Australian Election Campaigning Goes International
PhillC | 22.09.2004 15:14 | Social Struggles | London
Recently articles have started to appear in the UK expatriate press that are clearly sowing the seeds of disinformation regarding Coalition economic success and the policies of Australian's "minor" political parties.
http://www.rumble.net/blog/index.cgi/politix/blueattackdogs.html
In response to Mr Cameron Reynold’s letter, "A vote for the Green party", and his assertion that the Howard Government’s policies have "increased household income in our poorest and middle-class suburbs by 23.2% and 28.9%", I would like point him in the direction of the recent paper by the University of New South Wales' Social Policy Research Centre.
To quote the author, Mr Peter Saunders, "…while real disposable incomes have increased...., income inequality has also increased since 1994-1995, particularly between 199601997 and 1999-2000. Over the entire period from 1995-1995 to 2000-1 mean income in the top quintile increased by $111 a week, more than eight times the increase of $13 a week in the lowest quintile. Since the Howard government came to office, the new figures indicate that almost half (47.3%) of the total increase in disposable income was received by those in the top quintile - implying that half of the income generated by economic growth has been of no benefit to the bottom four-fifths (in income terms) of the population."
http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/dp/DP130.pdf
Clearly further in-depth research by Mr Reynolds would have assisted in dispelling his belief that the Howard government is concerned about lower income Australians.
http://www.rumble.net/blog/index.cgi/politix/blueattackdogs.html In response to Mr Cameron Reynold’s letter, "A vote for the Green party", and his assertion that the Howard Government’s policies have "increased household income in our poorest and middle-class suburbs by 23.2% and 28.9%", I would like point him in the direction of the recent paper by the University of New South Wales' Social Policy Research Centre.
To quote the author, Mr Peter Saunders, "…while real disposable incomes have increased...., income inequality has also increased since 1994-1995, particularly between 199601997 and 1999-2000. Over the entire period from 1995-1995 to 2000-1 mean income in the top quintile increased by $111 a week, more than eight times the increase of $13 a week in the lowest quintile. Since the Howard government came to office, the new figures indicate that almost half (47.3%) of the total increase in disposable income was received by those in the top quintile - implying that half of the income generated by economic growth has been of no benefit to the bottom four-fifths (in income terms) of the population."
http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/dp/DP130.pdf Clearly further in-depth research by Mr Reynolds would have assisted in dispelling his belief that the Howard government is concerned about lower income Australians.
PhillC
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Black is white and White black
22.09.2004 15:46
So, after years of the Liberals telling the electorate that the Greens are a single-issue environmental party, one of the more enterprising young bucks from market-apparatchik central has seized the initiative and actually picked up the Greens policy documents. Surprise, surprise - despite years of being told that the Greens were nothing more than tree-hugging pixies, a nation-wide party with an active, multi-cultural and progressive membership seems to have one or two things to say about the economy, immigration, education, welfare, health... oh, and every other issue represented by the federal and state parliaments of which they are (isn't it shocking?) elected members.
White becomes black, black white and all of a sudden it is the very breadth of of the Greens policy vision that the conservatives cite as their weakness. "Economic nutbags of the old crazy left" is the sophisticated policy response from Mr Reynolds to demands for free education and healthcare, a non-racist approach to immigration, a pursuit of environmentally-conscious economics and a reticence to participate in illegal, non-UN-sanctioned invasions of third-world countries. If that kind of policy outlook is considered "nutbaggery", sign my family up to the nearest asylum where my children can receive a free, quality education - without the added drain on the conscience of what is happening in Iraq.
The ability to flick the black/white switch so easily is no doubt how the conservatives can look at wealthy people earning more money due to the tax breaks they've provided them as an "economic boom" and fail to appreciate that their own statistics demonstrate increasing income disparity under the Coalition. Mr Reynolds himself cites that in eight years the household income has increased only 23.2% for the poorest Australians and 28.9% for the (note the language) "middle class". Achieved at the expense of public health, education and an inclusive Australia, it's no wonder that those who lack the ideological zeal for doublethink are seeing things in Green.
Van