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WE WANT ACTION NOT TALK, MR RUDD!
WE WANT ACTION NOT TALK, MR RUDD!

Kevin Rudd and Labor have already forgotten Australian families.

While Australian families battle serious cost of living challenges from increasing petrol prices, grocery prices and interest rates, Mr Rudd and Labor put political spin and media headlines before real action and results.

It’s time for action, not talk Mr Rudd!



Broken promises

Labor promised action on fuel prices – but it’s done nothing.

Labor promised to control the cost of living – but grocery prices go up and up.

Labor promised action on interest rates – but it has no economic strategy to keep them low.

Despite his promises, Mr Rudd now says “...we have done as much as we physically can to provide additional help to the family budget.” (Press conference, 22/5/08)


Sydney Morning Herald, 27/7/08


No economic strategy

Labor has no clear strategy to keep our economy strong and jobs secure.

Under Labor:

  • Consumer confidence has plummeted to its lowest level since Labor’s recession in the early 1990s (Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment 9/7/08)
  • Business confidence has fallen by more than 50% since the election of the Rudd Labor Government (Sensis Business Index May 2008)
  • The percentage of Australians who believe their standard of living will get worse has more than doubled to 43% (Newspoll 2/7/08)
  • The percentage of Australians who believe their standard of living will improve has dropped to just 13% - the lowest confidence level since Labor’s recession (Newspoll 2/7/08)
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    The Australian, 10/7/08




    SMH, 10/7/08
    Kevin 737

    Mr Rudd has already spent more than 30 days overseas since becoming Prime Minister.

    While Australian families face serious challenges at home, Mr Rudd has been living out his foreign policy fantasies.

    In his time overseas, Mr Rudd has:

  • Promised to rid the world of nuclear weapons;
  • Announced a new ‘Asian community’ - without informing any of our Asian neighbours;
  • Thrown $35 million at Toyota – without even asking what it would be spent on; and
  • Delivered a six-minute speech to the G8 meeting.
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    Daily Telegraph, 20/6/08




    The Australian, 4/7/08
    Outsourcing leadership

    Before the election, Mr Rudd promised “the buck stops with me.”

    But instead of getting on with the job of governing, Mr Rudd and Labor have set up more than 135 committees, inquiries, reviews, discussion papers, audits, consultations and summits.


    The Australian, 26/3/08


    Playing the blame game

    Mr Rudd promised to “end the blame game”. Yet on more than 420 occasions in Parliament this year, Mr Rudd has blamed others for his failure to respond to Australia’s challenges.

    Those blamed by Mr Rudd include: the Coalition, OPEC, the Iraq War, his own staff, the international credit crisis, the mining boom, China’s energy demands, international banks, alcohol companies, heatwaves, pubs and clubs, an ‘overheating’ solar panel industry, oil companies, overseas travel entitlements when in Opposition, State governments and State oppositions, the RACV, RACQ and RAA of South Australia, his own public service, alcopops, the drought, urban traffic congestion, global warming, four wheel drives and Taragos, the US subprime crisis, drinkers, smokers, teenagers, parents, and the Japanese Government.


    Daily Telegraph, 30/5/08




    Daily Telegraph, 27/5/08


    Wasting taxpayers' money

    Mr Rudd and Labor promised its razor gang would tighten the purse strings. Labor’s spending in government shows otherwise:

  • Mr Rudd has employed a butler, who earns $78,000 per year;
  • The $530,000 bill for the Government's Bali Climate Change junket in December included a $26,000 cocktail party;
  • Almost $2 million has been spent on Labor’s 2020 Summit. Costs identified so far include:

  • Over $140,000 to former Tasmanian public servant Linda Hornsey to manage the summit;

  • $60,000 for a company owned by a Rudd Government adviser to manage media at the summit – a contract was awarded without tender;

  • $11,000 for a time capsule storing the comments of summit participants;

  • $88,230.25 for security, cleaning and general running costs for Parliament House;

  • Broadcasting the event on the Parliament House in-house network cost $82,831.

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  • A $45,000 contract to review the Northern Land Council was given to a close friend of Ms Macklin’s senior adviser;
  • Taxpayers footed the bill for a US$1700 cancellation fee when the Prime Minister "changed his mind" about staying at the Willard Hotel in Washington during his recent 18 day tour world tour.
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    The Sunday Telegraph, 1/6/08




    Courier Mail, 22/5/08




    The Age, 28/5/08
    Jobs for the boys

    Labor looks after its mates. That’s why the Rudd Government has found jobs for many of them since being elected.

    To name but a few:

  • Steve Bracks (former Labor Premier of Victoria) has been appointed as chair of Labor’s Car Industry Review
  • Gareth Evans (former Minister under Paul Keating) has been appointed as chair of Mr Rudd’s ‘international commission’ on nuclear weapons
  • Both the National Secretary and National President of the TCF Union have been appointed to Labor’s textile industry review
  • A $45,000 contract to review the Northern Land Council was awarded to a close friend of Jenny Macklin’s senior adviser
  • $60,000 was paid to a company owned by a Rudd Government adviser to manage media at the 2020 summit – a contract awarded without tender

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    Herald Sun, 22/2/08