Why Abbott needs to get the knife out

I wonder whether Tony Abbott will read this noteworthy story, never mind act on it (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). Nevertheless a important indication will be whether he moves Joe Hockey to a more appropriate portfolio and keeps Barnaby Joyce far away from all TV cameras.

Its true the people who have most to lose will probably be voting Abbott in. Still there is a chance that common sense will prevail. (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11)

A very good synopsis of what the new PM will have to do. (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11)
The biggest issue.
Price X Quantity = Total Cost of Public Service.
Kevin Rudd bought John Howard's senior Public Servants. And with that, the total cost of the Public Service rose. Oh if you are suddenly “worth” X, then me below is suddenly worth Y, etc. A domino effect.
And the nation cannot afford our sacred cows. They can and should benchmark key positions from far more responsible positions overseas based on what they are being paid.
And wind the cost back for far less responsibility, lower cost of living here in Australia. And that includes the perks. And as your article says; be ruthless! Because the Gillard/Swan "Business Model" is sending us broke!
And compared to what many SME business are paying themselves, where the cost of failing is far higher. The Public Service is still a holiday camp!
So not only the price points, but the number(s) has to be wound back.
We want:
1. lower cost of Public Service;
2. lower price points of what we pay for service;
3. better service. Eg. we still do not have decent roads between Sydney and Brisbane. We pay huge sacred cow wages for no “service” or assets (infrastructure) or decisions. They are in la la land making decisions not for Australians (or Australia) but for every banana grower, apple grower, motor vehicle manufacturer or “investor” of key Australian assets around the world;
5. repayment of hocking the nation to their extravagant lifestyle;
6. those Public Servants who have left Public Service; can their entitlements be wound back?
We are importing and not being disrespectful, millions of tons of food ex China. We in relative terms are “unpolluted”. It should be the other way around; “but for” dysfunctional labour laws (and of course cost of leasing; another story).
Time to wake up!

Abbott has proven himself a shrewd planner. There is no doubt that he is developing his list of detailed activities for the first 100 days in office. (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, Feburary 11)
Unwinding Labor's tax mess and rebuilding business confidence will feature very prominently.

This article is quite right in pointing out that the Abbott front really does not consist of anything of substance. (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11)
In fact the closest thing it has to a worldview seems to be a combination of hate campaign, pointless and damaging obstructionism, denial of scientific reality, incitement of racist aittutudes towards refugees, and a determination to support the rich and powerful against the hordes of disadvantaged and dispossessed.
Under a regime with the Abbott front's present attitudes we can expect no protection for Australian industry and innovation against globalisation, no protection of our working people against enslaved workforces under repressive regimes, and no advancement in practical communications technology - that combined with repressive industrial legislation and a cutback in welfare services.
This is the populist front that a large sector of a monopolised media, through a campaign of constant vilification of members of the present Government, wants to thrust on the people of Australia - people who during the last few difficult years have been brought through in better condition than almost any other nation. There's gratitude for you!
Never has there been such a combination of media whores and shock jocks, combined with an astroturfing campaign, rallied to such an orchestrated campaign of negativity. The consequent industrial, social, and political chaos will be entirely down to them
Hopefully the Australian people will see through this - and if it does I hope that the next Government sets up a Royal Commission into media monopoly, and proceeds on that basis to demand the break up of these conglomerates, and an end to cross media ownership, in the interests of diversity of opinion and freedom of speech. It is time that certain media billionaires recognised that they are not - and never will be the de facto rulers of 21st century constitutional democracies.

One day, someone with the gifted mental acuity of Phil Clarke, will compose a list of all the ALP policies that the coalition should have been more positive about (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). He will be propounding next that Julia Gilard is the best Prime Minister Australia has ever had, and the workplace has never been more co-operative, and the cumulative deficits under Swan, a stroke of genius.

@Phil Clarke. That's a nasty little rant that I'm surprised got through the moderator. Words like "hate" and "whore" are probably uncalled for.
Anyway, I agree with all that the article says (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). Turnbull needs to play a large part. Either as treasurer or at least a super-portfolio covering several tricky policy areas. It would seem he's their best MP. I just hope that Abbott doesn't hobble him out of fear of a later challenge. That'd be putting himself before Australia. Not reshuffling the cabinet on taking office is stupid.

Georgeous rheteric from Phil Clarke (comment:Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11) but devoid of facts. If Australia has "hordes" of disadvantaged and dispossessed, then God help all other nations, with Australia being probably the world's most affluent and equitable society. And if things were this bad what on earth have these wonderful Labor governments been doing for the 19 of the last 30 years they have been in power? I think I know the answer - they've been thwarted by the wicked Murdoch controlled media. Off with their heads!

Phil Clake has missed the moot point in Labors saving the population from the GFC (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). It was all done with smoke and mirrors and lots and lots of borrowed money. Now people everywhere love freebies, but at the end of the day, someone has to pay for them, and there are in Australia at present, very few taxpayers who are not on the Government handout scheme, so where is the money going to come from to repay the debt and return Australians to reality.
As to the Australian media bias, the ABC currently balances any perceived media bias from all the other outlets.
Australia needs a wake-up call. We cannot continue to live on Government largesse forever. We now operate in a Global Society, and if anyone believes we can function with our collective businesses with their hands bould by massive labour regulation, then they are living in cloud cookoo land

Good point to be prepared, but I don't think there is that much of difference yet in people minds on either sides of politics, at the end of the day, super and retirement and threat of extra taxes could well be the deciding factor, it is even possible that the leaders may change, Kevin, Bill on one side, Malcolm on the other, the voter is already prepared, knowing it can't elect the leader and does not select the candidate to be place in the ballot, it is done in the party room full of "legalmentarians" not real policy makers!
(Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, Feburary 11.)

Don Gilbert - Your Item 6. Most public servants receive very meagre entitlements, yet they have salary-sacrificed for decades (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).
Better to wind back the generosity of superannuation tax rorts for the well-off, and the rorts of the whole welfare system.
We need a social insurance system, not welfare.
We need far less (environmentally destructive) consumerism and more environmentally public goods/services.
And we need far fewer people, especially the unproductive ones.

I remember listening to Phil Clark in 1964 when he was hahawing raves from Radio East Berlin. It just has to be him, déjà vu is telling me. If he ain’t a commo I am a Priest. :-D
The article by Drysdale is well thought. Just let’s hope that Abbot takes note (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).

One can hope the LNP have some decent policies, but so far it's hard to tell since the loudest thing coming from them is one hand clapping (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).
I do wonder how "tricky" following your advice would make Abbott. It seems like you advising him to not be up front with the electorate on all his policies, and to then enact a lot of slash and burn away from public eyes.

The biggest "freebees" are the over 60 retirees (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). Many of these have over one million dollars in assets. Middle class and paying no tax thanks to the pork barrelling of Peter Costello. The other issue costing Australia is wealthy retirees structing their affairs so they can receive a tiny aged pension and thus all the additional freebees. These people don't need these benefits, they just expect them. The closing of these two loopholes will save Australia billions in costs and lost revenue. Will Tony Abbott have the courage to tackle this middle class and upper class welfare? I doubt it.

Very interesting article. I support its main points. But, Abbott will need to keep in mind what happened to Kennett: he was prematurely thrown out of office by a weary electorate (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).

The first thong Abbott should do is get rid of the multiple ministers and parliamentary secretaries who plague us (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).
One department = one minister.

Many people live in a political wonder world when they write and comment (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11.)with such belief on what a utopia heaven politicians will lead us to when they are elected. You have to have total blind belief to accept that those who govern us will shower down wisdom, be strong and not be pushed and pulled by very strong vested interests.
This writer was a former adviser to two senior politicians so surely he knows how true life is but then again we all realise when we get to the "age of wisdom" that life is only play acted by all of us actors and we then will look back on how we were all scammed.

I agree that the Public Service could be trimmed and the rankings could be constrained. Of course some Ministers like to have big departments, so they work to get them. Permanent Secretaries had problems, but politicised Secretaries probably have greater ones (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). On a much smaller scale, the ballooning numbers of "staffers", who we pay for, could be looked at also.

The article provides sage advice, and I don't think any elected government would disagree (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11).
If Abbott is elected it will be for all the wrong reasons, so I very much doubt he will have the luxury of adopting any of the recommendations.
While I agree the public service has become bloated, sacking staff is not a short term answer, as government spending is the only thing keeping our east coast economy afloat. Maybe something for the second term?

Abbott should start with the ministers who have vast numbers of staff,huge salaries,perks and a superannuation scheme made in corrupt ridden canberra. what about the overseas trips made by the ministers,staff and any other parasite who travels on not their own money,but at the taxpayers expense (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 11). What about reigning in the astronomical pay structure for the CEO's of the ASX listed companies. Will not happen? no. just make the idiots that cannot protect themselves pay taxes that are bankrupting this country.

The people who praise Kennett in any shape or form are simply delusional and are far away from any knowledge of the Kennett legacy (Why Abbott needs to get the knife out, February 12). He put a charge of 100 dollars on every property. he sold off public housing. He flogged off public transport,the sec etc.We are now reaping the effects of his squandering of money, privatisation of not his assets, but supposedly public owned infrastucture,and he introduced gambling in a big way. He is one of the worst examples of what a politician or any one in charge of anything can and shouild do.