Setting the record straight

Letter to the editor The Northern Star 27 August 2013:

Can't go both ways

Can the Nationals be allowed out on their own? It is reported that, in a letter to Mr Albanese in late June this year, Mr Duncan Gay, NSW Minister for Roads and things, stated: "...NSW has received nearly $740million more than requested from the Federal Government..." for the Pacific Hwy upgrade.

In a press release in August encouraging voters to support Coalition candidates, Mr Gay stated: "Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese have turned off the (funding) tap for duplication of the highway from Newcastle to the Queensland border..."

Perhaps a little more central office oversight or possibly more rigorous vetting of Nationals propaganda is required.

Kevin Ruff

Casino

Letter to the editor The Daily Examiner 27 August 2013:

Hogan set straight

On July 31 on his Facebook campaign page, Nationals candidate in the Page electorate Kevin Hogan stated: "After six long years of Labor mismanagement, the Northern Rivers economy is nowhere near as strong as it could be. Debt has grown to record levels, unemployment has risen and local families are struggling with rising costs."
Sounds as though our region is in dire straits doesn't it? But how factual is that statement?
Looking first at the unemployment rate in those regions into which the Northern Rivers falls.
It was 16.2% for Richmond-Tweed and Mid North Coast in July 2013, down from 17% in November 2007 (ABS Cat. No. 6291.0.55.001) and across the Northern Rivers has been trending down since peaking during the global financial crisis (Regional Development Australia: Northern Rivers, 2013).
In fact: "The number of employed persons in regional NSW grew by 7.2% (85,000 persons) between 2008 and 2013. Newcastle experienced the largest growth (22,600 persons) followed closely by the Richmond-Tweed and Mid North Coast region (19,700 persons)," as cited in NSW Regional Labour Force Trends: Statistical Indicators 3/2013.
So local employment has actually grown during the almost six years there has been a Federal Labor Government.
Turning now to the regional economy.
Regional Development Australia's documents show that the Northern Rivers Gross Regional Product (GRP) has continued to grow annually. In 2008/9 it was $7.8billion, in 2009/10 it was $11.1billion and by 2011/12 the annual growth of GRP was 11.4% compared with overall NSW GRP growth at 2.2%.
Which means the Northern Rivers has been outperforming the state average when it comes to GRP growth - that doesn't happen if a regional economy is not reasonably strong.
Next, how are people faring in the Northern Rivers with cost-of-living pressures as opposed to lifestyle pressures?
Well, the Life Cost Index (LCI) for employee households rose 1.4% through the year to the June quarter 2013 compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which rose 2.4% through the year to the June quarter 2013 (Selected Living Cost Indexes, Australia, June 2013). In June 2007 when the Coalition was last in power, the CPI rose 3.1% for employees (Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types, June 2007).
However, if you are a self-funded retiree or receiving a Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pension, then the LCI and CPI percentage changes actually fell between June-September 2012 and March-June 2013 (ibid). Presumably because income/tax concessions/government cash transfer levels increased.
Comparing March-June 2007 with March-June 2013, then the CPI fell from being between 2.2-2.8% to 0.4% for those receiving Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pensions.
So when it comes to cost of living, Northern Rivers residents are not faring any worse under a Federal Labor Government.
Finally, the question of debt levels. Mr Hogan did not specify whether he was referring to Northern Rivers public or private debt, so looking for answers is a waste of effort at this time.
For the record, I have never been a member of a political party.

Judith M Melville

Yamba

Letter to the editor The Daily Examiner 28 August 2013:

Saddled with Tony

I was amazed to read in Saturday's Examiner that the Federal Opposition Leader claimed expenses for participating in community and charity events.

As I have participated in some of these events myself, including the BUPA challenge ride during the Tour Down Under in January this year and the Coffs Cycle Challenge earlier this month, I now find out that not only have I paid my own way to these events, but have help pay for Tony Abbott's way as well.

I have also assisted in organising fundraising events in both Queensland and NSW, all of which cost personal time and money, to give you an example.

In the most recent event, two months ago, the Brooms Head Fun Run that raised $2200 for the Westpac helicopter service, I travelled a total of 196km ie three trips to Brooms Head to set up the course, check on facilities and organise the day, set up signs and pick up trophies from Yamba.

On top of this the Lions Club members and other helpers on the day travelled a combined total of 400km and no one claims or gets paid expenses.

If you look at the Coffs Cycle Challenge, there would have been at least 40 people acting as marshals around the course, all using their own vehicles to get to their locations.

Our Mayor Richie Williamson has participated in our fun runs and I can bet you that he did not claim any expenses from the Clarence Valley Council.

And to say that Tony Abbott had other business to attend to would be incorrect because if these events were not on he would not have turned up.

He would be better off supporting these events with a cash donation.

This may only be small costs compared to the big picture, but it shows the contempt that our politicians show towards the general public that try and make our communities a better and more enjoyable place to live.

Ken Crampton OAM

Maclean

Letter to the Editor The Clarence Valley Review 28 August 2013:

Disempowering communities

The Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) have written to the Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis MP, about the Government’s proposed amendment to the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP)  dealing with Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries.

The Nannas are appalled that the Government is proposing to disempower local communities even further when it comes to mining development.

The proposed amendment means that the “significance” of the “resource” (be it a coal or gas or some other resource) becomes the central consideration in the approvals process.

This means that matters of importance to the local community – such as their amenity, health, water resources, and the natural environment – will be downgraded to minor considerations.

The Knitting Nannas fear that the Government is forgetting the importance of those people they are supposed to represent – the general community.  We also note that many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the continuation of governments’ anxiety to promote mining despite public unease.

We believe that this amendment to the SEPP should be abandoned in the interests of the general community and our children and grandchildren.

Leonie Blain

for the Knitting Nannas, Grafton

Abbott's Army is still a company of clowns

Brisbane Times 1 September 2013:

A volunteer for the Liberal National Party candidate aiming to unseat former treasurer Wayne Swan was convicted and jailed in the United Kingdom for making hoax terrorist threats.

Matthew Carney, 28, has been an active volunteer in LNP candidate Rob McGarvie's campaign in the northern Brisbane electorate of Lilley.

But Mr McGarvie said Mr Carney was a close family friend who deserved a second chance after the "stupid practical joke" that landed the then-24-year-old in jail....

So much for Abbott's 'real solutions' unity ticket

The Guardian 1 September 2013:

Open warfare has broken out between the Liberal and the National parties with New South Wales National senator Fiona Nash joining her party leader, Warren Truss, in attacking the Liberal shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, for being “disconnected” from regional Australia.

The war began over Liberal party advertisements in the West Australian newspaper on Saturday which claimed credit for the $1bn national stronger regions fund Truss announced on Thursday.

The advertisement used a picture of the Coalition leadership team but Truss had been taken out and the word “national” had been removed from the fund’s title.

Tony Abbott caught doing the wrong thing out of misplaced vanity

The accompanying reporters on the factory floor seem to have all worn hair nets, but there was no protective hair net for Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott when he visited Cadbury's chocolate factory.

I would strongly advise staying away from all Cadbury products manufactured in Tasmania in August 2013.

However, that is not the only thing wrong with this picture.

While he was busy potentially contaminating chocolate, Tony Abbott also promised AUD $16M to US multinational Mondelēz International Inc (formerly Kraft Foods) to upgrade this factory.

By the June Quarter 2013 Mondelēz had announced assets of US $71.8 billion, net revenues of US $8.5 billion, gross profit of US $3.2 billion and, in the Asia Pacific region (which includes Australia) its power brands grew 15.5% led by Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, Oreo and Chips Ahoy! biscuits, Stride gumand Tang powdered beverages.

It has no urgent need of funding from Australian taxpayers.

Abbott’s $16 million can be seen as a blatant attempt to buy the votes of workers at the Cadbury factory who may never have felt the need to do the maths. 

*Photograph from The Age

Federal Labor's Janelle Saffin has an impressive list of achievements in the Page electorate

Janelle Saffin Federal Labor MP for Page - Achievements since December 2007

Is Joe Hockey a repeat offender when it comes to non-disclosure of pecuniary interests?

It must have irked the Murdoch media to have to run with this:

“Aspiring treasurer Joe Hockey has been caught breaching parliamentary rules after failing to declare a family interest for almost his entire 17-year career in federal parliament.

Mr Hockey declared the directorship of Steel Harbour Pty Ltd held by his wife, Melissa Babbage, in May last year among a series of "new positions" under spouse declaration rules. But business records show Ms Babbage was appointed to the role in 1998. Pecuniary interest register declarations are supposed to be made within a month. The revelations come after News Corp Australia revealed earlier this year Arthur Sinodinos, tipped to be Mr Hockey's right-hand man as finance minister in an Abbott government, failed to declare six company directorships in his first year in the upper house. The directorship blunder has emerged ahead of a key economic debate showdown between Mr Hockey and Treasurer Chris Bowen at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. Mr Hockey yesterday suggested he was clueless about his wife's business interests for 14 years and would not explain what the company did.”

However, what the Murdoch media failed to mention in that article was the fact that Mr. Hockey had been down this road before if the House of Representatives Hansard of 26 March 2007 is any guide:

Ms GILLARD (3:09 PM) —Mr Speaker, I have a question to you relating to the obligation of members to declare registrable interests. Can you investigate the reasons why the member for North Sydney did not declare his interest in Babbage Hockey Pty Ltd until 19 February 2007, more than 12 months after the company’s registration? Can you also investigate the reason why the member has failed to disclose his previous directorship of the company? Finally, can you advise the House whether the member’s claim that he was not required to declare the company because ‘we did not know what we were going to do with it’ is consistent with the obligations on members—

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms GILLARD —they are quite simple questions—to comply with House resolutions relating to the disclosure of interests? It is in the interests of all members of the House to be clear on these things.

The SPEAKER —I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. I do not believe that question time is the time to raise that issue; however, I will examine the points that she has raised. I will take those on notice and I will give further consideration to them.

Then there is this trading partnership (shown in the snapshot below) which perhaps requires further explanation, as it does not appear that in his Register of Members' Interests statement Mr. Hockey has informed the Parliament that the partnership has apparently been reactivated.

Click on image to enlarge

Abbott & Co's costings promise lasts less than three full days

Snapshot from Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Shadow Finance Minister Andrew Robb Joint Media Release 28 August 2013:

The Age 31 August 2013:

Tony Abbott.......has revealed he will not release detailed costings of his policy promises until the last few hours before the poll.

Coalition Policies and the Environment

In the election campaign both major parties are short-changing the environment but by far the weakest response to environmental issues comes from the Coalition.

The Coalition parties' attitude is encapsulated in a comment made by Nationals leader Warren Truss in an election broadcast – "You don't improve the environment by trashing the economy." Truss and many other politicians miss the point entirely when they speak of the economy and the environment as being separate entities with the economy the central matter. They do not understand that the economy and the human community are subsets of the natural environment.  A healthy economy is dependent ultimately on a healthy environment.

Politicians such as Warren Truss may learn this in the future as the effects of climate change start to impact severely on our way of life – and on the economy.

Truss' comment referred to the carbon tax which he and his Coalition allies have promised to abolish.

While the Coalition officially acknowledges that climate change is a problem, there is still the taint of climate scepticism about some Coalition politicians including the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.  His climate change is "absolute crap" statement was made some time ago but more recently we have had his disparaging comment about the "invisible substance".

Two major components of the Coalition's Direct Action policy on climate change are planting trees and paying farmers for storing carbon in their soils.  Another more significant one is paying polluters to reduce their emissions rather than making them pay for polluting.  Just how effective an incentive this will be in encouraging polluters to move to a low carbon economy is very doubtful.

There are serious questions about the effectiveness of this policy in meeting the target reductions to which the Coalition committed.  There are also questions about the cost of the scheme.  A recent report commissioned by the independent Climate Commission highlights the problems with the Coalition scheme.

http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/verve/_resources/TCI_CoalitionClimatePolicyandtheNationalClimateInterest_15August2013.pdf

For another view of the recent ALP-Coalition "debate" on Direct Action's likely effectiveness see Politifact   http://www.politifact.com.au/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/aug/20/mark-butler/how-much-direct-action-cost/

Another Coalition policy which has serious implications for the natural environment is the pledge to reduce what developers call "green tape" and to leave much environmental governance to the states.  The idea behind this is to make it easier for business and prevent duplication – naturally something business and industry applauds.  However, removing federal oversight is not in the interests of the natural environment or the broader community.  Consider, for example, what has happened to environmental regulation / environmental protection in NSW under the current state government where, for example,  marine reserve protection has been downgraded, national parks are to be opened up to recreational hunters and land-clearing regulations have been eased.  Giving the states either too much power or sole power on environmental protection is almost certain to be disastrous for the natural environment. 

The Coalition has committed $20 billion to road infrastructure but is ignoring investment in rail which is a much less carbon intensive method of transport.  According to the Australasian Railway Association (quoted in Smoke and mirrors, with no policy on smoke   http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/smoke-and-mirrors-with-no-policy-on-smoke-20130825-2sjoc.html) 14% - 76 million tonnes per year - of Australia's greenhouse emissions are generated by transport.  90 % of these emissions are attributable to road transport and only 2% to rail.  Investment in rail in this carbon-constrained world is sensible policy.  Why is this not obvious to Mr Abbott and his team?

Other policies/announcements which are cause for concern include:

* The scrapping of the Biodiversity Fund (originally $1 billion but which now stands at $600 million) and replacement with a $300 million "Green Army".
* Slashing of the $10 billion renewable energy fund and replacement with a $1 billion solar roofs program. Plans to review and possibly weaken the current renewable energy target.
* A proposal to build up to 100 dams throughout the country.

Simplistic sloganeering has been the hallmark of the Coalition in Opposition.  If they win government, they won't be able to rely on slogans.  Environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, and particularly preparing Australia for the climate challenge ahead, will test the new government.  The Coalition's policies show that it is ill-prepared to meet that challenge.

Hildegard

Northern Rivers

30 August 2013

* Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at gmail dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

Tony Abbott just can't help himself

Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott's love affair with his own Action Man image often sees him flashing the voters.

This screenshot featured on Twitter courtesy of @mrgrumpystephen .

Yet another Liberal candidate who has no idea about his own party's policy

ABC NEWS 20 August 2013:

A Liberal candidate in the northern Adelaide seat of Wakefield has admitted he does not know anything about the Coalition's climate change policy.

In a debate between Liberal candidate Tom Zorich and Labor member Nick Champion, mediator Peter van Onselen asked Mr Zorich to explain how the Coalition's Direct Action plan would work.

Mr Zorich told the audience he was not across the issue and did not have an answer.

"I will say to you as the candidate, as a candidate, as a candidate and a businessman I'm not across everything. My opponent has already acknowledged that. I'm sorry Pete, I haven't got much to tell you about that," he said.

Mr Zorich's response was met with jeers from the crowd.

He was then asked to explain why the Coalition had changed its policy from an Emissions Trading Scheme to Direct Action, and repeated he "did not have an answer for you here."

Mr Zorich was challenged about whether he should have understood his party's policy.

"I'm in a different sphere to where Nick Champion is and I will say to you now [I'm not] across all the issues Peter, and I will leave it at that," he said….

Media, politicians and political commentators get very public rap on knuckles over policy costings

Costings

• Australian Labor Party Costings - Dept. of Finance & Deregulation costings released
• Australian Greens Costings
• Coalition Costings - Parliamentary Budget Office costings not released by the Coalition parties to date*
• Provisional costings based on certain Coalition policies supplied to the Australian Labor Party, April-August 2013: Treasury Minute, Department of Finance Minute, Parliamentary Budget Office Minute
• Coalition media release outlining certain policy costings
• Australian Labor Party media release on the subject of Coalition costings

* National Broadband Network policy will not be independently costed by Parliamentary Budget Office

Joint media release with the Department of Finance and Deregulation

29 August 2013

There have been a series of reports today regarding costings undertaken by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

The Departments of Treasury and Finance were asked to prepare costings on policy options, which were provided to the Departments by the Government prior to the election being called. These costings were completed and submitted to the Government prior to the election being called. This is consistent with long-standing practice.

These costings were not prepared under the election costings commitments' process outlined in the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998.

At no stage prior to the Caretaker period has either Department costed Opposition policies.

Different costing assumptions, such as the start date of a policy, take up assumptions, indexation and the coverage that applies, will inevitably generate different financial outcomes.

The financial implications of a policy may also differ depending on whether the costing is presented on an underlying cash balance or fiscal balance basis.

The Treasury and Finance costings presented in the advice to Government reported today were presented on an underlying cash balance basis.

Dr Martin Parkinson PSM
Secretary
The Treasury

Department of the Treasury
Contact: Media Liaison
Telephone: (02) 6263 2300
MediaLiaison@treasury.gov.au

Mr David Tune PSM
Secretary
Department of Finance and Deregulation

Department of Finance and Deregulation
Contact: Amelia Huang
Telephone: (02) 6215 2222
media.enquiries@finance.gov.au

Parliamentary Budget Office Media release

29 August 2013

BASIS FOR PREPARATION OF PBO COSTINGS

“All PBO costings are prepared on the basis of the policy specifications provided by the parliamentary party or individual parliamentarian requesting the policy costing.”

The Parliamentary Budget Officer, Mr Phil Bowen, made this statement today in response to reports about the PBO’s role in preparing policy costings.

“PBO guidance issued on 9 May 2013 makes it clear that the PBO will not prepare costings of policies attributed to an individual parliamentarian or political party without the knowledge and active participation of that parliamentarian or political party in the costing process.

“When the PBO undertakes a confidential policy costing for an individual parliamentarian or political party, it relies solely on the policy details specified by that parliamentarian or political party.

“When an individual parliamentarian or a political party chooses to publicly release a PBO costing that has been prepared on a confidential basis for them, it is inappropriate to claim that the PBO has costed the policy of any other parliamentarian or political party.

“Unless all of the policy specifications were identical, the financial implications of the policy could vary markedly,” Mr Bowen stressed.

Contact: Phil Bowen, Parliamentary Budget Officer on (02) 6277 9510

UPDATE

Issue explained in Scott Steele tweets via No Fibs:

Abbott's paid parental leave scheme seen as way to outbreed women from the "low socioeconomic welfare groups"

Snapshot of the thoughts of Katrina Ludewig, a Brisbane-based sales executive at Signet Pty Ltd, writing on the Liberal Party Facebook page (Hat tip to theantibogan).

Ms. Ludewig appears to be engaged to a manager at Baker’s Delight in Tamworth NSW.

She has a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from Southern Cross University and, ‘likes’ Tony Abbott’s official Facebook election campaign page.

This is Abbott's ‘woman of calibre’ in person:

And this is the man she wants to breed with:

I hope that Signet, Baker’s Delight and Southern Cross University are enjoying all the publicity Ms. Ludewig is sending their way.

Competing Labor and Coalition NBN policies explained with a simple analogy

The Conversation on the subject of access to high speed optic cable internet connections, 22 August 2013:

If all this technical explanation is confusing, here’s a way to think about how both policies work. Suppose our major roads were sealed, minor roads were gravel, and access roads to homes were dirt. The ALP’s policy is like having all roads sealed, with 93% of access roads being sealed and the remaining 7% being upgraded to gravel. The Coalition’s policy is like having all minor roads sealed, but access roads will only be sealed if this is cheaper than gravel. If you want a sealed road to your home, you are welcome to pay for it yourself.

Metgasco Limited and its coal seam gas plans are a federal election issue in 2013

This is an advertisement published in The Northern Star on 29 August 2013, authorised by the NSW Australian Labor Party:

Coalition admits it will be clawing back over $9.4 billion from low income households to fund its 2013 election promises

On 28 August 2013 the Federal Coalition issued a joint media release unaccompanied by any supporting documentation.

This confirmed that any Abbott-led federal government intends to save $3.7 billion by removing the Low Income Superannuation Government Contribution, $1.1 billion by abolishing the Income Support Bonus, $4.6 billion by abolishing the School Kids Bonus and $1.6 billion by deferring the scheduled Superannuation Guarantee increase.

Which means that it will be predominately those Australians who can least afford it who are expected to subsidize over 29.74% of the Liberal-Nationals Coalition’s identified ‘savings’ over the current forward estimates period.

Australian Liberal-Nationals Coalition 28 August 2013 media release re election policies/promises costings

About that $1 billion that Abbott states was never cut from federal health funding

On 7 October 2003 the current Federal Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott became Minister for Health and Aging in the Howard Government – a position he held until December 2007.

These are the facts about the Australian Health Care Agreements 2003-2008 :

Each of the predecessor Agreements provided indexation formulae to account for growth and ageing of the population. The 1998–2003 Agreements also recognised that there was further "utilisation drift", that is increases in utilisation were occurring in the hospital sector over and above that which can be explained by population growth and ageing. This utilisation drift was in part the result of new technologies that allowed for treatments for conditions for which there was previously no hospital treatment. Utilisation also increased because of shifts in treatment from general practitioners' rooms and other ambulatory settings to same day hospital admission.

The 1998–2003 Agreements provided an escalation factor of 2.1% per annum over and above the growth caused by the increase in the rate of population for key elements of the grant. The 2003–08 Agreements reduced the utilisation drift factor to 1.7% and narrowed the applicable components of the grant, saving the Commonwealth Government about $1 billion from that provided for in the Forward Estimates. This reduction in growth provision was vociferously opposed by States and also by clinicians who were experiencing significant financial pressures on hospitals as a result of State Government funding constraints

In a 26 October 2007 radio interview with Mike Carlton, Tony Abbott admitted that there had been “a forward estimates adjustment” and agreed that “the share of federal government [health] funding has gone down from 45 per cent to 41 per cent since 1996”.

Australian Federal Election 2013: Kevin Hogan's KISS

Nationals candidate Kevin Hogan with his keep-it-simple-stupid approach to voters in the Page electorate.

This from a man who is falling in line behind Tony Abbott’s plan to remove a benefit paid to an estimated 10,000 people in the Page electorate worth hundreds of dollars a year for each one of these local folk.

As well as removing the Schoolkids Bonus which is an annual payment of $410 for each dependent primary school child and $820 for each dependent high school child of a parent or carer who gets Family Tax Benefit Part A – affecting thousands of families in the Page electorate.

* Image found at  @Captainturtle

Australian Federal Election 2013: Where's Tony Abbott's third daughter?

This is Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on the campaign trail with two of his daughters.

The third daughter, Louise, (pictured left) is rarely seen this time around and word is that it is more than living overseas that sees her avoiding ‘Dad’ while he is frenetically romancing voters.

Rumour has it that she is busy this year progressing the policies/aims of the current Australian Labor Government and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sen. Bob Carr, as an Executive Assistant with the Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Not something the Abbott team might want to admit perhaps?

Australia, UPR Report of Netherlands, 13th Universal Periodic Review (video)

31 May 2012

Ms. Louise Abbott Australia 

Universal Periodic Review of Netherlands , 15th Meeting, 13th Session of the Universal Periodic Review , UPR Extranet .

Statement on fissile material by Ms Louise Abbott, 12 March 2013

UPDATE:

Unable to resist placing his own political priorities above his daughter Louise, Tony Abbott has obviously leaked to the media that Louise is returning to Australia for the last week of his election campaign
Whether he wins or loses, her diplomatic career will always be suspect from this point onwards.

The Herald Sun 30 August 2013:

SHE'S been a notable absentee from the campaign trail but in a Father's Day gift, Tony Abbott's eldest daughter is coming home.

Louise Abbott, 24, is due to fly in from Switzerland on Sunday and will be her father's strongest behind the scenes supporter.....

Ms Abbott was constantly by her father's side during the 2010 campaign but is cautious about being involved in political events as she forges a diplomatic career....

UPDATE 2

Louise Abbott barely back on Australian soil and her father begins to use her in his election campaign via Twitter:

Tony Abbott ‏@TonyAbbottMHR 1 Sep

“@abbott_frances: @TonyAbbottMHR look who's here! pic.twitter.com/uOEJc9dtTt” Welcome home Louise!

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott promising to pay back a mate on the 2013 federal election campaign trail?

Abbott and Murdoch in April 2013

 US citizen and media magnate Rupert Murdoch continuing to assist Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s election chances in any way he can:

ABC News 21 August 2013:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has taken his federal election campaign back to Brisbane where he promised funding for the Broncos to expand its grounds…...

If elected, Mr Abbott says the Federal Coalition will provide $5 million to build a gym.

"Five million dollars from the Commonwealth towards a $21 million upgrade I think is a relatively modest contribution," Mr Abbott said.

News Corporation and its subsidiaries (including News Ltd and its subsidiaries) continue to have a major share in Brisbane Broncos Limited owning 68.87% as of 30 June 2013.

The Murdoch family reportedly control 38.4% of News Corporation voting stock.

According to the 2013 Half Yearly Report and Accounts submitted to the Australian Stock Exchange, Brisbane Broncos Limited has net assets valued at $26.6 million, total liabilities of $7.8 million, holds cash/cash equivalents of $15.1 million, has consolidated revenue of $19.2 million (including interest revenue of $386,578) and a profit before income tax so far this year of $2.7 million.

So how can a reasonable person not see Abbott's $5 million pledge as a pot sweetener for his most powerful backer?

* Photograph from Google Images

Liberal Party candidate Ray King has a major perception problem

The Sydney Morning Herald 17 August 2013:

The sister of controversial former policeman Roger Rogerson is working on the election campaign of Ray King, the Liberal Party candidate for the western Sydney seat of McMahon.

Mr King is under pressure after Fairfax Media revealed on Friday that he had been called to front the 1996 Wood royal commission on police corruption.

He admitted to being one of a group of Fairfield detectives who provided informal security services to the Italian community Marconi Club in exchange for free meals and alcohol.

He was also the subject of an internal affairs investigation over his association with Cabramatta brothel owner Salvatore ''Sammy'' Lapa. The pair were seen drinking together at the Marconi Club.