The Federal Politics Thread

[Norman]

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledges $100 million for Bennelong transport interchange
SHARRI MARKSON, The Daily Telegraph
16 minutes ago

MALCOLM Turnbull will today pour $100 million into the Bennelong electorate to build a major transport hub, as the Liberal Party fights to hold onto the seat to secure a governing majority.
With the race tightening between Labor’s former NSW premier Kristina Keneally and Liberal John Alexander, the Prime Minister will commit the cash to build a new transport interchange at Macquarie Park to fix traffic congestion, ease clogged roads and make it faster to catch a bus, train or get a cab.
Mr Turnbull will today join NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in the midst of the Bennelong by-election campaign to announce funding for the hub, which includes a new bus interchange connecting Macquarie University and the Macquarie Centre.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct= ... tyX97JGlEq

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a by-election here? They love to throw money at anything that keeps them in power.

Then again, NSW has been getting billions of dollars in cash since the Coalition got into power. No surprise though, most of the ministers are from Sydney anyway.

[[Shuz]]

Pork barelling at its worst.

[Waewick]

It’s a pity the court didn’t decide they’re all a joke and unworthy of representing the people and dismiss the whole stinky corrupt parliament.

What would make them worthy? In your view.

[Waewick]

Pork barelling at its worst.

I was listening to News Radio today. Im not sure it's pork barrelling as such.

It appears the original PT plan was canned by the Labor candidate when they were in Power in the state government, the state government that got in a load of trouble being in bed with developers and dodgy miners.

Its more like a political play id say.

[rev]

It’s a pity the court didn’t decide they’re all a joke and unworthy of representing the people and dismiss the whole stinky corrupt parliament.

What would make them worthy? In your view.

What do they always do? Make promises to get elected, once elected break promises.
For starters they could actually behave honestly as our elected representatives.

They could put their silly internal factional fighting aside and do what we the tax payer are paying them to do. How many Prime Ministers have we gone through with and without an election in the last decade?

They could act in the interests of their constituents, and state/country, instead of acting in foreign powers interests, or acting in the interests of corporations(foreign and domestic). Sam Dastyari should not be anywhere near a public office.

And relating to the citizenship saga, I can not believe that the parties have not been vetting their candidates thoroughly enough to discover they are dual citizens and thus ineligible for parliament/senate.

[Waewick]

It’s a pity the court didn’t decide they’re all a joke and unworthy of representing the people and dismiss the whole stinky corrupt parliament.

What would make them worthy? In your view.

What do they always do? Make promises to get elected, once elected break promises.
For starters they could actually behave honestly as our elected representatives.

They could put their silly internal factional fighting aside and do what we the tax payer are paying them to do. How many Prime Ministers have we gone through with and without an election in the last decade?

They could act in the interests of their constituents, and state/country, instead of acting in foreign powers interests, or acting in the interests of corporations(foreign and domestic). Sam Dastyari should not be anywhere near a public office.

And relating to the citizenship saga, I can not believe that the parties have not been vetting their candidates thoroughly enough to discover they are dual citizens and thus ineligible for parliament/senate.

I agree with Party politics,the internal stuff is a joke.

[HiTouch]

I agree with you rev, I’m sick of the bickering. In the midst of internal bickering, pollies start to become more extreme and outrageous.

Meanwhile those evil commies creep in one by one.

[metro]

Reds under the beds! Says the guy in bed with the reds

[rev]

Reds under the beds! Says the guy in bed with the reds

They're all as bad as each other.

What's the difference between government and the corporate world anymore?

Politicians no longer serve the people they are elected by and to serve.
Why do we need elections? Just let the corporations decide, at least we can save a few hundred million dollars every few years on sham elections.

[SRW]

Budget 2018: SA federal infrastructure money 'all smoke and mirrors'
Nick Hamsen, 9 May 2018, ABC News Online

It's been revealed only a fraction of the $1.8 billion in federal infrastructure money promised for South Australia in last night's federal budget will flow over the next four years.

Key points

• $1.8b for SA road and rail announced ahead of budget
• Only $162m included in federal budget
• Industry bodies slam budget as 'smoke and mirrors'

The state and federal governments have spent this week heralding the $1.8 billion funding, which includes $1.2 billion for upgrading South Road, $220 million to fully electrify the Gawler rail line and $160 million towards duplicating Port Augusta's Joy Baluch bridge.

But a breakdown of infrastructure funding provided by the federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack showed just $162 million was set to flow by the 2021-22 financial year.

Just $52 million of a promised $177 million has been committed to the next stage of the South Road upgrade, a major interchange over the Regency Road intersection.

Another $50 million has been committed to the Gawler rail line and $60 million towards the Joy Baluch bridge.

There is no money towards future priorities on the South Road corridor.

SA shadow treasurer Stephen Mullighan said if the money flowed as allocated in the budget, that meant none of the projects would be completed by 2021-22.

"It is extraordinary that we would have a Federal Government asking us to believe that they will commit $1.8 billion after the next two federal elections," Mr Mullighan said.

"This money is needed now. We've got projects which are getting towards completion.

"These workers need certainty and a pipeline. This money needs to come in now.

"If any of this money is beyond the forward estimates, this is a dud deal that [Premier] Steven Marshall and [Transport Minister] Stephan Knoll have signed up to."

Mr Marshall said the federal budget provided a good deal for South Australia.

Treasurer Rob Lucas said the State Government would press the Federal Government to accelerate the funding.

"I wouldn't be crying the sky is falling in, doom and gloom, as perhaps some in the community are," Mr Lucas said.

"It's now a process of negotiation with the Commonwealth in terms of trying to bring forward some of that expenditure."

The SA Chamber of Mines and Energy, the SA Freight Council, the RAA and the Civil Contractors Federation SA have combined to slam the budget.

"This year's federal budget is all smoke and mirrors and delivers none of the promise of the pre-budget announcements made on Monday," Freight Council executive officer Evan Knapp said.

"It is now clear that the Commonwealth's commitment to complete the North-South corridor by 2023 will not be met without a change to the budget, which is a great disappointment for all South Australians."

The level of disingenuousness by the state and federal Liberals here is galling. Total bait and switch. But what concerns me more is that such miserliness could be new normal for Commonwealth grants to SA with the combination of a seemingly spineless state government, the loss of another federal seat and the decline in 3rd party pressure (vale Xenophon Team).

[[Shuz]]

Absolutely disgusting. The people should be revolting in the streets. We got screwed.

[rubberman]

Absolutely disgusting. The people should be revolting in the streets. We got screwed.

Well, we voted only a couple of months ago for the State Government. It's not as if any great depth of thought was required to see this outcome. Both Federally, and State, we got what we voted for, and if we couldn't be bothered to look past the Advertiser headlines, we deserve the upcoming tough lesson.

[zippySA]

This is a storm in a tea-cup. My understanding is that the funds (most likely to comply with Treasury and International Accounting standards) cannot be inserted into the Federal Budget forward estimates until the agreed process is complete - this includes the often coined "Business Case" and Infrastructure Australia tick of approval.
The money will appear in due course - the real funding will be raised from borrowings no doubt anyways, probably another reason not on the books (and remember - the actual budget would have been finalised weeks ago to pass through approvals, reviews, publishing and printing).

This is more a case of poorly managed messaging - can we stop being negative and start focussing on rolling out the projects and planning for next ones!

[Waewick]

This is a storm in a tea-cup. My understanding is that the funds (most likely to comply with Treasury and International Accounting standards) cannot be inserted into the Federal Budget forward estimates until the agreed process is complete - this includes the often coined "Business Case" and Infrastructure Australia tick of approval.
The money will appear in due course - the real funding will be raised from borrowings no doubt anyways, probably another reason not on the books (and remember - the actual budget would have been finalised weeks ago to pass through approvals, reviews, publishing and printing).

This is more a case of poorly managed messaging - can we stop being negative and start focussing on rolling out the projects and planning for next ones!

This place is very pro ALP.

So this is basically world ending stuff.

[ml69]

The real question is why the heck haven't DPTI and the previous Labor government completed the business cases for these next stages of the north-south corridor?

They've known for years that these sections are next in line for project funding!