Rudd's $42 billion 'nation building' plan (5 Viewers)

[Rafy]

I was watching it on digital channel 47.

Internet stream here: Parliament of Australia: Live Broadcasting

 

[blue_chameleon]

Thanks Rafy.

 

[whatashotbyseve]

It's on channel 607 too if you have Foxtel for future reference.

 

[Lentern]

When on earth was Steve Fielding ever considered moderate??

Depends who you speak to, whilst I personally don't consider anyone right of Kevin to be "moderate" he was a crossbencher who could claim to be somewhere between the two major parties. True he's a bit of a bible basher but whereas he voted against workchoices, for the stimulus package etc The Greens, the other well known crossbench group are pretty much allways left of labor. With Xenophon new to the game Fielding would have hoped to grab a few headlines as the moderate senator charting a course for legislation through the two senate blocs, Labor/Green and Liberal National but alas Xenophon has proven to be far more skilled.

But just extending on my thoughts about Mr X, maybe it wasn't such a brilliant gambit. If he forces a DD then Greens/Labor will probably end up with enough seats in the senate for Xenophon's vote to become irrelevant. Once that happens he'll need to go back to leading donkeys into shopping centres to get a regular spot on the news. Perhaps he should let it pass and play ball until the coalition regains some ground.

 

[Rafy]

Xenophon has apparently reached a deal.

"Senator Xenophon will hold a media conference shortly where he is expected to announce he will support the stimulus package."


EDIT: Confirmed, the package will pass.

The Federal Government's $42 billion economic stimulus package will pass the Senate after a deal was struck today between Labor and the independent Senator Nick Xenophon.

Senator Xenophon said he would vote for the package after winning $900 million in extra funds for the ailing Murray-Darling basin and other water projects.

It involves bringing forward an extra $500 million over the next three years for water buybacks, $200 million in grants to assist local communities save water and to better manage water and $200 million in stormwater harvesting projects. [...]

[Full Article]

 

[withoutaface]

Well, fuck.

 

[Gerald10]

Depends who you speak to, whilst I personally don't consider anyone right of Kevin to be "moderate" he was a crossbencher who could claim to be somewhere between the two major parties. True he's a bit of a bible basher but whereas he voted against workchoices, for the stimulus package etc The Greens, the other well known crossbench group are pretty much allways left of labor. With Xenophon new to the game Fielding would have hoped to grab a few headlines as the moderate senator charting a course for legislation through the two senate blocs, Labor/Green and Liberal National but alas Xenophon has proven to be far more skilled.

But just extending on my thoughts about Mr X, maybe it wasn't such a brilliant gambit. If he forces a DD then Greens/Labor will probably end up with enough seats in the senate for Xenophon's vote to become irrelevant. Once that happens he'll need to go back to leading donkeys into shopping centres to get a regular spot on the news. Perhaps he should let it pass and play ball until the coalition regains some ground.

I agree with that sentiment in regard to Fielding and Xenophon. Fielding is nowhere near as radical as Fred Nile for example. And Xenophon has power at the moment - a DD would be disaster for him.

 

[Rafy]

The Parliament has passed the stimulus package.

Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 [No. 2]
Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009 [No. 2]
Household Stimulus Package Bill (No. 2) 2009
Tax Bonus for Working Australians Bill (No. 2) 2009
Tax Bonus for Working Australians (Consequential Amendments) Bill (No. 2) 2009
Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Amendment Bill 2009 [No. 2]

Bills passed without amendments Senate divided on the third reading of the bills: Ayes 30; Noes 28

 

[withoutaface]

Which niggahs be absent?

 

[incentivation]

This is actually good news IMO.

It now paves the way for package to be implemented, and the failure of the policy to have any long term impact revealed.

Hopefully discrediting the Government's economic policy, and making the next election an interesting contest.

 

[SashatheMan]

I am still happy with $900 dollars. $50 doesn't make much difference in my opinion, when you are given that much cash you didn't work for.

 

[sdent40]

This is disgusting

This is government

 

[Gerald10]

Excellent news.

 

[The_highwayman]

everybody on this site should be appalled.

we're the future graduates who will be paying for this ridiculous decision.

 

[blue_chameleon]

everybody on this site should be appalled.

we're the future graduates who will be paying for this ridiculous decision.

I'm gonna be a career student, yo.

 

[kenshinx77]

i dont like him cus he didnt give laptops out to yr 12 TT

 

[Gerald10]

everybody on this site should be appalled.

we're the future graduates who will be paying for this ridiculous decision.

Perhaps the money could have been better directed but the money would have to have been spent anyway - ie no matter what we would have to have gone into debt.

Debt isn't so bad as long as it can be serviced - and this will be done quite easily once the economy picks up again. And I can assure you that getting out of the debt would be much more complex if Turnbull was in charge with his tax cut fetish. One off payments increase spending in the short term but not the long term while tax cuts reduce revenue in the short and long term making the debt harder to service.

The only objectionable thing Rudd did was to try and rush it through parliament without revue. But this is entirely responsible and reasonable policy.

 

[blue_chameleon]

Perhaps the money could have been better directed but the money would have to have been spent anyway - ie no matter what we would have to have gone into debt.

Debt isn't so bad as long as it can be serviced - and this will be done quite easily once the economy picks up again. And I can assure you that getting out of the debt would be much more complex if Turnbull was in charge with his tax cut fetish. One off payments increase spending in the short term but not the long term while tax cuts reduce revenue in the short and long term making the debt harder to service.

The only objectionable thing Rudd did was to try and rush it through parliament without revue. But this is entirely responsible and reasonable policy.

How much is too much debt?

 

[TehAzner]

Perhaps the money could have been better directed but the money would have to have been spent anyway - ie no matter what we would have to have gone into debt.

Debt isn't so bad as long as it can be serviced - and this will be done quite easily once the economy picks up again. And I can assure you that getting out of the debt would be much more complex if Turnbull was in charge with his tax cut fetish. One off payments increase spending in the short term but not the long term while tax cuts reduce revenue in the short and long term making the debt harder to service.

The only objectionable thing Rudd did was to try and rush it through parliament without revue. But this is entirely responsible and reasonable policy.

On one hand I agree with what Rudd is trying to do here. Directly injecting cash into the economy will definitely get the Australian economy back up and running. However he probably hasn't thought long and hard that most people will end up using the money to pay back existing mortgages, or either saving it up for a rainy day (i.e. precautionary saving).

As Malcolm Turnbull put it nicely:
"The Labor debt train has left the station. Destination unknown. The only known fact is that our children and their children will pay for the debt."

 

[Will Shakespear]

This is actually good news IMO.

It now paves the way for package to be implemented, and the failure of the policy to have any long term impact revealed.

Hopefully discrediting the Government's economic policy, and making the next election an interesting contest.

cutting off one's nose, no?