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From the Gallery in the Present Context, John Fraser Is a Better Choice to Head Treasury Than Martin Parkinson

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From the Gallery in the Present Context, John Fraser Is a Better Choice to Head Treasury Than Martin Parkinson Inside Canberra 35 67, No. Vol. bringing you the latest business intelligence from inside Federal Government John Fraser: A Good Choice for Treasury From the Gallery In the present context, John Fraser is a better choice to head Treasury than Martin Parkinson. October 10, 2014 If there’s a criticism of Parkinson it’s that he was ineffectual in selling the need for budget restraint. This not to criticise his intellectual commitment, it’s more a function of his • PM ups the ante on Hizb ut-Tahrir: Tony personality type: Parkinson has a boffinish air to him that made his arguments seem abstract. Abbott told Fairfax radio yesterday morning Inside Canberra’s editor worked with Fraser in the late 70’s when, as relatively junior public that “Hizb ut-Tahrir is an organisation with an ideology which justifies terrorism”. The servants, their job was to provide policy advice to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. John Fraser PM’s remarks followed Wednesday night’s spent most of his time telling his namesake that he didn’t know what he was talking about. Lateline interview with a spokesman for the Fraser, unlike his two predecessors who both worked for Labor ministers, has never worked group, Mr Wassim Doureihi, who deflected in a politician’s office. He was, however, part of Peter Costello’s Commission of Audit and repeated questions about his support for he drafted the Charter of Budget Honesty. However, if his past is any guide, he will treat Islamic State’s “murderous” tactics in Syria and Iraq with accusations of violence by politicians of all stripes with the scepticism they deserve. He’s likely to give the Treasurer the western governments including the US and benefit of his opinion without reservation, which will be all to the good. Australia. The Prime Minister praised the His perspective will incline towards mild austerity and in this he will take the fight up to the interviewer, Emma Albericci, saying “good senate for their refusal to acknowledge the need for fiscal consolidation. Fraser’s message will on her for having a go. I think she spoke for Australia on this occasion”. He also be simple: you can fix the structural deficit the hard way or the harder way. It’s time that the thanked Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for public was given this message as bluntly as possible and John Fraser is likely to be the man to his “very constructive engagement” with do it. the government on national security matters and signalled that new laws currently before The Foreign Fighters Legislation the parliament “will make it easier to ban organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir”. The Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has been meeting this week to consider the Counter-Terrorism Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014. The bill is 160 pages long • It’s a dog fight: Although Carl Judge, who and, with the explanatory memorandum running to more than 200 pages, the committee has a was leader of the Palmer United Party in the very limited time to complete its consideration. A number of issues have emerged during the Queensland parliament until Wednesday, claimed that he and party founder, Clive hearings: the possibility that journalists could be jailed for visiting a proscribed area undercover Palmer, had parted on amicable terms, in order to report on misconduct by national forces; the definition of proscribed organisations; the pair have taken a couple of pot shots and the fact that the sunset provisions specify a period of ten years before a review. at each other. The Clivenator said that Mr The case for the bill is based on the fact that the current ‘Foreign Incursions Legislation’ Judge was only “standing in as leader” and requires the prosecution to prove that a person travelling to a conflict zone did so for the asserted that his party needs “a real leader able to deliver results for Queenslanders”. purpose of engaging in a terrorist act. Under the new law, all the authorities need to do to For his part, Mr Judge told reporters establish the offence is to demonstrate that the person charged went to, say, Northern Syria. The yesterday that he quit the PUP, leaving defendant can then prove that he or she went there for a lawful purpose. it without a member in the Queensland Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, Brett Walker pointed to these issues as legislature, to stand as an independent because “we’re seeing … faceless people problematic. He also made a strong case for the removal of preventative detention orders behind political parties, driving a political (PVO’s) from the legislation. Walker has consistently made the case that PVO’s are useless in agenda rather than a public agenda”. Judge this context because they do not allow the questioning of suspects. will team up in an independent alliance with his predecessor, Dr Alec Douglas, Faulkner Lets Fly who quit the PUP 2 months ago alleging a party culture of “jobs for the boys” and In a passionate speech to the Light on the Hill Society, meeting at the Revesby Workers Club a lack of democracy in pre-selections. At on Tuesday night, Senator John Faulkner told traditional party supporters that Labor must the time Palmer said he was confident that modernise and increase internal democracy by giving more power to the rank-and-file, re- Mr Judge would lead the party to the next evaluating its relationship with the unions and “undemocratic” factions and eliminating the state election. “stench of corruption” in NSW. He said that those in the party who opposed reform were steering the party onto the rocks. • ABS pulls unemployment numbers: The Australian Bureau of Statistic’s seasonally “I say to those who resist opening up our structures to more participation and more democracy adjusted unemployment figures have been because they see their control over managed and pre-negotiated outcomes slipping away: stop volatile since it adopted a new methodology clinging to the wheel,” Senator Faulkner said. “You are steering us straight for the rocks.” to determine that set of numbers back The Senator, a 25-year veteran of parliamentary rough and tumble and a long standing in July this year. In the wake of a series of rogue results, the Bureau’s decided supporter of pre-selection of upper house candidates entirely by the rank-and-file, backed far- to withdraw the data and use a different reaching moves to enhance democracy within the Labor party, moves which go well beyond methodology. It’s hired external consultants those supported so far by opposition leader Bill Shorten. “We must rebuild Labor from the to review the problem and Treasurer Joe grassroots — not the top down,’’ he said. Hockey, who’s in Washington for an IMF Faulkner said that he felt as if he was beating his head against a brick wall but, he added, he meeting, told reporters that he’s asked the Treasury Secretary to investigate the wouldn’t stop arguing for what he believed to be right, necessary and in Labor’s best interest. matter. While there’ll be no seasonally The current contempt for politics in Australia derives from a lack of trust in the political adjusted figures released for September, process and a view that politicians were only in it for what they personally could get out of it. the raw data, released yesterday, indicates “Without trust, politics is a contest of personalities, not ideas; a contest with no more relevance that unemployment rose in line with expectations by 0.1% during the month than an episode of Masterchef,” Senator Faulkner said cuttingly. to 6.1%. Faulkner says that trust is essential to governments: “On that consensus of trust rests the Michael Keating operation of our government: the ability to make decisions, even where they may not be Parliament House, Canberra popular; the ability to pass laws, even where they constrain or disadvantage some members of Tel: (02) 6273 3001 the community; the ability to assign what may be scarce resources to priorities, and therefore [email protected] not to other areas or interests.” There’s a message in the Senator’s speech for both sides of politics. Copyright © 2014 – published by Keating Media Pty Ltd, ABN 66 141 863 078, LPO Box 8305, ANU Acton ACT 0200, Australia Tel: +61 (0)2 6273 3001 - Email: [email protected] - Website: www.insidecanberra.com Inside Canberra is a Trade Mark of Keating Media Pty Ltd. Inside Canberra October 10, 2014 2 The Government will Compromise on the Budget The opposition has been unable to contain its schadenfreude. “I mean this budget is out of control,” The current Chris Bowen said on Monday. “We’ve seen massive budget dysfunction.” He was referring to a statement by Joe Hockey from New York on Sunday that the budget was under pressure because of the situation will not decline in commodity prices which, it’s estimated, will cost the budget $2 billion more than forecast have come as a this year and $4 billion next year. Hockey also has to accommodate the expenditure on national security surprise to Hockey and defence associated with the campaign against terrorism which will cost an estimated $1 billion a year. These factors, when combined with the senate’s refusal to pass about $10 billion worth of budget savings, risk making Hockey look as ineffectual as his predecessor, Wayne Swan. The current situation will not have come as a surprise to Hockey. In the Budget Statement No 2 on the economic outlook, released in May, Treasury forecast that the economy was likely to grow at below trend and that government revenue was likely to decline.
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