“Abbott’s war on the rest of us..” [#geekgirl]

[Via glennmurray.com.au]

What [Abbott Has] already done

1. Increased the unemployment rate
2. Suspended the Wage Connect program, despite it being proven to deliver good outcomes for unemployed people
3. Cut funding from Operation Newstart, an early intervention program for vulnerable youths
4. Axed funding to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia
5. Converted Start-Up Scholarships into loans, increasing the debt of 80,000 higher education students by $1.2 billion
6. Abolished the National Housing Supply Council, which provided data and expert advice on housing demand, supply and affordability
7. Abolished the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing, established to help address the challenges the country faces as the number of older Australians grows
8. Scrapped the Social Inclusion Board, which had been established to guide policy on the reduction of poverty in Australia
9. Scrapped the Home Energy Saver Scheme which helped struggling low income households cut their electricity bills
10. Cut funding to Indigenous domestic violence support services
11. Completely defunded the National indigenous legal service
12. Abolished the position of co-ordinator-general for remote indigenous services
13. Abolished the National Office for Live Music along with the live music ambassadors
14. Increased private health premiums
15. Cut funding to public hospitals by half a billion dollars
16. Taken away promised pay increases to childcare workers
17. Taken away promised pay increases to aged care workers
18. Repealed pokie reform legislation that combatted problem gambling
19. Reduced tax breaks for small business

What he’ll probably do soon

1. Cut penalty rates
2. Extend working hours for public servants
3. Abolish the Income Support Bonus that helps one million low paid families across the country
4. Axe Medicare Locals, the bodies were set up under the Rudd government to run community-designed health care programs
5. Raise the pension age
6. Make cuts to the Disability Support Pension
7. Introduce a Medicare co-payment for GP visits
8. Introduce a fee to visit hospital emergency rooms
9. Increase costs on medicines when the TPP comes in

Yet in all of this talk about ‘austerity politics’, I’m yet to hear a single politician suggest pay-cuts for politicians or a reduction in their pensions. Funny, that…

And no need for any of it…

The crazy thing about all of the above, is that there’s simply no need for it. Our politicians are talking about austerity, and Joe Hockey says we all have to help with the heavy lifting, but we have one of the healthiest economies in the world.

We have very low debt… It’s been consistently low and isn’t spiralling out of control… And our ability to service that debt is good… In fact, Independent Australia ranks our economy as the best in the world…”

• Abbott = Ewwsville
• Politics Schmolotics