1. PM pre-budget warning.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has made a speech in Sydney outlining some of the hard-hitting measures to be announced in next week’s budget.
He called on all Australians to put the country first on budget night, instead of focusing on individual gains or losses.
His key points:
• Middle-income families will be denied rises in tax concessions.
• The age pension will not be lowered now but the Government will seek a mandate for a reduction in the pension’s indexation and tougher means testing at the 2016 election.
• He said “other social security benefits” where the indexation – or rate by which the benefit increases – as well as eligibility needs tightening.
• He fuelled further expectations of a $6 GP payment.
• He singled out “high-income earners” as having to shoulder the burden in repaying “Labor’s spending binge”.
2. Doubts over PM’s paid parental leave scheme.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports growing dissent within the ranks of the Government over the viability of Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme.
One Liberal MP told the SMH that “the government was setting up an unwinnable argument with voters if it proceeded with a temporary deficit levy to help balance the budget, while also sticking to a paid parental leave scheme that would give mothers full pay for six months, capped at $150,000 per year.”
Top Comments
Gah, never thought I see a (recent) day where I agreed with Germaine Greer...
What ? no comments about the billions of dollars worth of drugs being shipped into our Country, who is buying this stuff and why does no one here care ?
Wow !
It's the root of much violence and crime, not to mention mental illness and death.
Sorry, we're all too busy getting high to comment. Or care. Unless you take away our stash. Then we care very much.
How sad you feel compelled to make a joke out of this.
It was a funny joke though - best comment on here today!