Comments on: Quick reactions on stimulus package, Mark 2

By: richard byrne

richard byrne — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:59:47 +0000

I worked 3 hours last week and quit, will i get the full $800.00 now.

By: Alanna

Alanna — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:33:59 +0000

You have to tackle acidic lakes in SA at the cause of the problem (likely in QLD and NSW) not throw money at palliatives for the sick end of a river surely?

By: Alanna

Alanna — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:26:01 +0000

65# I wouldnt actually mind Donald if they used some of it to get rid of the Cubbies. Thats a filthy disgrace up there in Qld and the other water thieves on the way down.

By: Donald Oats

Donald Oats — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:14:52 +0000

Don’t be too harsh on Xenophon – the Murray is a complete mess in SA, and the lakes acidic. The state vs state jockeying is most unfortunate.

By: Alanna

Alanna — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:37:56 +0000

Now Xenophophon wants a quarter of the stimulus package to go to South Australia? What an idiot. He lines up with the idiots par extraordinaire in the opposition party. I once thought that party worked for business? Seems they are biting the hand that feeds them by objecting to Australia’s paltry stimulus package. Objection for objections sake only. Rename them the Contrarian Party. As for Julie Bishop, predictably she is in the news today saying unemployment is resilient in Australia.

Trending to 7% and rising…… Xenophon and the Coalition…..get right out the way – you are all totally useless. Have you noticed your polls lately?

Unpopular and getting more so by the day.

By: Alanna

Alanna — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:33:01 +0000

And who would have thought Piers Ackerman would be blasting the fiscal stimulus on the basis that the handouts wont work and “for not spending enough on hospitals roads and infrastructure”…

Brings to mind an Alice in Wonderland quote

“I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then”.

By: Monkey's Uncle

Monkey's Uncle — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:20:52 +0000

Does anyone remember when Kevin Rudd declared that “this sort of reckless spending must stop!”?

Is this the same Rudd who was elected as a fiscal conservative?

It seems Rudd is just a fashion junky who changes his colours to suit the season.

By: Monkey's Uncle

Monkey's Uncle — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:16:41 +0000

The problem with the government’s fiscal stimulus packages is that much of the money will be saved or used to pay down debt by the recipients. Yet this delivers no economic benefit.

All it means is that the federal government is reducing its own bottom line to marginally reduce the debts of households. Yet the net level of debt to equity of the nation remains unchanged.

But policies like this actually do more damage, because they send a message to people that taxpayers will bail out those who make bad financial decisions. So they increase moral hazard without even generating much short-term fiscal stimulus. Dumb policy.

By: Michael of Summer Hill

Michael of Summer Hill — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:43:17 +0000

John, many may not agree with me but the Rudd government should increase the $42 billion stimulus package to accommodate both the Greens and Independents needs. The Rudd government should consider Steve Fielding’s request for a further $4 billion for the unemployed as it is long overdue. As for Turnbull I have a lot of respect for the man but sometimes even he can get it wrong.

By: Alanna

Alanna — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:41:22 +0000

Tony G

Yes we all heard Malcom the Merchant bankers speech. If they really believed in supporting small business, they would have stopped big business entities bullying everyone with their excessive market concentration.

Im waiting for Malcolm and his ilk to apologise and say “sorry we made a mistake…it hasnt been trickling down like we thought it would”. At least Greenspan was man enough to admit the mistake. The best you can do for small business is precisely what Rudd is trying to do – now the hard right needs to get on board or get out of the way.

The Business Council of Australia supports this stimulus package – what part of that dont the liberal opposition party understand? Or are they just in opposition to oppose everything?. A more painful party in Australian politics I have never come across, with the heckling, derision, unco-operativeness, cat calling, sarcasm and obstruction.

The federal opposition party are seriously in need of some navel gazing and a complete image makeover.