Re: 2013 Australian Federal election
you guys srsly
1) Townie is right to be fearful for his job if a coalition government gets in. Liberals don't -always- slash public sector jobs, but Abbott has promised to do so. I can't comment on the merits of Townie's job or his prospects come a coalition victory, but he obviously has a legitimate concern for his ongoing employment. I guarantee if anyone here's career was directly related to the outcome of the upcoming election, you would feel the same way.
2) The carbon tax is a non-issue, and if any of you would go beyond using it as a partisan buzzword you'd know that, given the current economic doldrums in Europe, come the transition to the ETS in 2015-16 the price of carbon permits will probably be much cheaper. Also, the carbon tax was in part used to increase the tax free threshold; this is the biggest tax reform since the GST was introduced in 2000. A coalition government will either have to make up the gap, either by spending cuts elsewhere or reducing the tax free threshold (protip: they won't do that). But more importantly, it's a fuckload better than the Coalition's "Direct Action Plan". Instead of an international, market-based permit system that raises revenue and makes carbon producers (read: carbon consumers) pay for their emissions and alters the relative cost of alternative energies, we'll have a massive program of government spending into particular industries and companies (no chance for pork barrel or corruption or anything there!) and cross our fingers that they actually reduce their emissions. It's a terrible plan, and we will be all be left worse off by it vis a vis the carbon ETS.
3) The mining tax is a great policy. Listen Lolsmith, I understand that this looks like BIG GUVAMINT at work and I do love your rhetoric, but it's sound policy for so many reasons. Also, while the mining tax isn't making any money right now, it will be raking in a fair amount in the next few years when China picks up again (it will)
at the same time i don't really care if abbott gets in because i don't think it'll be anywhere near as bad as his detractors might think (except for repealing the carbon tax, repealing the mining tax, putting in his own way more shitty parental leave scheme). also, if he's unpopular enough, it sets the stage for a wets leadership challenge maybe probably not
oh and gonski/new education funding regime is good too
