Sunday, April 5, 2009

Hockey gets over-excited on Sunday morning

This morning on Meet the Press, Joe Hockey, presumably thinking that the news about Rudd swearing at a flight attendant will make all of Australia hate him, came out with this about the budget:

"If there is waste, if there is mismanagement, we will oppose it. We have always opposed bad policy and we will continue to oppose bad policy."

To which I say the Liberal Party is opposed to bad policy? Well that's a new one.

I guess doling out tax cuts in the middle of a boom and with interest rates rising was good policy?

I guess overseeing a dying public health system, only to takeover one hospital in Tasmania because an election was around the corner was good policy?

I suppose diverting attention and resources away from the war on terror in Afghanistan, and instead following George Bush into an unnecessary and stupid war in Iraq on the basis of the dodgiest intelligence this side of pyramid scheme get rich quick seminar was good policy?

I presume that stripping funding to Australia's public and higher education system for over a decade purely because universities are full of left wing types, and the public system is full of lefty unions was good policy, despite Australia's skill level disappearing into oblivion?

I guess introducing an immigration policy that allowed 11 people who were on the Tampa to be murdered by the Taliban when sent back to Afghanistan after being ruled non-refugees was good policy?

I suppose ignoring climate change for a decade, was good policy?

I assume then that introducing an IR policy that stripped workers of rights that had been around since Oliver Twist times was good policy?

I guess watching the internet arrive and yet do nothing to encourage the development of a national broadband network was good policy?

I presume instituting a taxation policy which merely recycled money around to allow for election-time bribes was good policy?

I suppose appointing biased political apparatchiks like Janet Albrechtsen to positions on the ABC board was good policy?

I guess appointing failed Ministers as Ambassadors to Italy and the UN was good policy?

I assume then that destroying the transparency of Government by abusing the Freedom of Information Act and changing the law relating to disclosure of party donations was good policy?

I guess essentially forcing people to take out private health insurance, and then reducing funding on health so much that bulk billing at the GP is now a luxury was good policy?

I guess presiding over the biggest mining boom in history, and yet doing bugger all about infrastructure because they could try and blame poor roads and ports on the ALP state governments was good policy?

And I guess doing all of these things, and then spending record amounts of public fund to advertise it all was just the cherry on top of all of this good policy?

"Have always opposed bad policy?" Don't make me vomit.

Oh and one last thing.

Joe, you want to block the budget? Bring. It. On.

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