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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.

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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 'liar' Johnnie has apparently been replaced by a 'big fat taxing liar'.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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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