grodscorp@grods.comNelson’s stance(s) on means testing
 | Posted by The Editor on Thursday 15 May 2008, 2:28 pm Categories: Politics Tags: BabyBonus, BrendanNelson, MeansTesting, TheLiberals |
Dr Brendan Nelson — the man, the politician, the leader — in a nutshell.
Dr Nelson has confirmed today he does not believe moves to means test the baby bonus are good policy – but he will not stand in the way of the implementation of a new $150,000 means test.
“We disagree with it, but we’ll support it.” This man is not just sitting on the fence, he’s been fairly guillotined in half by it.
But just in case your understanding of Nelson’s stance on the policy of means testing wasn’t muddied enough already, check this out.
UHLMANN: Brendan Nelson, isn’t it reasonable to apply a means test to a couple on $150,000 a year before getting a baby bonus or a family tax benefit? Would you say that’s a reasonable point at which to apply a means test?
DR NELSON: Well the first thing is that I think it’s very important that we support families; we support men and women who are trying to raise children. As far as the Government is concerned it’s decided that one of the things that it will do in trying to justify its own quite significant pre-election spending commitments is to target families.
UHLMANN: Is that reasonable?
DR NELSON: Of course we…
UHLMANN: $150,000?
DR NELSON: Well we’ll just have a look at this. Now…
UHLMANN: You haven’t got an opinion on that?
DR NELSON: Well we’ll just have a look at the fine print on this. I mean let’s have a look at this because what this means is that in terms of the baby bonus there are two things. That if you earn a dollar more than $75,000 in the six months after you’ve had a baby Mr Rudd is saying that you should not and are not worthy of getting a baby bonus. The second thing is that he’s also saying to every Australian mother, to every Australian family, that instead of getting the $5,000 as a lump sum payment, that instead you have to get it over a fortnightly basis over 13 fortnights.
UHLMANN: Just to be clear, Brendan Nelson, how can you on the day after a Budget not have an opinion on where the means test should cut in? The Government has set its mark. It’s $150,000. Is that a reasonable mark?
DR NELSON: Well, again, as far as we’re concerned what the Government is doing is targeting families and targeting something which we think needs to be encouraged as far as having babies is concerned. We will have a look at the detail of that and we’ll also have a look at the detail of the Family Tax Benefit B, and the means test being applied to that.
We think that a means test on some of these benefits is reasonable but we do not… we are very strongly in favour of supporting families and supporting families having babies and we believe very strongly in encouraging people to get on and work hard.
UHLMANN: But if you believe there should be a means test you must have a figure on when that would cut in? At what point should government support, should government welfare stop for the wealthy? Is there a number that you can put on it?
DR NELSON: Well look, Chris, as I say, the key thing in this Budget is that for every Australian you have to ask yourself, whatever your income, you’ve got to say to yourself: is the Budget going to make it easier for me to balance my household budget, to afford my home, put petrol in the car, to buy groceries, to do all the things I need to do to raise a family.
What Mr Rudd is doing is increasing taxes, increasing spending and targeting groups and individuals that he does not like. We are having a serious look at the detail of some of the things because we’ve found with Mr Rudd and Mr Swan they’ll assert something and then you actually have a look at the detail and it’s a little bit different. But as far as we’re concerned we will have a look at the thresholds that are being applied.
I’m actually… dare I say it?… embarrassed for Brendan. He’s a sad, sad man.
ps/- Wah’s written a great post on the Liberals and means testing.
GrodsThink Ep.31 (16/9/08)
Thursday 15 May 2008, 2:48 pm #Chade
Wait wait wait… the Liberals put this on their own website?!
Thursday 15 May 2008, 2:52 pm #The Editor
It’s truly stunning isn’t it, Chade?
Thursday 15 May 2008, 2:55 pm #Krypto
you’d think the Liberals would have learned better than to put things on the internet wouldn’t you?
Obviously Brendan “scratch ‘n sniff” Nelson needs to have a little chat with “Red Ted” Balieieu about whether the internet is a helpful means of information dissemination or not.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 3:03 pm #Judas Kiss
I think young Brendan is in need of one of those much sought after fact-finding-missions. Off to the Qantas departure lounge with you young Brendan.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 3:11 pm #Krypto
you mean like a listening tour?
That’ll work.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 3:13 pm #The Editor
If only Bren-doc would listen he’d know that working families are having trouble putting food on the table, filling their cars with petrol, and paying their mortgages.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 4:34 pm #steveo
True, but the important thing that Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party forget is that ordinary Australians who are out there, taking risks and working hard, are struggling to fill up their cars with petrol, put groceries in their trolly and keep a roof over their heads.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 4:53 pm #Chade
Isn’t he a doctor too?
Thursday 15 May 2008, 5:31 pm #cosmicjester
some coalition goon used this story
http://tinyurl.com/68d6ep in the advertiser as evidence to the roooly roooly mean and unfair budget hitting the six figure battlers with their car repayments and private school fees in question time today.
Then Warren Truss brought in the guilt trip about some family with a disabled son who apparantly needed to buy a brand new people mover to carry the wheel chair and how the new car tax means rudd hates disabled children. Me thinks Nelson is going to cry and scream for half an hour as his budget reply
Thursday 15 May 2008, 5:35 pm #brerrabbit
Pop over to lavartus prodeo or crikey for a great take on Bren doc’s speech…
Thursday 15 May 2008, 5:41 pm #Zombie Mao
Speaking of Liberal stupidity:
See Joe ‘fat bastard’ Hockey on Queston time today ?
His props of a small bottle of yellowglen pink sparking wine and a bottle of pink Barcardi Breezer was breathtakingly surreal.
All he needs is some GBH and a Trannie and he will have a good night out.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 8:06 pm #philip travers
Value of ,all matters considered in recent budget against comparative figures for 1960!?How many mothers today,and expecting ones actually thought they could get any type of assistance whilst working!None of the family I grew up had any Kindergarten time,or even their kids.Something has only been invented quite recently,and therefore in its application operates as another injustice to a number of older generations.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 9:55 pm #Chuck A. Spear
What about Baby Boomers getting everything given to them on a plate, Phillip, then taking it away from everyone else?
Thursday 15 May 2008, 10:18 pm #John Surname
LEAVE BRENDAN ALONE!11!
Thursday 15 May 2008, 10:19 pm #John Surname
YOU’RE LUCKY HE EVEN DOES LISTENING TOURS FOR YOU BASTARDS.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 10:26 pm #John Surname
Oh fuck you ed. I can’t believe you got there first.
Thursday 15 May 2008, 11:11 pm #Mikey
How about Turnbull saying 150k was aok for a means test figure before then waffling about symbolism.
This from a party that put Howard in a fucking drizzabone under the words “mainstream values”…