We Need a Conversation On Government Revenue

At the moment, the federal, state and many local governments are doing a poor job because they are suffering from a chronic shortage of revenue. It shows up as things like long waiting times for hospital treatment, endless arguments about the amount of money the states are getting from the commonwealth and Hockey’s  ridiculous and grossly unfair attempt in 2014 to solve our alleged financial problems by really screwing those at the bottom. Continue reading We Need a Conversation On Government Revenue

Abbott is making Australia a joke on climate change

Australia is increasingly drawing fire from other countries about its lack of ambition in climate change action, according to The Guardian and RenewEconomy. The Age has editorialised on the matter.

The context is this.

At its December meeting of ministers in Paris the UNFCCC will strike a post-Kyoto international deal on climate mitigation post 2020. Countries were asked to put forward their draft plans by the end of March. Abbott deliberately ignored the deadline, putting forward a discussion paper (see Emissions reduction the Abbott way) with a submissions deadline of 24 April. Australia will submit its proposals in May. In this way Abbott has the chance to look at everyone else’s homework before he writes his own. Continue reading Abbott is making Australia a joke on climate change