With furrowed brows, Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers are portrayed as men carrying the world on their shoulders, implying that the Labor Party is about to fracture and implode any day now (“Out of synch?” , October 17).
asserted
Party → portray → synch
The suggestion is made that the May budget has resulted in unintended inflation.
uncertain
budget → make → inflation
Yet that same budget was deemed by financial institutions to be only mildly inflationary.
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budget → deem → institutions
It turns out that the vast majority of expenditure has emanated from the private sector, dwarfing that which came from the public purse.
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which → turn → purse
We are told anecdotally that there is a sense of frustration among Labor MPs.
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We → tell → MPs
Yes, economic circumstances are tough, but the government chided for not using its big majority to implement bold reform is doing just that.
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government → chide → that
Chalmers is charged as being oversensitive to criticism whenever he makes an evidence-based counterattack against the half-truths, innuendos and questionable assertions made by the opposition and media elements who seek to undermine him.
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who → charge → him
The admission is made that he dragged the prime minister to make Josh Frydenberg’s tax cuts fairer.
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cuts → make → minister
The hullabaloo over the trusts issue misses the point that even the small percentage of people with trusts affected have alternative options to resort to.
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percentage → miss → options
The surcharge/credit card issue could have been handled better, but the agencies that deal with that now have until the end of the financial year to rectify that.
uncertain
that → handle → that
Also, bear in mind that Australia is one of only nine countries in the world with a triple-A credit rating with all three credit rating agencies.
asserted
Australia → bear → agencies
Several articles (October 17) speculate on relationship strain between, among others, the prime minister and treasurer within the ALP following the budget.
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articles → speculate → budget
Many Australians are looking for authentic government where members don’t scapegoat each other, accept responsibility for the odd inevitable oversight and work together for solutions.
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members → look → solutions
A little bit of bravery making changes that might be unpopular with some but benefit the country would be wonderful.
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that → make → country
Mary Anne Kennan, Burwood
I think the commentators are being unfair to Jim Chalmers.
asserted
commentators → think → Chalmers
He deserves credit for ending the negative gearing and capital gains rorts that benefited the wealthy at a time when the war in Iran and the customs aggression of the United States make life difficult internationally.
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life → deserve → States
Paul Sakkal’s report of the rift between the treasurer and the prime minister caused me to remember that the buck stops with the PM, not the treasurer.
asserted
buck → cause → PM
Articles in the Herald recently referred to Albanese’s micromanagement and refusal to listen, so one wonders why there is no criticism here of the PM’s performance.
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one → refer → performance
We could easily manage the budget if we had a leader who listened not only to experts but the people who elected him; axe AUKUS and start making the mining and gas companies pay their fair share of tax.
uncertain
companies → manage → tax
Even people without mortgages are sick of workers, pensioners and home owners being the ones to pay for Albanese’s policies.
asserted
workers → pay → policies
After reading the political coverage in Saturday’s Herald, is it any wonder the country finds itself in the doldrums?
asserted
country → read → doldrums
We have reports of tension between the PM and his treasurer over policy, evidence of largesse on the public purse by an aspiring One Nation leader (“Taxpayers foot bill for Newman’s luxury stays”, October 17), allegations of inappropriate behaviour by a Greens senator towards women and attempts to cover it up (“Greens’ secret dossier to bury senator claims”, October 17), and the Liberals in a spin over how to deal with AI (“Liberals in full spin cycle”, October 17).
uncertain
Taxpayers → have → cycle
It is abundantly clear that self-interest is overriding good governance.
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interest → override → governance
What I find extraordinary about the Greens’ handling of allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women is the apparent degree of co-ordination over so many years.
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find → find → years
A 47-page dossier, dating to 2016 and reportedly maintained for almost a decade, detailed how to manage media scrutiny and monitor party members discussing the allegations.
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dossier → date → allegations
How many people were involved?
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people → involve → ?
Who authorised it?
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Who → authorise → it
And how could such a strategy persist for nearly 10 years without being challenged?
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strategy → persist → years
Whether the allegations are ultimately substantiated is a separate question.
asserted
substantiated → substantiate → ?
What is clear is that considerable effort went into managing the allegations and those discussing them.
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effort → go → them
The sheer scale and duration of this co-ordinated effort are shocking.
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scale → co → effort
How could so many people have participated in something so fundamentally at odds with everything their party claims to stand for?
uncertain
party → participate → everything
This latest Steele-John alleged abuse cover-up is pretty well the straw that broke the camel’s back for a lot of voters, especially those who turned to the Greens because of the chaotic state of other parties.
asserted
who → allege → parties
Why can’t these extremely serious matters be dealt with swiftly for the reputation of the party rather than quietly set aside or swept under the carpet for the same reason?
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matters → deal → reason
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
I joined the Greens recently over their climate stance.
asserted
I → join → stance
My retirement job is dismantling appliances for the metals.
asserted
job → dismantle → metals
The mountains of plastic waste turn you green.
asserted
mountains → turn → you
But if the Greens knew about complaints against Senator Jordon Steele-John from 2017, which were updated, and even prepared media responses to hard questions, their leaders need to convince the punters that they have not, yet again, decided to act like the big boys and hide behind nice words.
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they → know → words
If Shoebridge or Hanson-Young knew something and didn’t act, they need to admit it and quit.
asserted
they → know → it
If they didn’t know, they or their minions failed the party and the electorate.
asserted
they → know → party
…and 63 more, not listed.
The Aporia
