Never let the facts get in the way of a good rave, eh Mark Rodda? (‘Rest of us can eat cake’ Independent 17/11/11).
As for Ms Gillard’s Carbon tax promise, she is not the first politician to tell a fib Mark, remember John Howard and the GST, the ‘children overboard’? Guess what Mark, politicians change their tune when the need arises. Don’t look so surprised, Mark – you’ve been known to spread a few untruths yourself:
For a start, electricity prices haven’t doubled in the last ten years. I checked my bill from 1999 and I was paying 13.9c/kwh. On the latest bill I am now paying 21.9c/kwh. That’s a rise of about 57 per cent in 12 years. How will they increase over the coming years? The information is freely available, Mark. It’s been in the news too! About 10 per cent per year apparently, and most households will be compensated for the ETS/Carbon tax, in fact, according to the latest modelling, millions of households, particularly pensioners and low income households will be better off. All this info is freely available and has had extensive media coverage.
Tony Windsor might have a nice bank balance, but he and the rest of us won’t be worried when we fill the tank in the car; petrol is excluded from the ETS, mate. This has also been in the news, many, many times. All the pertinent info is available at http://www.carbontax.net.au – haven’t you seen the TV ads?
Mr Windsor will no doubt put his AEC payment to good use. Every MHR and senator receives $2.31 per vote in election funding, provided they secure at least four per cent of the primary vote. But Mr Windsor’s cheque is small bikkies when compared to the millions that the political parties bank after each election.
As for the ‘failure’ of the alcopops tax – check out the facts, Mark at http://www.smh.com.au/national/call-to-increase-alcohol-prices this includes such enlightening comments as, “A study of the effects of the three-year-old alcopops tax by an alliance of representatives from the Alcohol Advisory Group, National Drug Research Council and academics has found teenagers are drinking less as a result. Research by the groups found that the alcopops tax, introduced in 2008, pushed the sale of the popular drinks down by more than 30 per cent in a year. Not quite the failure you say it is, eh? Seems to have had quite an effect on teenage drinking, maybe Schoolies will be a bit less eventful this year?
If ‘people’ are anxious and deluded Mark, maybe it’s because they only listen to the Party line constantly spouted by Tony (Dr No) Abbott, Alan Jones, Ray Hadley and the like. I suggest more people need to listen to the ABC for some more balanced journalism or try google and seek all the information that is so freely available. But check your sources, some people out there are telling lies!
The ‘Australian dream’ hasn’t ended Mark, it’s just changing – it used to be the house on the quarter acre block, but that is no longer true. Many things change over time as we grow and learn. The trick is to seek valid information so we can grow and learn. Seek more information folks, the truth will set you free.
Shane Stelzer,
Port Macquarie
