[Ugly Mongrel]

Please post all election associated comment here.


Here's the first contribution.

http://www.roymorgan.com/

[Dazzler]

I am completely impartial and unbiased towards the election.. as long as that cocky smug "acting" Prime Minister Rudd is turfed out on his ear when the election comes.. Oh never mind .. I was going to say something mean and out of character for me.. but decided against it 

[The Gonz]

OK, not much in the way of choice pickings but I still can't see why anyone should trust the Labor machine after their backstabbing antics. The Krudd will always strike me as smug and loaded with ego and personal agenda. If he wants to radically change the Labor party, let him try in opposition and not ruin the country trying it while in government.

With so little real policy out there either way, I'll fall back to choosing the party that routinely gets us out of economic freefall after Labor's mad institutionalised spending rampages.

My 2c.

[Keith]

Kevin seems a nice man from here... almost as nice as Julia was!

Funny tho Gonz... The Labour Party here did the same, in fact they left a note after their General Election failure stating "there's no money left"....

[Ugly Mongrel]

I am completely impartial and unbiased towards the election.. as long as that cocky smug "acting" Prime Minister Rudd is turfed out on his ear when the election comes.. Oh never mind .. I was going to say something mean and out of character for me.. but decided against it 

Please explain how Kevin Rudd is the "acting" Prime Minister.

[Dazzler]

I am completely impartial and unbiased towards the election.. as long as that cocky smug "acting" Prime Minister Rudd is turfed out on his ear when the election comes.. Oh never mind .. I was going to say something mean and out of character for me.. but decided against it 

Please explain how Kevin Rudd is the "acting" Prime Minister.

Haven't you seen him on TV lately.. That is definitely classed as acting in my book 

[Ugly Mongrel]

Gonz, what is "economic freefall" exactly?

 Oh, you must mean what is happening in Queensland under Campbell Newman. Silly me.

[Phil №❶]

Parliament's in recess, so apart from kissing babies, what's to do.

(click to show/hide)

http://sdrv.ms/12tTgcK

[Ugly Mongrel]

I am completely impartial and unbiased towards the election.. as long as that cocky smug "acting" Prime Minister Rudd is turfed out on his ear when the election comes.. Oh never mind .. I was going to say something mean and out of character for me.. but decided against it 

Please explain how Kevin Rudd is the "acting" Prime Minister.

Haven't you seen him on TV lately.. That is definitely classed as acting in my book 

If.he's acting, that means Kevin Rudd is reading from "carefully scripted" text. Just like Tony Abbott.

[The Gonz]

Eye on the ball, people. Think party doctrines, not personal performances.

[Ugly Mongrel]

Eye on the ball, people. Think party doctrines, not personal performances.

Parliament's in recess, so apart from kissing babies, what's to do.

(click to show/hide)

http://sdrv.ms/12tTgcK

Phil, that IS funny

[rustynutz]

Has much changed in 3 years? 

[rustynutz]

[Ugly Mongrel]

Breaking News.......

Prime Minister Rudd and PNG's Prime Minister have just signed a Regional Resettlement Agreement. The RRA will see all refugees that arrive in Australia will be processed under existing arrangements (Christmas Island, Naru or Manus Island). Those found to be genuine refugees will be resettled in PNG. Those who are found to not be genuine refugees will be returned to their country of origin. NO refugees will re resettled in Australia.

Looks like Kev might stop the boats.

Let's see what Mr Abbott has to say about this.

[beerman]

Gonz, what is "economic freefall" exactly?

 Oh, you must mean what is happening in Queensland under Campbell Newman. Silly me.

Because Nanna Lie spent all the money, and someone needs to clean up the mess....

As for the Federal Election......I lease and I vote.....

[Ugly Mongrel]

Beerman, since 1992 I have leased my vehicles as I have always needed a vehicle for work..

 I have used either a standard commercial lease with a residual and more recently, a commercial hire purchase arrangement with no residual.

During those 21 years I have been required by the ATO to maintain a log book for a period of 12 weeks. The purpose of the log book is to enable me to determine what percentage of travel is business related. This enables me to claim a percent of the total vehicle running costs (rego, insurance, fuel, tyres, servicing, lease payments etc) as a deduction off my taxable income.

From what I understand, the new Labor policy is to ensure that all work vehicles (including company provided or novated leased) do the same as  I have explained above. In short, it is designed to ensure all people who use vehicles for work  use do not use the Australian tax payer to fund their private use as is the case now.
 
This change is designed to have the same effect as the fringe benefit tax introduced by the Hawke government stopping long "business" lunches being claimed as a tax deduction.

Personally, I think it makes sense.

[Doggie 1]

Breaking News.......

Prime Minister Rudd and PNG's Prime Minister have just signed a Regional Resettlement Agreement. The RRA will see all refugees that arrive in Australia will be processed under existing arrangements (Christmas Island, Naru or Manus Island). Those found to be genuine refugees will be resettled in PNG. Those who are found to not be genuine refugees will be returned to their country of origin. NO refugees will re resettled in Australia.

Looks like Kev might stop the boats.

Let's see what Mr Abbott has to say about this.

I can't wait to hear how many billions this will cost.
Apparently Rudd has promised to pay for it all, plus pay for developing PNG's university programme in the years to come, plus "other" projects that PNG wants to undertake, because, and I quote the PM himself, "That's what neighbours do."
Given that we can't afford our current interest payments, I would also like to know where all of this money is going to come from.
Or is "Middle Australia" going to be taxed even more to cover it all?
Time will tell.

[Surferdude]

Breaking News.......

Prime Minister Rudd and PNG's Prime Minister have just signed a Regional Resettlement Agreement. The RRA will see all refugees that arrive in Australia will be processed under existing arrangements (Christmas Island, Naru or Manus Island). Those found to be genuine refugees will be resettled in PNG. Those who are found to not be genuine refugees will be returned to their country of origin. NO refugees will re resettled in Australia.

Looks like Kev might stop the boats.

Let's see what Mr Abbott has to say about this.

I can't wait to hear how many billions this will cost.
Apparently Rudd has promised to pay for it all, plus pay for developing PNG's university programme in the years to come, plus "other" projects that PNG wants to undertake, because, and I quote the PM himself, "That's what neighbours do."
Given that we can't afford our current interest payments, I would also like to know where all of this money is going to come from.
Or is "Middle Australia" going to be taxed even more to cover it all?
Time will tell.

It's costing us billions now. The way I see it, it's just redirecting where the money is spent. And if it is at all successful and results in a reduction of th eboats, then the savings will follow.

[Doggie 1]

I disagree.

It is adding billions to the billions we are already spending.

Rudd (& Gillard) failed Australia with their border protection policies and you and I pay for it.

They were just too pig-headed to accept that it was already under control.

I resent that and I hope that the majority of Australians remember it on election day.

[Phil №❶]

Substitute Rudd for, we.

I love the way PM's spend someone else's money, without a care in the world. Maybe he's forecasting an election loss. 

[Ugly Mongrel]

 "I love the way" some people  find it convenient to forget the billions of dollars of our money John Howard spent "without a care in the world" sending us to a couple of wars. Wars which help start the exodus of refugees.

I resent that and I hope that the majority of Australians remember it on election day. I know I will.

[FatBoy]

"I love the way" some people  find it convenient to forget the billions of dollars of our money John Howard spent "without a care in the world" sending us to a couple of wars. Wars which help start the exodus of refugees.

I resent that and I hope that the majority of Australians remember it on election day. I know I will.

I will, Terry.  It paid for my house deposit!!   

[Ugly Mongrel]

 Jamie, I don't begrudge any service personnel receiving what is due to them. I just begrudge the fact that John Howard  sent you (and my son) to war based on lies. Talk about wasting billions.

You might remember, I  don't (try very hard to) comment on political shit but most of this is irrelevant. If you use the car for work it's all good, otherwise you can't claim it's a tax deduction. Seems fair to me. 

Sorry, I thought this was about FBT and who is eligible.

[FatBoy]

Jamie, I don't begrudge any service personnel receiving what is due to them. I just begrudge the fact that John Howard  sent you (and my son) to war based on lies. Talk about wasting billions.

I agree with you, Terry.  Hence the  .

[Ugly Mongrel]

Tony Abbott????

[Phil №❶]

Naughty boy UM, you leaked the Libs Election theme song, early. 


 

[beerman]

Beerman, since 1992 I have leased my vehicles as I have always needed a vehicle for work..

 I have used either a standard commercial lease with a residual and more recently, a commercial hire purchase arrangement with no residual.

During those 21 years I have been required by the ATO to maintain a log book for a period of 12 weeks. The purpose of the log book is to enable me to determine what percentage of travel is business related. This enables me to claim a percent of the total vehicle running costs (rego, insurance, fuel, tyres, servicing, lease payments etc) as a deduction off my taxable income.

From what I understand, the new Labor policy is to ensure that all work vehicles (including company provided or novated leased) do the same as  I have explained above. In short, it is designed to ensure all people who use vehicles for work  use do not use the Australian tax payer to fund their private use as is the case now.
 
This change is designed to have the same effect as the fringe benefit tax introduced by the Hawke government stopping long "business" lunches being claimed as a tax deduction.

Personally, I think it makes sense.

I have no problem closing such things, but lets look at some other things that some have that I don't.

For example, dodgy business deductions, home office deductions, income splitting etc. Hell lets start taxing Trade Unions while were at it!

And while were at it, why should that log book be only 12 weeks, one could easily dodgy up a book for that period of time to overstate business use, lets make it 52 weeks.

And while were attacking the novated lease, why leave the health employees ability to salary sacrifice into their mortgage alone?

See where I am going?

Oh and a fair percentage of those who are effected are Government employees, guess whats going to happen come the next Enterprise Agreement (we lost X amount of income so we need a bigger pay rise just to bring us back to parity).

The final question I guess is, if this was so bad, why did the Government make changes in 2011? why not kill it then?

[rustynutz]

Don't worry, Beerman..If Rudd misses out and Abbott gets in he'll be looking at your suggestions along with everything else that can be cut.... 
FBT will be the least of our worries....

[Doggie 1]

As I've said, if TA gets in he really hasn't got much choice other than to cut spending to try to start clawing back the massive debt created by Labor.