Liberal Party of Australia - News Feed

Wayne Swan can't even answer a simple question

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:50:56 GMT

If Wayne Swan can’t answer a simple question about his government’s financial outlook, how can Australian business and consumers have confidence in his leadership?

During question time, the Treasurer was asked the following question:

“Will the Treasurer confirm that the Government expects to pay $29 billion in interest alone on this Government’s borrowings over the next 4 years? Can the Treasurer advise the House how much of the $29 billion in interest is just interest on interest, on existing Labor Government debt?”

(Source: Joe Hockey, Question to Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan, 22 May 2012)

The Treasurer didn’t know how much of Labor’s $29 billion interest bill was interest on interest and couldn’t answer.

Wayne Swan’s only advice was to call on the opposition to look it up in the Budget papers.

“If he wants to go into the ins and outs of every figure, he can read it in the Budget papers.”

(Source: Wayne Swan, Response to Question from the Member for North Sydney, 22 May 2012)

Unfortunately for Mr Swan the figure of how much of the $29 billion interest bill is just interest on interest is not in the Budget Papers. That is exactly why the Coalition asked Mr Swan for a response during Question Time.

Labor continues to hide their own addiction to spending, in the same way they tried to hide their increase in the nation’s credit card limit from $250 billion to $300 billion deep inside the Appropriations bills.

Wayne Swan should be honest with the Australian people about the true state of his fiscal recklessness.

Modelling confirms Hit List is back

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:44:09 GMT

More damning revelations have emerged about Labor’s new school funding system with reports today the modelling shows that even with the additional funding needed to implement it, non-government schools will lose money within four years.

“The Coalition has said from day one that without a commitment to the same level of funding plus indexation every non-government school is back on Labor’s Private School Hit List,” according to Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.

“Neither the Federal Government nor the states have committed to find the additional $5 billion a year needed to fund Labor’s school funding changes,” Mr Pyne said.

“This new Government modelling shown to the Association of Independent Schools in New South Wales suggests that even with the new funding, if indexation is not maintained at current levels, non-government schools will still go backwards,” he said.

“Today, the Catholic Education Commission of NSW has also flagged concern about indexation.

“A decrease in funding for non-government schools will result in higher school fees and increased cost of living pressure for the millions of parents who often scrimp and save to send their child to a non-government school.

“Such is the concern amongst parts of the non-government sector that they are supporting the Coalition’s call to continue with the current SES model beyond 2014, giving schools the funding certainty they need.

“Schools Minister Mr Garrett could easily reassure schools by confirming today indexation will continue at current levels, but his weasel words say it all.

“The Government must move to end the uncertainty around school funding arrangements as a matter of urgency.

“Only the Coalition is committed to the same level of funding plus indexation. Labor is planning to cut non-government school funding by stealth,” Mr Pyne said.

Wayne Swan, tell the truth and check the facts

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:35:36 GMT

Wayne Swan likes to boast, but he forgets to check his numbers and tell the truth.

He claims repayments for home buyers are less under Labor than they were under the Coalition Government.

Wayne Swan is manifestly out of touch with Australian households.

The Treasurer would know that, on average, interest rates have been higher under Labor than they were under The Coalition.

Here are the facts. Under the Coalition, the average standard variable mortgage rate was 24 basis points lower than Labor.

Average Standard Variable Mortgage Rate

Coalition

(Mar 96-Nov 07)

7.26%

Labor

(Dec 07-April 12)

7.50%

Source: RBA Table F05 Indicator Lending Rates

For Wayne Swan’s typical $300,000 mortgage this difference would represent a saving under the Coalition of $720 a year, or $60 a month.

For small business the difference is even greater. Under the Coalition, the average small business unsecured overdraft rate was 135 basis points lower than Labor.

Average Small Business Unsecured Overdraft Rate

Coalition

(Mar 96-Nov 07)

8.89%

Labor

(Dec 07-April 12)

10.24%

Source: RBA Table F05 Indicator Lending Rates

For the typical small business unsecured overdraft loan of $200 000 this difference would represent a saving of $2,700 a year, or $225 a month.

This Treasurer should stop the spin and get his facts right.

Tony Abbott Doorstop: Julia Gillard’s carbon tax; Craig Thomson.

Tue, 22 May 2012 03:26:57 GMT

TONY ABBOTT:

I’d like to thank George Tremopoulos and his team here at Frozpak for making Greg Hunt and I so welcome this morning. This is one of those businesses that works while most people sleep to keep our city going and this is typical of the hundreds of thousands of Australian businesses that are going to be badly hit by Julia Gillard’s toxic carbon tax. There’s a triple whammy on this business. The carbon tax hits their power costs, it hits their transport costs and it hits their refrigerant costs and that’s why so much of the staples of our daily life are going to be significantly more expensive under the tax that Julia Gillard said would never, ever happen.

This is the spectre which is confronting Australia in just a few short weeks’ time because this Prime Minister wasn’t prepared to stand up to the Greens in the negotiations after the last election. I think as every day goes by the spectacle of this government becomes more embarrassing to the Australian people. Every day, people wake up with fresh revelations of scandal, of incompetence, of broken promises, and if you want to end the sleaze, stop the boats and end the waste, you’ve got to change this government. I think that’s the message which is coming out loud and clear from the spectacle of this government in Canberra this week.

Greg?

GREG HUNT:

George is living proof that it’s not big businesses but it is small, family businesses that are going to pay the carbon tax. The cost of their refrigerant alone is almost going to triple. It’s not a small increase: the cost of the good itself is almost going to triple under the carbon tax. The costs for Frozpak are likely to be in the vicinity of $60,000 a year extra. That’s a small family business that employs local people that’s going to be hit by the carbon tax. It’s going to hit the price of milk; it’s going to hit the price of fruit and vegetables. These are things which need to be kept cool. The reality of the carbon tax is it is small family businesses and it is goods such as milk and fruit and vegetables that are going to be hit.

TONY ABBOTT:

Ok, any questions?

QUESTION:

Mr Abbott, did you unleash a lynch mob on Craig Thomson?

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, what I’ve done is highlight the findings – not allegations, the findings – of the Fair Work Australia report. Now, Fair Work Australia was Julia Gillard’s creation. For months and months, when we raised questions about Mr Thomson’s conduct we were told, ‘Oh, just wait for the Fair Work Australia report’. Now we’ve had the Fair Work Australia report. We have had Mr Thomson’s frankly utterly implausible statement in the Parliament yesterday and the Government won’t let us debate it. Mr Thomson had one hour in the Parliament yesterday and the Opposition wasn’t given one minute to respond. Now, this is just a sign of a government which doesn’t get it when it comes to questions of public integrity.

QUESTION:

So, what did you make of his hour long statement?

TONY ABBOTT:

I don’t think he has seriously addressed any of the questions that he needed to. There are very serious findings of fact which Fair Work Australia made that he misused almost a half a million dollars of low paid union members’ money. He misused that money on his own personal expenses, getting elected, prostitution services. None of those questions were seriously addressed yesterday and I think what Mr Thomson did was a travesty of due process.

QUESTION:

He’s accused you of leading a lynch mob but he says that you are unfit to be Prime Minister and are unfit to be an MP.

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, I think that those sorts of statements will be treated basically with derision by the general public because this is someone who has failed to explain his own conduct. This is someone who has been found by Fair Work Australia to have misused almost a half a million dollars worth of low paid workers’ money. This is someone who is now in protective custody from the Prime Minister and the basic problem here is that this is someone who has betrayed the workers he was supposed to represent. This is someone who is now being protected by the Prime Minister in her desperate struggle to survive. There is no standard of integrity that this Prime Minister won’t trash in her struggle to survive and to cling to power.

QUESTION:

He’s also questioned the role of Michael Lawler, the Fair Work Australia vice president. That is someone who you previously appointed to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Have you had any contact with him?

TONY ABBOTT:

No. Look, sure, I appointed Michael Lawler to the Industrial Relations Commission a dozen years back, or whenever it was, but he’s now a senior officer of Fair Work Australia which is Julia Gillard’s creation and it’s interesting, isn’t it? In order to protect itself, the Government is now prepared to trash even its own creation. That’s how low this government has sunk.

QUESTION:

Have you spoken to Craig Kelly about allegations highlighted by Anthony Albanese yesterday?

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, he completely answered the claims that were made in the Parliament yesterday.

QUESTION:

Have you spoken to him personally, though?

TONY ABBOTT:

He completely answered the claims that were made in the Parliament yesterday.

QUESTION:

What about the prospect of Anthony Albanese going through other members of the Liberal and National parties?

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, this is a desperate government that is resorting to all sorts of completely unsubstantiated smear to protect itself. I think it is an increasingly revolting spectacle of a government which frankly shouldn’t be there, clinging to power and junking every standard of integrity in the process. I think the Australian people are disgusted by this spectacle. I think the Australian people think that this government has long outlived any useful role it could perform. I think the Australian people think that it’s high time that they got a new say on who should be governing our country.

QUESTION:

If Craig Thomson [inaudible] and support the Coalition in a vote in the House of Reps, would you accept his so-called tainted vote?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, he has indicated that he is going to vote with the Labor Party.

QUESTION:

Will you move to have Kathy Jackson have a right of reply to Craig Thomson’s statement yesterday?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, what we want at the moment is a chance to make a statement. I mean, Mr Thomson had an hour to address the Parliament yesterday. I think that we ought to have time to respond. I think all members of Parliament should have the opportunity to respond to the statement that was made. It was a statement that was made to the Parliament. It’s now the property of the Parliament. The Parliament should be able to debate it and the fact that this government wants to stop debate on the statement just shows that they don’t get it when it comes to ordinary standards of integrity.

QUESTION:

Would you move to have Kathy Jackson address Parliament and to address the claims that Craig Thomson made yesterday?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, I certainly think that Kathy Jackson has been unjustifiably attacked by Mr Thomson. Mr Thomson produced no evidence, no evidence whatsoever, for his smearing of other people in the union, whistleblowers in the union, people who have exposed what Fair Work Australia has now found to be facts about Mr Thomson’s conduct. Certainly, there are procedures to give her a way to respond and I think those procedures should certainly be allowed to take their course.

Business confidence still low thanks to Government

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:46:35 GMT

The Gillard Government needs to cut red tape and axe the carbon tax to help improve small business conditions which are well below the five year average according to the Coalition.

ACCI’s May 2012 Small Business Survey states that small business conditions were at “low levels” with conditions “expected to deteriorate further in the coming quarter.”

“It’s clear that Government needs to get out of the way of small business to help improve confidence in the sector,” Shadow Small Business Minister Bruce Billson said.

“Despite a Labor election commitment of ‘one in-one out’ where every new regulation would be matched by repealing another, the Rudd/Gillard Government’s performance has been appalling and reflects the concern of small business operators.

“Since Labor was elected it has introduced 16,173 new regulations and only repealed 79, clearly breaking its one in-one out promise to cut red tape.

“With a performance record of 204 new or amended regulations for every one repealed, you could hardly accuse the Labor Government of peaking early on its red-tape reduction promise.”

Mr Billson said the carbon tax which was only 39 days away would further erode business conditions and impede further investment in the sector.

“The best thing the Gillard Government can do to restore confidence to the small business community is dump the carbon tax,” Mr Billson said.

“Even before the carbon tax comes online, ACCI research has found that the average level of impediments on investment for small business rose sharply from 32.7 to 42.9 in the March quarter.

“Small business just looks at Canberra and shakes its head in disgust.”

Mr Billson said the Coalition had a clear road map for to restore hope, reward and opportunity to small business by repealing the carbon tax and slashing $1 billion worth of red tape.

'Carbon Cop' has more councils in its sights

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:32:49 GMT

Ratepayers in more than 100 council areas around Australia stand to suffer yet another hit from the carbon tax, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today.

Clean Energy Regulator or ‘Carbon Cop’ officials have told a Senate Estimates hearing that, on top of those ten councils recently named on a list of entities expected to be liable to pay the carbon tax, they have written to a further 104 councils that might also be hit.

The Regulator recently published a ‘Liable Entities Public Information Database’ (or LEPID) of 248 entities including the ten local government councils.

Under questioning from Senator Birmingham, the Regulator’s Chair and CEO, Chloe Munro, said they had written to a further 104 councils, as well as 30 corporate landfill waste entities and 80 other organisations – making a total of more than 200 additional entities that might be liable to the carbon tax.

Ms Munro told the Estimates hearing their ‘best guess’ is that, of these additional 104 local governments, about 70 will actually be liable to the carbon tax.

“All Australians will be hit with the carbon tax, particularly as a result of electricity and gas price hikes that will flow on to push up the cost of everything,” Senator Birmingham said today.

“We now know that many, many thousands of Australians will also be hit indirectly as ratepayers of councils that will be subject to the carbon tax, simply because they own or use a dump or landfill facility.

“It seems remarkable that local councils could account for around 20 per cent of those entities directly liable to pay Labor’s carbon tax.

“Julia Gillard’s carbon tax will mean these local councils have to lift their own fees and charges, raise their council rates, cut services or some combination of these hits, all of which mean more pain for Australians at the local level.

“Australians will rightly wonder at the worth of these measures, given the Government itself has forecast Australia's greenhouse gas emissions will increase, even under its carbon tax, from 578 million tonnes in 2012 to 621 million tonnes in 2020.

"Labor's carbon tax is all pain and no gain.”

Estimates reveal more blow outs on way as boat arrivals exceed 18,000 under Labor

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:29:39 GMT

The arrival of two more boats, with over 80 people, means more than 18,000 people have arrived under Labor and over 1,000 so far this month alone, a new monthly record, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Labor’s record failure on our borders continues to get worse as every new boat arrives. More than 18,000 have now arrived since Labor abolished the Coalition’s proven border protection measures and more than 1,000 people have now arrived this month, the biggest number of people to arrive in a single month under Labor,” Mr Morrison said.

“These latest arrivals underscore the budget blow out on boats that taxpayers will have to pay under Labor’s failed policies. In the last 12 months Labor’s budget has blown out by $1.7 billion and evidence provided at Senate Estimates today reveals further blowouts are likely, as once again the Government continues to underestimate the cost of their failures,” he said.

“Senate Estimates confirmed today that Labor’s budget is still based on just 450 people turning up every month. Yet in the past two months more than 2,000 people have arrived, with an average of over 700 a month since Labor introduced their community release policy last November.

“Senate Estimates today also revealed that the Government believes there will be 8,400 people who arrived on illegal boats in the system next year, either in detention or in the community. That is almost 2,700 more than they estimated just a few months ago, with community detention and bridging visa estimates more than double the Government’s original forecast.

“These increases are also based on no increase in boat arrivals.

“Any claimed saving from the government’s community release policy is now being swallowed by the increased numbers that are arriving due to the pull factors of Labor’s let them in, let them out approach. This is policy that is eating its own tail, not just chasing it.

“This is a policy that is guaranteeing more boat arrivals and more budget blow outs. Labor’s loss of control of our borders is complete,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Three illegal boat arrivals in under 24 hours, bringing over 1,000 people across our borders this month alone has confirmed that 2012 is set to be a record year for the people smugglers under the Gillard Government.

“Under Labor 18,000 people have arrived illegally since they abolished the proven border protection policies of the Howard Government – this is no longer a border protection crisis it is a complete and utter collapse of the Commonwealth’s ability to control our borders.

“Illegal boat arrivals are streaming across our borders at such a rapid rate that the hard working men and women of our Border Protection Command are placed under severe strain and pressure yet Labor’s only response is to cut their staffing numbers by a further 750 people.

“This is a Government whose consistent inaction to stop people smuggling and control who is coming to Australia shows that they are not capable of doing the things that are required of people who put up their hands for these positions of national responsibility.

“Only a change in Government will see a change in policy and some resolve to drive people smugglers out of business,” Mr Keenan said.

Industry pleads with government to drop toxic tax

Mon, 21 May 2012 02:19:57 GMT

With 40 days to go until the implementation of the carbon tax, stark warnings today from the dairy and aluminium industries on the tax’s devastating effects on their bottom line beg the question: when will the Gillard government start listening to the Australian people?

John Hannagan, Chairman – Rusal Australia:

“Since the design of the tax and the announcing of its implementation, global circumstances have changed dramatically and Australia now faces an almost impossible task of competing with new entrants to the industry.”

Robert Poole, General Manager – Industry and Government Affairs - Murray Goulburn Co-operative:

“For the average dairy farmer, the tax is going to cut hard into their profits.”

Barry Irvin, Chairman – Bega Cheese:

“In terms of our electricity costs, we will see they move from about $12 to $13 million to around $15 to $16 million.”

Farmers, manufacturers and Australian families are already facing enormous cost pressures. This government is so consumed with trying to hold onto power that it is failing to heed warnings about the impact of the carbon tax and is not listening to the Australian people.

Australians are at their wits’ end with this government and its endless procession of scandals and smear. It is time to start governing in the best interests of our nation and to implement policies that will assist and not prevent industry from conducting business.

Does the Minister, Greg Combet, agree with the statements of these industry leaders?

Boats get bigger as Labor's crisis of denial continues on borders

Mon, 21 May 2012 02:11:05 GMT

The arrival of the largest number of people on an illegal boat in more than two years comes as arrivals remain at record levels in 2012, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Not since February 2010 has there been an illegal boat carrying as many people as the 175 reported on the latest arrival,” Mr Morrison said.

“As Labor's refusal to restore the policies that worked under John Howard continues, the boats keep getting bigger and Labor's self made crisis on our borders continues to get worse,” he said.

“Arrivals are occurring at double the rate of 450 per month estimated by the Government to prepare the budget released less than two weeks ago. It is now likely the 1,000 barrier will be broken this month after 971 arrivals in April.

“Labor’s budget showed a blow out in costs of $1.7 billion in the past twelve months for boat arrivals, with half of the blow out occurring after the Government had factored in their failed Malaysian people swap. At Senate Estimates this week the Department of Immigration will have to come clean and admit that given the higher than expected rate of arrivals, the latest budget figures are also likely to blow out as well.

“The Government's refusal to reopen Nauru and restore temporary protection visas in preference to the Greens policies of community release and bridging visas demonstrates they are not genuine when it comes to border protection and cannot be trusted.

“These measures require no legislation and could be implemented tomorrow. It is clear that the only way these measures will now be restored is if Labor is voted out of office at an election,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The interception of the 40th illegal boat arrival for the year is confirmation that we are set for yet another record breaking year under the failed border protection policies of the Gillard Government.

“So far this year the Gillard Government has allowed more boats to arrive illegally than in the last six years of the Howard Government – reinforcing to all Australians the calamitous state in which Labor has placed our borders.

“Unfortunately the Labor Government is much more intent on playing a ridiculous blame game than actually doing their job and fixing the border crisis they created.

“But no amount of smoke and mirrors tricks can hide the fact that this incompetent Government not only has no semblance of a border protection policy but instead continues to axe millions in funding from the very frontline border protection agencies that they have left to pick up the pieces,” Mr Keenan said.

Another boat arrives as failed asylum seekers double dip under Labor

Fri, 18 May 2012 03:07:06 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with 68 people on board, comes on the same day as official revelations that asylum seekers are double dipping under Labor’s soft policies after being rejected by the Howard Government, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The Ombudsman reports reveal case after case of people who arrived on illegal boats and were returned under the Howard Government, coming back on illegal boats under Labor’s soft border protection policies for a double dip,” Mr Morrison said.

“Labor has no idea of how widespread this double dipping practice is, as Departmental advice admits that four out five people arriving on illegal boats have no documentation,” he said.

“Some of those coming back for a second attempt previously held temporary protection visas and went home after their refugee claims were no longer valid. Now that the Gillard Government is offering permanent visas, denied by the Howard Government, they have returned.

“Labor just doesn’t understand that if you leave the door open on our border, then people will understandably seek to walk through it and take advantage.

“Over 800 people have arrived on illegal boats in less than two weeks and over 6,000 this financial year, blowing out the government’s estimate of 450 people arriving every month under their let them in let them out policy and granny flat solution.

“There is nothing happening on our borders that an election won’t fix. Minister Bowen and Labor have given up on border protection and only the Coalition will restore the policies necessary to stop the boats,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The interception of the sixth vessel in the last week is a clear sign of the unrelenting wave of illegal boat arrivals that will continue to take advantage of Labor’s catastrophic bungling of Australia’s border protection policies.

“To say we have a crisis at our borders is an understatement as over 20 times more people have arrived illegally by boat this year alone then in the last six years of the Howard Government.

“Labor has made it so easy for people to enter our country illegally on boats, that many asylum seekers are trying their luck more than once – not only placing their lives in danger but lining the pockets of the people smugglers at the same time.

“Unless the Gillard Government embraces the proven policies of the previous Howard Government then an election and a Coalition Government is the only solution to the crisis facing Australia’s borders,” Mr Keenan said.