Not that the Libs are any better- nobody in their right mind would expect them to be. If they are actualling going to increase pensions (and I can’t quite believe that, given their history), it will only be for those people they call the “deserving” poor.

You say “But, really, it’s a ridiculous way to govern the country - decide who’s “needy” (or who might be a powerful demographic electorally) and fling cash at them!”

Really? You just skewered the entire Rudd election strategy from last year. Have you forgotten “working families”?

Most of what any government does is “decide who’s needy….and fling cash at them”. That’s why governments tax people and then redistribute it to those who are sick, elderly, uneducated, poor, etc.

While there is probably a case to recognise non-conjugal relationships (as is done in Tasmania’s two-level partnership registration / civil union scheme), this denial of the sex in same-sex couples needs to be challenged.

This delaying of this long overdue reform to super is homophobia, pure and simple.

I am absolutely sick of this bullsh*t that pensioners are $900 better off this year. THEY ARE NOT!! Only seniors and carers are better off. Disabvled pensioners and single parents are NOT better off! Plese stop spreading Rudd’s lies by omission.

And even seniors and carers are $400 better off compared to this year. Though perhaps if the pre-budget rumours were correct then they are $900 better off than where the Labor party wanted them to be before the public backlash. Perhaps thats why people are getting confused.

Last August the Libs used their Senate numbers to block a Senate Committee Inquiry into legislation that would have implement the recommendations of the HREOC report into same sex couple discrimination, using the excuse that HREOC had already examined the matter. To now say this legislation can’t be passed without a Senate Committee examination really is beyond a joke, especially given the absurd crap about the supposed impact on the institution of marriage.

By 2005 even John Howard was saying he didn’t support economic discrimination against same sex couples, even though he still opposed formal recognition of gay marriage (he never did anything about removing that discrimination of course, but at least he stopped vilifying people to justify his inaction - looks like even that figlead has disappeared).

He is probably left wing of Brian Harradine but the jury is still out.

There’s no point yelling “look at me” when you’ve go no clothes on and it’s bloody cold outside. People won’t bother to look at all next time.

In any case, pensioners are $900 better off next financial year and the promise of re-examining the basis for pension indexation is a much more sound basis for improving living standards then one-off handouts.

$900 better of compared to this year? That may be Labor propaganda, but its not true.

And Emo Man has just decided lesbian and gay people aren’t deserving, I suppose.

And Labor support lesbian and gay people so much that they stopped the ACT from passing legislation allowing civil unions (after saying while in opposition it should be up to the local voters to decide!). Even the local ACT Labor senator refused to support the people she represents after criticising the Howard government when they blocked the legislation.

Though I won’t disagree that Nelson is pretty hopeless as an opposition leader. He seems to be incapable of coming across as genuine when interviewed.

…and it doesn’t matter if at the same time he completely trashes the Liberal claim of being ‘better economic managers” while he is keeping the seat warm.

Two billion here, .5 billion there, another billion over there - it doesn’t matter, it’s only numbers. AND there is a $20 billion surplus although they better not have too many more ‘holes’ because at that rate it won’t take long before they have no surplus at all.

You’ve certainly got on the Rudd coloured glasses if you can’t see that he’s been rattled in the past two weeks. What was the point of getting the PS offside? Why buy into the Henson furore? Why waste so much time debating fuel watch? I put it all down to his silly comment that ‘we’ve done all we can do’ - oh really, after 6 months?

As for Nelson - he’s never going to be elected. He’s just a speed hump in the road of the next Lib PM. His job in the short term is to keep Rudd off balance.

1) The budget is in massive surplus - where’s the hole?

2) The tax windfall on high petrol prices is over and above the budget surplus - it’s a surplus on a surplus!

Rudd looks completely off-balance since his ‘we’ve done all we can’ comment and Nelson is sensibly (from an opposition perspective) keeping him unbalanced.

Fine - it certainly wasn’t the way to go early in Ruddster’s reign, but he’s had an attack of the wobbles in the last two weeks. When they wobble in politics - it’s usually a good idea to keep on pushing.

I can also feel a double dissolution coming on.