26 C
Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Why we should blame the government

Latest News

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Other News

Could the future of the Richmond River be a clean and healthy one?

Imagine a drinkable, swimmable, fishable Richmond River? That is the aim of the Richmond Riverkeepers Association.

We just love him!

If you’re over 50 you might not be a fan of Tom Jones, but you can bet your mum is. If you’re under 40 you might not even know who he is, but your grandmother probably wet her pants at the mere mention of his name.

Protecting nature and naturism from prejudice in Byron Shire

A new regime of social repression is imposing itself over the Byron Shire. Supported by local conservatives, the NSW National Parks Wildlife Service is attacking diversity and a particular minority group in Byron Shire – naturists.

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Records galore!

Byron Bay Easter Record Fair returns again to Ewingsdale Hall. Now in its 15th year, the Byron Bay Easter Record Fair is one of the biggest and best in this country. Matt the Vinyl Junkie has spent years on buying trips to the US and Japan scouring dusty warehouses, shops, flea markets and private collections. He can offer an astounding 30,000 records in one place covering most genres.

Saddle Road group home DA decision this week

Plans to build Byron Shire’s first permanent group home for women and children in housing stress are moving ahead, with the development application for the project coming before Council this week.

Yes we should blame our government… in one year alone the coal and gas mining industries have received up to $12 billion in tax breaks.

We have just survived the first week of a disaster. There are many weeks and months ahead. In the middle of extreme loss you can see what is of value: real care is valuable, real solutions, real compassion, helping hands and boots on the ground. And money, that helps. Victim blame doesn’t help. Right now, people only need what helps. 

There’s vulnerability in loss that is shocking. When everything a person owns is heaped in piles on the street it’s raw – everyone can see your loss. We must help. It’s our human duty. When strangers stand in mud beside a person who has lost everything, salvaging what’s left of a home, quiet witness to their loss; that is help. When the head of the federal government’s disaster recovery agency, Shane Stone says ‘You’ve got people who want to live among the gum trees – what do you think is going to happen? Their house falls in the river and they say it’s the government’s fault’, well that’s not help. That’s actually abuse. 

Abuse from someone in a privileged position. It’s important to note too that when the Former NT Chief Minister scored the role to oversee flood recovery he was paid more than $500, 000 a year. 

It shows the lack of true compassion at the heart of our government. A government that doesn’t want anyone in their cabinet to admit anything is their fault. They’re more interested in shifting responsibility than they are in the people who have been hurt by their failures. 

When the coordinator-general of the national recovery and resilience agency engages in victim blame, you have a serious problem. This is the person charged with leading us out of disaster? Besides being insensitive, his comment is highly misinformed and shows a complete lack of understanding about the complexity of the disaster and the real cause. If you don’t understand the complexity of how we got here – then how do you lead?

For a start, many people whose homes were flooded weren’t living in areas that had ever flooded before. The inundation of their homes and property was a completely new event. 

We were flooded, Mr Head of Resilience, because we’ve had successive governments who have not mitigated the impacts of climate change. They have given our money to the companies who cause it. So yes, when our homes flood, we do get to blame the government. The thought of coal magnates cosy at home in their giant mansions just makes us angry. Especially when our stupid government hands over hundreds of millions to their companies; in one year alone the coal and gas mining industries have received up to $12 billion in tax breaks. 

Yes, we should blame the government, because they are the ones that engineered ‘negative gearing’ – the tax mechanism that has turned our housing market into an investment market. When homes became commodities, then poor people, and those priced out of the housing market have no choice but to buy in at-risk areas. Because people who work in our hospitals, in our retail stores, who teach in our schools, they don’t have the money to buy multi million dollar properties in areas that aren’t prone to flooding. Flood prone areas are affordable. When you have a government that has abdicated their responsibility to provide social and community housing for 15 years, you force people into vulnerable housing.

We should blame our government because before this we were already in a housing crisis. We’ve had thousands of homes in our community bought up by investors as short-term holiday lets. That’s a resilience problem, right there. We had a housing crisis that the government was doing jack shit about before the flood. We’ve had an environmental problem that the government has done jack shit about for more than a decade. 

And guess what? There is a human cost to mining profits. When you drive through our towns now you can see it. We are the human cost. It’s ugly. It’s starting to smell.

It’s time we started having the hard conversations about how we really got here if we are to see our way forward to a way out. And if you can’t do that Coordinator-General Stone, then you don’t know the first thing about resilience. 

And you certainly shouldn’t be paid over half a million a year.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

72 COMMENTS

  1. Yes it will be such a relief to have the Greens / Labor
    Government elected this year they left such a legacy when last in power … it’s been a hard act to follow for the Coalition … what a privilege it would be to have Christina Kenneally looking after our borders with the support of the greens Mr
    Brandt ..the open border policies , they were such
    a successful transition for Refugees seeking a better life having to part with 10s of thousands to people smugglers then only to board a leaking boat ..
    Off you go !! Hope you make it now … yep all under the watch of the Greens / Labor Government..
    Those are our policies if you don’t like them don’t vote for Labor , such wise words Mr Bowen !!
    Hey Mandy imagine what 25 billion could do for the
    Resent flooding disaster in lismore/ mullum / ocean
    Woodburn / Ballina etc .. thats how much its cost Taxpayer’s to date for open borders.. cant wait for the next installment the sideshow that is Labor / greens.. oh forgot had a toothache yesterday
    Iam going to blame Scott Morrison , has been blamed for everything else.. why Not ..

    • I hardly wonder if you ever asked anyone why they paid people smugglers to let them on a leaky boat…
      BTW the coalition maintains offshore detention instigated by labour. F knows what the greens would really do, but I guess people still have hope in the parliamentary system.
      What “open borders” are you talking about?! This colonial cursed continent is a fortress.

    • Wow, Just Wow! Talk about rolled gold pissant LNP troll distraction from another massive catastrophic failure by the Morrison Govt. Morrison has refused the flood devastated Tweed, Byron and Ballina shires from the National flood relief. We have a billion plus dollars of damage to roads bridges and other infrastructure, let alone the damage to homes and towns. The council local and State Govt cannot respond to this.
      And you attempt to throw another dead cat bounced onto the table about refugees?
      And that $500,000 per refugee, per year “Every year” cost, wasted by the Morrison LNP Govt for each refugee could have been used to build the flood mitagation levee wall that “Lismore was excluded from by this same LNP Govt” or used repair the damage caused by the LNP shameful almost criminal negligence.
      You LNP sycophants amaze me for your political gullibility and blindness, when it comes to the bases red meat refugee racist bias?

        • Again, you confirm every thing I have written! Nothing more than a barrow full of Morrison’s sycophant distractions, disinformation, misinformation and lies. Make the most of the little time you have left? Only 2 months left until the worst govt since federation is removed in a landslide!!

          • Who the F said i vote for the coalition
            Tweed ? have always been a swinging voter
            Just love calling out you virtue signaling
            Lefty double standard hypocrites..
            Has not one thing to do with this current governments time in office ..but mearly the fact they are conservative.. !!
            The Alternative labor / Greens
            With Albo / Brandt running this country
            Is a scary prospect.. thats the overwhelming
            Problem with lefties how dare you have an opinion or views to ours .. its entertainment
            Front row though ..

    • Barrow, you make such an important point. If it was not for the Liberal Party, Australia’s finite mineral resources (which belong to all Australian’s) would benefit all Australians rather than mostly overseas investors. Why if it was not for the Liberal Party you could have the ludicrous situation that exists in Qatar which raises most its tax revenue from export of natural gas. Australia exports about the same amount of natural gas as Qatar but thanks to the brilliance the Liberal Party and especially of the abolition and demonisation of the mining tax by Tony Abbott Australians (who are the owners of this finite resource receive not tax benefit) – how many billions of tax revenue would be raised if Australia taxed natural gas the same way Qatar does? Instead we have situation where Australia is one of the biggest exporters of natural gas and gas producers are jacking up prices for Australian consumer because of a supposed gas shortage on the East Coast.
      Barrow, thankyou for reminding us of the financial brilliance of the Liberal Party that ensured that finite wealth that belongs to all Australians is not utilised to benefit all Australians but instead is only enjoyed by the mining companies whose shareholders are mostly foreign and so the executives can earn massive bonuses (bonuses which would exceed the wildest dreams of a major lottery win for most people). When mining tax was proposed the mining companies went into overdrive advertising against it.

  2. and now 15 billion for submarines which do nothing for anyone. work it out for yourself. Governments only pretend to care.

    • Peter, the New Clear Subways $’snumbers are numbing.
      President ScamMO announces an at least $10’sbillions spender proposal for a New Clear subway base on the east coast of Australia.
      This on top of the estimated $’s4billions sunk cost written off after President ScamMO cancelled the subway contract with France.
      So, all of that before we even get around to signing an estimated $’s50billions plus contract to build a few New Clear subways with UK or USA.

      It is easy money for President ScamMO to find and spend on all of his New Clear wet dreams but apparently he can’t find a single disaster to spend any of that $’s4.8billions sitting in the National Disaster Response Fund’s bank account.

      The dude just doesn’t care, it plain and simple.
      But we shouldn’t be surprised, we seen it played out before.; National Bushfire Apocalypse 2019/20 and he doesn’t hold a hose and heads for Hawaii; Covid and he doesn’t hold a syringe or give a RATS or protect our most vulnerable, in Aged Care settings; RoboRobberyDebt and it your fault for needing social security assistance; Refugees and Asylum Seekers in mandatory detention and it all their fault arriving by boat.

      But Morrison’s Mushrooms aka His Quiet Australians keep voting for all this scheisse.

      • Joachim really ? Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story like your dribble ..
        Why don’t you just admit just for once !!!
        The arrival of the 50.000 refugees has never
        And will never have anything to do with the
        Morrison government .. it was your greens
        Yes Joachim your greens that gave the green
        Light to people smugglers to send these poor
        People to board leaky boats as as a result
        Up to 3000 men and women and children had lost there lives… WTF are you talking about ?
        And yes it is all the greens / labors fault
        For the irresponsible open border policies
        Once again that has cost Taxpayer’s
        20 billion thus far.. quite Australians oh you mean the majority do not want to vote in Brandt/ albo just one big tax & spend party
        Not to mention the greens policies on there
        Website .. Scary proposition…

    • In that case we should do away with all of the defense force, WE just don’t need them. While we’re at it, lets do away with the police force and correctional centres, we don’t need them. The reason we have a defense force is so we DON’T have an invasion and war. Are you still with me Pete, if you are, then apply same stated logic to the remainder of my post. If this agitates you, CHILL on Utoob with Japanese all girl band TOKYO GROOVE JYOSHI. Good health & enjoy your day.

  3. What mess did the previous Labor government leave us in? Successful economic survival through the GFC, a carbon trading scheme that actually reduced emissions and that business groups are now calling for, a decent NBN that looked to future technology not the stuff that was already past its use-by date, the NDIS etc etc.

    I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Labor has far from an open door refugee policy, now or in the past. What would save us money would be avoiding incidents like reopening Christmas Island for photo ops and housing refugees for years in inhumane conditions to just be bloody-minded.

    Your rants with their attempted biting sarcasm just ramble through LNP soundbites and inanities, ignore reality and are so tedious. I wish I could just ignore them!

    • There will not be a carbon tax under the Government i lead ….Ms Gillard ..as for the GFC Liz Levy yes a healthy surplus left by the Coalition for Mr Swan to get the country through … inhumane conditions for Refugees seriously Liz tip the wine out !! Those inhumane conditions are the best
      In the world for housing refugees, this is irrefutable
      Because if you are just listening to left green ABC propaganda go for it Liz.. i had mates that worked
      On Christmas island who could inform those inhumane conditions you speak of .. as my mate alluded to would be a dream for any of our 240.000
      Homeless .. free food , free clothing, free accommodation, hot water , laundry done for you .
      Free medical YES LIZ contrary to the ABC BS
      Free dental… yep Liz inhumane.. as for labor
      and Albo who was interviewed and was gloating about renewables.. very entertaining Albo suggested that if you put solar on top of your car roof leave overnight you will have power the next day … yes the moon will charge solar 😂
      God help us thats our next prime minister…

      • Barrow, Barrow, Barrow why do you do it, regurgitate rubbish without some basic fact checkings.
        Attempting to re-write history, you really do make yourself look more of a fool than we already know you are.
        Clearly you have little interest in facts or truth but most Echo readers in these pages already figured that out ages ago.

        First off Albo and the solar business you scribble about..
        It helps when you pick up something off Twitter, especially if it is an old Twitter piece, is that you get the real wordings / quote before letting loose with a scattergun of verbal diahorrea.
        Albo and team ALP were at Nissan Liverpool 31/202021 talking EV’s , Batteries and Renewable Energy.
        In response to a question the full quote of what Albo said is as follows –
        “What does the future looks like? And the future in many ways can be here right now, be very clear, is solar panels on the roof, charging your car for free overnight. That’s what it looks like. And that will make an enormous difference, let alone the convenience that comes from not having to pull into a petrol station and not having to worry about those issues as well.”
        Just waiting for your apology to Albo and the Echo readers for writing your lie.

        Carbon Tax” you shriek.
        You were hypnotised by your mates Tony A and Peta C. – and the Peta has publicly admitted there was no “Carbon Tax”, they / Libbies made it …L I E D…purely for political purposes.
        Barrow, for the record and I know it hurts for you to read it but we never ever had a “Carbon Tax”, we had an Emissions Trading Scheme that began with a fixed price before it was to convert to a floating / market price. In the 2 years it operated, it worked entirely according to plan – reduced pollution and fully compensated citizens for any price increases. But of course your dumbass Libbies repealed the ETS and…up went pollution!
        “Inhumane conditions for Refugees…those inhumane conditions are the best in the world for ……”
        Try telling that to the at least 12 refugees and asylum seekers that have died whilst enjoying the “best’ conditions, yeah.
        And we won’t mention the mental suffering and medical care neglect that the hundreds have had to endure whilst enjoying the “best” conditions, yeah. This ‘torture’ gave rise to the Medevac law in March 2019.

        “GFC”.
        Julia and Wayne’s actions ( and not any surplus ) saved Australia from a recession and Australia was one of only a few countries in the world that avoided a recession during the GFC. It is why Wayne Swan was recognised in 2011 as the World’s Best Treasurer.

        Barrow old son. please do try harder next time.

      • Mmm – the snippet the media seized on ad nauseum. What she went on to outline was a positive set of policies for renewables and a cap on carbon pollution. She also said, “I don’t rule out the possibility of a CPRS, a market-based mechanism.”

        I imagine you as a bit of a Sky After Dark devotee Barrow so I’m surprised you haven’t caught up with Credlin’s latest comments about the “carbon tax” strategy of the Abbott opposition and how much it was actually about the national interest. The “retail politics”.

        On the same theme what about Abbott’s SBS interview: “No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.”

        Yes the surplus helped but it was a prolonged mining boom rather than brilliant economic management. It would have been bigger without all the wasteful election bribes of the Howard Costello years that no-one is now game to suggest reversing.

        All these humane benefits you speak of – that we generally accept as basic human needs and the minimum afforded our fellow human beings – could equally be said of prison and I don’t see you, or any of our homeless – lining up to be locked up. And please stop all this faux compassion for the homeless brethren. Emanating from conservatives it’s not convincing.

        I’d rather Albo’s ideas about electric cars any day over Morrison’s total BS about technology that no one has yet envisaged let alone come close to developing. A blatant ploy to do nothing, appease donors and treat the electorate like total imbeciles. Unfortunately for some this is a successful tactic.

  4. Interesting that nothing is being mentioned about the fact that highly trained professionals and volunteers were not utilised because of their vaccination status. That is criminal.

  5. Nicely put Ms Nolan. An old saying is you get the government you deserve, but nobody should deserve the current bunch of inept, corrupt and unpleasant people. They hold us all in pure contempt.

  6. Devastating that the government, labor, liberal , greens and nationals arent assisting – need to.go.
    All i can say is- HAARP.
    Look it up or nothing to see here.
    Its up to us now, to watch the skies and think what is truly happening and ask the questions of the 4 major parties; and why is this done under with their knowledge.

    • This is actually a regular event every 11-12 years going back for as long as records have been kept.
      This time the flood area was a lot smaller than 2011, but a bit more intense where it did hit.
      Given the geography, there’s not really anywhere they could have nudged it where it wouldn’t cause problems, and as you know, they don’t really care too.
      The 4 major parties laughed at the idea of Sonic Laser Weapons (LRAD) at the Canberra rally, even though every riot squad in Australia openly has them and they sit on the decks of our warships to deal with pirates. Even though they were provided with pictures taken on the day, and pictures of the devices from the manufacturers public website.
      Political parties are just actors in a drama to keep the masses distracted. They don’t even know what common technology exist.
      They just do what their “Sir Humphrey Appleby” tells them to do. The same agenda gets implemented no matter what muppet is “in charge”.

  7. Here’s an idea!

    Follow The Netherlands model, insurance is paid to regional government, who use the money for flood mitigation and protection. Nobody profits and the government has a gigantic incentive to protect property and people, plus the money to do the best possible job to prevent flood damage.
    They also subsidise farms that can quarrantine flood water.

    • If local govts were paid the insurance money, that would incentivise them to cause more flood to get more money.
      Flood mitigation The Netherlands is mostly Dikes anyway. Maybe we just need more Dikes. I’ve been a fan of them since I was a teenager.

  8. It’s easy to blame the government,yes they are a useless bunch,but the Greens are just as useless these days,they enjoy that little bit of power they get in Parliament,just like the Liberals and Labor! In reality they are all just minor actors for powerful corporate interests,all parties in Parliament are just the same washing powders with a different name!

  9. It’s probably a very good idea to have nuclear subs in Australia, since we are teetering on the verge of war.

    Personally, I fervently hope that the liberal govt gets back in. If the Labor govt follows the policies of the labor premier Chairman Dan, then we can watch democratic Australia sink into fascist totalitarianism, and if they team up with the greens – hello communism!

    But it seems that a lot of people actually want that – tired of being responsible for their own lives, many people are happy to be supported financially by working tax payers and are happy to relinquish their autonomy to the government. Makes it very easy for Schwab’s idea to have everyone “owning nothing but happy” by 2030 to be realised.

    And yes, lets blame the government for this unprecedented weather, lets blame poor Perrottet for covid like good labor voters.

    • Bingo essam !! All these whingers… seriously this current government and Morrison what can he do
      Thats satisfactory .. have you ever come accross
      Any of these detractors to have anything positive to say about this government or Morrison ?
      Never ..why ? Because they are conservative .
      And these lefties can do no wrong .. pontificating
      Hypocrites.. !! The problem with labor , been hijacked by the greens so have some liberals
      Although Albo is right at home with the Greens
      They deserve one another… Germany and America
      Two prime examples ..

  10. What do Fires, Floods, Housing Crisis and Covid have in common? The slow response from many government bodies all seemingly asleep at the wheel. Yet Covid has also taught us that State and Federal governments can work productively together.

    Anyone out on the streets in Lismore, Murbah and Mullum has witnessed the power and willingness of individuals and community volunteers and organisations to do what is necessary in these floods right here right now!

    We need a government that is prepared to sacrifice being unpopular by :
    Forming a truly effective rapid response unit peopled by local, state and federal leaders with the capability to respond on the ground in 24 hours.
    Releasing Infrastructure Funds (be it with or without private investment) to build 50,000 homes in the Northern Rivers, specifically for low income renters with lifetime leases, no more than 30% of their income going rent, built and up in the next 12-24 months. If this means opening up suitable land and rezoning it, just do it!

    Issues that this unpopular government could tackle include, not allowing the superannuation fund being rorted by the nation’s wealthiest as a tax shelter creating intergenerational wealth for the few, phasing out negative gearing, creating climate emissions reduction targets that are at least in line with Europe. Investing in jobs for renewables, wind, solar, pumped hydro and only green hydrogen (not multi-coloured fossil fuelled energy wasting greenwash hydrogen)

    Finally, a government that realises that Australians are decent, hard working people that just want the opportunity to shine. That inequality of opportunity and climate change must be tackled by an active government, alert to the needs of individual communities. It is our moment to invest in our country’s future.

  11. I won’t waste my time reading you, Barrow because you’ve missed
    the bull’s eye again – ie. staying on track. And Chris ‘Leach’ – a good
    makeup name . . . ‘blame the victim is more to the point’. As for the
    Coordinator-General Stone . . . Wow! This one lives in a Micky Mouse
    Land. No brain or real fortitude there. My aged Aunt could certainly
    do better. She has a heart & it’s not plastic.

      • Nice one Joachim.. although the holes in my
        barrow and spirit are repairable.. when all that may seem to be lost, you rise above to find a way to win .. thats my life !!

        • Barrow, Albo and Echo readers waiting for your apology.
          Hiding away, pretending you don’t know what you wrote further up the page, March 9 at 2.04pm, lying about what Albo said. does you no credit.
          I’ve provided the facts and the truth and held you to account for what you wrote.
          Time to man up, admit you got it all wrong and apologise.

          • Joachim “iam invincible iam women ”
            If you apologize by saying the ABC
            Are not Bias? and i know that wont happen !
            So just call it even shall we ..

  12. On the bright side, least we don’t have to listen to Liz Levy waffle on about covid, vaccines and boosters etc

    • Wolly, we get it – Now / NEVER is the time to talk about climate.
      Much better that we stay on piste and talk $’s10billions for New Clear Subway bases on the east coast, yeah.

  13. Absolutely Mandy. We need to change the political commentary from “we are doing the best we can”and the social commentary from”why didn’t you send help sooner” to “ what are we prepared to do about public housing” and “what can we do to minimise the increase in events of this sort in the future” as well as “ how will we spend public monies to support communities from events which we as a nation have contributed to”… and “ how will we engage community spirit to support public funding of recovery from events such as these” As well we need to keep sending central messages that communities should never depend on others than themselves other than to lend the best support possible. Let’s not lose sight that handing over dependency for solutions to an “other” disempowers us ; what we need is to be supported as communities to do whatever we can knowing there is assistance available for what is beyond us. Let’s recognise the empowering effect of knowing you can deal with something … or can help your neighbours deal… as well as the amazing resource e of sharing the skills and knowledge of community in developing solutions to local problems. We are only weakened when we rely on centralised responses.

  14. Yes Mandy, it clearly is the state government’s fault that the SES warned people to evacuate Lismore in the middle of the afternoon sunday 27 February, but stacks of people decided they knew better and went to bed in their houses. It is also the federal government’s fault that the ADF didn’t turn up to rescue these people until the day of the flood.

  15. Stick to comedy Mandy as this is truly comical – in my view – which, having said that, I do respect that everyone is entitled to their view however to blame these events on climate change and the government is a complete joke.
    My heart sincerely goes out to those many that have been devastated and even destroyed by this catastrophe as my business endured this twice, but we were supported from the government at the times which we are extremely grateful that that enable us to continue trading.
    I do believe that development without true vision of implications has severe consequences in situations such as this and, in my view, this responsibility is with local council.

  16. Mandy, while on the subject of professional LNP parasite Shane Stone, take a look at just how many “Appointments for the boy’s”, he has been served up on a silver platter by his coalition party? He’s also the long term chair of the Australia day honours list as well?

  17. Well said Mandy Nolan, you have nailed it. In my 47 yrs of frustration as a voter with political incompetance, the ” economy” has become more important than community. We have entered a time when community must choose and maintain direction that is relevant.

    • Graeme, 100%.
      ScottyfromMarketing famously once said, ” the economy that we all live in”.
      ‘Society’ is nowhere to be found in Scotty’s world and we have all learnt that harsh lesson during his reign of terror upon Australians.
      When Scottyboyo recently mentioned that “arc of autocracy” thing, he forgot to include himself .

  18. Graeme, another 100% & add a ‘plus’. Sloppy Scotty goes any way the wind blows.
    He’s ‘the nowhere man’ we need to avoid.

  19. “in one year alone, the coal and gas mining industries have received $12 billion in tax breaks.” That statement seems to parallel the garbage and lies from The Australia Institute re $12 billion subsidies to the Australian fossil fuel industries report 1 year ago. As a sometimes Green voter, Id like some clarification here.

  20. David, you ask for clarification.
    You can start by going back to australiainstitute.org,au
    Dial up and read the report, Fossil Fuel subsidies in Australia, Federal and state government assistance to fossil fuel producers and major users 2020-2021.

  21. Joachim. As I said above, the report is a lie and belongs in the garbage. The report itself confirms this if you get past the headlines. The report refers to $12b in subsidies. Mandy refers to $12b in tax breaks. Maybe you could clarify “tax break” in the context of her editorial.

    • David, of course it is garbage.
      It is garbage that we subsidise pollution, pollution on a scale that it is an existential threat to human habitation.
      Don’t want to read about it all, that is your call, it doesn’t make it go away.

      • Joachim. What is garbage in the report is that the govt. subsidizes the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $12b per year. Prove me wrong.

        • David, I’m no wizard with the internet but you and me both have a keyboard, just tap away and you shall receive. It not that hard, even for a novice like myself.
          Not happy with Australia Institute’s report then dial up Market Forces, marketforces.org.au
          In part there is this,
          “National tax-based subsidies that encourage fossil fuel production and consumption add up to a whopping $12 billion every year, approximately $461 for each Australian”.

          There is a full table that in detail itemises the $’s and the years, I’ve brought across a summary –
          SUBSIDY (VALUES IN $AU MILLIONS) 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24

          TOTAL $11,693 $12,178 $12,179 $11,880 $12,533 $13,093 $13,778

          There you have it.

          • Joachim. Legitimate tax write offs available to every business in Australia are not subsidies. $8b of the $12b lie is the diesel fuel rebate available to every business that uses diesel off road. Not a subsidy. If we should have 2 sets of tax laws, one for the fossil fuel industry and another for all other businesses then that’s another debate. I assume you believe any subsidy to the fossil fuel industry is wrong. Name one.

          • Joachim. My last word unless you have something new to add. The the ALP , the sensible Greens [yes there are some] and I’m pretty sure even Keith Duncan leave this $12b subsidy nonsense alone because they know it is nonsense. The Australia Institute and Market Forces have conned you. The left are very adept at propaganda, far moreso than the right.

  22. Maybe it’s an artistic saying like ‘break a leg’. Either way coal & gas get
    a silver lining. While we’re at it there’ll be NO Nuclear Subs while I’m
    with ICAN {we’ve all had a gut full} – plus – Joachim’s correct regarding
    the apology & dikes make sense to me because there’s no other way.

  23. Stephanie. Just trying to work out whether Mandy is correct, misguided or lying with her $12b tax break statement. Your words above add nothing. But please elaborate on the silver lining.

  24. Tax breaks ? All the Large infrastructure projects
    I have worked on ..Gorgon , Wheatstone, Pluto
    Most of the Main players Chevron , shell , Exxon Mobil.. will pay very little Tax during the construction phase because they are not producing
    Gas to pay Taxes.. however the taxes collected
    From PAYG were in the top 3 percent of Taxpayer’s
    In the country most were paying well over a 100k in tax
    Per year .. during the peak on Gorgon 8500 people were employed on the project, and wages per week were
    Over 17 million per week .. not to mention each and every person on that project was costing 90k per year.. flights , food , accommodation , training etc
    Total cost before a dollar was made over 100 billion
    Dollars … so yes were tax breaks justified during the
    Construction phase ? Absolutely all legal …
    Now that this project is in full swing and production
    Is producing record cargos and profits which will
    Attract taxes and how , and so it should be .multinationals making record profits from Australia’s natural resources… never sat well
    With me ..always maintained Superannuation
    Funds could and should have invested in these
    Huge projects and shareholders would have made
    Huge profits to retire on .. Australian owned ..

  25. Yes so 70% of PAYG taxes gos to some form of
    Welfare thats includes the resources industries..
    This will not be the case in renewable
    Energy sectors .. because those jobs will
    Not exist .. !!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.