PM GLOATS - FORGETS THE VETERAN'S VOTES

Government News Index

----- Original Message ----- From:

To: act@theaustralian.com.au ; are@cabooltushs.qld.edu.au ; cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; Claudia Taranto (02) 9950-3320 ; Coolum Newspaper ; dtmletr@matp.newsltd.com.au ; editorial@gcb.newsltd.com.au ; feedback@theaustralian.com.au ; feedback@wanews.com.au ; Gympie times ; inform@nine.com.au ; mercury.news@dbl.newsltd.com.au ;mmurphy@thechronicle.com.au ; mvanniekerk@theage.fairfax.com.au ; news@dailymercury.com.au ; newsdesk@theage.fairfax.com.au ; newsdesk@web.fairfax.com.au ; nsw@theaustralian.com.au ; Qld Newspapers ; queensland@theaustralian.com.au ; Quest ; sa@theaustralian.com.au ; Shelley Woods ; smonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; streport@matp.newsltd.com.au ; Sunshine Coast Daily ; tiser@adv.newsltd.com.au ; tooheyp@ntn.newsltd.com.au ; victoria@theaustralian.com.au ; visionpower@ozemail.com.au ; wa@theaustralian.com.au ; John Perrin ; Danna Vale

Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 2:58 PM

Subject: PM GLOATS - FORGETS THE VETERAN'S VOTES.

Upon reading the transcript of the PM's address to the NSW Liberal Party it took me several hours to calm down sufficiently to write this reply... my disgust is evident, and I trust the prudent use of adjectives is acceptable. PM GLOATS… FORGETS THE VETERAN’S VOTES…

When Prime Minister John Howard addressed the NSW Liberal State Convention on March 24, he stated that the Coalition Government was voted in by the Australian people to “keep Australia strong”

He stated “that expression of strength is many faceted”, and gloated that it could not be said that the Coalition government had not failed in that objective.

“Our economy is growing faster than that of any industrialised nation in the world”, he said , commenting that the United Kingdom’s growth rate is less than half what it is in Australia.

“In fact, Australia's economy is growing at ten times the rate of the OECD average, with a growth of 4.1% in the last 12 months”, he claimed.

Mr Howard proudly stated that our economy is the envy of the industrialised world. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer asked him about his recipe for success!

In the book of John Howard the reality is that this country is held in very high regard with “the rest of the world marvelling at our capacity not only to work our way through the Asian economic downturn of 1997 but also to avoid the impact of the downturn in the United States and in many other countries over the last year”.

“And it's been no accident”, said Mr. Howard, citing extra spending of surplus funds on roads, reducing petrol excise, on defence, on salinity and a whole host of other things as the redeeming factors.

Additional spending, according to our illustrious leader, “put a floor under the level of economic activity in Australia at exactly the same time as external events were exerting a weakening pressure on the Australian economy”.

“We have magnificently maintained the strength of the Australian economy and at the same time maintained the respect and esteem that Australia has around the world”.

Isn’t it a shame Mr. Howard, that that International respect you value so highly has cost the Australian Veteran so dearly?

Isn’t it a shame that in all that extra spending to put a floor under the level of economic activity in this country, the ‘floor’ had to fall out of the household budgets of those to whom this country owes most, simply because you failed to recognise them as a worthy investment?

You stated that your great criticism of the foreign policy approach of the Keating Government was it’s over-preoccupation with our own region.

“I never would suggest as Prime Minister, that the Asian Pacific region isn't the most important region of the world to Australia…where our destiny will always be”, you said, Mr. Howard, but you said it with your eye firmly on other parts of the world. Seeking to rebalance our foreign policy, by allying us with the United States, you have committed our best and finest yet again, and have the hide & temerity to boast that this relationship has never been in better condition at any time since World War II!

Mr Howard, how short your memory is… did you have a black out in the 1960’s & 70’s? Australian / US relationships were at an all time high then too, were set in concrete then too… once again because we sacrificed a whole generation of our young men on the altar of American greed & ‘gung ho interference’… do you recall ‘All the way with LBJ’?

But it’s better to forget that isn’t it Mr. Howard… after all, Asia is no longer an Australian priority, any more that our Veterans of Asian Wars are our priority…. Or come to that, our Veterans of any war, conflict, peacekeeping mission, or hazardous training. And let’s face it, the donning of an Australian Defence Force uniform is becoming a very hazardous occupation indeed.

You said at the Convention that the Australian American relationship “is a two way relationship built on self-respect”, citing the fact that you fought Bush on the steel tariff issue & won! The placing of that tariff was obscene in the first place, considering the fact that withdrawal in this instance was a win/win situation for America. Bush knows you won’t withdraw our troops from the ‘War’ on Terrorism… and you call it a two way relationship just because Bush agrees to pull out before the vinegar stroke?

F....ed is f....ed little Johnny… it’s the penetration that counts!

You were right about it being a two-way relationship though, Mr. Howard… we chuck men… they chuck money… but our Veterans don’t see any of it!

You spoke also on the need for further reform in small business, the need to become more productive by reforming labour markets. (I thought that had already been done when the introduction of GST created so many new welfare recipients who were once part of the small business community).

In the same breath you speak of restructuring Australia’s welfare system.

You stated that “the social security safety net is a notion of mutual obligation”.

You state that “we owe to the unfortunate in our community the dignity of safety net economic support”.

You stated “We are not a society that allows people to fall between the cracks and we should never be a society that takes the view that if you don't make it, well bad luck whatever the circumstances”.

You said that “it has always been the Australian way to look after people who, through no fault of their own, don't make it or temporarily find it hard to make it”, but then you ask these unfortunates “to give something back in return because it’s the modern Australian way.. that it endures widespread support and respect within the Australian community”.

Mr. Howard… you leave me flabbergasted!

YOU and your government have not only allowed our Veteran community to fall through the cracks… you have been there with a crow bar assisting them through the cracks… to reach all time lows!

You have consistently refused to index their compensatory payments, their pensions & their superannuation payments to the same standard as EVERY OTHER Australian welfare payment…. And Mr. Howard… their situation is NOT THEIR FAULT!

You consistently take away from them much of their entitlements by deeming their compensation as income in your wonderfully generous welfare system.

You consistently refuse to give them a benchmark like EVERY OTHER welfare recipient in the wonderfully modern & highly respected country has.

You say you want welfare recipients to ‘give something back’ in the ‘modern Australian way’… Well, Mr. Howard, read your own Veteran’s Entitlement Act… most of these poor buggars CAN’T give back, they’re neither capable, or allowed! Totally & Permanently Incapacitated means TOTALLY & PERMANENTLY… what do you want them to give back Mr Howard… you’ve already got the lot… and you got it in advance!

All of this at a time when you are creating more Australian Veterans in order to cement Australian American relations… Once again, Veterans are the mortar that holds together the incestuous, felatious relationship.

And then, to add insult to injury, you spend tax payers money to celebrate the multiculturalism in our Defence Forces, insensitively using ORANGE as a colour of celebration.

Mr. Howard… you have prostituted the Veteran community of this Country once too often, and forgive me for suggesting that what you’ve copped from them so far comes under the heading of foreplay…

You, Sir, will know the meaning of ‘f....ed’ when it gets to the point that not one Australian man or woman will step forward to help you climb further up George Bush’s backside, because they have seen what your Government does to Defence Force ‘has beens’!

In closing, Mr. Howard, I will quote one of your ‘heroes’, American President, George Washington…

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation".

Put your money where your mouth is Mr. Howard, before it’s too late for Australia… do something about our Veterans in THIS budget!

And just for good measure, here’s another good old American quote for you to chew over…

"OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME

SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER" -- Martin Luther King


	Government News Index site index HOME PM GLOATS - FORGETS THE VETERAN'S VOTES ----- Original Message ----- From: To: act@theaustralian.com.au ; are@cabooltushs.qld.edu.au ; cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; Claudia Taranto (02) 9950-3320 ; Coolum Newspaper ; dtmletr@matp.newsltd.com.au ; editorial@gcb.newsltd.com.au ; feedback@theaustralian.com.au ; feedback@wanews.com.au ; Gympie times ; inform@nine.com.au ; mercury.news@dbl.newsltd.com.au ;mmurphy@thechronicle.com.au ; mvanniekerk@theage.fairfax.com.au ; news@dailymercury.com.au ; newsdesk@theage.fairfax.com.au ; newsdesk@web.fairfax.com.au ; nsw@theaustralian.com.au ; Qld Newspapers ; queensland@theaustralian.com.au ; Quest ; sa@theaustralian.com.au ; Shelley Woods ; smonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; streport@matp.newsltd.com.au ; Sunshine Coast Daily ; tiser@adv.newsltd.com.au ; tooheyp@ntn.newsltd.com.au ; victoria@theaustralian.com.au ; visionpower@ozemail.com.au ; wa@theaustralian.com.au ; John Perrin ; Danna Vale Cc:many Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 2:58 PM Subject: PM GLOATS - FORGETS THE VETERAN'S VOTES. Upon reading the transcript of the PM's address to the NSW Liberal Party it took me several hours to calm down sufficiently to write this reply... my disgust is evident, and I trust the prudent use of adjectives is acceptable. PM GLOATS… FORGETS THE VETERAN’S VOTES… When Prime Minister John Howard addressed the NSW Liberal State Convention on March 24, he stated that the Coalition Government was voted in by the Australian people to “keep Australia strong” He stated “that expression of strength is many faceted”, and gloated that it could not be said that the Coalition government had not failed in that objective. “Our economy is growing faster than that of any industrialised nation in the world”, he said , commenting that the United Kingdom’s growth rate is less than half what it is in Australia. “In fact, Australia's economy is growing at ten times the rate of the OECD average, with a growth of 4.1% in the last 12 months”, he claimed. Mr Howard proudly stated that our economy is the envy of the industrialised world. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer asked him about his recipe for success! In the book of John Howard the reality is that this country is held in very high regard with “the rest of the world marvelling at our capacity not only to work our way through the Asian economic downturn of 1997 but also to avoid the impact of the downturn in the United States and in many other countries over the last year”. “And it's been no accident”, said Mr. Howard, citing extra spending of surplus funds on roads, reducing petrol excise, on defence, on salinity and a whole host of other things as the redeeming factors. Additional spending, according to our illustrious leader, “put a floor under the level of economic activity in Australia at exactly the same time as external events were exerting a weakening pressure on the Australian economy”. “We have magnificently maintained the strength of the Australian economy and at the same time maintained the respect and esteem that Australia has around the world”. Isn’t it a shame Mr. Howard, that that International respect you value so highly has cost the Australian Veteran so dearly? Isn’t it a shame that in all that extra spending to put a floor under the level of economic activity in this country, the ‘floor’ had to fall out of the household budgets of those to whom this country owes most, simply because you failed to recognise them as a worthy investment? You stated that your great criticism of the foreign policy approach of the Keating Government was it’s over-preoccupation with our own region. “I never would suggest as Prime Minister, that the Asian Pacific region isn't the most important region of the world to Australia…where our destiny will always be”, you said, Mr. Howard, but you said it with your eye firmly on other parts of the world. Seeking to rebalance our foreign policy, by allying us with the United States, you have committed our best and finest yet again, and have the hide & temerity to boast that this relationship has never been in better condition at any time since World War II! Mr Howard, how short your memory is… did you have a black out in the 1960’s & 70’s? Australian / US relationships were at an all time high then too, were set in concrete then too… once again because we sacrificed a whole generation of our young men on the altar of American greed & ‘gung ho interference’… do you recall ‘All the way with LBJ’? But it’s better to forget that isn’t it Mr. Howard… after all, Asia is no longer an Australian priority, any more that our Veterans of Asian Wars are our priority…. Or come to that, our Veterans of any war, conflict, peacekeeping mission, or hazardous training. And let’s face it, the donning of an Australian Defence Force uniform is becoming a very hazardous occupation indeed. You said at the Convention that the Australian American relationship “is a two way relationship built on self-respect”, citing the fact that you fought Bush on the steel tariff issue & won! The placing of that tariff was obscene in the first place, considering the fact that withdrawal in this instance was a win/win situation for America. Bush knows you won’t withdraw our troops from the ‘War’ on Terrorism… and you call it a two way relationship just because Bush agrees to pull out before the vinegar stroke? F....ed is f....ed little Johnny… it’s the penetration that counts! You were right about it being a two-way relationship though, Mr. Howard… we chuck men… they chuck money… but our Veterans don’t see any of it! You spoke also on the need for further reform in small business, the need to become more productive by reforming labour markets. (I thought that had already been done when the introduction of GST created so many new welfare recipients who were once part of the small business community). In the same breath you speak of restructuring Australia’s welfare system. You stated that “the social security safety net is a notion of mutual obligation”. You state that “we owe to the unfortunate in our community the dignity of safety net economic support”. You stated “We are not a society that allows people to fall between the cracks and we should never be a society that takes the view that if you don't make it, well bad luck whatever the circumstances”. You said that “it has always been the Australian way to look after people who, through no fault of their own, don't make it or temporarily find it hard to make it”, but then you ask these unfortunates “to give something back in return because it’s the modern Australian way.. that it endures widespread support and respect within the Australian community”. Mr. Howard… you leave me flabbergasted! YOU and your government have not only allowed our Veteran community to fall through the cracks… you have been there with a crow bar assisting them through the cracks… to reach all time lows! You have consistently refused to index their compensatory payments, their pensions & their superannuation payments to the same standard as EVERY OTHER Australian welfare payment…. And Mr. Howard… their situation is NOT THEIR FAULT! You consistently take away from them much of their entitlements by deeming their compensation as income in your wonderfully generous welfare system. You consistently refuse to give them a benchmark like EVERY OTHER welfare recipient in the wonderfully modern & highly respected country has. You say you want welfare recipients to ‘give something back’ in the ‘modern Australian way’… Well, Mr. Howard, read your own Veteran’s Entitlement Act… most of these poor buggars CAN’T give back, they’re neither capable, or allowed! Totally & Permanently Incapacitated means TOTALLY & PERMANENTLY… what do you want them to give back Mr Howard… you’ve already got the lot… and you got it in advance! All of this at a time when you are creating more Australian Veterans in order to cement Australian American relations… Once again, Veterans are the mortar that holds together the incestuous, felatious relationship. And then, to add insult to injury, you spend tax payers money to celebrate the multiculturalism in our Defence Forces, insensitively using ORANGE as a colour of celebration. Mr. Howard… you have prostituted the Veteran community of this Country once too often, and forgive me for suggesting that what you’ve copped from them so far comes under the heading of foreplay… You, Sir, will know the meaning of ‘f....ed’ when it gets to the point that not one Australian man or woman will step forward to help you climb further up George Bush’s backside, because they have seen what your Government does to Defence Force ‘has beens’! In closing, Mr. Howard, I will quote one of your ‘heroes’, American President, George Washington… "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation". Put your money where your mouth is Mr. Howard, before it’s too late for Australia… do something about our Veterans in THIS budget! And just for good measure, here’s another good old American quote for you to chew over… "OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER" -- Martin Luther King Very sincerely Maz Index