Gibbo's Place.

Wayne, good to see you opened up with the whole “smear campaign” message. The spin doctors will be pleased you stayed on message. To the average punter though, this is simply called “scrutiny”. The ALP has promised a great deal and has yet completely failed to give any specifics on how they will be acheived. To believe you are above scrutiny and to label that scrutiny as a “smear campaign” shows the arrogance of your party.

You say that: “We already know Mr Costello doesn’t have the ticker to challenge Mr Howard for the Liberal leadership and face the Australian people at an election.” Can you please explain to me when it was exactly that Mr Rudd “had the ticker” to challenge for the leadership of the ALP? Was it that time he challenged Mr Beazley or was it that time he challenged Mr Crean. Wait, maybe it was that time he challenged crazy Mark Latham. No, none of those things happened. My recollection is that he was simply the last one standing when Beazley, Crean, Latham and again Beazley fell over. With that sort of record Mr Rudd(bury) should sign up for the Winter Olympics. To be fourth pick after Mark Latham and to somehow believe that he challenged for the leadership is simply hilarious.

On to more specific matters: “He has simply turned his back on mounting cost-of-living pressures weighing on families, particularly soaring grocery prices, petrol prices, childcare and, of course, mortgage payments, after nine straight interest rate rises on his watch.” Please tell me SPECIFICALLY how much cheaper groceries, petrol, childcare, mortgage payments will be with you as treasurer and in light of the recent ALP advertsing (on google, screenshot available if needed) that says that you will “force interest rates down”, what rate are you likely to “force them down” too? While we are at it, what will be the SPECIFIC cost of reducing emmisions by 60%. How much will Mr Garrett’s carbon taxes add to the cost of petrol and electricity?

Lastly, can you please explain to me SPECIFICALLY what an “Education Revolution” is? It sounds terrific but I can’t seem to find anyone who actually knows what it means and what it will cost.

Thanks in advance for your SPECIFIC answers.

It's been long known that Kevin Rudd has lifted most of his policies from the Libs as it saves the whole "think for yourself" thing. Where he hasn't stolen policies, he has announced "reviews", or "committees" or "task forces" which can then make decisions for him at some mythical point in the future. When you go to the trouble of looking at big Kev's list of commitees as Nick Minchin has done, the list is simply staggering... and we haven't started the election campaign yet!

Check this out:

67 NEW LABOR BUREAUCRACIES

1. Office of Children and Young People
2. Office of Early Childhood Education
3. New Minister for Youth
4. National Commissioner for Children & Young People
5. Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) Support Centre
6. Office of Work & Family
7. National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
8. Health and Hospitals Advisory Group (HHAG)
9. Appointment of a Chief Nursing Officer
10. Expert taskforce on preventative health
11. National Commissioner for Elderly People
12. Disability Advisory Council
13. New Department – Innovation, Industry, Science & Research
14. Fair Work Australia
15. Infrastructure Australia
16. Skills Australia
17. Office of Strategic Interventions
18. Network of urban development offices
19. Regional Development Australia
20. New Minister for Housing and Urban Development
21. National Housing Advisory Committee
22. National Housing Supply Council
23. A national housing development application system
24. Creation of a non-profit housing organisation
25. Green Car Innovation Fund and Taskforce
26. Enterprise Connect Centres
27. Manufacturing Resource Centres
28. Industry Innovation Councils
29. Small Business Advisory Council
30. Council of Business Advisers
31. New Department of Homeland Security
32. Coast Guard
33. Office of National Security
34. Australian Defence Force recruiting “supremo”
35. A Nuclear Caucus ‘Cairns Group’ review to strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty
36. Establishment of a Labour Desk at the Asian Development Bank
37. Establishing formal WTO Working Group
38. Re-establishing the Canberra Commission
39. Establishing an African – Australia Council
40. Regional Disaster Management Coordination Authority/Regional Disaster Management Centre
41. Higher Education Quality Agency
42. National Curriculum Board
43. A Superannuation Clearing House
44. A statutorily independent government actuary
45. A new corporate ‘super cop’
46. A Petrol Commissioner
47. Office of Climate Change
48. Eminent Roundtable forums on business sustainability
49. National Sustainability Commissioner
50. National Sustainability Council
51. Agriculture and Climate Change implementation panel
52. A Pacific Climate Change Centre
53. New Independent Heritage listing body
54. New national representative body for Indigenous Australians (ATSIC)
55. A ‘War Cabinet’ to tackle child abuse in Indigenous Communities
56. Refugee Determination Tribunal
57. Job Protection Authorities
58. Registered Employment Authorities
59. Access to Justice government advisory board
60. National law regulation body
61. National council for Local Government
62. Advisory group on Federal State relations
63. Independent panel to appoint the ABC’s Board
64. Australian TCF Industry Council
65. Review Panel for TCF tariffs
66. Forest and Forest Products Industry Skills Council
67. Wood and Paper Innovation Council
    
    96 LABOR REVIEWS

1. Review of Federal State Relations
2. Audit of Government services in regional Australia
3. Review of CDEP
4. Review of Job Capacity Assessments
5. Review of Disability Employment Network (capped and uncapped streams)
6. Evaluate disability employment strategies
7. Review of Job Network and suite of employment programmes
8. Review of government training for mature workers
9. Garnaut Climate Change Review
10. Review of national heritage protection
11. Review of planning, strike capability and jet fighter capability
12. Strategic reviews of ADF capability
13. Review of Defence bases
14. Review of ADF pay and conditions
15. Review of ADF mental health care
16. Review of ADF common induction training
17. Review of Defence Capability Plan
18. Review of Defence Export Facilitation Programme
19. Review of Defence financial management
20. Review of surplus Defence land
21. Review of Defence outsourcing
22. Review of veterans entitlements
23. Review of bursaries
24. Review of ‘phasing out’ of phosphate mining on Christmas Island
25. Productivity Commission review to estimate costs/benefits of harmonising key regulations cross State/Territories
26. Review of government innovation and industry assistance programs
27. Reviews of Australian design rules for vehicle safety
28. Review building code for energy efficiency
29. Review of business regulation measures
30. Review of science and quarantine systems
31. Review existing strategic action plans for a range of industries
32. Review of textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) tariff levels
33. Review of wood and paper industry
34. Review of tourism jobs training
35. Audit of Government procurement
36. Public asset review
37. National Infrastructure Audit
38. Comprehensive investigation of contemporary travel demand management initiatives
39. Review of Roads to Recovery
40. Review Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations and reforms
41. Review of coastal shipping policy
42. Review of Australian Maritime College
43. Review of policy governing superannuation investments
44. Review of regulations covering private equity investments
45. Review of Corporations Act
46. Review of criminal and civil laws relating to fraud
47. Review of corporate managers training
48. Review of ASIC powers
49. Audit of consumer protection legislation
50. A national grocery pricing inquiry (conducted by the ACCC)
51. Review of ABC and SBS boards
52. Review of regulatory regime for complementary medicines
53. Review of Medicare schedule for midwives
54. Review of Medicare (psychiatric consultations)
55. Review of medical research ethics guidelines
56. Review of Child Support
57. Senate Inquiry into the cost of living pressures for senior Australians
58. Review of Commonwealth Rent Assistance
59. Review of Commonwealth Rent Assistance to Youth Allowance Recipients
60. Review of youth rights
61. Review of impact of poker machines
62. Review of Government support for parents with new children
63. Public inquiry into the protection of human rights in Australia
64. Review of genocide investigatory resources
65. Review of legal fees
66. Review of court fees
67. Review of juvenile sentencing practices
68. Review of federal court system
69. Review of whistleblower laws
70. Scoping Study/ Review of Australian Federal Police (AFP) numbers
71. Review of anti-terrorism laws
72. Review of Australian Crime Commission (ACC)
73. Examination of shared equity models that involve the Federal government
74. Inclusive trade policies
75. Review of all existing government consultative mechanisms
76. Review of composition of governmental delegations to World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meetings
77. Review of Export Market Development Grants Scheme
78. Review of access to international markets for agricultural products
79. Review of relationship with New Zealand
80. Review of AusAID
81. Review of diplomatic services
82. Review of diplomatic programmes
83. Review of training visas
84. Review of asylum seekers appeals mechanism
85. Review of Settlement Services
86. Review of arts fellowships and grants
87. Review of artist’s incomes
88. Review of Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF)
89. Review of social security laws with respect to the arts
90. Review of Work for the Dole for artists
91. Review of arts in regional and remote areas
92. Review of ‘Digital Industry’
93. Review of free trade agreements
94. Review of contemporary music industry
95. Review of private investment in music
96. Review of artists copyright

God help us if this peanut ever gets in!