Abbott in Government

[james4321]

Compared to what went on in the UK this is 5c down the back of the sofa stuff.

Totally irrelevant and I think TA has handled it very well. When the rules are fairly ambiguous people will always have their own interpretation and justification for claims.

I think the odd random audit would be justified but that's about as far as it goes

Good try Pukka ..... but sadly for the Lib supporters this issue is going to continue to highlight the hypocrisy of Abbott and his mob of henchmen. Its probably true that both parties are as bad as each other but it is the "holier than thou" attitude of the Libs that will haunt them on this issue. And good on the media for (finally) exposing the hypocrites for all to see.

 

[medhead]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Sorry but liberal party business in marginal seats is not parliamentary business. This man's blind quest for power knows no bounds. Hypocritically attacking slipper, destabilising the parliament in the process, to gain one seat. Now he's caught out deliberately charging the tax payer for liberal party business and for his sporting hobby.

Sorry blind Abs lovers, an administrative mistake within an otherwise proper claim is not the same as deliberately charging for a special trip to do your hobby. Dreyfus' mistake was including 2 extra days in Canberra, not for a special extra trip.

 

[cove]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Clearly the rules need to be made less opaque so no one can claim the expense of attending a wedding, a twenty first, a fortieth or a fiftieth party.
We don't need to pay for stuff like this when we really need our politicians working for us and not themselves.

 

[Pukka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Well I can't see this making the news for much longer as it looks like Obama is going to lead the US into a financial apocalypse and drag the rest of the world with him

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Well I can't see this making the news for much longer as it looks like Obama is going to lead the US into a financial apocalypse and drag the rest of the world with him

Much as I admire the man, I think he (and the world) needed him to have lost the last election.

And as i said earlier, both sides are scrambling about the travel claims. Dreyfus claiming a ski trip.

Expenses critic Mark Dreyfus embarrassed over taxpayer ski trip to Perisher

Any chance people here can just agree that it is a rort on all sides?

 

[drsmithy]

Good try Pukka ..... but sadly for the Lib supporters this issue is going to continue to highlight the hypocrisy of Abbott and his mob of henchmen. Its probably true that both parties are as bad as each other but it is the "holier than thou" attitude of the Libs that will haunt them on this issue. And good on the media for (finally) exposing the hypocrites for all to see.

This is the key point.

The Liberals have spent the last six railing against wasteful Government spending while wasting taxpayer money going to each other's weddings.
They attack people on welfare getting barely enough for food and shelter as having an "entitlement mentality" while flying their families around the country.
They argue Government should be run like a business, yet act in a way that would get them fired by any competent employer, if not charged for fraud and theft.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Well I can't see this making the news for much longer as it looks like Obama is going to lead the US into a financial apocalypse and drag the rest of the world with him

Wow.

The Tea Party - the suicide bombers of US Politics - are holding the country to ransom because they hate the mere idea of a fair go for everyone, and somehow it's Obama's fault ?

 

[Pukka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Wow.

The Tea Party - the suicide bombers of US Politics - are holding the country to ransom because they hate the mere idea of a fair go for everyone, and somehow it's Obama's fault ?

I'm not saying it's his fault just that he's the leader. If he leads them to default he will cause unmitigated misery and be the worst president ever.

 

[moa999]

They argue Government should be run like a business, yet act in a way that would get them fired by any competent employer, if not charged for fraud and theft.

Poly pedal I think justified. The others somewhat dependent on the amount of other engagements / audience around the triathalon / weddings. I do have some sympathy in that politicians are always "working" even at semi-social events.

As for the comment re private employees, have seen many senior managers arrange meetings around family holidays and weddings so some/all expenses paid...

And it is all very different to a winery tour, that was subsequently obscured by multiple handwritten cab charge dockets.

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Very nice of us Australian Tax payers paying Tony Abbott's travel expenses while he bike rides, swims and jogs across the country. I can't believe he is arguing he is entitled to that money! I wonder if his double mortgage on his family home had any part in his travel rorting?

Obama is caught between rock and a hard place. Personally If I was him, I would signal to the world he will let the USA default rather retract a fair law because a bunch of loonies are holding the US hostage!

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Well I can't see this making the news for much longer as it looks like Obama is going to lead the US into a financial apocalypse and drag the rest of the world with him

Trying to change the topic?

I doubt this issue will just fall away. Some of us are waiting for Abbott to return from Bali where he will face some more questions from the media about his leisure rendezvous using taxpayers money. He does say "we play our politics hard here" so I am expecting this issue to be dragged through the mud, rugby style until everyone is sore.

 

[Moody]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I see the sense of the Minchin Protocol - allowing politicians to pay back expense claims with no penalty if challenged by the Finance Department. It is supposed to neutralise the issue and efficiently deal with accidental claims. But ....

- That doesn't preclude such reversals being scrutinised and if a pattern of abuse is evident then further action should be taken
- It's not a good look if senior members of government (including the PM) have to refund thousands of dollars when challenged
- I have yet to hear a rational explanation for why Peter Slipper alone was charged by the AFP. Double-standards are hard to justify, I suppose.

That smell eminating out of Canberra is not fertiliser, I'm afraid, and now that football season is over how are Despicable T and his Minions going to keep politics off the front page?

 

[medhead]

Poly pedal I think justified. The others somewhat dependent on the amount of other engagements / audience around the triathalon / weddings. I do have some sympathy in that politicians are always "working" even at semi-social events.

Always working? That may be the case, but the question is what work are they doing. At the wedding of another liberal MP, they are likely to be doing the work of party politics. That is not parliamentary work.

In any case, I'm always working in my profession. Yet I've had past bosses reject providing work related information on weekends to workers who "cold call" me in the pub as evidence of extra work performance.

 

[medhead]

They argue Government should be run like a business, yet act in a way that would get them fired by any competent employer, if not charged for fraud and theft.

It is worse than that as they have gone out of their way to have someone who charged with theft for activities while they were a pea in the same pod. Clearly not out if concern for the cost, be in a naked attempt for Abbott to gain power.

Misusing taxpayers money is wrong whether in one transaction or multiple. If there is to be a payback provision, at all it must be fairly applied.

 

[Pukka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Very nice of us Australian Tax payers paying Tony Abbott's travel expenses while he bike rides, swims and jogs across the country. I can't believe he is arguing he is entitled to that money! I wonder if his double mortgage on his family home had any part in his travel rorting?

Obama is caught between rock and a hard place. Personally If I was him, I would signal to the world he will let the USA default rather retract a fair law because a bunch of loonies are holding the US hostage!

Well thankfully you are not him because if he & the tea party let the USA default the consequences are too dire to contemplate.

He won't allow it to happen as he won't want history to remember him as the president that allowed the USA to destroy the entire global economy

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

And a nice $200,000 sum the taxpayers have to fork out just to let the two Labor contenders have their battle. Seems we are discussing all the small fry sums of money with the travel business, when the "legitimate" wastage is where the real story lies.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

Well thankfully you are not him because if he & the tea party let the USA default the consequences are too dire to contemplate.

He won't allow it to happen as he won't want history to remember him as the president that allowed the USA to destroy the entire global economy

You don't think history will remember that the Republicans hated the thought of affordable health care for Americans so much that they were willing to bankrupt the country to overturn it?

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

You don't think history will remember that the Republicans hated the thought of affordable health care for Americans so much that they were willing to bankrupt the country to overturn it?

The media doesn't seem to be portraying that. I agree, the Health care plan is essential, but there just seems to be so much other baggage that is coming with it. Only in America. They are all looking like losers really.

 

[Pukka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

You don't think history will remember that the Republicans hated the thought of affordable health care for Americans so much that they were willing to bankrupt the country to overturn it?

No I think history remembers the person in charge

 

[Moody]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

No I think history remembers the person in charge

I must be mistaken in my understanding of the USA political system - can you please explain to me how the President is in charge of this government shutdown, and potential debt default?