“We Could Be Great” – Business Council Plan For Australia’s Prosperity

Apr 04, 2012

Tony ShepherdThe President of the Business Council of Australia, Tony Shepherd, has delivered a speech calling for more imaginative leadership and offering “a plan to lock in Australia’s prosperity”.

Shepherd said Australians “are beginning to lack confidence in the future and in our economy”. Many Australians are “doing it tough”. He suggested “the feeling of optimism and clarity that characterised Australia through my childhood” was on on the wane.

“But Australians are waiting for the call, the vision for the future and the plan that’s going to help us get there.”

Shepherd offered a wide-ranging plan covering infrastructure, taxation, population and immigration, and engagement with Asia.

The BCA represents around 100 of Australia’s largest companies. Shepherd gave the speech to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce in Sydney. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, Gillard Government Tagged With: , ,

We Want Gough!

Jul 11, 2011

Edward Gough Whitlam is 95 years old today.

Whitlam on the steps of Parliament HouseWhilst it is thirty-five years since Australia’s 21st Prime Minister was dismissed by the Governor-General, his political career contains lessons and his unbounded spirit is missed.

The present Labor government is already nine months older than the Whitlam government was on November 11, 1975. Yet, if it fell today, its record would pale by comparison. The reservoir of good-will would be low and few would hanker for Rudd or Gillard.

Whitlam, however, is loved by his party and many in the community. Affection and loyalty walk arm in arm with him through the pages of history. He is a living lesson in political leadership.

Forty years ago, Whitlam was the Opposition Labor Leader who spoke to a generation of people who had known nothing other than the coalition in power in Canberra. Menzies was long gone and the government of William McMahon was a joke. Only the most rabidly partisan would deny it. The Liberals had disposed of their former leader, John Gorton, and opted for an overweeningly ambitious replacement who wasn’t up to the job. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

Drifting Into The New Year On Thin Gruel

Jan 27, 2011

The Australian political year is regarded as commencing around Australia Day. The Prime Minister’s National Press Club address today kicks off 2011.

But it’s a myth that politics in Australia stops over the summer holidays.

In fact, experience suggests leaders are often made, broken or changed in January. In the past, elections have been called, ministries reshuffled and major policies announced. In this way, the parameters of the new political year are set.

Sometimes it is only in retrospect that we can see how significant were the somnolent weeks of January. Who would have thought last January that Kevin Rudd had just made a fateful decision? Had he announced a climate change election on this day last year, we can but speculate what the political landscape would be like today.

For the people who work in and around politics, or follow it slavishly, there has been only one topic of conversation this January: the future of Julia Gillard. Even for those with only a passing interest in politics, there has been but one question: “How do you think she’s going?” The question’s myriad variations all seek to know the same thing: will she last? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gillard Government, Opinion Tagged With: ,

2CC Commentary: Liberal Leadership & Climate Change

Jun 29, 2009

I appeared on Mark Parton’s breakfast show on Canberra Radio 2CC this morning.

Mark Parton, Radio 2CC Canberra

We touched on the state of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership of the Liberal Party, especially in the light of today’s opinion polls which show a significant collapse in coalition support and approval of Turnbull.

Click the PLAY button to listen to the discussion:

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Filed Under: Audio, Climate Change, Liberal Party, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

Costello To Quit Politics; Will Not Seek Or Accept Liberal Leadership

Nov 25, 2007

The Treasurer in the defeated coalition government, Peter Costello, has announced that he “will not seek and will not accept” the leadership or deputy leadership of the Liberal Party.

Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, Costello said: “I will continue to serve my constituents and in serving my constituents I hope that I will have a role to play perhaps mentoring some of the newer MPs.” Significantly, he did not commit to serving the full three years of the term he was elected to yesterday.

Costello said he “will be looking to build a career post-politics in the commercial world”.

Costello has been deputy leader of the Liberal Party since May 23, 1994. He was been Treasurer since the Howard government was elected in 1996. His decision to vacate the field will likely lead to a contest between outgoing ministers such as Malcolm Turnbull, Brendan Nelson, Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and Julie Bishop. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, Audio, Howard Government, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , , , , ,

“Australia’s Choice”: Howard Attempts To Frame The Election

Oct 14, 2007

Hours after announcing the November 24 federal election, Prime Minister John Howard has set the terms of the contest as the coalition sees it.

Howard argues that Australia requires the “right leadership”, a direct swipe at the ALP’s slogan, “New Leadership”.

He has stressed the need for experience to maintain the economic prosperity and national security of the nation.

The coalition is also campaigning on what it calls the ALP’s inexperience and domination by trade unions.

Howard warns against the lack of “balance” in “wall-to-wall” Labor governments in Federal, State and Territory parliaments.

This is the text of a statement by the Prime Minister, John Howard, circulated via email by the Liberal Party.

AUSTRALIA’S CHOICE

Today the Governor-General has accepted my advice for an election to be held on Saturday 24 November.

This election is about Australia’s future. It’s about the leadership Australia needs right now to stay strong, prosperous and secure.

Australia has come a long way in the last decade based on the hard work of all Australians and the tough decisions of the Coalition. Now we must make Australia even stronger.

This will not happen automatically. It will happen not through new leadership or old leadership. It requires the right leadership.

The right leadership is the team that knows how to do the job. The right leadership has the experience to further expand Australia’s prosperity and to ensure that everyone gets a fair share of it.

The right leadership is prepared to take unpopular decisions in the short term that will benefit the Australian community in the long term.

The right leadership is a group of men and women who will govern for all Australians and who will not be beholden to a narrow section of the Australian community.

The right leadership will tell the Australian people where it stands on issues and what it believes in. Love me or loathe me, the Australian people know where I stand and what I believe in.

At this election, the Australian people must decide who is better able to build Australia’s prosperity for the benefit of everyone. They must also decide who is better able to promote our national security and stand up for Australia’s interests abroad.

Is it a government with a proven track record on the economy and national security or is it a group of men and women 70 per cent of whom are former trade union officials?

In the weeks ahead, I will be unveiling detailed plans for Australia’s future. They will be both practical and achievable, underpinned by the Coalition’s record of putting the national interest ahead of sectional interests.

As part of our plan for growth and opportunity I commit today to a goal of full employment. Australia’s unemployment rate today is at a 33-year low. It can go even lower with the right policies.

There is no reason why Australia’s unemployment cannot have a three in front of it. If Labor is elected, its anti-small business policies mean unemployment will rise.

We will unveil policies to lift family living standards and to help sections of the community under pressure. Our plan for stronger communities will deliver better services, more choice and genuine help for Australians in need. It will put more power in the hands of local communities, including by giving communities a greater say in the running of their public hospitals.

In the weeks ahead, I will outline a plan to further reinforce Australia’s national security into the next decade. Our environment policies will tackle in a balanced way the great challenges of climate change and water security.

Our plan for Australia will also give voice to my passionate belief that we are One Australia based on a common citizenship, common loyalty and where all are entitled to equal justice.

The Coalition’s plan for Australia’s future has been carefully put together and builds on the strong decision-making of the last decade. Our plans are fully costed and affordable.

Labor is not ready to govern because it hasn’t done the hard work. Mr Rudd has plans for process; not for action. And his core convictions remain a mystery, both to him and, more importantly, to the Australian people.

If Labor is elected, Mr Rudd’s inexperience and lack of judgment would leave a vacuum at the heart of Australia’s government. That vacuum would be filled by a trade union movement determined to take back the running of the country.

And wall-to-wall Labor would mean no checks and balances in our Federation.

Our $1 trillion economy simply can’t afford it.

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, Howard Government, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , ,

Rudd Offers “New Leadership”

Oct 14, 2007

Kevin Rudd, Leader of the OppositionAustralia is facing “new” and “great” challenges and requires “new leadership”, according to the Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd.

Addressing a press conference in Brisbane, Rudd warned of a situation where “nothing changes” if the coalition is returned at the November 24 election.

Australia requires someone to say “the buck stops with me”, Rudd said, citing Labor policies on education, health, climate change, industrial relations and foreign affairs as areas requiring new leadership. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, A.L.P., Audio, Audio2007, Howard Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Howard Fails Vision For Australia Say Greens

Oct 14, 2007

This is the text of a statement released by the leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown.

It follows the Prime Minister’s announcement of the November 24 election.

The Prime Minister’s acceptance that “I take responsibility for everything that happens under my watch” highlights his failures on Iraq, climate change, water security, public hospitals and schools, Indigenous wellbeing, and the plight of 1.2 million pensioners, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“Howard claims the country needs right leadership when in fact it needs good green leadership.

Failure on global warming, forests, water and public transport means failure on economic vision.

His “balanced approach” has manifestly failed the nation in an age of massive, punishing climate impact on our economy,” Senator Brown said.

“His call for “balance” seems divorced from his unbalanced abuse of the Senate majority. The Greens will provide the balance the Howard years have robbed from Australia,” Senator Brown said.

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, Greens Tagged With: , ,

November 24: Howard Announces Federal Election

Oct 14, 2007

12.00pm

Australia is to go to the polls for a federal election on November 24. The announcement of the date has just been made in Canberra by the Prime Minister, John Howard.

  • Listen to Howard’s Election Announcement Press Conference:

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Addressing a press conference in Canberra, Howard said “this country does not need new leadership, it does not need old leadership, it needs the right leadership”.

He said Australia was enjoying a “remarkable level of prosperity” and committed his government to full employment and confirmed the Peter Costello would remain Treasurer and Alexander Downer Foreign Minister in a re-elected coalition government.

Howard talked of a “balanced approach” to climate change in the future.

He said he remained a “passionate believer” in “one Australia” and that the things that unite Australians are greater than the things that divide them.

The Prime Minister talked of the importance of “balance” and warned against a clean sweep of Labor governments in the Federal, State and Territory spheres. He warned against union influence in the ALP.

Howard said he looked forward to meeting with Australians over the coming six weeks.

The Parliament will be prorogued on Monday and dissolved on Wednesday. This means that people wishing to enrol to vote must do so by 8pm tomorrow night.

Howard said the government offered the most experience and a smooth transition to Peter Costello during the next term. There was “openness, clarity and predictability” on the coalition side and “instability” on the Labor side.

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, Audio, Audio2007, Howard Government, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , , ,

I’ll Retire During Next Term: Howard

Sep 12, 2007

John Howard bluffs his Party yet againJohn Howard has pledged to retire at some time during his fifth term as Prime Minister, assuming he is re-elected later this year.

Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 Report, Howard said:

“If the Australian people are good enough and kind enough to re-elect me again, there are a lot of things I want to do, and I would want to approach those things with enormous energy. But I would expect well into my term, and after those things have been implemented and battered down, I would probably, certainly form the view well into my term, that it makes sense for me to retire, and in those circumstances, I would expect, although it would be a matter for the Party to determine if Peter would take over.

“…I’ve thought this through, and what I’m saying to the Australian people is I want to be re-elected, there are a lot of things I want to do for them. But well into my term, I would come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interests of everybody if I retired, and in those circumstances, I would expect Peter to take over, but that would be a matter for the Party. Now, that is the honest truth, and I think most of your viewers believe it would be the case.”

Questioned on whether this means the Australian people will be asked to vote for not one but two prime ministers, Howard said:

“They’ll be voting for a team, and I think that’s good. I think actually this election if it’s a contest between teams as well as a contest between Howard and Rudd is a good thing … I’m asking people to vote for somebody who levels with them. I don’t think Steve Bracks and Peter Beattie levelled with their respective publics. I mean, what changed their circumstances between their elections and when they retired? I mean, the glib thing is to say to people you’re going to serve three years even though you know in your heart that may not be the case. Well, I am not going to embrace the glib option. That was the approach taken by others, it’s not the approach that I am going to take.”

Howard’s announcement will alter the dynamics of the forthcoming election campaign. The ALP can be expected to argue against the value of electing a prime minister who will not see out his 3-year term, whilst capitalising on the negative perceptions the polls indicate the electorate has about Peter Costello.

The campaign in Howard’s Sydney electorate of Bennelong will also be affected by today’s announcement. In his ABC interview, Howard left open the possibility of remaining in the Parliament as a backbencher following his retirement as prime minister.

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, Howard Government, Liberal Party Tagged With: , ,