Anthony Albanese - How long? -2-

[Kram]

"Labor, we are only almost as bad as the other lot!"

 

[peetoo]

Upgrades are funny…..often they happen as you check in out of the blue. Sorry I need to check with my director first

 

[peetoo]

I’m no huge fan of Labor these days and am disappointed Albanese hasn’t been bolder.

But right now I’m reading Jane R. Goodall’s “The Politics of the Common Good”, which was published in 2019 when the Coalition were at their malignant worst

And FMD, for all the dissatisfaction with Labor, we do not ever want to return to having those bastards in power.

I have been a lifelong supporter of workers’ rights but still it amazes even me how much the Tories and their press barrackers flooded the zone with anti-worker bile, and managed to get the discussion totally focused on the wants of employers and industry groups.

They were truly dreadful times and it’s such a relief they finally got the boot before they totally destroyed the Australian sense of community and common wealth.

Albanese Labor raises plenty of questions but the Coalition is the answer to none of them. Not one.

Albo govt has had a massive increase in corporate tax compliance this year. Sometimes good govt isn’t trigger worthy

As immigration and everything supreme Dutton talked a big game but an entire sex slave op set up under his watch by an immigrant king pin who had a long rap sheet in multiple countries

 

[HairyO]

The juvenile binary 'cheerleading' comments is to be expected in these threads, but means absolutely nothing - especially coming from those who are team supporters themselves and seemingly unable to focus on the principles at issue.

I've made my position on this issue pretty clear. That accepting free membership of an elite club from a private company is unacceptable for politicians or public servants. The same can be said of free tickets or upgrades. It is especially true for Prime Ministers, Ministers and MPs/Senators whose role is to vote on legislation and make decisions in the public interest. Simply declaring such gifts and transactions after the event is nowhere near good enough.

As the Centre for Public Integrity chairman Anthony Whealy, KC, a former judge, said the close relationships between government and corporate leaders was a significantly flawed part of Australia’s democracy.

“It runs both ways. You have big money seeking to associate with the prime minister and senior ministers and then in return you see the prime minister and senior ministers looking for favours with big money,” Whealy said.
“It represents a significant failure of our democratic systems, and we need to fix it fast.”

"It's not corrupt but its corrupt-ing", he says, adding that all such favours will eventually be "called in". "Why else do they do it?"

Centre for Public Integrity senior counsel Geoffrey Watson said Albanese’s relationship with the former Qantas CEO was worse than a bad look: “This is the kind of thing which in some circumstances can be interpreted as corruption.”

But the sentiments are not just targeted at Albanese and the Government but for ALL politicians and bureaucrats at the Federal, State and Local levels. So while I've been highly critical of the revelations and subsequent comments of the PM in trying to wave this issue away as being a non-issue, I laugh at the hypocrisy of Dutton and other LNP members in using it as a partisan political attack when his own acceptance of corporate largesse has been so well documented. If Dutton et al are serious then they should stand with Independent Senator David Pocock in introducing legislation/regulations eliminating these rorts for ALL public representatives. But that won't happen.

Yep, everyone should declare everything, down to the dollar - and if you are caught out you are kicked out and can try again next election. It is beyond ridiculous the level of corruption which is just simply ignored.

Stop accepting free crap and pay for it yourself, or your party can pay for it. And they should declare every dollar they receive as well.

I'd be fired if I did any of this even just once, but in a week no-one will care that PMs, Opposition leaders, and those under them do this so often they cant keep track of it all.

 

[peetoo]

Funny thing is, if Albo did resign there’d be up to a half dozen capable candidates to chose from

The libs have Dutton becaus…….I was going to say who else is there, but Dutton is barely acceptable

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Funny thing is, if Albo did resign there’d be up to a half dozen capable candidates to chose from

The libs have Dutton becaus…….I was going to say who else is there, but Dutton is barely acceptable

Bottom of barrel is well and truly scraped for the Libs. Hard to even see anyone on the horizon for the next generation.

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Upgrades are funny…..often they happen as you check in out of the blue. Sorry I need to check with my director first

Yeah they happen out of the blue, after you call up and ask Qantas to give them to you as a bribe....

Albanese's example is completely different to your everyday upgrade and the upgrades that other politicians, business persons or other powerful people may receive.

 

[peetoo]

Yeah they happen out of the blue, after you call up and ask Qantas to give them to you as a bribe....

Albanese's example is completely different to your everyday upgrade and the upgrades that other politicians, business persons or other powerful people may receive.

He denies it, so who has the onus to prove? Him or the accuser?

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

no one cares that albo was getting upgrades and going business or first class. as a senior minister you would expect nothing less.

the main issue is reaching out to get chairman's lounge access for his son - and liaising directly with the CEO.

if this is proven he has to go.

There's no evidence it actually did occur from what we're hearing. All hearsay from the bloke writing the book. Need more sources to confirm all this otherwise it's just allegations right now. Of course with the Murdoch rags it doesn't matter your guilty unless you prove your innocent that is of course if your a leftie.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Well, they still changed the Stage 3 tax cuts so that it didn't just all go to the top 20%. So not 100% charlatans.

You're still arguiing essentially that they're "as bad as the Libs". So it wouldn't make sense for them to resign and hand it over to the Libs just because they're as corrupt as them (and they're still not that corrupt - Angus's water, Barnaby's envoy, sports rorts, airport land, robodebt).

He's arguing the Libs are complete cleanskins mate. Head is in the sand because it's been buried under Mounds of Trump rhetoric. If your starting base for an argument is " Our side never engage in this" than you have already lost. But good luck trying to convince him of that.

 

[peetoo]

There's no evidence it actually did occur from what we're hearing. All hearsay from the bloke writing the book. Need more sources to confirm all this otherwise it's just allegations right now. Of course with the Murdoch rags it doesn't matter your guilty unless you prove your innocent that is of course if your a leftie.

Guy should join the Harry and meghan pile on it’s more his style

 

[sdfc]

Dutton's got nothing to do with Albo getting favours from qantas and then the government he leads protecting them from competition at a time when qantas was ripping off Aussie households.

The last time this shit blew up was after Bishop's chopper ride. The heat turns on Burke and before you know it Pyne is defending Burke. They closed ranks to stop anyone else coming under scrutiny.

It's low level corruption but still corruption.

 

[Balls In]

He doesnt "Have to go", I'm not exactly sure getting a ride from Joyce is any better than getting a ride from Reinhardt. (It's no different)

But neither are good.

It just means the ALP can't really campaign on corruption any more. And Albanese pretending he's a man of the people has been lost forever.

Us plebs shouldn't accept any politician caught red handed taking favours then trying to deflect to a "they are worse" argument. They are all arseholes. We 100% should be demanding a world-class national airline and accountability from our transport Minister now PM.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

I dont even care about the upgrades and his sons memberships into Qantas' crappy club for jerks but what is a concern is what appears to be a very close relationship to Joyce, combined with the above had any bearing on a market decision to ban Qatar Airways from expanding their services which may negatively impact Qantas financials. However this will never be proven.

Pollies will always get, receive and take advantage of big business perks, its never going to stop and any inquiry or registrars of gifts will be nothing but window dressing.

 

[checkraiseulite]

I dont even care about the upgrades and his sons memberships into Qantas' crappy club for jerks but what is a concern is what appears to be a very close relationship to Joyce, combined with the above had any bearing on a market decision to ban Qatar Airways from expanding their services which may negatively impact Qantas financials. However this will never be proven.

Pollies will always get, receive and take advantage of big business perks, its never going to stop and any inquiry or registrars of gifts will be nothing but window dressing.

that’s the link.

he can’t be corrupt. and even if the upgrades and his personal relationship with joyce and his son’s free cc membership had nothing to do with decisions impacting qantas including the Qatar stuff - he can’t be seen to be potentially corrupt.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Funny thing is, if Albo did resign there’d be up to a half dozen capable candidates to chose from

The libs have Dutton becaus…….I was going to say who else is there, but Dutton is barely acceptable

They have at least 3 capable of stepping up. Chalmers, Clare and Tony Burke. Burke has destroyed them once he moved to the immigration/HA portfolio to the point it's not even making news anymore. Makes Tehan look like the heartless clueless dill that he is. Giles is way too nice a bloke to be in that portfolio unfortunately and couldn't argue effectively. He's the local member out my way. Clare is the underrated gun. Find him extremely impressive.

 

[Rotayjay]

According to The Guardian, today Albo is to announce an election promise of cutting HECS debts by 20%. That'll be a vote winner. He's announcing it here in Adelaide so I might try to attend - depending on whether they let in plebs like me off the street.

 

[Rob R]

According to The Guardian, today Albo is to announce an election promise of cutting HECS debts by 20%. That'll be a vote winner. He's announcing it here in Adelaide so I might try to attend - depending on whether they let in plebs like me off the street.

It's a really good idea to help Australians and students from the Pacific family. Hopefully funded by increased charges on other foreign students.

On SM-A136B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Gough]

According to The Guardian, today Albo is to announce an election promise of cutting HECS debts by 20%. That'll be a vote winner. He's announcing it here in Adelaide so I might try to attend - depending on whether they let in plebs like me off the street.

The Libs are going to have to start to release policy, there's no way that you can seriously consider them for government at the moment unless they start to show their hand. I suspect the LNP win in Queensland won't help Dutton either as Crisafulli rolls out a preview of what a federal LNP government could look like.

 

[Rotayjay]

It's set to be in a school hall, so looks like invitation-only.

 

[Festerz]

According to The Guardian, today Albo is to announce an election promise of cutting HECS debts by 20%. That'll be a vote winner. He's announcing it here in Adelaide so I might try to attend - depending on whether they let in plebs like me off the street.

I assume this is a pre-election promise as it has a big ($16b) budget impact and so will need to be implemented as a specific budget measure in next years budget.

My kids are very happy as it will reduce their debt by around $7k each. And as a boomer who was the first in their family to go to uni and got their first degree free of charge in the 80s thanks to the Whitlam Labor Govt no fee policy (a policy that was abandoned with the introduction of HECS by the Hawke Labor Govt in 1989) I am on shaky ground opposing it now.

But I would say that the equity arguments that led to the Hawke Government introducing HECS are still there (I happened to study under the designer of the program, Bruce Chapman, and worked with him on brief occasions on other issues subsequently so declaring my hand here.) Higher education comes at a significant cost and can deliver strong economic benefits not just to the broader community but the individual as well so sharing the provision cost makes good sense in both economic and social equity grounds, especially with the changing nature of higher education and the blurring of lines between different types of higher education and training.

So in my view it's a case of how far should the fees be moderated that's the real policy issue here. There is strong reasoning behind cutting the level of fees and the details of what this policy change on existing debt hasn't yet been published but I hope the forgiving of debt does come with some conditions - including some income limit on where it cuts out.

I think economist Chris Richardson makes some good arguments here:

 

[Festerz]

We 100% should be demanding a world-class national airline and accountability from our transport Minister now PM.

A clarification. Qantas is 100% privately owned. Saying that Qantas is the national airline is a bit like saying Telstra is the national telco imho.

But there can be no doubt that Qantas receives the sort of preferential treatment from Federal Government decision making and legislation that is not available to most private companies in this country. That is partly related to the historical fact of Qantas once being the publicly owned national airline of Australia and partly related to the strategic economic and social importance of air travel especially internationally to a nation.

In my view the privatisation of Qantas from 1992, with its merger with the government owned domestic carrier to being fully privately owned company in 1997 was an example of political dogma triumphing over common sense. Because what we now now have is a privately owned airline business that is expected to act in the interests of its institutional and private shareholders but is still protected and bound by government legislation and regulations. Those rules provide it not only with a protection from the forces of the competitive market but also require it to act in the interests of the Australian government on occasions (last month's provision of free flights to Australia from Malta for Australian citizens escaping the Middle East conflict being the latest example of that).

But having scrambled the egg of air transport during the 1980/90s free market fetish we can't go back to unscrambling it.

And expecting the Prime Minister or Transport Minister under those arrangements to not have a close working relationship with the CEO and Board of Qantas is not just naive but would be totally unworkable under existing arrangements. That's where the tabloid bleating about inappropriate relationships between Albanese and Joyce becomes wilfully disingenuous.

But we can do is demand and expect that Albanese and all other MPs and public servants to not abuse that relationship for private gain. Accepting membership of an exclusive private club with benefits that is not available to most of the people they serve is something that should not be tolerated. As a minimum, every one of the government MPs, judges and public servants (and their plus ones) who have Qantas Chairmans Club membership should be required to forfeit that membership and/or fork up the full cost of that membership from their own funds (and Qantas directed to bill them the full cost of providing the service).

This principle applies as much to Peter Dutton, federal and state MPs, premiers, public servants and judges as it does to the current PM btw.

The trouble being that the current bleating over Albanese's actions is mostly happening because of the binary political capital to be gained. The principle sidelined yet again.

 

[Not Important]

not only not heed warnings, he's cosied up to them.

Albanese’s refusal to heed warnings about Australia’s media is now swamping his re-election chances - Pearls and Irritations

When dealing with the Coalition and its public relations arm News Corp, it’s safe to say that Albanese listens and is responsive to a fault.

johnmenadue.com

 

[JackOutback]

Student debt relief and free Tafe places is certainly a good starting point if they hope to win an election.

 

[peetoo]

Dutton's got nothing to do with Albo getting favours from qantas and then the government he leads protecting them from competition at a time when qantas was ripping off Aussie households.

The last time this shit blew up was after Bishop's chopper ride. The heat turns on Burke and before you know it Pyne is defending Burke. They closed ranks to stop anyone else coming under scrutiny.

It's low level corruption but still corruption.

As in the socialism thread. Qantas ain't ripping me off if I don't book them
The billions parked there by Morrison govt? Different all tigether