SM,

"Any policies on the way? - Senate reform and ABCC"

Lol!

I meant something for the people of Australia....not just some slithery mechanism to keep the "No-#ideasboom" party in govt and/or give them a Senate majority.

Poirot, while I oppose the government's gerrymander disguised as senate reform, I don't understand why you are so contemptuous of reintroducing the ABCC. It was good at stamping out union corruption when it was running, and without it union corruption returned. So surely you're better off with it?

Broadening it, as some of the senators are suggesting, is probably a good idea too, but I don't think that should be a condition of its reintroduction.

Aidan,

I'm contemptuous because that's a reasonable stand when dealing with Conservative govts attacking unions.

"In the debate around the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) ever since Tony Abbott's opportunistic calling of the Cole Royal Commission in 2001, the same spurious arguments have been run. The ABCC, we are told, is there to combat corruption and thuggery. This completely ignores the fact that the agency has never had any jurisdiction over these matters, which are the domain of the criminal law. However, a fact like that has never prevented successive ministers and media outlets from framing this as a debate between the forces of good – made up of the Coalition parties and their supporters, the property developers and constructors who are keen to root out corruption and thuggery – and the union/ALP/Greens mafia who are beholden to the wicked CFMEU..."

" You may be forgiven for thinking that those who claim the ABCC will combat thuggery and corruption cannot be mistaken – or worse, lying. But former ABCC director and current Fair Work Building Commission head Nigel Hadgkiss has said that in relation to criminal law, that the agency "does not prosecute these matters". The Minister for Employment has also clearly stated that "The ABCC's role under the bill will be to regulate workplace relations"

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/coalition-doesnt-let-the-facts-stand-in-the-way-of-the-fight-between-good-and-evil-20160204-gmm2qo.html#ixzz42mFGO2oi

Here's more on the subject:

http://theconversation.com/bringing-back-building-watchdog-helps-a-political-agenda-but-not-concerns-about-union-corruption-54051

Among the nebulous fluff and the 79 recommendations delivered upon conclusion of the $80 million charade that was TURC, none recommended re-establishing the ABCC.

How about a federal ICAC to address corruption?

Aidan,

For corruption just look at Craig Thomson - labor MP and Williamson, Labor president, all thieving from their own union, plus the dodgy AWU deals that Juliar did.

As for the FTA's, there was plenty of time for Labor to wrap up the negotiations, just that the unions wouldn't wear it. It took Abbott to finalise them.

P,

So how did Juliar's policies of "No carbon tax under a government I lead", the East Timor solution Juliar announced before discussing this with the East Timorese. What a stinking liar she was.

SM,

"So how did Juliar's policies of "No carbon tax under a government I lead", the East Timor solution Juliar announced before discussing this with the East Timorese. What a stinking liar she was"

Lol!...

Hilarious...if we were to discuss the incoming Abbott govt, we'd have to list the few things they did that were't broken promises.

Upon taking govt, the Abbott regime attempted to implement myriad policies that were the polar opposite of their pre-election spiel.

Liars extraordinaire!

P,

I see that you have completely failed to find any promises that Juliar kept. What I pointed out were the two examples where Juliar deliberately lied to the electorate knowing full well that she had no intention of keeping her promises. The list of promises she broke is as long as my arm. Juliar has truly earned her title.