Liberal Messages

Turnbull Doorstop - Tax cuts, budget deficit, economic management...
Well we’ve had a day of confusion from the Government. The Prime Minister doesn’t seem to know whether he’s an economic conservative or a reborn socialist or perhaps he was never an economic conservative at all. And as for the Treasurer, a few days ago he was castigating us for suggesting that tax cuts would play an important role in any fiscal stimulus. He said that was out of the question and today he’s proposing that tax cuts should be part of the stimulus. Well, all we can say is: will the real Kevin Rudd please stand up? What is it – economic conservative or reborn socialist?

Turnbull Doorstop - Kevin Rudd’s socialism essay, tax cuts, jobs for Australia...
It was interesting to read this morning that over the summer while we were putting together practical policies that will create jobs and provide an effective response to climate change, the Prime Minister has been writing a 7,000 word treatise about political ideology in which he appears to be abandoning his claim to be an economic conservative and instead seems to be channelling Gough Whitlam – high taxes, big government and socialism. That’s not the only difference between us and Mr Rudd. While he’s been putting billions of dollars of tax payers money at risk to prop up commercial property prices and support the profits of the big four banks, we’ve been out talking to small and medium businesses.

End of term as Senator
Today I stand down from my position as Senator for Western Australia. It has been a privilege to serve the people of Western Australia as both a Senator and Federal Minister. I am grateful for their support and of the support and encouragement given to me by many people, including my family, friends and staff and the Liberal Party in Western Australia.

Turnbull interview with Fran Kelly (ABC Radio National) - Tax cuts, infrastructure spending, tax breaks for energy efficiency, Rudd Bank
The virtue of cuts in tax, especially if they are like the tax cuts I proposed a few days ago to accelerate the depreciation for investments in green technology or improvements to buildings which will improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and so forth, anything like that which encourages investment is going to create jobs.

New report shows tourism job losses under Labor
A new quarterly survey by industry group, the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), warns 63 per cent of tourism businesses expect to make moderate cuts to their workforce.

Turnbull Doorstop - Jobs for Australia forum, tax cuts, Rudd Bank
Our view is that Australians need encouragement, they’re entitled to get leadership from government that creates incentives to invest, to hire people, to keep employees employed and the one thing that we’ve learnt over many years of experience around the world and very recently in the US is that permanent tax cuts provide a greater, a longer lasting stimulus than one off payments.

Petrol Commissioner fails again
As the price for unleaded petrol rose by up to 18 cents per litre at the top of weekly price cycle, the Commissioner was quoted in the Melbourne Age as saying that, given the economic circumstances, he was urging retailers to moderate their increases.

Turnbull Doorstop - Tax cuts, GST, Rudd Bank
Wayne Swan has today demonstrated, yet again, that the Labor Party is the party of high taxes. He has rejected using tax cuts as an economic stimulus. Now we know, and there is a very large body of evidence from around the world, that the most effective fiscal stimulus in a time like this are permanent tax cuts – they’ve been recommended in many parts of the world and there’s a lot of evidence to support that, including from the IMF.

Labor stands for higher taxes
This morning Treasurer Swan rejected tax cuts and attacked the Coalition for supporting tax cuts to help families and boost the economy in these tough times.

Solar rebates delayed until almost winter
Long delays may well force many home owners to wait until almost winter to get their solar rebate. Frustrated solar industry sources are reporting that it is taking up to six months for the $8,000 solar panel rebate to be paid by the federal government.

Government should release new economic and financial forecast for Australia
Today’s IMF World Economic Outlook Update forecasts a significant slowing of economic growth in major economies, including key trading partners for Australia.

ATO drives up unemployment – Labor needs to act
The ATO Draft Superannuation Guarantee Ruling, expected to apply from 1 July 2009, will impose the superannuation levy on overtime and paid parental leave, forcing employment costs to surge.

AFP audit: Rudd's way of cutting more funding?
The Coalition is concerned that the Rudd Labor Government will use the audit of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), announced today by Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus, as a way to take more funding away from Australia’s front-line policing and national security agency.

20 years on and still no decision on Intervention Powers
One year on there has been no response to this review commissioned to be undertaken by Ms Elizabeth Proust. The Minister’s request for the review followed on his concerns about taking on the full ministerial powers that have been part of the Minister for Immigration since 1989.

Turnbull Doorstop with Lawrence Springborg - PM's meeting with Anna Bligh, Rudd Bank, economic management, Australia’s troop commitment to Afghanist
It’s great to be here with Lawrence. Lawrence is going to be the next Premier of Queensland. Queensland needs his leadership – strong, dynamic, enterprising leadership is what this state needs.

Release of Consumer Price Index for December Quarter
Today’s CPI figures again confirm that the Government was wrong to ignore the warnings of a global slowdown and talk up an ‘inflation monster’ in 2008. The Government’s rhetoric placed pressure on the Reserve Bank to put up interest rates and encouraged Australians to fix their interest rates.

Turnbull Doorstop - Accelerated depreciation for energy efficient buildings, employment, economic stimulus, bank deposit guarantee. Rudd Bank...
That’s what Australia needs, imaginative proposals, imaginative policies that deliver jobs, a greener environment, more efficient buildings.

PM’s appearance in Holden ad raises serious questions
Claims in today's Australian newspaper that Industry Minister Kim Carr authorised the unprecedented appearance of Prime Minister Rudd in Holden's weekend TV advertising raise serious questions.

Turnbull interview with Greg Cary (Radio 4BC) - economic stimulus, employment, superannuation, Australia Day, Ruddbank, President Obama
Well our focus should be on jobs, jobs, jobs. They’re the three top priorities for 2009.

Computers in Schools still a shambles
The Rudd Government’s announcement of a “supplementary” new round of funding is an embarrassing fig leaf to cover Minister Gillard’s shame at her Computers in Schools program.

Union Survey confirms Education Revolution damp squib
77% of Union respondents agreed with a proposition that there is no Education Revolution taking place. This is a major embarrassment for the Government, and it confirms what the Opposition has been saying all along.

Green depreciation for energy efficient buildings
A Coalition Government will introduce accelerated depreciation rates for capital spending on green buildings, as a key component of a climate change strategy which dramatically broadens the policy tools used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

EU - US trade war on dairy exports
Trade Minister Simon Crean must step in immediately to protect Australia’s interests with the threat of a full-blown trade war between the European Union and the United States over dairy exports. The likely subsidy war over dairy could devastate Australian exports...

Community Corps Deeply Flawed
Better off university students living at home with their parents will be the big beneficiaries of the Rudd Government’s HECS debt discounts, while struggling students simply won’t have the time to participate.

NAB monthly business survey
Today’s National Australia Bank monthly business survey for December shows that Australian business confidence remains at historically low levels.

Turnbull interview with Alan Jones (Radio 2GB) - Economy, bank deposit guarantee, $4 billion fund for the banks.
Now everywhere else in the world governments are focused on finance and credit for small and medium enterprises. Our Government seems to be focused on propping up values in large scale completed commercial properties for the benefit of supporting bank balance sheets. Now I have to say that should not be the top priority for an Australian Government today.

Rudd’s Secret Deal for More Whaling
The Rudd Government has today been exposed as being involved in a secret plan to give Japan the green light to carry out more whaling... It's a shabby trade-off, it's a broken election promise, and above all else, it's a betrayal of the Australian people.

Why is Wong ignoring biochar?
The Minister for Climate Change, Senator Wong, has dismissed the Coalition’s Green Carbon Initiative on the grounds that “soil carbon (including biochar) does not fit within the scope of the current Kyoto protocol accounts”... The task is to reduce emissions – not to adhere to arbitrary and outdated constraints contained in a complex treaty negotiated more than a decade ago.

Turnbull Doorstop with Hunt - Green Carbon Initiative, Australia Day, Indigenous Australians...
The technology we’ve just been looking at is innovative, it’s exciting, it’s Australian, it’s great for the environment, it will create thousands of jobs, but it has been completely neglected by the Rudd Government’s CPRS, by its emissions trading scheme. We have an enormous opportunity here in Australia to absorb millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store it safely as carbon, and put in back into the soil and increase the productivity and the health of our own landscape.

Green Carbon Initiative
The Coalition has today committed to a sweeping climate change strategy that unlocks vast and currently untapped opportunities to abate Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Leader of the Opposition Address to the Young Liberal Movement Federal Convention and Council - Green Carbon Initiative
Our Green Carbon Initiative will ensure Australia is able to achieve greater reductions in carbon dioxide than those proposed by Mr Rudd, at a relatively low cost and as a consequence the net cost can be even lower.

Turnbull Doorstop - Green Carbon Initiative, the Government's special purpose vehicle for the banks
We’re taking the Government to task for its failure to focus on energy efficiency, particularly in buildings, building efficiency. There you’ve got enormous savings that can be achieved at very low cost, or indeed a negative cost in the sense that they’ll actually save money, because they’ll save on energy.
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NSW Libs
John Robertson: Just As Deluded As The Rest Of The Labor Mob
Written by Chris Hartcher MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
Shadow Special Minister of State Chris Hartcher said today any chance of improvements with two new Ministers joining the Rees Cabinet evaporated within minutes of the swearing in ceremony.

Welcome Robbo – Productivity Commission Shows You Have A Lot Of Work To Do
Written by Greg Smith SC MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
Shadow Minister for Justice Greg Smith SC today welcomed John Robertson as the new Minister for Corrective Services and encouraged him to put his Obeid and Tripodi backed factional squabbles aside to get on with the job of fixing prisons across the State in the wake of the Productivity Commission’s latest report.

O’Farrell Demands Progress On Gerringong To Bomaderry Princes Highway Upgrade
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell today condemned the State Labor Government for its perpetually slow progress on the Gerringong to Bomaderry Princes Highway Upgrade.

Liberals Demand Elections For Wollongong And Shellharbour Councils
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell today met with NSW Local Government Association Executive Member Cr Gareth Ward and announced Liberal Councillors will be moving to establish a committee of the NSW Local Government Association to fight for elections for Wollongong and Shellharbour Councils.

Rees Warned To Get Into Line Over His Economic Management
Written by Mike Baird MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
The people of NSW face seeing their state hit hard by the global financial crisis, thanks to the failed economic policies of the State Labor Government, Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird said today.

Three Years Late And Double The Cost
Written by Gladys Berejiklian MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said today commuters and taxpayers have suffered because of the NSW Labor Government’s inability to deliver major transport projects on time or on budget.

Lessons From Beechwood Must Be Learnt
Written by Greg Aplin MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
The possible collapse of another home building company shows that the Minister for Fair Trading has learnt little from the well-publicised collapse of Beechwood Homes last year, Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Greg Aplin, said today.

Premier Nathan Rees: Dumb, Ignorant Or Just Loose With Truth?
Written by Chris Hartcher MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
Premier Nathan Rees is either dumb, ignorant or loose with the truth after unsuccessfully ducking and weaving in a radio interview this morning, Shadow Special Minister of State Chris Hartcher said today.

Productivity Commission Exposes Della Bosca’s Spin
Written by Jillian Skinner MP
Friday, 30 January 2009
The State Labor Government and Health Minister John Della Bosca’s claims that all is well within the NSW hospital system has been exposed as spin following the release of the Productivity Commissions Report on Government Services, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.

More...
Labor’s Health Record Shows Extra Health Money Would Be Wasted
Della Bosca Declares Reports ‘Cabinet In Confidence’ And Then Claims He Hasn’t Seen Them
Rees Goes Begging To Canberra
Rees Loses, Tripodi Wins, And NSW Loses (Again)
Labor So Out Of Touch, Rees Says He’s “Too Busy” To Pay Bills