Talking Politics

[Sintiger]

Howard, Rudd, Gillard, Turnbull all earning plenty on the public speaking circuit and for their "contributions" in the media.
Gillard is on several boards as is Turnbull.
All earning an absolute fortune whilst being paid +$200k + expenses by the taxpayer.

I have no problem with ex pollies and PMs on the speaking circuit but I think it depends on what it is in regards to Boards. For example if you look at Julia Gillard's Board appointments they are The Global partnership for Education, Beyond Blue, The Institute for Women's leadership, Campaign for Female Education etc. I think these are examples of what ex PMs can do to keep adding value to society. Turnbull is involved in young IT businesses which is probably fine as well given his background. I can't imagine that Gillard in particular is earning a fortune from her Board appointments.
What I don't like is when ex pollies sit on James Packer's Board or mining companies or Banks or Telstra as examples. Industries that lobby Government heavily and who would benefit greatly from inside information and contacts.

 

[22nd Man]

Yes, mining does have support services around it which also create employment.

But the contrast I gave was education. Are there no support services around education providing jobs? Well, I think there are a hell of a lot of support services around education providing jobs Housing for international students. All the services students need. All the services universities, colleges and schools need.

The fact is mining is increasingly mechanised, is not the huge employer it is made out to be, and all industries have services which create second order employment.

Why is mining always singled out as needing support over and above other industries? Why the special treatment? Why such low royalties in Australia? Why do we support an industry where so many of the big players are pumping their profits overseas?

DS

Mining takes a back seat when it comes to supporting the construction industry.
In Victoria the minute one stop/go sign worker is out of work a $500m govt project is conjured up.
Back in April I wrote to my local ALPMHR and said when the spending stimulus comes we need something more creative and useful than a string of road and buildings. Of course that's exactly what formed the bulk of Vics budget.

 

[Althom]

Mining takes a back seat when it comes to supporting the construction industry.
In Victoria the minute one stop/go sign worker is out of work a $500m govt project is conjured up.
Back in April I wrote to my local ALPMHR and said when the spending stimulus comes we need something more creative and useful than a string of road and buildings. Of course that's exactly what formed the bulk of Vics budget.

The worst thing is most of those contracts go to foreign owner companies. People get employed for sure but the real money ends up leaving the country.

 

[TT33]

The worst thing is most of those contracts go to foreign owner companies. People get employed for sure but the real money ends up leaving the country.

And that doesn't happen in the mining industry

 

[Althom]

And that doesn't happen in the mining industry

Of course it does but how many "Government Spending Stimulus" dollars get spent on mining projects?
The mining companies borrow from banks or self fund.

 

[mrposhman]

Yes, mining does have support services around it which also create employment.

But the contrast I gave was education. Are there no support services around education providing jobs? Well, I think there are a hell of a lot of support services around education providing jobs Housing for international students. All the services students need. All the services universities, colleges and schools need.

The fact is mining is increasingly mechanised, is not the huge employer it is made out to be, and all industries have services which create second order employment.

Why is mining always singled out as needing support over and above other industries? Why the special treatment? Why such low royalties in Australia? Why do we support an industry where so many of the big players are pumping their profits overseas?

DS

I'm not sure why you appear to despise mining companies who do pay tax (I gave the example of Woodside when you claimed they pay no tax, when they consistently have paid $400-500m per annum for at least the last 10 years). You realise that universities have tax exemptions as not for profits and therefore pay $0 in direct taxation right?

The number of jobs that you assign to mining is wrong as Tigerlove has shown. The mining companies in most cases outsource their operation hence why there is such a large amount of jobs that are not shown within MIning but are driven by the mining industry. There is also a distinct difference in average salaries within this industry as well, so the amount of indirect taxation they drive is huge. If you want to follow it all the way through too, the amount of GST and spending into other industries is also higher as because their average wages are higher then their disposable income tends to move with that too.

With regard to royalties, are you taking account purely the federal royalties or those that the states take? Most of the states are similar to overseas (ie. around 10% of the gross proceeds). The federal PRRT or MRRT is less of a benefit and should be changed IMO.

This is a recent report on what the mining industry (not clear if this also includes petroleum and gas) generates DIRECTLY to the government. This makes no mention of income taxes, GST or disposable income funding other industries. That $40bn is the equivalent of the federal spend on education. Interesting position being as you champion the education sector but dismiss what the mining industry generates.

Miners pay $40 billion in tax and royalties

A report commissioned by a resources lobby group details the taxes paid by the mining industry.

www.afr.com

 

[IanG]

Interesting piece of info about a reference in Scomo's new years message:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1344583279090003970

 

[Baloo]

To think this guy is a member of federal Parliament.

 

[IanG]

And Scummo won't censor him.

 

[nswtiger]

that is a poor (but true) reflection of the current state of our so called political system and people who represent it

and yes Craig Kelly is an Australian politician ............God help us all!!!

 

[Brodders17]

To think this guy is a member of federal Parliament.

View attachment 11447

serious question without bias, are there really any on the left side of politics as dumb as the likes of Craig Kelly and Bernie Finn?
i honestly cannot think of any that could compare.

 

[larabee]

serious question without bias, are there really any on the left side of politics as dumb as the likes of Craig Kelly and Bernie Finn?
i honestly cannot think of any that could compare.

or George Christianson, or Bob Katter, or Pauline Hanson, or Barnaby Joyce, or...

 

[jb03]

serious question without bias, are there really any on the left side of politics as dumb as the likes of Craig Kelly and Bernie Finn?
i honestly cannot think of any that could compare.

Different sort of stupid but the greens have a few. Especially at the lower tiers of government.

 

[eZyT]

serious question without bias, are there really any on the left side of politics as dumb as the likes of Craig Kelly and Bernie Finn?
i honestly cannot think of any that could compare.

Dumb, by no means, but severe personality flaws or disorders. Or simply a horribly calibrated moral compass? If being a member of the Labour Party means 'Left', then

Mark Latham was just as mental when he lead labor as he is now.

Graham Richardson becomes more of a *smile* with every passing minute, coming off a pretty solid base

Anna Bligh's moral compass cant ever have been pointing North. Her degeneration from socialist left student to mouthpiece for the big banks is noteworthy also.

Eddie Obeid gets a gig.

Rudd has a fairly solid body of work in the nut job sphere also.

But, no, labour simply cant compete with the LNP in the whack job stakes.

If there was a looney *smile* political team of the century, and only Labour and LNP were eligible for selection,

it would be 80% LNP, and they'de have a mortgage on the midfield.

even if you threw eligibility open to one nation, the greens, shooters and fishers, clive and Fred Nile,

I reckon LNP would still get 11 blokes in the best 22

 

[Brodders17]

Different sort of stupid but the greens have a few. Especially at the lower tiers of government.

maybe at lower levels, but i dont think I have seen anything from the Greens at state or federal that matches the likes of Finn or Kelly.

I didnt include the likes of Joyce, Abbott, and Christensen (tho he prob isnt far off Finn and Kelly), because it could be argued they have equivalents.

 

[Brodders17]

Dumb, by no means, but severe personality flaws or disorders. Or simply a horribly calibrated moral compass? If being a member of the Labour Party means 'Left', then

Mark Latham was just as mental when he lead labor as he is now.

Graham Richardson becomes more of a *smile* with every passing minute, coming off a pretty solid base

Anna Bligh's moral compass cant ever have been pointing North. Her degeneration from socialist left student to mouthpiece for the big banks is noteworthy also.

Eddie Obeid gets a gig.

Rudd has a fairly solid body of work in the nut job sphere also.

But, no, labour simply cant compete with the LNP in the whack job stakes.

If there was a looney *smile* political team of the century, and only Labour and LNP were eligible for selection,

it would be 80% LNP, and they'de have a mortgage on the midfield.

even if you threw eligibility open to one nation, the greens, shooters and fishers, clive and Fred Nile,

I reckon LNP would still get 11 blokes in the best 22

I didnt like Latham when he was Labor leader- he is probably in the Abbott category.
RIchardson is just a typical pollie who now makes a living with his mouth. plenty of them.- Latham too.

Without knowing much about Obeid I dont think he was a total whack, he was just corrupt. plenty of them.
Bligh 'sold her soul' after politics- pretty standard.
I dont reckon Rudd is at all loony- but he has too much ego (not unusual) and ultimately didnt know how to be PM.

there are pricks, sell outs and corrupt pollies everywhere, but again I cant think of any on the left who could compare for lunacy to Kelly and Finn.- they are even smart enough to censor what they say.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Where does 'Trump light' MP Tim Smith stand now given the heat Trump has copped in the USA for incitement & sedition?
Regularly using deliberately provocative language like 'Dictator Dan etc.' & 'Chairman Dan' etc. to whip up anger in the electorate.
Words matter.

 

[eZyT]

We have a real doozy acting as our PM right now.

talking about 'all lives mattering' in the context of BLM

and also 'contestable facts'

whose that remind you of?

The National Party - bozo clowns who dont really represent anyone except half a dozen billionaire cotton growers and a few old dumb *smile* heads

An ill-considered hillbilly is our PM.

#nomoreholidaysscottyfrommarketting

 

[Giardiasis]

Pretty *smile* up world when "all lives matters' is racist and "black lives matters" isn't.

 

[IanG]

Pretty *smile* up world when "all lives matters' is racist and "black lives matters" isn't.

Only if you ignore the context (wilfully or not), this explains it pretty well since you seem to need an explanation:

The philosophical flaw in saying "All Lives Matter" - Prospect Magazine

Its effect is to stall conversations about anti-Black racism and instead either pretend that all lives do matter, or talk about everybody’s lives all at once—whether or not particular groups are subject to particular injustices right now

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk