The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Rudd’s betrayal > Comments

Rudd’s betrayal : Comments

By Tom Switzer, published 3/5/2010

Kevin Rudd is either committed to an ETS or he is not. He is either prepared to sell his case on the hustings; or he is scared of a political fight.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All
Rudd thought that, in Copenhagen, he would be seen as a man of the future, a visionary, a world Statesman, one with an ETS in place. He came out of Copenhagen as a nobody!

Being a pragmatist, he saw that the tide had turned on the ETS issue and that it was unpopular because it would cost money. His back-flip was one to rival the final of the diving at the Olympic Games.

Rudd is not a man to be trusted (and Abbot isn't much better).

Australian politics is going down the plughole.
Posted by David G, Monday, 3 May 2010 10:37:32 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I don't know about that Dave, I reckon even if he had an ETS at Copenhagen, he still would have been a nobody.

It amazes me that so many Australians have such a huge puffed up ego.

Do people really think that everyone is going to be impressed with what some pissant country on the other side of the world whose main industry is digging holes does or thinks?

To the warmists and this author - get over yourselves, if you want to be activists fine, but get some perspective. For a start try doing something locally, like planting more trees or getting your local eco group to pool their money, buy some land and do something. Why is it always demands that the government do this or that, with tax money - if you want action, go do it - but if I don't agree with that use, why do I have to pony up?

If the government doesn't do what you want, you can still do something, granted it may not get you the big pat on the head and fame, but what is it you're really after - is it change or do you want someone else to always do the lifting and you just chanting on the sidelines, while maintaining your cushy lifestyle.

It seems to me to be easier to get the government to do something than to do anything yourself, that's certainly the message from our youth.
Posted by Amicus, Monday, 3 May 2010 11:01:07 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Amicus: It is governments that are being lobbied and exploited by big business to ignore climate change, so it is governments that must be lobbied to *not* being swayed just by one set of stakeholders.
Why should certain business be propped up by the rest of us, and why shouldn't we expect them to represent the common good instead of limited profits?
Saying "go away and plant a tree like a good hippie while the rest of us consume your taxes and your kids resources" will not really cut it!
I'll say this for the Right...they have cheek. After being totally selfish and greedy they don't bat an eyelid accusing others of being selfish and greedy for objecting to their actions
Posted by Ozandy, Monday, 3 May 2010 1:25:29 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Amicus reality passes you by doesn't it? It was all a waste of time all these laws the governement makes, after all people will do the right thing. Hell think of all the tax money we would save if we didn't spendit on making rules and enforcing them. clean air act gone, police gone, parking inspectors gone.....if only Ronald Regan was king of the world.

To the rest Rudd is a poly would a hard line stance get him reelected ? that the question he has asked himself? Poly's change tack all the time remeber Little Jonnies "Never ever" line on GST?
Posted by Kenny, Monday, 3 May 2010 1:25:51 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Tom, you've forgotten that your man, Mr Abbott and the rabid right in the Senate, led by Mr Minchin supported by the greens and independents are responsible for the shelving of the ETS. With plenty of assistance from all media forms,those opposed to the idea of climate change got what they wanted. And....they're still moaning......
Posted by ocm, Monday, 3 May 2010 2:33:44 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
no ocm, not "those opposed to the idea of climate change got what they wanted" at all

It was those against paying a tax for reducing CO2 induced man made climate change - so get off this bandwagon that people don't agree the climate changes, of course it does only a misguided fool would think it doesn't or think that other people believe that.

What would an ETS do? Would it do anything, of course not, it was a feel good tax, people even proposed using the proceeds on health reform.

It was a TAX for the sake of taxing, as all good ALP governments do .. like the big Keating lie, L.A.W. tax cuts haha didn't you all suck that one up, and you have the nerve to mention PM John (MOS)Howard and the GST, he went to an election on it, and got it, it was a MANDATE.

It was not the opposition, media etc who put the ETS away, it was a government with no balls that gave up on it. Maybe they realized it was only good to thrash the populace in a blame game.

The government didn't sell it well enough, end of story, trying to blame it on someone else is just weak, but that's what the Rudd government is, weak.

What a bunch of crybabies ..
Posted by Amicus, Monday, 3 May 2010 3:02:54 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
The reality is pudgey, insipid and elitist Rudd as Labor PM is gutless and tricky on this issue. He's dumped his greatest moral challenge in favour of ... well nothing much at all.

The super fit, healthy and community connected Abbott on the other hand has been perfectly consistant and straightforward as Liberal leader on this issue. He's opposed to an ETS and was so when everybody reckoned it would give him a wedgie.

Guess Kevies wedgie is starting to hurt.

Yep I'm a sceptic, proud of it, and ... well it seems by all accounts, like Abbott, winning the debate too.

By the by other issues will define our leaders.

Especially all those issues spinning around the 'economic conservative's' broken promises.

And hey boys ... 'liar' Johnnie has apparently been replaced by a 'big fat taxing liar'. If Abbott appears anything like thge old John Howard the public will vote for him ... in droves. Kevie will then be known as the whimpiest one term PM Australia has ever had. Which I reckon would be right and fair.
Posted by keith, Monday, 3 May 2010 3:09:00 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Kevin Rudd is either committed to an ETS or he is not. He is either prepared to sell his case on the hustings; or he is scared of a political fight.

Rudd is a dud!

He simply does not have the balls to call an early election.

Once again we are witnessing yet another government loosing office rather than a new one winning.

We have a similar problem here in QLD.

If only these fools were made financially accountable, it would all change for the better.

Perhaps they should be made to put up a 'bond' before opening our cheque book!
Posted by rehctub, Monday, 3 May 2010 5:06:23 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Same theme as the other similar thread, so same response.

I think Rudd is being much smarter than we give him credit for. Some of us may have missed, or ignored the “blinding glimpse of the obvious”.

The ETS looked a safe bet for Rudd when “Malcolm was in the middle”. The $10 billion a year looked good to cover the debts being accrued. Not only has he “spent” the $20 billion he inherited in surplus, he has run up a $94 billion national debt and whoops! No ETS revenue to cover the debt or a return to surplus.

So now he grabs 30% of GST (for health reform of course), and imposes a tax on mining to try to cover the deficit. The mining tax is also a tax on energy, coal and coal seam gas. So now we have our carbon tax by stealth. Rudd is happy to have the revenue to cover our national debt and he doesn’t even have to give any of it away to provide rebates for the inevitable increases in energy costs or to subsidize MRET initiatives. He gets to keep it all. This is one very smart cookie.

Sure there will be reduced corporation tax income from the mining sector, so what? That will be much less than he would have had to give back as rebates under the ETS and it will, unlike rebates, be totally uncontested.

What a bunch of “bunnies” we are.

Rudd had duded everyone. Our political journalists have gone into analysis paralysis on content and completely missed the main game.

We are all running around like headless chucks squawking about ETS vs. no ETS whilst Rudd laughs up his sleeve.

Doh!
Posted by spindoc, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 9:37:53 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Kenny, Monday, 3 May 2010 1:25:51 PM: It always amazes me how blinkered rusted on Labor voters keep trotting out the 'never, ever' GST line whilst conveniently withholding (and I'm being generous to you and assuming you really do understand what actually happened Kenny) a few vital details. Let me remind you that when John Howard decided to argue for the implementation of the GST, he didn't follow the tried and true Labor method, raised to dizzying new heights by the mediocre Rudd Gov't (and it is mediocre) of promising everything under the sun, getting through the election and then breaking all his promises and doing what he likes in the hopes voters would forget by the time the next election was due. No, John Howard had the COURAGE of his convictions and risked everything to put forward his policy, call an election, argue the case and he WON. His policies won the ultimate mandate from the Australian people, but I guess that's not the Left's way is it Kenny? Can't trust the dumb bogan Australians to get it right can we? Much better to have a bloated bureacracy of 'experts' like Rudd, following world's best practice in China and the EU to look after us and make our decisions for us - with our money of course.

No serious commentator would argue that the GST has not been spectacularly successful in taking pressure off income taxes, promoting economic growth, reducing the tax burden on goods and stabilising the finances of the States all of which (with the possible exception of QLD and WA) would now be bankrupt without it. Rudd's grab for 30% of the GST and now mining royalties as well, all to pay for a cash splash, a few pink batts and school demountables that no one asked for, will haunt the finances of the States for years to come.
Posted by Paulie, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 10:05:46 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I think the problem we have with Kevin Rudd is not that he lacks
intelligence, I think he is a smart man, but the real problem is that
he lacks common sense.

This is something I have noticed in others previously their
intelligence is outsmarted by their lack of common sense.
Arrogance seldom cohabits with common sense.
Posted by Bazz, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 11:52:23 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Bazz, I think it's rat cunning you are describing, rather than smartness, or intelligence.
Posted by Hasbeen, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 12:34:34 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Spindoc, Bazz and Hsbeen

Obviously going by todays polls Kevie hasn't fooled the majority of rest of us.

We've all woken up to his big anouncements prior to the poll cycle weekend. Those anouncemnents when looked at in detail usually reveal a lack of depth of thought of the consequences. Haven't you blokes seen that?
That's his history? It's simpleminded and repetitive.

We all woke up to his deceitfulness and poll driven mentality after we reralised his batts fiasco started killing people and burning down their homes. Especially when he refused to accept responsibility for his stupidity.

God knows what his current meddling in the tax system is likely to result in.
Posted by keith, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 5:35:28 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Rat cunning, maybe, but even though there is mumbling in the corridors
about replacing Kevin Rudd before the election I don't think it will
make any difference.

The big problem is lack of management skills throughout the government.
Shifting the horses around on the wagon won't change much.
Frankly I just don't see that the labour party and perhaps even the
coalition will be able to manage oil depletion.
We may need a unity government, as was formed during the war, so as to
draw together all the best available talent from both sides.

Problem is that both sides are trying hard to ignore the oil problem.
Well it might actually bight them again, much harder this time.
Posted by Bazz, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 7:39:07 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
On climate change I thought Howard was still in office. How does Garrett and Wong sleep at night. I'm sure Rudd sleeps very well, knowing he's warm and snug in office and big business is firmly in control.
Posted by Paul1405, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 8:00:20 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy