I personally think we should follow the Republicans in America. Tax breaks for the highest income earners, increase taxes on the lowest income earners and introduce protectionist measures for unsustainable business whilst reducing public services to pay for all this ;)

:shock: :shock: :shock:

how about just building a robust economy across all secotrs and stop pandering to minority groups, and prevent collusive and anti competative behaviour by the big end of town????

oh and cut red tape while your at it......

All these things sound good, although I'm at a loss as to why you think it will be a LNP government to deliver it.

i happy to give you a go at it, probably couldnt do any worse....obviously the retards we have cant do it, 2nd term and its still heading to the shit hole.....never know maybe we should ask bill shorten to lead the government he seems to have all the RIGHT answers......

I should be given a go, I reckon. Afterall, I'm not a woman and I don't have red hair.

depends if you front up in the getup you wear in the evenings?????? :-" :cool:

getup or GetUp?

your transgender evening wear

I don't think I could handle the criticism from Germaine Greer.

you would love it, never met anyone who like to argue as much as you...!!!!!

hang on i have been with my wife for 32 years, she might shade you.............

"Allegations that aren't supported by evidence and not interviewing at least 6 key witnesses," he tweeted.

"Part of the reason FWA got it wrong after 4 yrs."

well the report is pretty damning, and has been referred to the police....but the labor party will have it swept under the carpet soon....just throw some $$$$ at it to make it go away....like everything they do......

What have they thrown money at to make go away? They made Thomson step back from the ALP caucus and told Slipper to step down until proceedings have been completed.

Still, the LNP MP that was actually convicted of a crime remains in the party at the behest of Tony Abbott.

Oh, she has a mental illness. Clearly she should remain in parliament then.

Oh, she has a mental illness. Clearly she should remain in parliament then.

Either way she's not fit for parliament, yet Tony Abbott refuses to man up and do what Gillard has done to Thomson.

Wayne Swan unveils surplus of 'difficult savings' in Budget 2012

by: Simon Benson and Steve Lewis From: The Daily Telegraph May 08, 2012 7:56PM

Modern-day Robin Hood Wayne Swan has used his 2012 budget as a weapon to take from wealthy miners and give to needy battlers.

Upping the ante in his so-called class war with mining billionaires like Andrew Forrest, Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer, the federal treasurer announced a $3.6 billion ``spreading the benefits of the boom'' package to share the proceeds of the mining tax with low and middle-income earning families and small businesses.

The package's core measures are: $1.8 billion in extra family tax benefits, helping 1.5 million families, with more than half taking home an extra $600 a year; $1.1 billion in supplements of up to $210 a year for students, jobseekers and parents with young children on income support. Savaging the Coalition and the Greens for rejecting Labor's proposed one per cent company tax cut, he said funds for the cut had instead been redirected to families. Mr Swan, as expected, announced a small $1.5 billion surplus, Labor's first in 23 years.

Following last year's $44 billion deficit, this represents Australia's biggest fiscal turnaround in half a century - and more is on the way.

``The surplus years are here,'' Mr Swan declared. The treasurer announced a bonus of $820 for secondary students and $410 for primary, a $1 billion disability insurance scheme, $515 million for dental care and a tripling of the tax-free threshold to $18,200 to help compensate for the new carbon tax.

To pay for it all he has taken the axe to cut $17 billion off government spending, with defence hit to the tune of $5.4 billion and 3000 public service jobs cut. With GDP expected to grow at over three per cent, and unemployment remaining low at 5.5 per cent, he pronounced Australia's economy ``streets ahead'' of every other major developed country.

By removing a promised one percentage point corporate tax break for small and big business to be funded by the mining tax, and instead handing the money to low and middle income families, they risk adding to the ``trust'' deficit.

Already Labor is well behind in the opinion polls due to Gillard's broken promise on the carbon tax. Swan blames the coalition, which has vowed to scrap the minerals resource rent tax, and the Greens, who backed cuts for small but not large businesses, for not being able to get the company tax cut laws through parliament.

But, as with other draft laws related to asylum seekers and poker machine reform, the government will not put the legislation to a parliamentary vote to test the waters. Instead, the treasurer has come up with a Spreading the Benefits of the Boom package.

It will put about $600 a year in the family bank account, give parents cash to cover school expenses and provide $1.1 billion for a new allowance for the unemployed and others on income support.

The cash splash, combined with other tax changes, will be welcomed by low and middle income earners who face the flow-on price impacts of the $23 per tonne carbon tax from July 1 and other rises in the cost of living.

While households have already been promised carbon tax compensation, which for many families starts this month, the extra money will go a way to ease the hip-pocket concerns of voters fuelled by Tony Abbott's relentless ``people's revolt''. However, despite a number of tax breaks for small business and Swan declaring the budget a ``win-win'' for Australia, the government could put off side a growing army of ``aspirational'' business owners that

Gillard so badly needs to shore up votes in marginal Labor seats. Corporate Australia will also be crying foul, but Swan has previously made clear by his recent attacks on billionaires he has little time for complaints. However, the treasurer has not ruled out a corporate tax cut in the future, if business can make the case and show how it can be paid for.

``We will continue to support a lower company tax rate and other business tax reforms so long as it is paid for by savings identified by business and has the support of the parliament,'' Mr Swan told reporters during the budget lock-up.

Meanwhile, the government has put its money where its mouth by offering funding for the initial rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which Swan describes as the ``most fundamental social reform since Medicare''.

However, the future of the NDIS lies in the hands of mostly coalition-held state governments, which have yet to agree on the detail of how it will work in the longer term.

As Europe continues to cast a shadow over the global economic outlook, Swan's promise of surplus budgets from now on as well as delivering on pledges such as the NDIS, better roads and hospitals and further tax cuts, will depend on continuing strong terms of trade and Asia's ongoing thirst for coal and iron ore. The treasurer admits to nervousness about Europe and the US economy, but says he has a ``lot of faith'' in the Asian region.

Sixteen months out from an election, Swan and Gillard are taking a leaf out of John Howard's book and seeking to buy some love.

The Daily Telegraph understands that it will defer the cuts for small and big businesses as a centrepiece of its ``Labor values' budget'' to be handed down by Treasurer Wayne Swan tonight.

It is understood the savings will go toward a one off handout to families to help soften the blow of the carbon tax.

Senior Government figures are nervous of a further public backlash after the carbon tax comes into effect from July 1 - particularly as the costs of living are set to rise and struggling manufacturing firms could be damaged by the impost.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is desperate to use tonight's Budget to try and turn around Labor's slump in approval rating - which has Government MPs extremely nervous about the future and openly discussing leadership change.

Treasurer Swan is due to hand down his budget at 7.30pm but, in what appears to be a deliberate ploy by the government, details have been leaked to selected media outlets.

The budget provides a seed payment of $1 billion for the National Disability Incentive Scheme, $500 million for dental health and $250 million for e-health.

It defers a commitment to increase overseas aid in a move that saves nearly $3 billion.

Cracking down on golden handshake payments will save nearly $200 million, while ending the ending the away-from-home allowance after one year saves $1 billion.

The surplus in 2012/13 is forecast to be $1.5 billion, rising to $2 billion the year after, $5.3 billion in 2014/15 and $7.5 billion in 2015/16.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/wayne-swan-unveils-surplus-of-difficult-savings-in-budget-2012/story-e6freuy9-1226349848497

*scratches head* why are they increasing beer tax?

Its more the fact that she thought that talking to Kyle would be a good PR move.

But yes Geyer was a dick. Hes an ex-rugby player on a muck-around radio show (i gather ive never listened to their show) so what right he have to talk to Gillard in that way? If he was an economist or a political reporter then maybe