They're both twats. One a former and one a current.

Can't Turnbull make a run at the leadership.

Fucking Abbott.

I didn't think "mong" was a good word to use but didn't make a big deal of it. Still, I agree we can do better than "mong".

Like what?

Ranga? Bogan Bitch? Ronald McDonald? Ju-LIAR?

Why would anyone want to touch Turnbull with a 100ft pole after his NBN fucktardery?

He certainly wouldn't have the balls to do what's unpopular but right for Australia.

He certainly wouldn't have the balls to do what's unpopular but right for Australia.

Whitehouse Staff Register Reveals No Role For Frances Abbott

First it was a secret scholarship. Now it appears to be a job with no role. Chris Graham brings you the latest on 'Whitehousegate'

Growing community anger over the awarding of a secret scholarship worth $60,000 to Frances Abbott is unlikely to abate amid fresh revelations that the daughter of the Prime Minister appears to have been employed by the college in a job with no defined role.

Media have widely reported that Tony Abbott’s middle daughter was also rewarded with a job at the Whitehouse Institute of Design. The Prime Minister and Whitehouse have maintained that Frances’ seemingly favourable treatment by the college has been based on merit.

But documents obtained by New Matilda suggest that the circumstances leading up to Ms Abbott’s employment bear a striking resemblance to those around the awarding of her secret scholarship.

An internal staff register from Whitehouse Institute details 74 employees at the college, spread across two campuses – Sydney and Melbourne.

Every single member of staff has a role allocated to them in the register, with one exception — Frances Abbott.

Under the heading ‘Role’ her entry is blank – it simply lists her name, and a private email address.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister told New Matilda: "Questions regarding Frances’ employment should be directed to Whitehouse. I have no further comment."

Whitehouse Institute has been contacted repeatedly for comment, but has yet to respond to questions.

Classmates and Whitehouse staff have told New Matilda that Ms Abbott was a good student, and well liked by her colleagues.

The revelations come after New Matilda revealed on Wednesday that Frances paid just $7,546 for the $68,182 Bachelor of Design degree at Whitehouse Institute.

Internal documents from the school contradicted claims by the Prime Minister that he failed to declare the $60,636 benefit to his daughter because the scholarship was awarded on the basis of merit.

It emerged on Wednesday that rather than competing for a scholarship, Ms Abbott was pursued.

Chairman of the Whitehouse Institute, Les Taylor — a long-time friend of the Abbott family — urged her to attend the college after Whitehouse became aware she was thinking of enrolling with a competitor.

It also emerged that the General Manager’s Scholarship awarded to Ms Abbott has never been publicly advertised by the Whitehouse Institute, its existence was kept secret from senior staff, and it was awarded to Ms Abbott after just one meeting with the school’s owner, Leanne Whitehouse, in apparent contravention of Whitehouse’s publicly stated scholarship selection criteria.

Nothing ballsy about targeting the portion of the electorate that don't usually vote LNP

Libs take money of Mafia man

The suspected Mafia godfather of Melbourne helped bankroll a Liberal Party marginal federal seat campaign in the 2013 election, raising the prospect that the proceeds of crime have flowed into Liberal coffers.

The alleged crime figure's fundraising occurred despite Liberal politicians knowing of his suspected involvement in organised crime and in a previous political donation scandal investigated by federal police.

A Fairfax Media investigation can reveal the alleged Mafia boss helped host the "Bruce Campaign Fundraising Dinner", which a Liberal Party memo later described as a "very successful" event, at his Docklands reception centre on March 1 last year.

Federal Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, who has known about the donor's alleged crime ties for several years having been implicated in the 2009 donations scandal, was at the Docklands event with the suspected Mafia boss. The guest speaker at the event was Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy.

Also at the fund-raiser was Liberal candidate for Bruce Emanuele Cicchiello, long-time Liberal operative and former Bass Coast mayor Neville Goodwin and state Liberal MP for Hastings Neale Burgess.

The alleged Mafia boss has been previously described by police in court as a person allegedly involved in "murder, gunshot wounding and arson". He has been named as a suspected hitman in two coronial inquests in the 1990s and identified in a recent police intelligence briefing as the leader of a ''well established'' Calabrian Mafia cell in Melbourne that remains a powerful presence at Victoria's wholesale fruit and vegetable market.

The Liberal donor has close associations with Melbourne's senior Italian organised crime identities, including an alleged drug trafficker who co-owns the Docklands function complex where the Liberal event was held, Waterfront Venues Melbourne.

This alleged drug trafficker was given a visa in 2005 after the suspected Mafia boss lobbied and donated to the Liberal Party as part of a campaign to have the Howard government overturn its decision to deport the man on character grounds. Allegations from a Liberal insider that the donations amounted to a bribery attempt were investigated by the federal police in 2009 in a probe that generated significant publicity.

The alleged Mafia boss and his associate who was granted a visa cannot be named due to a criminal court suppression order.

Liberal sources confirmed that hire of Waterfront Venues Melbourne was donated by the alleged Mafia boss for the $250-a-head dinner. Food and drink was also heavily subsidised. Expensive items were also auctioned off at the event, including a helicopter ride for two and a dinner.

No specific records of the fund-raiser have been lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission, with Liberal sources saying the individual donations made as part of the event were under the $12,100 disclosure threshold.

Despite being the subject of numerous organised crime probes, the alleged mob boss has never been charged with a criminal offence and denies any involvement in organised crime or political bribery. The federal police bribery probe was closed after gathering insufficient evidence.

The revelations come as the Independent Commission Against Corruption probes donations by colourful business identities to Liberal politicians in NSW.
Mr Broadbent declined to respond to repeated requests from Fairfax Media for comment. The Liberal MP previously lobbied the Howard government to give the suspected Mafia figure's associate a visa, despite authorities arguing he should be deported because he was a criminal.

The figure was issued a visa on humanitarian grounds in 2005. Mr Broadbent was one of four Liberal MPs who lobbied to overturn the man's deportation who were investigated by federal police in their 2009 probe.

In 2012, the crime figure and the suspected Mafia boss took over the Docklands venue where the Bruce campaign fund-raiser was later held. A third owner of Waterfront Venues Melbourne is a relative of late Mafia godfather Rosario Gangemi, who died in 2008 and was previously identified by police as a top Mafia leader allegedly involved in murder and racketeering at Melbourne's fruit and vegetable wholesale market.

Fairfax first sought to question Mr Broadbent in 2009 about why he had attended fund-raisers with the alleged Mafia figure and his associates. It is believed that Mr Broadbent's relationship with the alleged Mafia figure is more extensive than publicly known.

The pair are believed to have met on several occasions in the company of a small number of other donors, with Mr Broadbent having facilitated meetings between the man and senior state and federal Liberal Party figures, including Bruce Billson and Amanda Vanstone.

State Liberal MP and former lower house Speaker Ken Smith, and his former electorate staffer and ex-Bass Coast mayor Neville Goodwin have also previously been involved in fund-raising and charity events with the alleged Mafia boss dating back to the mid 1990s.

The alleged Mafia figure has helped raise thousands of dollars for the Liberals in Melbourne's outer south-east, where he is perceived to hold influence over voters of Calabrian heritage.

Asked about his association with the alleged Mafia boss, Mr Smith said: "He's never asked me for anything. I take people as I find them.''
The suspected Mafia boss has a business empire spanning Victoria, including stalls at the wholesale fruit and vegetable market, property developments, supermarkets and involvement in the nationwide La Porchetta pizza chain. He has also had dealings with NSW Liberal Party donors, including real estate agent Pat Sergi. Mr Sergi, named in a 1979 royal commission as a money launderer for the Mafia, was recently called as a witness at the NSW ICAC hearings into Liberal Party fund-raising.

A spokeswoman for Mr Guy said the minister "was invited to attend the [Docklands] function by the Liberal campaign for Bruce. The minister had no role in organising the event or its guest list."

Mr Goodwin confirmed he has known the owner of the venue for several years, while Mr Burgess said he attended the Docklands function as a guest of a prominent market gardener in his electorate who had taken a table at the event, and did not know who owned the venue.

Didn't his approval rating just plummet to like below 40%? Practically everyone was stiffed by this budget, including myself as the pension age was raised to 70, and wont look forward to as much middle class welfare when I have a family, but then again I'm not going to pin my family needs and retirement hopes on government providing for me.

Why would anyone want to touch Turnbull with a 100ft pole period?

I've little respect for the man, no substance. He certainly wouldn't have the balls to do what's unpopular but right for Australia.

Didn't his approval rating just plummet to like below 40%? Practically everyone was stiffed by this budget, including myself as the pension age was raised to 70, and wont look forward to as much middle class welfare when I have a family, but then again I'm not going to pin my family needs and retirement hopes on government providing for me.

In fact, as the Aussie public are starting to wake up to what's going on and realising that the budget isn't remotely as draconian as it's been painted by the lefties

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/davis-says-no-to-donation-threshold-rise-20140522-zrljh.html

Now you can donate $12399.00 (and multiples thereof) to Campbell and not have to declare it.

Under laws passed by Campbell If you donate $500 to a Union it has to be declared in real time and available on the web.

It’s Fitzgerald time all over again.

If $5.5k can get you a $2 million contract (double the preferred tenderer) what’s multiples of $12399.00 going to get you.

Fucking corruption. What a joke.

Why can't you just say, "yeah he's a bit creepy and he fucked up here @ x, y and z but he is still our best leader going forward"

QLD politics are fairly shot atm. Can't wait to get rid of this knob next election.

Sucks only have the one house of parliament too.

Let Katter in I reckon, then we can have a state run bank again :D

-PB

he's for the NBN even though the poor bastard has to argue against it in his portfolio.

And? His approval rating would have dropped regardless of what measures the government put in to either increase revenue or cut spending. The fact is this budget panders to the Liberal party's main financial supporters and goes after the portion that would rarely vote Liberal. They just went to hard with it thinking they had plenty of margin to sacrifice.

Raising the pension age to 70 won't affect the middle class unless they raise the superannuation age as well. I'd like to think most (myself included) would have at least 5 years worth of income out of my super to cover me after 40+years of contributing! Cutting middle class welfare is something I support anyway.

P.S. Almost no one plans to have the government provide for them. It's called a safety net because it's there when you fall on hard times.

Why can't you just say, "yeah he's a bit creepy and he fucked up here @ x, y and z but he is still our best leader going forward".

That's the thing about blind political supporters, they can't ever accept when things have gone wrong, just keep deflecting to what the "other mob" did :lol:

-PB

That the budget panders to the Liberals financial supporter base is just rhetoric and spin. Company tax in Australia is already among the highest in the world, much higher than the OECD average of 25%. If we want to be competitive in Asia we have to be competitive with our taxes, or we will lose investment, talent and tax revenue to other countries. We understand it's counter intuitive because it means giving tax cuts to some businesses while an increasing burden is shifted on lower income groups and the middle class, but the heavy lifting and GDP growth comes from 'growth' sectors such as business not from welfare groups, so it's vitally important we support business and remain competitive if we are ever able to get back into surplus and sustain those welfare programs. Of course it's populist to entertain conspiracy theories such as Tony and Joe and reforming the economy to help out their mates but it just isn't true. The liberal parties main financial supporters would make up a tiny % of their voter base so to say it goes after those who don't vote Liberal is a furphy when pensioners and the working class are often considered Liberals bread and butter.

If this is true, he's an excellent debater. He's extremely convincing as a fucking moronic vindictive cuntmong when it comes to the NBN.

QLD politics are fairly shot atm.
-PB

You didn't answer my question. In which year are you going to be retiring?

That the budget panders to the Liberals financial supporter base is just rhetoric and spin. Company tax in Australia is already among the highest in the world, much higher than the OECD average of 25%. If we want to be competitive in Asia we have to be competitive with our taxes, or we will lose investment, talent and tax revenue to other countries. We understand it's counter intuitive because it means giving tax cuts to some businesses while an increasing burden is shifted on lower income groups and the middle class, but the heavy lifting and GDP growth comes from 'growth' sectors such as business not from welfare groups, so it's vitally important we support business and remain competitive if we are ever able to get back into surplus and sustain those welfare programs.

I plan to work as long as I have to.

Munrubenmuz, both of your posts above are spot on and well written.

Corruption should always be called for what it is.

And speaking of which, things with Gillard's spouse and that union/corruption case seem to have gone quiet?

Anyone see anything more recently?

Was all over the news about 2-3 weeks ago then nothing.

-PB