Barnaby says don't be a sheep

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says the live export regulation system is working, despite new footage showing Australian sheep being mistreated in the Middle East. Abc

Our spies are legal

Tony Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday that he would not make public comment on intelligence matters in keeping with longstanding practice, but he suggested any activity being undertaken by Australian agencies or officials was entirely lawful Guardian

Aps cuts

 

The Federal Government has revealed its plans to rein in public service recruitment and cut 12,000 positions abc

Students burn Tony Abbott effigy, chase Joe Hockey

there may be hope for young people stilll

The protesters burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and threw shoes at Liberal Party headquarters in a rally against proposed federal funding cuts to higher education.

About 100 student protesters gathered outside parliament house in Spring St before the group marched into the city.

news.com.au

The end of the war

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has used a surprise visit to Afghanistan to declare the end of Australia's longest war.

Speaking at a special ceremony at the Australian-run base in Tarin Kot in Uruzgan province, Mr Abbott told a gathering of Australian and international troops and Afghan leaders that the Afghanistan war is complicated.

ABC

Centrelink is now your Post Office

because selling Medibank wasn't enough

Labor and the unions have leapt on reports the Abbott Government is considering a plan for Australia Post to take over Centrelink's front office operations.
Treasurer Joe Hockey is known to be in favour of consolidating service delivery and has put "everything on the table" for the Government's newly formed Commission of Audit. ABC

Go to Syria, don't come back

Mr Morrison said the Federal Government was concerned about Australians involved in the Syria conflict returning to "disrupt the significant social cohesion we have in this country".
An insurgency expert has told The World Today that Australians make up "by far the largest" contingent of Western recruits to Syrian armed groups, and that those coming home could act as recruiters among the Middle Eastern community. ABC

Abbott Government: Week 6 in review

Here we go again

• Abbott goes on photo op with RFS
• His gay sister gets engaged
• Joe Hockey increases the debt limit. National credit card something something
• The Government will challenge ACT gay marriage laws
• Flogging off assets starts with Medibank
• Climate change isn't a factor in bushfires, says Tony
• Anyone who thinks it is, is talking through their hat
• Possible DD trigger: Direct Action tied to supply
• Barnaby Joyce says that free range could cause a bird flu epidemic
• Tony unimpressed by some more hogwash about climate change\
• Wrap it up guys the boats have stopped in just 50 days
• Carbon tax = SOCIALISM.

previous weeks wrap ups here

Carbon tax = SOCIALISM

"Let's be under no illusions the carbon tax was socialism masquerading as environmentalism," he said.

"That's what the carbon tax was."

ABC

Wrap it up guys the boats have stopped

So sayeth Abbott:

His 'stop the boats' pledge was already being realised, the prime minister said, despite Labor shifting to a hardline policy on Kevin Rudd's return as PM in June.
'I don't want to underestimate the difficulty of that challenge but they are stopping,' Mr Abbott said.
'Over the last month, illegal arrivals by boat have been scarcely 10 per cent of the peak under Labor in July.'
Mr Abbott said immigration officials had been 'managing a problem' under the ALP.
'Our determination is to end the problem,' he said.
'Our determination is not to guide the boats, our determination is to stop the boats.'
The coalition's asylum seeker policy was one on a long list of achievements Mr Abbott said the government had already ticked off.

Sky news

Abbott rubbishes climate link

It's hogwash according to Tony.

Barnaby Joyce on bird flu

The Federal Agriculture Minister claims there will be more avian influenza outbreaks and more chicken deaths if there is an increase in free-range egg production.

Barnaby Joyce says a move by Woolworths to phase out eggs from caged production systems has the potential to destroy the New South Wales chicken flock and, subsequently, the state's egg industry. Abc

Direct action tied to Supply

FUNDING for the centrepiece of Tony Abbott's Direct Action climate change policy, the Emissions Reduction Fund, will be attached to budget appropriation bills under contingency plans to thwart expected efforts by Labor, the Greens and crossbench senators to scuttle the policy. Australian

"talking through her hat"

said Tony Abbott to a UN official:

Earlier this week, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,Christiana Figueres, said the fires proved the world is "already paying the price of carbon".

ABC

Abbott says climate change but a factor in fires

THE prime minister has written off climate change as a factor in the NSW bushfires and defended his voluntary work in fighting the fires. News
    

Abbott to flog off Medibank

THE Abbott government will act within weeks to sell its first major asset as it hunts for deep cuts to public spending by launching an audit commission with unfettered scope to identify billions of dollars in budget savings.

The sale of health insurer Medibank Private will be under way before Christmas as the government appoints advisers to a scoping study to prepare it for a trade sale or public listing. Australian

Abbott Government to challenge ACT's move to gay marriage

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says his objection to the ACT's decision to legalise gay marriage is a "legal one", not a moral one. News

Joe hockey increases the debt limit

It's now Five Hundred Billion Dollars

Abbott's gay sister is engaged

Totes awkward at family dinners.  News

Action man Abbott helps out RFS

Also poses for a few photos

Abbott Government: Week 5 in review

What new ways has Tony found to ruin Australia this week?

• Government at odds with IMF over carbon pricing
• Number of women on opposition front bench is 11x greater than on Tony's
• George Brandis' $13,000 bookshelf is too big to fit in his office
• Tony releases carbon repeal bill, urges Labor to 'repent' on carbon
• Govt floats the idea of flogging off the HECS debt
• Backbencher Don Randall buys an investment house, like everyone else in Australia.
• The cops are called over expenses. They decline to probe further
• Billionaire Twiggy Forest gets offered a job heading a review into Indigenous employment.
• Abbott revokes clean energy grants, saying 'you didn't say no takebacks'
• Temporary Protection Visas return 
• Tony Abbott proposes digging up the dead, reburying them in Canberra

A little quieter than previous weeks, sure, its tough work being Tory.

Bring out your dead

Prime Minister Tony Abbott proposes national war cemetery for Canberra. Senior members of the Returned Services League (RSL) have poured cold water on the idea. "I would be horrified at the thought of people proposing to dig up and uproot graves of people that are long dead or recently dead," he said. ABC

TPVs are back

The Federal Government has officially re-introduced the Howard-era temporary protection visas (TPV) in a bid to deter more boat arrivals.

Under the Migration Act, the visa gives refugees protection for up to three years and prevents the visa holder from applying for permanent protection. ABC

Should have said "no takebacks"

Abbott to revoke $53m clean energy grants.  Guardian

Jobs for billionaires

Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest will head a review initiated by the Federal Government into Indigenous employment and training programs. Indigenous Times

Update: police not probing Abbott, Brandis

thanks for that headline, Courier Mail

Federal Police called over expenses

A federal Labor MP has formally asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the travel claims of the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General "as a matter of urgency". ABC

Scraping around the bottom of the backbench barrel

Another Liberal expenses fiddler: Don Randall checks out an investment home in Cairns on the taxpayer dollar ABC

Government to flog off HECS debt

The Government has not commented on claims in the West Australian newspaper that it could look at privatising some of the more than $20 billion it is owed through HECS at the upcoming Commission of Audit. ABC

Abbott urges ALP to repent on carbon

Draft legislation released.  Abc

George Brandises library

His $13000 bookshelf is too big to move into his new office. Fairfax

11:1

that's the number of women in shadow cabinet compared to in Government. ABC

Abbott set for carbon clash with IMF

THE Abbott government is heading for a clash with the International Monetary Fund and the OECD over its plans to abolish the carbon tax.

The leaders of both institutions have strongly endorsed carbon pricing and will report on steps being taken to introduce it in their assessments of member economies. "Our message to finance ministers is you can raise your revenue by doing the right thing, and by the same token you are going to also take care of the future of your grand children," IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said at the fund's annual meeting in Washington. Australian

Abbott Government: Week 4 in review

A relatively quiet second  half of the week as Abbott seeks to consolidate progress made on ruining Australia.

• In the wake of rortgate, Abbott rules out reform on MP expenses
• Tony and Mal Brough take home the silverware at the Ernies
• Clive Palmer thinks he has Abbott on the ropes, legislatively speaking
• Abbott speaks of his desire for three Free Trade Agreements in 12 months. And a pony.
• Scott Morrison takes a break from hoping people don't notice any boats to hoping people won't notice he paid back expenses.
• Soon afterwards the Coalition claimed GREAT SUCCESS as only one boat arrived this week.
• Scott also convinced some asylum seekers that the Coalition has made Australia so terrible, they went back where they came from.
• Everyone loves a good expenses scandal, even the Poms.
• George "I'm a QC you know" Brandis confirms the Government feels threatened by gay marriage and will challenge the ACT's prospective laws.

Brandis confirms challenge to ACT gay marriage

Attorney-General George Brandis described the territory laws on Thursday as ''a threat'' to the ''well-established position'' that marriage laws should be nationally consistent and were the domain of the Commonwealth.

Senator Brandis informed the ACT government of the legal challenge in a phone call on Wednesday night before confirming the move at a meeting of state and territory attorneys-general on Thursday.

Fairfax

View from abroad: Torygraph

Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, has defended his use of tens of thousands of dollars of parliamentary expenses to attend weddings and sporting events, saying MPs should not be “prisoners of their offices”. Tele UK

Go back where you came from

So sayeth Scott.

Boatwatch

Just the one according to the drip feed of information the public is allowed. News

Scott Morrison caught in expenses gate

He's repaid them.

Three FTAs and a pony

 

Tony Abbott wants free trade deals with Japan, South Korea and China in 12 months. Also a pony News ltd

Palmer holds Abbott's legislative agenda to ransom

Shine on you crazy diamond

Mining magnate Clive Palmer is threatening to block all the Abbott government's legislation – even measures he supports such as scrapping the carbon price – unless his party gets more staff and resources. Fairfax

Brough and Abbott take home Ernies

The organisers of the Ernie awards for sexist comments have given Prime Minister Tony Abbott the ''repeat offender'' award, while another Liberal MP, Mal Brough, took out the political Ernie for the ''Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail'' menu Fairfax

Abbott rules out reform of MP expenses

Under pressure to explain why taxpayers should spend thousands of dollars to help politicians compete in sports events and attend colleagues' weddings, Mr Abbott said there would “always be arguments at the margins” and changing the rules would achieve nothing.
“I'm not proposing to change the system,” Mr Abbott said on Thursday.
Advertisement“You don't want members of Parliament to be prisoners of their offices.” Fairfax

Midweek roundup: Week 4

I don't know whether the expenses scandal counts as a scandal since the info's been out there for years, but w/e here we go with the week's scores and highlights

• Barnaby says Gina bought him cheaply, saving taxpayers money.
• Defence Minister D. Johnston defends censored report, because you can't handle the truth, or national security or something.
• Tony Abbott's excited about consummation with China.
• Scott Morrison proposes a new plan: lock innocent people up for being innocent, and when they get out, lock them up again because there's a 0.13 percent chance they could commit be charged with a crime.
• Tony Abbott does a Barbra Streisand by trying to repay Slipper wedding expenses on the sly.
• And some claimed for an iron man thing.
• The ABC gets on the bandwagon, revealing that ' Mr Abbott has claimed thousands of dollars to take part in various sporting events in recent years.' 
• Abbott prostrates himself* before Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in an act of contrition.
• Victims of terrorism get compo, and it's not at all because they are middle class white people.
• Abbott cries crocodile tears over the time he was in Bali enjoying a holiday with his family, and then it was ruined. By terrorists.
• Abbott proclaims to everyone in Asia that Japan is Australia's BFF, so everyone else back off okay.

*: may or may not have actually occurred

Abbott's no apology tour of Asia continues

Tony goes and puts everyone else off by proclaiming Japan's our BFF.

"As far as I'm concerned, Japan is Australia's best friend in Asia and we want to keep it a very strong friendship," Mr Abbott told Mr Abe, before the talks were closed to the media. ABC

Family man Tony Abbott reminisces about terror attacks

TONY Abbott remembers vividly that fateful day in 2005 when he, his wife Margie and his three daughters were holidaying in Bali.

They were asleep when three bombs went off, two at a food court on Jimbaran beach and a third at Kuta Town square, claiming the life of four Australians and injuring a further 19.

His sister called him from Australia to ask if he was OK, and told him there had been an attack.
 

News ltd

Abbott puts a price on victims of terrorism

The number is "up to $75,000" in compensation. ABC

Tony Abbott's crocodile tears

Mr Abbott says he offered an “act of contrition” to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak when they met for the first time on the sidelines of the APEC leaders’ summit in Bali last night.

But he told Mr Najib the Coalition's problem was with Labor's policy, not with Malaysia. Australian

Rortgate continues

ABC's 7.30 can reveal that Mr Abbott has claimed thousands of dollars to take part in various sporting events in recent years.
In 2012 he went to the famed Lorne Pier to Pub race in Victoria and claimed $1,444.
In August that year Mr Abbott went to Coffs Harbour for its cycle challenge, claiming $1,002.
The next month he went to Wagga Wagga for its Lake to Lagoon fun run and claimed $515. ABC

Expenses scandal claims ironman

Abbott's paid back a bit more money.

Tony Abbott quietly repays expenses for Slipper wedding

Not much to add. Australian

Let them out, then lock them up again: Morrison

Asylum seekers who live in the community and are charged with a crime are having their visas cancelled or being returned to immigration detention centres.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the crackdown came after a rise in the number of serious offences allegedly committed by asylum seekers on bridging visas or in community detention.
"Warnings from the coalition about risks to the community and the need for tighter controls were not only ignored, they were mocked," the minister said on Monday.
The federal government has revoked 14 bridging visas due to criminal charges, including 10 cancellations since the federal election, Mr Morrison said on Monday.
There are more than 21,300 people in Australia on bridging visas. Fairfax

Abbott wants to consummate with China

"It would be wonderful if a trip towards the end of the first half of next year was consummated by an agreement here," he said.
"Our intention is to move as quickly as we can. I would be disappointed if we couldn't conclude a significant free-trade agreement with China in 12 months." ABC

Defence Minister David Johnston backs censored report

The victims' families called for a coronial inquest into the incident following the release of a highly-censored Australian Defence Force (ADF) report into the deaths last month.

But Defence Minister David Johnston said such reports should remain "virtually unintelligible" to protect personnel still in Afghanistan. SBS

Barnaby defends wedding trip

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says the fact that mining magnate Gina Rinehart paid for him to fly to a wedding in India helped make the trip cheaper for taxpayers. ABC

Abbott Government: Week 3 in review

What have Tony and friends been up to since last time ? Ask the media!

• Tony sandbags, incurs wrath of Indonesian press corps
• New Zealand is 'not a consolation prize', guys
• Julie won't use taxpayers money to save you from piracy charges, Indonesian jails, or whatever. That's for travel expenses
• Malcolm puts Ziggy in charge of deconstructing the NBN
• Scott Morrison lets Syrian refugees join the line, tells others not to queue jump.
• Tony Abbott says he will treat all Senators with respect.
• Joe Hockey faces a decision to be made, and decides not to make it just yet.
• Scott Morrison bravely decides not to let journos talk to asylum seekers. Not that they could before.
• He also denies that there was ever any policy to tow back boats. It's all a media misrepresentation
• Abbott is confident of repealing the carbon tax, because he bought all the Senators-elect gift baskets.
• T.Abbs tells Prince Harry 'everyone feels like a monarchist', pimps out his daughters
• Julie Bishop has a word on the sidelines with the Russians about the whole piracy thing
• Everyone that has ever gone to a wedding and claimed expenses (haven't we all) is now looking over their shoulder, because Fairfax has found their Watergate moment.

and that's all that passes for political journalism in this country, until next time.

Weddings expenses cause headaches

Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop and Teresa Gambaro collectively claimed more than $12,000 in ''overseas study'' allowances to pay for their flights

Tony Abbott repays expenses after charging taxpayers to attend Sophie Mirabella's wedding

If in doubt, don't claim expenses, Malcolm Turnbull tells colleagues

Julie Bishop talks on the sidelines about protestor

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has officially registered concerns with the Russian government over the treatment of an Australian Greenpeace protestor. Ms Bishop had talks on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Bali with Russia's deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov. ABC

Tony Abbott to Prince Harry: ' everyone feels like a monarchist'

Mr Abbott told the crowd: "Prince Harry, I regret to say not everyone in Australia is a monarchist, but today everyone feels like a monarchist".

He said it was "fitting" that the Crown was still a "symbol of continuity and decency in public life". Fairfax

Abbott confident of repealing carbon tax

Labor and the Greens are against the move, so in the new Senate Mr Abbott will have to convince six crossbenchers to pass the legislation.
Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm, Democratic Labour Party Senator John Madigan and Family First's Bob Day also support moves to scrap the tax, but not all of them back the Coalition's carbon reduction policy.
Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has indicated his party supports the repeal but says its three senators will wait to see all bills before guaranteeing support. ABC

Scott Morrison: Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia

Coalition ‘never had a policy of towing boats back’, says Scott Morrison
Immigration minister accuses media of ‘misrepresentation over a long period of time’ Guardian

Journos still not allowed access to asylum seekers

Mr Morrison says he has no plans to ease the restrictions on media access to detention centres.
Under the Immigration Department's rules, journalists wanting to visit detention centres must sign an agreement promising not to interview asylum seekers.
At the end of any visit, recorded material must be handed over for officials to review and any content deemed to breach the agreement must be deleted. ABC

Joe kicks the can down the road

In a statement released this afternoon, Mr Hockey said the deadline for a decision on the $3 billion proposal had been extended to December 17.
Mr Hockey's decision is seen as the Government's first major policy test on foreign investment, after pre-election speculation about revised guidelines for the Foreign Investment Review Board.
"Given the size of this transaction and the complex nature of the issues involved, I have decided to extend the statutory time period," Mr Hockey said. ABC

Abbott will treat all senators with respect

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has acknowledged it will not be easy to get legislation through the Senate, saying he will have to treat all Senators with respect. ABC

Scott Morrison on secret boat talks

Morrison said the federal government would not be briefing the media on the matters discussed.

"Our dialogue, like our operations, will be undertaken with Indonesia with total discretion to ensure the success of that dialogue," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday. News

Syrian refugees get in the queue

The Federal Government has announced it will resettle 500 Syrian refugees as part of its humanitarian refugee program.
The places will be quarantined for Syrians within the existing annual refugee intake, which is capped at 13,700.
Mr Morrison says the decision should not be interpreted as an encouragement for asylum seekers to get on boats bound for Australia. ABC

Turnbull picks right man for NBN

Assuming he wants it to fail horribly that is

Abc

Julie won't save you

So don't try smuggling marijuana or whatever.

"There are circumstances where Australians must take responsibility for their own conduct overseas.
"If you break the laws of other countries or are accused of doing so, you are subjected to their legal system."
Speaking about consular affairs for the first time since taking over as foreign minister, Ms Bishop has urged people to take out insurance and check Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice before they travel overseas.
She has rejected calls for a government travel levy to help cover the costs of helping Australians overseas. News

NZ not a consolation prize: Abbott

ASYLUM seekers arriving by boat who could have expected a ticket to New Zealand from next year will instead be sent to Nauru or Manus Island.
It is understood the Coalition has no plans to proceed with a deal struck by Julia Gillard for NZ to take 150 boat refugees each year from 2014. News

Abbott shuts out Indonesian journos

Tony Abbott has incurred the wrath of Indonesia's journalists by excluding them from a press conference, and even committed a criminal offence, according to the head of the country's journalists' union. Fairfax

Midweek roundup: Week 3

Recent happenings in Abbottstralia

• Tony goes for a trip to Indonesia, avoids having to see many brown people by bringing a bunch of rich white fat cats with him
• The trip makes global headlines.
• A frank discussion is had about sovereignty. And people smugglers.
• Scott Morrison's office accuses people of being absolutely and totally wrong, without any trace of irony
• Air Marshal Binskin stands loyally at Scott's side, and he brought visual aids
• Asylum seekers call deterrence ineffective, say Australia PNG still better than Sri Lanka
• Abbott sincerely apologises for all the nasty things Labor/4 corners did to Indonesia 
• Also the boat buyback scheme is quietly dropped.
• Environment Minister Greg Hunt misleads on carbon. 
• Mal Brough fights off Clive Palmer.
• Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane is not sure how much money the federal government can give Holden, or where it will come from, but don't worry, we'll get it sorted for the next 100 years.
• Clive Palmer will be throwing his weight around in the new Senate

Abbott needs Palmer, Palmer needs Abbott to repeal carbon tax

The other newcomers are Palmer United Party (PUP) senators Glenn Lazarus from Queensland, Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania and Zhenya Wang from Western Australia.
Mr Abbott will be able to count on the three PUP senators, Family First's senator-elect Day and Senator Madigan as all have publicly opposed the carbon tax.
PUP supports reimbursing carbon tax that has already been paid. Fairfax

Bailouts 101 with Ian Macfarlane

Doesn't know how to do it or how to pay for it but will do it anyway because reasons

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane wants Holden to continue to build cars in Australia for the next 100 years.

He's not sure how much money the federal government can offer to help save the company or where it will come from
News

Palmer v Brough

Clive continues sticking the boot into his old party.  Mal Brough just filed his defence of Palmer's defamation allegations.

In August, Mr Palmer claimed Mr Brough had approached him to fund a sexual harassment case against former Speaker Peter Slipper. Mr Brough denied the claims.

Mr Palmer later lodged an $800,000 defamation suit against the new Member for Fisher. News

In other Clive news,  he won Fairfax by 7 votes.

Greg Hunt misleading on carbon

ABC fact checks the environment minister

New federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt says that under the carbon price emissions have actually increased. And in an interview with Lateline last week he quoted figures to back up the claim.
"The strange thing about the carbon tax was that emissions went up, not down, from 560 to 637 million tonnes," Mr Hunt said.
He was unequivocal. The carbon price "doesn't work", "doesn't do the job" and is "a just hopeless means of achieving the outcome," he said during the interview. ABC

Abbott scuttles boat buy back

A silly idea dies a natural death.

Abbott says sorry to Indonesia (for Labor)

Repenting doesn't work if you don't mean it.

Mr Abbott effectively apologised for the actions of the former government at an official reception on Monday night hosted by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"There have been times, I'm sorry to say, when Australia must have tried your patience: when we 'put the sugar on the table' for people smugglers; or cancelled the live cattle trade in panic at a TV program," he said. AFR

Government's boat laws not a deterrent

To the surprise of no one.

Murali says the Government's tough new laws have not deterred him from trying to make the journey again.
"We heard about the people being transferred to Papua New Guinea on the television and the radio," he said.
"I would still rather still rather live there than in Sri Lanka."
Krishnan, another Tamil who was sent back to Sri Lanka after travelling to Australia by boat, says he too would be prepared to make the journey again. ABC