Liberal Party Tribulation: Tony Abbott
Monday, March 15, 2010
[As first day back posting, below is much in the way of notes and remarks on certain things, and some a bit, well, scattered. Can’t help it, a week away turned out a real nice time and so returning to deal with the abominable is, frankly, hard work. I mean, really hard work.]
Why is he leader of the Federal Liberal Party? Thanks to the Clique, brains have been eradicated from the Party and its Parliamentary wings. It says rather much about most who occupy Liberal Party seats that first Peter Costello, then Malcolm Turnbull and now Tony Abbott have been considered genuine Liberal Prime Ministerial talent. The Party has been reduced to a shambolic “sit-com” troupe that makes the man in the street laugh the laugh of the embittered.
Die-hard modest Liberal voters contemplating whether it is a crime to strangle those who are wrecking the Liberal Party is a pretty good sign of how bad things are. Last week, I had the pleasure of chatting with a rather large number of them.
Though unarmed with sound economic theory, they are all alert to, carbon taxes and ‘alternative energy schemes’ means ruination on a tremendous scale. They are appalled at the force of the a-economic “policies’ of the Rudd Cabinet and States’ Cabinets. They are also very angry at politicians and bureaucrats stealing their rights. They are furious with States’ Cabinets for the same reason.
They are chilled to the spine because the Federal and States’ Parliamentary wings of the Liberal Party are devoid of genuine talent and with it, sound principles. It is telling that many are evaluating which independent candidates they can vote for in the forthcoming States’ and Federal elections, commencing with the Tasmanian State election this Saturday (20/3/2010).
The Tasmanian Division of the Liberal Party is in the same condition as the mainland Divisions. The ALP Cabinet is as detested as their mainland counterparts, but the Liberal Party will be fortunate to win even a barest of minorities government. The Greens, which can be wiped out in their base - Tasmania, are predicted to hold the balance of power in the Tasmanian Parliament.
What puts all this into perspective is the impact of lousy ‘economic policies’ on Tasmanians, and it is appalling. What is the Clique’s answer to this, in the name of the Liberal Party? They are only promising to ram down more investment destroying policies, which means lowering living standards and rising unemployment.
As an indication, they are committed to the ponzi schemes called ‘alternative energy’. The Federal Liberal Party is no better. At least Abbott came clean, though unwittingly, about the fact they are totally bereft of brains and principles. Yes he did, last week! His announcement of his “maternity leave and levy scheme”.
Tony Abbott deceives the public with his Paid Parental Leave scheme
And plays into the hands of the hard Left. What a jaw-dropping policy announcement it was too.
The Kevin Rudd-Julia Gillard maternity leave scheme will have nasty consequences for employment of women. Oh, employers will comply, by very careful factoring of labour and exercise the discrimination the legislation requires. Women of child-bearing age can thus blame Rudd and Gillard for employment predicaments they face.
It’s weird to say it but unlike Abbott’s paid maternity scheme, the Rudd-Gillard discriminatory plan is honest. Honest, that is, in one respect only. (Now I have to wash my mouth out with soap coated in salt). It has force only when employers have employees to whom their scheme would apply.
It should be opposed, from sound principles, but there you are, Abbott’s scheme in contrast is dishonest. Does it make Abbott’s position any uglier that he is now in no position to oppose the Rudd-Gillard scheme? That Rudd and Gillard can present their scheme as the height of reasoned economic policy? These questions are hair-splitting.
To unpack why it is dishonest, and also why he and the rest of the Liberal MPs and Senators have blown off what few limbs remain to them over this, requires a few items broken down into short topics and let’s cover a few considerations why so:
Tony Abbott’s scheme is universal. Irrespective of employees, Abbott will tax companies and hand over the loot to all he claims qualify for his scheme. As for the type of “levy”, the most likely seems to be an extra tax on profits. Contemplate what this means: economic carnage.
It is what Abbott, the genius, promises to cause. Darn and, Heavens above! He isn’t satisfied with wiping out Australia’s capital structure with his versions of carbon taxes. He wants to make sure all are really and truly ruined.
Consider that already regulations, company taxes, the RBA’s lousy monetary “policies” and a consequence, an over-valued dollar, have each caused tremendous damage. They each continue to cause tremendous damage. The pain is real and it is extensive. Rudd’s spending spree, though stimulating for politicians, bureaucrats and the media commentariat, inflicts only more damage. What’s the Clique’s response?
‘Don’t let up and let’s intensify it.’
Abbott asserts, only “big companies” will be levied. What makes this moral, as opposed to also taxing companies that fall below some capriciously decided bar? Making this all the more insidious is the deceitful attempt to play off those below a certain size against larger firms and this in itself is an insidious political trend. That MPs in the name of the Liberal Party should take this up, and not only in regards to taxes, is disgusting.
To make it plain for the likes of Abbott and Barnaby Joyce, scales of firms is decided by market processes. The force of this is made plain under the ACCC ‘laws’, which has already seen the break-up of firms serving customers, and hampering and preventing others from achieving scales that renders them able to engage in types of production, which means serving customers:
But then, to explain this requires economic theory and not only MPs occupying what should be Liberal seats but also their advisers, including the Institute for Public Affairs and HR Nicholls Society and Centre for Independent Studies, are totally bereft of economic theory.
Next, “small fry” should not be fooled by this, unless they wished to be lashed by the “levy” too. None should content themselves with the delusion they won’t be hit.
We finish this section with a quote as pertinent to Abbott’s grand plans as it is to Rudd’s. Franz Machlup:
“Austria was successful in pushing through policies which are popular all over the world. Austria has most impressive records in five lines: she increased public expenditures, she increased wages, she increased social benefits, she increased bank credits, she increased consumption. After all those achievements she was on the verge of ruin.” (Fritz Machlup, The Consumption of Capital in Austria, Review of Economic Statistics, II, 1935, p. 19).
Abbott plays into the hands of the hard Left
Abbott’s plan contains the hard Left’s ploy, ’social responsibilities’. To this, the Clique are not only economic illiterates, they are illiterates in history.
The Clique not finished with totally discrediting free labour markets
Labour is paid to the value of its marginal value. The ACTU ‘case’ against free labour markets rests on the falsehood of indeterminacy of pay rates, which chillingly the HR Nicholls Society, notably Des Moore, Ray Evans and Hugh Morgan assumed too. So, here is Tony Abbott, causing more damage to a thoroughly sound and therefore highly moral cause.
Des Moore, Ray Evans et al of the HR Nicholls Society steer around the falsehood by conceding another fallacy, monoposony, arguing large numbers of employers outs a floor under wages. How about, if large firms were broken up into tiny little backyard firms! Secondly, wages can be maintained by transfers. Of course, what theyw ere arguing for was wages should be driven down, and the only conclusion that could be drawn from their papers, is below market rates, and transfers would make up the difference!
Numbing and, bluntly, stupid, but it was what they put as the ‘case’ for free labour markets. Mind, they really were not fight for reform of labour markets, to free them. They were actually striving for something entirely different, ‘labour reform’, and a highly obnoxious moralistic position it is too that, in which case, is highly immoral. However,
Again, we see the Clique and one of its heroes, and Tony Abbott is a member of the HR Nicholls Society, fudging and discrediting free labour market economics, and skirting around falsehoods he conceded, with his little mates - Des Moore, Ray Evans and Hugh Morgan, by proposing to hit companies with more tax, on profits, and transfer the loot as ‘maternity pay’.
By the way, Abbott hasn’t yet explained to investors, who happen to include mums and dads, even if only through compulsory superannuation, why savaging their companies in order to hand back to them their own much reduced investments’ earnings also makes them wealthier.
Abbott, his advisers and the rest of what stands in the name of the Liberal Party are yet to work out what the relationships between labour, capital, pay rates and nest eggs are. But it’s OK, because the Institute for Public Affairs and HR Nicholls Society and Centre for Independent Studies haven’t worked them out either. So if Abbott and co cut and break them, what the heck.
I receive emails from readers asking why I repeat the statement, the hard Left and the ACTU loves the Clique. I find the question perplexing, because it’s obvious why but, to restate:
It’s true and the above are just some of the reasons why. Put it another way, who needs the ALP and ACTU as opponents when you have that lot batting for them?
Feeble is not the word for that gaggle of “buffoons”, clowns” and pompous asses” as hard Leftists and ACTU heavies affectionately call them.
Needless to say, the anti-dote is Brookesnews, and certain material will be used in the next two items on Abbott’s dishonest and very nasty ‘plan’. It would seem incomprehensible the Liberal Party has, it seems very much the case, ensured Rudd a second election victory.
It seems so only, because it is comprehensible. This is the Clique, and not the Liberal Party in action, wrecking the Party and good causes and playing straight into the hands of the Left. It is the Clique that is responsible for the likes of Michael Kroger, Peter Costello, Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and, all the vast majority of the mediocrities (this is being generous) holding Liberal Party seats - States’ and Federal.
Due to the Clique, Australians face grave perils.
As for self-styled “Austrian school followers” Ron Manners, Harold Clough ,and Bob Day, why are they funding those idle, venal, gutless, ignorant parasites of the Institute for Public Affairs and Centre for Independent Studies? Thanks a lot Ron, Bob and Harold.
You can’t fund those who are genuine free market intellectuals and also happen to have the guts to fight, but you can fund a pack of bastards whose notion of fighting is smearing genuine Liberals and, with their mates inside the Liberal Party, ensuring real talent is marginalised and suppressed. Yes, Sirs, Tony Abbott is a fine achievement, the Dodo elevated from a flock of Dodos.
What’s the matter, Harold, Ron, and Bob? Backing genuine talent doesn’t offer photo-ops? No mega-media fame? What are Australia and principles compared to paparazzi and ‘hot-goss’ mags, eh? Ah, this brings me to some “hot-goss of my own” we shall relate soon enough”.