Posts Tagged Coalition

Hahahahaha! .. Oh, you’re serious…

Treasury has found a $11 billion black hole in coalition costings:

Before the election the Coalition said its promises would add about $11.5 billion to the budget bottom line over the next four years.

But Treasury analysis given to Tony Windsor and his fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter shows the Coalition’s promises would only add between $860 million and $4.5 billion to the bottom line.

But the opposition stands by their costings:

Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb says he stands by coalition costings and says claims of a black hole relate to a difference of opinion over calculations.

“Out of 304 policies there was established at the end what I would say (was) a difference of opinion on a handful of projects,” he told ABC radio.

“It’s not an error of costings. There is a difference of opinion when you go through the projects that they had identified. We stand by our costings.”

An 11 billion dollar difference of opinion, seriously? You knew they were dodgy, that’s why you didn’t want to release them to treasury before the election. Then the parliament was hung and it all blew up in your face. You sneaky, dishonest, irresponsible swine.

How do you misplace $11 billion?

Cue a week of “treasury has a left wing bias”, “the public service has a left wing bias” and “maths has a left wing bias” in the media. Then ironically they will write a “the media has a left wing bias story” pointing to one opinion piece in The Age that will rightly tear the opposition a new one for this.

And through all of this, the ALP will fail to capitalise on this major fuck up. They just really don’t seem to be trying anymore.

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Turnbull’s leadership: The Book

Time for the launch of Groupthink’s first competition, and this one’s going to be interesting.

With the Coalition seriously lagging behind the government in poll after poll, and with constant white-anting of leader Malcolm Turnbull within his own party, it’s a reasonably safe bet that Turbull will never be Prime Minister of this country. Not only will it take a miracle for the coalition to win in 2010, it will take a Herculean effort from Malcy to remain Opposition leader until 2013. So with that in mind, Groupthink has opened a Book and it’s time for you to take a punt: on what date will Malcolm Turnbull lose the leadership of the federal opposition?

Place your bet in the comments of this post, ensuring that you nominate a full date: day, month and year. For bonus points, also nominate the person you think will take over as leader upon Malcolm’s departure. The eventual winner will win something that will be determined at the time of the winning. A mystery prize, if you will.

Have at it!

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All politics is local, or is it?

In early 2002 the brand new MP for the Queensland seat of Dickson, an ex-police officer named Peter Dutton, rose in the House of Representatives to deliver his maiden speech. His preselection and subsequent election, he said, was “an opportunity to work with people for whom I have great respect and friendship.” Dutton gushed about how much he loved the people of Dickson, saying, “It is of course a great honour to represent those people in this great place.”

Dutton on with the job

Dutton on with the job

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