Saturday, August 23, 2008

Liberal Messages Saturday 23rd August

Nelson Doorstop - Goolwa - Murray Darling Basin, Peter Costello, automotive industry, emissions trading scheme, interest rates...
When I was here last I announced that we believe that a $50 million package needed to be put together by the community under the direction of Jamie Briggs for Mr Rudd to fully fund and support the local community, local businesses, local farms, tourist operators, the environment, local programs that are being run to support the environment in what is an unfolding environmental and economic tragedy here in the Lower Lakes in the lower Murray.

Yesterday Freddo, Today Ford
For the third consecutive day we've had well-known Australian companies announce layoffs. Today Ford have cut their workforce by 350 workers.

Why Carpenter sat on Sanderson Report
Premier Alan Carpenter's move to snub his own adviser on indigenous affairs is seen as arrogant in WA's north west because Lt Gen John Sanderson was seen as someone who really understood the needs of indigenous West Australians.

Rudd Labor government cuts to essential reserve capability
To my utter disgust, in my recent series of base visits I discovered that in an attempt to achieve its $1,000,000,000 per year cuts to Defence, the Rudd Labor Government has slashed discretionary funding for reserve days to the bone.

Ford jobs cuts symptom of slowing economy
The announcement that Ford Australia will cuts its manufacturing output by 20 percent and shed up to 350 jobs is not merely another tale of woe for the automotive sector.

Nelson interview with Neil Mitchell (3AW, Melbourne) - Abortion, Peter Costello, interest rates, binge drinking, guest worker program, pensioners...
Yeah well, firstly, pretty much you're on the money Frank. I held a forum earlier in the week in Canberra bringing together a range of experts on this and I’ve got about 30 proposals I’m looking at at the moment...

Brendan Nelson: Address to the Menzies Research Centre Federalism Conference - Facing future challenges: The future of our Federation and Governance
Today, I will pull no punches in discussing a very significant problem and that is, over the past decade, the state governments have absolved themselves of responsibility. In response, the Federal Government has taken more of it. Furthermore, we are shifting from what Mr Rudd refers to as the 'blame game', to that over which he now presides - friendly failure.

Carpenter fails Western Australia
WA Premier should be calling on his Federal Labor colleagues to rule out their tax grab on condensate - not attack WA's petroleum industry... Alan Carpenter should be seeking guarantees from Kevin Rudd that his tax grab will not increase electricity prices and home heating prices, and standing up for Western Australian families.

BCA report highlights risk of rushing an Emissions Trading Scheme
Abetz - of the 14 businesses studied in the paper, three will shut, four will lose up to half their earning and the remainder will have to drastically reduce costs - to say nothing of the potential loss in investments.

WA Labor puts Rudd ahead of Western Australia
Alan Carpenter has put the interests of the Labor Party ahead of the interests of Western Australia with his attack on Woodside's comments that Kevin Rudd's new $2.5 billion tax on the North-West Shelf may push up domestic gas prices.

More Job losses under Labor
Today's announcement that 160 permanent jobs will be lost from next year at Cadbury's Claremont factory in Tasmania is a further indication that Labor is on track to meet Reserve Bank predictions of 100,000 job losses in the next 12 months.

Dutton Interview with Lyndel Curtis (ABC's PM Programme, 18 August) - FuelWatch
Treasurer Wayne Swan said yesterday people could save $10 or so a tank under FuelWatch but the Opposition is challenging the Treasurer to provide evidence to back the claim.

Malcolm Turnbull: Address to the Association of Financial Advisers - Tax Reform
Our tax system is both fairer and more efficient than it was in 1996, but there is much more to be done. The Coalition wants to reduce the burden of taxation, and replace inefficient taxes with efficient taxes. That is why we commissioned Professor Henry Ergas to undertake a study of Australia’s taxes at all levels of Government. I would encourage the AFA to make a submission to this review.

Joe Hockey: Address to the Australian Health Congress - WELLNESS: A Positive Direction in Health
In May this year the Australian Institute of Health and Wellness released its biennial snapshot of Australian health. It is a positive and optimistic document and defies the headlines you see in the newspapers daily. Watch the news and you could be forgiven for believing we’re all about to keel over from cancer or heart disease.

Conroy wins gold for Wimax back-flip
The enthusiastic embrace by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy of the innovative wireless broadband network on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula would win him an Olympic gold medal for biggest back-flip.

Minchin deplores French casualties in Afghanistan
The Opposition deplored the serious casualties suffered by French forces in Afghanistan yesterday, but the fight against Islamic extremism must continue, the Shadow Minister for Defence, Senator Nick Minchin said today.

Gloomy words to take a nation down (Opinion Piece for the Sydney Morning Herald)
Back in January it was obvious the global credit crisis posed real threats to our economy. A credit crisis is a crisis of confidence. Interest rates are higher because investors are less certain about the prospects and security of those to whom they are lending. In response, our Government should have pursued at least two clear economic objectives...

More contradictions from Labor on Uranium
The Rudd Labor Government has today been caught out with its claim that Australia only exports uranium to those countries that need to use nuclear energy because of a shortage in their own energy resources, Shadow Minister for Trade Ian Macfarlane and Shadow Minister for Resources and Energy Senator David Johnston said.

Aussie lands top international post
Senator Cory Bernardi, Coalition spokesperson for disability services, today extended congratulations on behalf of all Coalition Members and Senators to Victorian Maryanne Diamond, who was elected President of the World Blind Union.

Nelson - opening remarks at the Alcohol Forum (Canberra)
My natural disposition, as is ours as an Opposition, as the Liberal and National parties, is to reasonably support anything that we think is going to reduce the human and social harm associated with the use of drugs and certainly the abuse of alcohol. But having examined the evidence which led to this particular Budget initiative we have made a decision that we will not be supporting it - the excise increase that will raise around $3 billion over the next five years.

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