A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
As we trundle back for the last 2 weeks of this Parliamentary term for the Senate, we find the new Government in disarray with scandal piling up upon bad policy.
THANKS A LOT KEVIN
Consumer confidence, according to the Westpac Melbourne Institute index of Consumer Sentiment, is at a 16 year low.
Interest rates are at a 12 year high. Petrol prices are at never before seen levels.
Unemployment is forecast, even by the Rudd Government’s own budget papers to increase by 134,000 by June next year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has indicated that jobs have unexpectedly plummeted by 19,700 in the last month alone, and there was a decline in job advertisements of 1.7% for May.
New Taxes are up in the Budget and subsidies for solar power and health insurance have been slashed. Practically every new index is showing worrying trends.
And if you're in for a bit of self flagellation, have a look at the share market.
There is a common thread in all of this gloom and doom. And that is Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan. Rudd was right when he said "the buck stops with me".
Instead of swanning around the world stage pandering to his ego as a world statesman, Mr Rudd should be at home trying to get a lesson in elementary economics.
He's been pretty good at finding jobs for his Labor mates like disgraced former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, who has been given the globe trotting sinecure of wandering the world trying to get audiences with those who might start a nuclear war - I can just see Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, asking “Gareth Who?! “
But what about jobs in the Cairns tourism industry? Or in the small business sector, which used to install solar panels in the homes of Australians wanting to so their bit for the environment.
It distresses me to say it, but I think that we are in for a tough time in Rudd’s term of Government. It proves the accuracy of the old saying "You can’t trust Labor with money."
AND WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF LABORS FAILINGS…..
There is something wrong with a political party that continues to select candidates who demonstrate they should be nowhere near the levers of power.
The horrific stories of the actions of former Senator Belinda Neal, now propped up in a House of Representatives seat in NSW, makes one wonder who actually finds and promotes these people for public office.
Ms Neal has been described as a bully, by friend and foe alike, and the actions of kicking an opposing sportsperson lying on the ground are beyond belief. None of us are perfect, but where does the Labor Party find these people?
In Ms Neal's case, perhaps it because she is the wife of NSW Labor strong man and Minister John Della Bosca, who is said to control the Premier of NSW.
If you can’t manage your own Party in the most basic issue of who you put in Parliament, how could you possibly manage Australia in a fair, transparent and honest way.
HAVE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR BEFORE BLAMING KIDS OF BINGE DRINKING MR RUDD
Quite frankly, I don’t care what Mr Rudd did at Scores Night Club in New York when he was an Opposition heavy trying to drum up some business support in the US.
What I find abhorrent is that now the pious Mr Rudd is taxing the fun out of young people’s enjoyment of Alcopops, to allegedly stop binge drinking.
What is he doing to stop his own binge drinking escapade which he blamed on why he couldn’t recall going to Scores Night Club or what he did there?
He is demanding higher standards from Belinda Neal - what about his own?
QUEENSLAND DUDDED
As the Courier Mail rightly headlined last week, our State has been dudded by the Rudd Government.
Of schools getting a handout out from the so called Education Revolution, our State had a measly 70 schools receiving some form of assistance (compare that with the Liberals ‘Investing in Our Schools Program’ out of which Queensland did so well.)
We get from Rudd and Swan $6.8 million out of a total of $116 million allocated for that program.
AND WHY DOES MR RUDD HATE CAIRNS?
While Mr Rudd found no trouble in announcing a $35 million grant to a Japanese car company out of a non existing program to get some jobs for Unionists in Melbourne, he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to even get a miniscule response to the tourism crisis in Cairns following Qantas slashing of services to Japan.
While local Labor MP Jim Turnour was 'missing in action’ I made a hurried trip to Cairns to consult with Tourism Leaders.
We need to seriously look at cabotage policy in the airline industry. Mr Rudd needs to be exploring rule changes to allow foreign carriers to operate out of regional ports in Australia, like Cairns, into non base foreign destinations. I understand that Tiger Airways wants to fly from Cairns to Manilla and on to the world, but because it is a Singapore based airline with an Australian Air Operators Licence, it is not currently allowed to fly anywhere other than to Singapore.
I don’t blame Qantas for commercial decisions but if Qantas doesn’t want to use Cairns as a gateway to Asia, then others should be allowed to do so.
(Incidentally can you imagine what former MP Liberal Warren Entsch would have done had he been the local MP at the time of Qantas' announcement? You'd still be reaching for the ear plugs!)
By the way, I, and many other Northern Queenslanders are urging Warren Entsch to consider re-entering public life. We need someone from the North with Warren's passion in the Queensland Parliament.
LIBERAL MERGER
Talking of Warren Entsch it was great to see that Mal Brough, the new Queensland Liberal President, wisely appointed Warren to the Management Committee of the Party in Queensland, as a community member to give the North a voice in the highest echelons of the Party - a voice that has been sadly missing for some time.
I was chatting to Mal Brough earlier this week and he mentioned that matters were progressing well towards the Amalgamation.
He indicated he had had productive discussions with the Nationals and had been negotiating on the issues raised by members at the Convention earlier this month. He said that discussions were progressing well on the membership’s desire expressed at the Convention, for the maximum involvement of Branch members in the amalgamated Party.
I am told that we are on track for the Constitutional Convention on the weekend of 26 - 27 July although the President has concerns at the cost of the Convention and is trying to address that issue.
FISH SCARCE
In Cairns recently I was briefed by fishermen on the problems confronting the industry.
While the Gulf prawners have been having a wonderful catching season, the cost of fuel is increasingly making it financially risky to venture out. Fish is healthy and tasty, but will become more expensive as the cost of providing it skyrockets. Buying patterns are changing as families are squeezed by rising food prices generally while wanting to maintain the health and treat benefits of eating Australian freshly caught seafood
A NEW TEAM IN MOUNT ISA
As part of my role as Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia, I visited Mount Isa recently to meet with new Mayor John Maloney.
In what is usually regarded as a 'Labor town' Cr Maloney (who has never hidden his conservative credentials), had a landslide victory at the March Local Government polls defeating a long term Labor Mayor.
There are plenty of challenges in Australia’s largest mining city, not the least of which is how to deal with the influx of people migrating to Mount Isa from areas in the Northern Territory where the Howard Government’s Intervention in Indigenous communities has many leaving the Territory for a continuation of the old ways in Queensland.
This is an issue for the State Government, but Anna Bligh's indecision has meant that many of the problems have fallen on to the local community to address.
I am confident that Mayor Moloney, his Deputy Mayor, an old friend of mine Les Bunn, and their Team will make a difference to the challenges they face.
WHERE’S THE WORK ETHIC?
Mr Rudd's much publicised work ethic is as illusionary as most of his other 'spins'. The Parliament this year under the Labor Government is sitting fewer days than last year - and that was very curtailed because we had almost 3 months away from Canberra for the Election!
START OF THE NEW SENATE TEAM
The 1st of July will see the start of the term of Parliament for the Senate.
The Liberal National Party will have 37 Senators, the Labor/Greens alliance will have 37 Senators and 2 independents will have the balance of power. It will make for a very interesting 3 years in the Upper House.
I am looking forward to representing the people of Queensland for the next 6 years. I am grateful to all Queenslanders for again electing me first to the Senate from our State.
LET ME KNOW
If there are issues that you believe the Federal Opposition should be investigating, please do not hesitate to drop me a note.
As a Senator, the whole of the State is my constituency, and I am happy to help in any way possible.
I also welcome your feedback, positive or negative, on any of the issues raised in this online newsletter.
Ian Macdonald
Liberal Senator for Queensland
Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia