workers and on hard-won workplace entitlements.

That, Ms O’Dwyer, is the reality.

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Sober and careful like a kicking, screaming child on a much needed trip to the doctor.

Serco - who run private prisons and refugee detention centres - awarded NDIS contract after getting Centrelink call centre contract. Like the banks, so customer oriented.

Anyone who would like to attend; send me a PM

Expect nothing less from our facist government. Just another marginal group to be treated appallingly and ground into dust. I have no words for how offensive this, and the people that signed off on it, are.

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Something quite a few here may be interested in, you need to RSVP to be able to log in online on the night.

Link for doing so is at the bottom.

Paul - GetUp! [email protected]

Dear BSD,

We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, at the most prosperous time in human history — but for too long the system has been rigged against us.

Last night, 140,000 of our neighbours went to sleep in an unfamiliar place, uncertain about their futures. Last week 700,000 people sent off yet another job application, desperately hoping to find steady work. And last year, the cost of living rose more than wages, making it harder for some people to pay for basic dignities like a hot shower or a decent meal.

An antidote is desperately needed. So we’ve spent the last year in conversations with the GetUp community, experts and partner organisations about what a fairer, more flourishing and just Australia would look like. And now, it’s here.

A Future To Fight For is our vision, and it maps our pathway to making a better economic future a reality.

Our community of over a million Australians has an incredible power — to change public conversations in our masses, and change minds one to one. It’s an unapologetically bold vision, but together we can make it come to life.

Join us for the launch of a Future to Fight For, and learn how to kickstart the changes in our economy that we want to see.

What: Future to Fight For Launch
When: Monday 30 April, 6:30-7:30pm AEST
Where: Online from the comfort of your own home, study or office!
RSVP: SEE BELOW

We all know how bad the current system is. The top 1% now control as much wealth as the bottom 70% of Australians combined. Income inequality is worse now than at any time in the past 67 years.

But we don’t need statistics to know that our economy is rigged against us. We see it every single day.

It’s the car window repaired with duct tape, or the overcrowded bus that gets us to work late. It’s the forgone family holiday, and the postponed trip to the dentist. It’s the oppressive feeling that there is never enough — enough work, enough money, enough time with those we love.

It can change. And who better to lead the charge here in Australia than one-million-plus GetUp members — united by our shared values and built on our dreams for an economy that works for everyone.

Here’s a sneak peek of what our economy could look like:

  • A guaranteed job for anyone willing and able to work.
  • A public-interest banking system run through our postal system - that doesn’t profit from predatory payday loans.
  • A free connection to the electricity grid guaranteed to all.
  • Space in a publicly funded early education centre for all children from the age of 1.

For the first time in human history, we have the resources, technology, and skills to build an economy that works for the people. And as the federal budget approaches, it’s up to us to make sure that the public conversation is dominated by real solutions, not bandaids for a broken system.

With the budget fast approaching and an election looming, it’s up to us to set the standard of what real solutions would look like, and make sure that conversation is on our terms.

Join us for the Future To Fight For launch — to find out how we’ll make this bold vision for a people’s economic future a reality.

For too long, billionaire corporations have held a stranglehold on power. But they don’t have power at the ballot box. They don’t have control over the conversations we have with our neighbours. They don’t have control over our movement of more than a million people, and what we demand of our politicians. Only we have that power.

With a solid set of solutions on the table, if we come together now, we could see the start of a whole new economic future.

Thank you for everything you do,
Paul, for the GetUp team

PS — You might remember all this as the People’s Manifesto, it’s the same project with a brand new name! Join us next week to hear how we make our plans a reality.

References:
[1] Top 1% of Australians own more wealth than bottom 70% combined, The Guardian, 22 January 2018

GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations.

Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and future - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.

Authorised by Paul Oosting, Level 14, 338 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

Future To Fight For Launch RSVP Link

Why is an avowed Socialist charging people to hear her speak?

Might be an idea to give her a map too - I doubt she has ever travelled west of Kensington.

E12 getting ready to go over the top on Anzac Eve. Such a brave fellow.

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There is the cost of the meal and the venue to cover. Pretty farking obvious even for the most dim witted of inbred conservatives to understand.

But not for trolling douchebags it would seem …

Ms Badham is not charging anyone. This is a fund-raiser and we hope to make about $2000 as a contribution to the re-election of the Andrews Government.

And for your information Ms Badham is a local to our area.

Even you might enjoy her charm and wit. The food is plain but OK and drinks are at the Bowling Club bar prices which is cheaper than a pub. We are a working class group but we manage to get speakers that are of interest to a wider audience.

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I think I’ll pass but thanks for the offer.

Like all of your ilk, …Ignorance is bliss eh?

I was wondering who the speaker was. Enjoyed the first video that popped up.

Perfect way to ruin a sunday,

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No surprises why it took so long to sack Quaedvlig from Australian Border Force. He is now exhuming some of the bodies on his twitter account.

Wouldn’t this be better than the crap that will get dished out in essington-melbourne game.

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