Politics makes for strange bed fellows?

Politics makes for strange bed fellows?

Senators and MPs being sworn in at the Opening of the 44th Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra.

WTF is going on with politics in this once great country of ours?

Like many, I knew that Bronnie Bitch-chops would be the worst speaker this country has ever seen, but even I underestimated the depravity with which she would approach the position, and the sheer audacity with which she would display her blatant partisanship.   😈

I also knew that Abbott would be the worst PM this country has ever seen, and as each week of his tenure continues, I despise him more, although I didn’t think that possible either   😯

It galls, that he will be entitled to the perks of being a PM, even if he only lasts one term.   😡

It positively sickens me to see the likes of Pyne, Morrison, Hockey, Dutton, Joyce, Ley, Turnbull, Bishop and the rest of the rabid right, occupying the front and back benches, with their self satisfied smirks, and their holier than thou attitudes, whilst doing everything they can to destroy the very fabric of a society that made us one of the great democracies of the world.   😦

But what I find just as galling, is the erstwhile left wing ideological nut-jobs, supporting the rabid right nut-jobs led by the most mendacious Abbott   😯

In the past we’ve seen the greens exercise their own hypocritical brand of ideological intransigence, that had them supporting the very outcome that they so vehemently, publicly opposed.   😡

There was, of course the original ETS, that the greens refused to vote for, cos it didn’t go far enough   🙄   , and now we have… Well, nothing!

So in their gross ideological intransigence (some would say stupidity   😡   ), rather than opting for 20% of something that could be amended and built upon down the track, they opted for 100% of nothing   😯   That’s like saying, “I’m holding out for the full three course meal, and I’d rather starve to death, than eat the baked beans on toast, that’s on offer!”   🙄        RIP greens… NOT!

Then there was the small matter of the proposed “Malaysian Solution”, which had a very good chance of stopping the deaths at sea, as well as the people smuggling trade, boosting our humanitarian intake, reducing the numbers of true asylum seekers languishing for years, in camps across the region, and being the foundation for a real and effective regional framework to deal with the issues!

So what did the greens do?

Refused to see the sense in the possibility of the proposal for, once again, their manic Ideological intransigence, and effectively set the foundation  for what is now in place,… “Operation Sovereign  Buggerups” complete with Manus, Nauru and deals with the likes of Cambodia!   😡

So in both cases, in holding out for ideology, they have been instrumental in delivering policies that they are diametrically opposed to.   😯

And as a footnote to this issue, we now see the hypocrisy of Abbott writ large, as he asks the opposition to support law changes to foil a high court challenge to the illegality of off- shore detention, when in a very similar position WRT the Malaysian solution, he himself refused point blank to support such action   😈   ( but Short-on will   😡   )

And now we see Richard Di Natale making a deal with Abbott, who has proved time and again, that any deals he makes are not worth the time it takes to shake hands on them   😯

And the question therefore is WTF was he thinking?   ❓

And the answer I would suggest is… Not bloody much!

After all, what he has agreed to, is allowing many of those partly self funded retirees, who decided to work hard, and in some cases go without, to acquire a small, dividend returning asset, to be stripped of the pittance paid to them as a part pension, and consequently forcing many to either live on an income  below the poverty threshold, or to consider liquidating their hard earned asset so as to feed themselves and pay the bills!   😈

All the while Abbott has made it perfectly “Crystal clear” that he has no intention of even considering the recommendation that those on a large income from investing millions of dollars of their disposable income into super, should pay a nominal figure of tax on said income over and above something like $80k per annum!    😯

And the accusations and rhetoric from Abbott about Labor stealing you super is just plain lies, as once again he runs true to form.   😯

Now, as someone who has no investments, other than our home, I could be wrong, but it’s my understanding that if I had investments that paid say $100k per annum in interest, I would be required to pay tax on that, as “un-earned income”, hence the reason why you have to provide a tax file number when opening a bank account; so that interest paid on any money in the account can be subject to tax.   Now those that are earning that kind of  interest income from super, received a tax break, to stash it away in super, in the first place, and the principle of mega bucks saved, will not be touched.    But why should they get a tax break for having saved millions from their disposable incomes, only then to not be subject to paying tax on the interest paid to them, as the rest of us, who have so much less, are subject to?

I just don’t see the equity in allowing low income earners, both employed and retired, to subsidise the incomes of retired multi millionaires!   😡

But my ire is not only directed to the gross  hypocrisy of the greens and LNP’ers, but also Bill Short-on, as he has just agreed to support the petrol excise reintroduction… Good one Bill… NOT   🙄

It appears to me that all he has achieved is:

• Giving Abbott another win, and bipartisan support for, a bluff/blackmail exercise, for the sake of more LNP pork barrelling  in regional LNP marginals, whilst further hitting the cost of living, and consequently the disposable incomes of those least able to afford it, as higher fuel prices flow on throughout the wider economy, pushing up prices of everything that needs to be transported!   😡
• Further blurring the lines between Labor and the LNP!   😡
• And along with many other “Me Too” moments, given the sceptics further reason to again accuse Labor of being LNP light, and pointing the finger of hypocrisy squarely at them!   😡

And at a time when IMHO all opposition parties and independents should be withholding  support for Abbott, his fascist ambitions, and his mendacious mob of miscreants , with few exceptions they seem to be falling over themselves to find ways to support them.   😡

 

And at the risk of sounding like Abbott myself, I have just two things to say about that:

Politics makes for strange bedfellows   😡

And, where’s that bloody barkeep?     😕