Abbott in Government

[drron]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

It has ever been thus.I have already given the link to politicians claims.The reports into study trips are no different to 10,20,30 etc years ago.they all do

 

[Moody]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

It has ever been thus.I have already given the link to politicians claims.The reports into study trips are no different to 10,20,30 etc years ago.they all do

I agree - the right wing of both major parties are particularly adept at putting their noses in the trough, but attending a Bollywood wedding???? Even a hardened right-winger like you must be impressed by the chutzpah of that one, dron.

I wonder if the AFP has been informed .....

 

[Keith009]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I have greatly enjoyed reading this thread as well as the other election one. Keep up the great work.

But it reminds me why for my mental sanity and personal liberty (or at least, forum membership) I've mostly chose to stay out of these threads! Much as drron has been a great, articulate and respectful fellow hack and sparring counterpart. My misspent years in student politics, Young Labor and wading into the waters as a junior advisor before making a wise decision to make a career out of something in the real world means I have friends from across the political spectrum and which means FB is an exhausting minefield whenever anything political is posted or shared; I wouldn't be able to keep up if I did the same on any other fora!

So keep up the great work guys and be assured that at least this lurker and sometime hacktivist finds your posts highly entertaining. This post aside, I pledge to follow in the shoes of my political heroine and give AFF the "gift of silence" when it comes to anything party political. Admin and his mod team are probably breathing much easier with relief!

PS - and I do miss the great Sophie Mirabella. I can't count the number of keyboards I've destroyed after spewing coffee onto them thanks to her stylish rants. But more than compensated by watching Sarah Hanson-Young get re-elected on the back of a coal miner's preferences (and that is to say nothing of the Greens' billionaire backer and carbon intensive property developer Graeme Wood) so that she can continue to destabilize and bone her own political party KRudd-style.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Given that the politicians were invited to assist trade transactions and didn't know the bridal party, it's hardly a personal journey. But Gina should have picked up the tab.

If I was invited to a wedding merely to assist a trade or business deal then I'd expect work to pick up the tab too.

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I love how all politicians are able to make that 'last minute' personal trip to a wedding or wherever, add on an one-hour meeting with a C-grade foreign official and then claim the trip as a study trip. Anyway, the gates are opening and we will see many more of these .... stay tuned.

Even more is coming out.

If the average Australian wedding costs $36,000, what should taxpayers make of paying almost $20,000 for five Coalition MPs - including Prime Minister Tony Abbott - to attend three weddings?

Earlier on Sunday it was revealed Mr Abbott had chosen to repay the cost of attending a Liberal colleague’s wedding seven years ago, but only after facing questions from the media late last week.
Mr Abbott’s spokeswoman confirmed the Prime Minister had repaid the $1095 cost of travelling to Sophie Mirabella’s 2006 wedding ‘‘in the last few days’’.

In 2010, Mr Abbott repaid nearly $9400 in travel expenses incurred while promoting his book, Battlelines, the previous year.
Mr Abbott's chief of staff wrote in October 2010 that the flights "were inadvertently booked as official travel, rather than private".

Tony Abbott repays expenses after charging taxpayers to attend Sophie Mirabella's wedding

No wonder the LNP can't sack Bumbling Bananaby Joyce or they would have to sack Tony Abbot.

 

[drron]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

At least he has repaid that.
Maybe Penny wong and Wayne swan should repay their share of this cost-

FRESH from being returned in a farcical leadership spill, Julia Gillard yesterday flew to northern NSW on a taxpayer funded VIP jet for a staffer's wedding and several low key announcements.

Ms Gillard, along with Treasurer Wayne Swan and Finance Minister Penny Wong, will today attend the Byron Bay wedding of her press secretary Laura Anderson and Mr Swan's chief-of-staff Jim Chalmers.
Her office confirmed the PM flew to northern NSW on a RAAF VIP Challenger aircraft.
MPs are only entitled to use the RAAF special purpose flights for "commitments associated with their official responsibilities and other purposes including parliamentary business".
They cannot be used by any member of parliament for purely personal business, Ms Gillard's spokesman said. He said Ms Gillard's attendance at the wedding was sandwiched between official duties scheduled for the weekend in northern NSW, Melbourne and Sydney.

No Cookies | thetelegraph.com.au

And that one was this year not 7 years ago.

 

[Skyring]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Here in Barcelona, and I have come to the conclusion that we should prevent pollies - of all parties - from travelling by limo. If they had to use public transport then they would learn some of the fantastic ways of doing things they have overseas. We could use a few high-powered voices to promote best practice.

Bus stops, for eixample, have displays showing the next bus route arrivals and waiting time. I saw this in Gothenburg in April. Very handy feature, but not one I've seen in Australia.

As for politicians, they pretty much all abuse the perks. Craig Thomson's jaunts - his reports lifted from convenient internet sites - which seem to have been a net loss for the public. That Tasmanian chap who used to stay with his Mum in Hobart and claim an innercity perdiem.

The Abolish Self-Government representatives in the ACT who were elected on that platform, but happily accepted the salaries, staff and official cars that went with the office.

Trying to present one side or the other as b*astards while the other guys are pure as driven snow is a futile exercise.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I read Gillard's partner used her Govt car to promote his business.

Seems like they all need a lesson on manners.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I'm waiting to hear what Joe "end the age of entitlement" Hockey has to say about his peers and the way they feel they're entitled to spend our money.

 

[dajop]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Given that the politicians were invited to assist trade transactions and didn't know the bridal party, it's hardly a personal journey. But Gina should have picked up the tab.

By and large the media seems to be only concerned about taxpayers picking up the tab. When I read this I was more concerned that Gina was picking up the tab for the private jet taking them to India. In my dealings as a relatively insignificant employee of a company dealing with rather insignificant public servants, the said public servants would not/could not accept a ride from point A to point B and back again (all of 20km away) due to concerns about us providing something to them, so we always basically followed each other round in separate vehicles. However it seems ( based on media commentary and public comments solely focussing on the taxpayer dollars spent) that it is acceptable for politicians to be flown around in private jets by billionaires whose fortunes may be affected by the policies implemented by government (or opposition when they become government).

I assume this happens a bit - but where is the line drawn?If this trip was to genuinely to assist in attracting investment or generating exports to benefit Australia - then the taxpayer should have paid for the lot - otherwise shouldn't have been undertaken at all.

 

[drron]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I'm waiting to hear what Joe "end the age of entitlement" Hockey has to say about his peers and the way they feel they're entitled to spend our money.

Actually the entitlement has already ended.It was one of Julia Gillard's acheivements that overseas study tours are no longer available as of this last election.
So it was an easy promise for Joe to keep.
That's why you saw many head off in the last few months-
Retiring MPs on taxpayer-funded foreign travel splurge | News.com.au

Senator Xenophon is an honourable exception.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

That's an excellent point dajop. So then really it was a public expense.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Actually the entitlement has already ended.

Pretty sure there's more than just the one.

 

[medhead]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Great to see that the government is saving my taxes. Least they could do after rorting them for years, it seems.

Tony Abbott repays expenses after charging taxpayers to attend Sophie Mirabella's wedding

By and large the media seems to be only concerned about taxpayers picking up the tab. When I read this I was more concerned that Gina was picking up the tab for the private jet taking them to India. In my dealings as a relatively insignificant employee of a company dealing with rather insignificant public servants, the said public servants would not/could not accept a ride from point A to point B and back again (all of 20km away) due to concerns about us providing something to them, so we always basically followed each other round in separate vehicles. However it seems ( based on media commentary and public comments solely focussing on the taxpayer dollars spent) that it is acceptable for politicians to be flown around in private jets by billionaires whose fortunes may be affected by the policies implemented by government (or opposition when they become government).

I assume this happens a bit - but where is the line drawn?If this trip was to genuinely to assist in attracting investment or generating exports to benefit Australia - then the taxpayer should have paid for the lot - otherwise shouldn't have been undertaken at all.

As a former public servant whose employer required them to drive 12 hours one way into remote Australia to avoid being seen to take transport from the company, I can only agree. How can the people making the decision accept such favours and valuable gifts and not be suspected of influence.

edit:
my mistake I see Bananaby learnt a heap while the guest of Gina:

Malaysia has recently experienced high levels of economic growth which has created urban cities comparable in wealth to cities in developed countries.
Nonetheless, economic disadvantage remains in some areas, particularly rural areas.
A key focus for Malaysian policymakers are policies which seek to increase the economic development of rural areas through targeted approaches.
As Malaysia becomes wealthier the potential for Australia high value exports will increase, particularly of products such as beef.
A closer dialogue between Australian politicians and Malaysian policymakers could help to foster stronger government-to-government Malay-Australian relations.

​

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...ed-in-one-day-in-malaysia-20131006-2v1ta.html


Wonder how the Hindu population of Malaysia feel about high value imports like beef?

 

[UP4014]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I'm amazed that the Cheif Lawyer rorted his expenses and thinks every thing is good and The PM has done nothing.

 

[mono88]

It is easy to find out what politicians are claiming as expenses.It is always publicly available here-
Parliamentarians' Expenditure on Entitlements Paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation - Period 1 July to 31 December 2012

.

Although this data is publicly available,I think that these particular reports are poorly designed and do not provide information about politicians expenses etc in a succinct and understandable manner.

This ranges from simple things like summaries,totals and comparisons with prior years/forecasts/budgets to analysis of purpose of expenditure and correlation with the politicians respective job roles and responsibilities.
These type of reports may be available elsewhere, or not available publicly.

Mistakes and frauds are usually more easily possible where either the systems or reporting, or both, are inadequate.

 

[dajop]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

GWonder how the Hindu population of Malaysia feel about high value imports like beef?

Given they only make up about 7% of Malaysia's population, probably not too different to how the majority of Malaysians feel about the 60 tonne of pork that Malaysia imported from Australia. There's a lot to pick on Barnaby for, but this probably isn't it.

 

[paxman]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Here in Barcelona, and I have come to the conclusion that we should prevent pollies - of all parties - from travelling by limo. If they had to use public transport then they would learn some of the fantastic ways of doing things they have overseas. We could use a few high-powered voices to promote best practice.

Bus stops, for eixample, have displays showing the next bus route arrivals and waiting time. I saw this in Gothenburg in April. Very handy feature, but not one I've seen in Australia.

As for politicians, they pretty much all abuse the perks. Craig Thomson's jaunts - his reports lifted from convenient internet sites - which seem to have been a net loss for the public. That Tasmanian chap who used to stay with his Mum in Hobart and claim an innercity perdiem.

The Abolish Self-Government representatives in the ACT who were elected on that platform, but happily accepted the salaries, staff and official cars that went with the office.

Trying to present one side or the other as b*astards while the other guys are pure as driven snow is a futile exercise.

caught a train in melb lately? I haven't but remember seeing these 'next train' indicators years ago.

also the long term car park bus at MEL

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Beef Rendang is a choice Indonesian dish that Malaysia has perfected.

 

[Moody]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Beef Rendang is a choice Indonesian dish that Malaysia has perfected.

hmmm ... I wonder how we managed to move from Bollywood (and Sophie-Gate) weddings to the cuisine choices of Malaysians?

Pigs with snouts in the trough cheered on by the swine-herd not a good look I suppose!