“Raise $1.9 billion by making health more expensive and putting more pressure on the public hospital system, or by adding about three cents more to the price of a cigarette and taking pressure off the public health system.”

Apology please Mr K.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/14/2570901.htm

It certainly was not Malcolm Turnbull’s budget reply speech tonight.

Turnbull’s suggested tobacco excise was, he clearly explained, by way of offsetting the monies the Government would fail to save by the Coalition’s successful blocking of the Health Insurance Rebate revocation component of the Budget.

It specifically was not “on how to offset a government deficit in complex fiscal times” as Chris Johnson dishonestly suggested.

Indeed Turnbull specifically pointed to the inadequacy of Labor saying: “None of the savings measures in this Budget will make, by themselves, a material difference to the deficit” …..let alone a 3c a cigarette tax.

Futhermore he said he would not provide “Labor with the policy alternatives, with the map and compass, that will get them out of the mess in which they find themselves”.

Chis routinely subscribes to the perverse and duplicitous leftist school which almost disdainfully articulates: ‘Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good going prejudice’.

I didn’t hate Rudd when he first became PM as you know. I do now, however.

My post was critical of the Canberra press gallery including Bernard Keane rather than Labor.

I know Kev 07 declared there was not a cigarette paper’s difference between his “unapologetically” conservative economic policies and those of Mr Howard.

Unfortunately the Canberra commentariat with their collective heads buried in the sand don’t show a similarly loose definition of intimacy for their ‘chuminess’ with Kev 57.

There is certainly much more than a cigarette paper’s difference between the media and the primary interest of the nation.

I don’t care about Mr Rudd’s ‘ideology’ but his patent insane decision making will unnecessarily cause much suffering among his fellow Australians.

Not that he gives a toss. He puts himself first, perhaps a contorted view of the ALP second and the nation a very long way last.

Your future is being compromised. Wake up. Volunteer for Pete!
Your local Prince needs you!

The whole point JamesK, is the Liberal Party(?) equates to the entertaining sight of each member pulling in a different direction. They are not a party in the true sense of the word. They are a disunited rabble wondering why they are not on the front benches. And, if they haven’t figured that out yet they are in deep sh-t.
They fail to be of help to the tragic/comic figure who was passed the poisoned chalice, and Malcolm Turnbull is brightly living up to his surname. Albeit with rows of pearly white teeth set in an undershot jaw, and an ability to talk ad infinitum. Note: I’m not mocking the man’s obvious brains, I merely regret his lack of political smarts.

Regrettably, I suffer from Althaeaophobia-one glimpse of Christopher Pyne and I immediately break out in hives. And he is but one of them.

BTW: I was at the local chemist when Peter the Putrid’s PA came in on the morning after the budget and apart from much rolling of eyes wasn’t prepared to say a thing? Odd!

The onus is on our elected Government. Something that BK really has problems adjusting too.

The budget after the next election will radically rewrite this one causing great pain. That will be true irrespective of which side wins. This laughable excuse for political commentary are all aware of it.

It doesn’t even seem strange anymore.

Apparently Bernard believes that just repeating nonsense such as this often enough with an affected air of thoughtful earnestness whilst the punters go quietly in a numbing stupefaction to see their country commit a fiscal version of harikari (just like Japan did in the early 90’s) will at least prevent John Howard governing again.

The Canberra press gallery having vilified Howard and lauded this loon can’t quite bring themselves to acknowledge the truth.