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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/23/all-tony-abbott-wants-is-everything-tony-abbott-wants
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| All Tony Abbott wants is everything Tony Abbott wants | All Tony Abbott wants is everything Tony Abbott wants |
| (3 months later) | |
| This morning, Tony Abbott held a press conference in western Sydney to announce the federal government would install more CCTV in Campbelltown, as part of its $50m "safer streets" programme. This is at least the third time safer streets has been officially announced, and it's obvious why: after a huge backlash against the budget, Abbott needed an "announceable". He wanted a bit of political comfort food. | This morning, Tony Abbott held a press conference in western Sydney to announce the federal government would install more CCTV in Campbelltown, as part of its $50m "safer streets" programme. This is at least the third time safer streets has been officially announced, and it's obvious why: after a huge backlash against the budget, Abbott needed an "announceable". He wanted a bit of political comfort food. |
| "[Y]ou turn the cameras on, you turn the crime off. I think that’s what people want ... if you want the safety you need the cameras," he said about CCTV back in 2010. That's Abbott straight up and down. Instead of prosecuting the big picture intellectual and political case for an issue, like the budget, it's just "an act of political necessity, because there is no alternative". | "[Y]ou turn the cameras on, you turn the crime off. I think that’s what people want ... if you want the safety you need the cameras," he said about CCTV back in 2010. That's Abbott straight up and down. Instead of prosecuting the big picture intellectual and political case for an issue, like the budget, it's just "an act of political necessity, because there is no alternative". |
| In the prime minister's world, there are never options, just wants: | In the prime minister's world, there are never options, just wants: |
| "[I]f you want to improve productivity, change the Fair Work Act. If you want to reduce power prices, scrap the carbon tax. If you want to stop the boats, be prepared to turn them around where it's safe to do so and if you want to boost confidence, well name the election date..." | "[I]f you want to improve productivity, change the Fair Work Act. If you want to reduce power prices, scrap the carbon tax. If you want to stop the boats, be prepared to turn them around where it's safe to do so and if you want to boost confidence, well name the election date..." |
| "If you want a new way you've got to choose a new government." | "If you want a new way you've got to choose a new government." |
| "[I]f you want to get John Howard's results you've got to have John Howard's resolve." | "[I]f you want to get John Howard's results you've got to have John Howard's resolve." |
| "[I]f you want to fix the environment you can do what the Coalition is proposing to do..." | "[I]f you want to fix the environment you can do what the Coalition is proposing to do..." |
| "[I]f you want to change the government, you’ve got to change the local member here in La Trobe", "in New England", "in Blair", "Campbell Newman in Ashgrove". | |
| [I]f you want to get your cost of living pressures down, if you want to get your job security up ... If you want to see less pressure on your cost of living, if you want to see less pressure on your small business, if you want to see more job security, vote for the Coalition." | [I]f you want to get your cost of living pressures down, if you want to get your job security up ... If you want to see less pressure on your cost of living, if you want to see less pressure on your small business, if you want to see more job security, vote for the Coalition." |
| "[I]f you want real change, if you want a strong and stable and unified government, there has got to be an election and there has got to be a vote for the Coalition." | "[I]f you want real change, if you want a strong and stable and unified government, there has got to be an election and there has got to be a vote for the Coalition." |
| "Well, if you want to have a poll, let's have an election. I mean, if you want to give me a poll of former Liberal leaders that's fine, but the real poll is a poll of the Australian public." | "Well, if you want to have a poll, let's have an election. I mean, if you want to give me a poll of former Liberal leaders that's fine, but the real poll is a poll of the Australian public." |
| "If you want to know who to vote for, I'm the guy with the not bad-looking daughters." | "If you want to know who to vote for, I'm the guy with the not bad-looking daughters." |
| Talk about the age of entitlement! Presumably people did want at least some of those things. But that was before the budget. Now there are different wants, and most of them are the prime minister's: | Talk about the age of entitlement! Presumably people did want at least some of those things. But that was before the budget. Now there are different wants, and most of them are the prime minister's: |
| On roads: "[I]f you want a strong economy into the future, you have got to ensure that you have the infrastructure that will enable it to happen. As I kept saying, this is a budget of building as well as of saving." | On roads: "[I]f you want a strong economy into the future, you have got to ensure that you have the infrastructure that will enable it to happen. As I kept saying, this is a budget of building as well as of saving." |
| On medicare co-payments, from February: "[N]othing is being considered, nothing has been proposed, nothing is planned ... if you want to look at what’s actually happened to Medicare, the only person in recent times who has cut Medicare was the former [Labor] health minister." | On medicare co-payments, from February: "[N]othing is being considered, nothing has been proposed, nothing is planned ... if you want to look at what’s actually happened to Medicare, the only person in recent times who has cut Medicare was the former [Labor] health minister." |
| "[I]f you want to do the right thing by everyone, including women who quite rightly expect to have a career and families too, we need a fair dinkum paid parental leave scheme." | "[I]f you want to do the right thing by everyone, including women who quite rightly expect to have a career and families too, we need a fair dinkum paid parental leave scheme." |
| "If you want to get rid of these anti-Western Australian taxes ... that means voting Liberal." | "If you want to get rid of these anti-Western Australian taxes ... that means voting Liberal." |
| "[I]f you want a terrific human being ... vote for Bill Glasson." | "[I]f you want a terrific human being ... vote for Bill Glasson." |
| "Yes, and if you want government support and you are under 30 and you’re work-ready and you can’t get a job – well, go out and get the training that will help you to get a job." | "Yes, and if you want government support and you are under 30 and you’re work-ready and you can’t get a job – well, go out and get the training that will help you to get a job." |
| On penalty rates: "[I]f you want to keep your café or restaurant open on a Sunday or on a public holiday, it’s very expensive ... last Easter in Sydney, it was very hard to get a cup of coffee outside well known tourist destinations and I think that’s a pity." | On penalty rates: "[I]f you want to keep your café or restaurant open on a Sunday or on a public holiday, it’s very expensive ... last Easter in Sydney, it was very hard to get a cup of coffee outside well known tourist destinations and I think that’s a pity." |
| "[I]f you want to relax with a cig ... it’s a free country." | "[I]f you want to relax with a cig ... it’s a free country." |
| Journalist: "If you want to prepare for the future and the appointment of women into the Cabinet, shouldn’t you be bringing women into the lower rungs right now? Why only one woman there?" | Journalist: "If you want to prepare for the future and the appointment of women into the Cabinet, shouldn’t you be bringing women into the lower rungs right now? Why only one woman there?" |
| Abbott: "Well, as I said, there are strong and capable women knocking on the door of the Cabinet..." | Abbott: "Well, as I said, there are strong and capable women knocking on the door of the Cabinet..." |
| "If you want serious change and I think the public indicated that they do want serious change, the Labor party needs to learn its lessons..." | "If you want serious change and I think the public indicated that they do want serious change, the Labor party needs to learn its lessons..." |
| Radio presenter Neil Mitchell: "If you want to speak with the prime minister, 9690 0693" | Radio presenter Neil Mitchell: "If you want to speak with the prime minister, 9690 0693" |
| With so many competing wants, it's no mystery that the budget hasn't been received well. Across the political spectrum, analysts have shown that it doesn't begin to address the Coalition's big picture "crisis" message. | With so many competing wants, it's no mystery that the budget hasn't been received well. Across the political spectrum, analysts have shown that it doesn't begin to address the Coalition's big picture "crisis" message. |
| As Stephen Koukoulas wrote in Guardian Australia, "the 'tough' decisions in the Abbott government budget ... do little more than fund a raft of its pet spending projects". The Institute of Public Affairs' Chris Berg, who would normally be more sympathetic to the Coalition, wrote in The Age that "ultimately, a party which was elected promising to reduce the size of government and reduce taxes, will preside over large expenditure growth and is hiking, not axing, tax". | As Stephen Koukoulas wrote in Guardian Australia, "the 'tough' decisions in the Abbott government budget ... do little more than fund a raft of its pet spending projects". The Institute of Public Affairs' Chris Berg, who would normally be more sympathetic to the Coalition, wrote in The Age that "ultimately, a party which was elected promising to reduce the size of government and reduce taxes, will preside over large expenditure growth and is hiking, not axing, tax". |
| Abbott's post-budget sell has been difficult. The Coalition's "end of the age of entitlement" theme has been troubled by big spending announcements for Coalition programs, including $245m for school chaplains and the huge sums spent on border control. | Abbott's post-budget sell has been difficult. The Coalition's "end of the age of entitlement" theme has been troubled by big spending announcements for Coalition programs, including $245m for school chaplains and the huge sums spent on border control. |
| The contrast between the "crippling levels of debt" many students may face as a result of the Coalition's changes to higher education, and Guardian Australia's recent reporting about Abbott's daughter's $60,000 scholarship, is also pronounced. So what does the prime minister want? Just to be left alone: | The contrast between the "crippling levels of debt" many students may face as a result of the Coalition's changes to higher education, and Guardian Australia's recent reporting about Abbott's daughter's $60,000 scholarship, is also pronounced. So what does the prime minister want? Just to be left alone: |
| “I know this is something that The Guardian is obsessive about and, fair enough, if you want to have these obsessions, go for it." | “I know this is something that The Guardian is obsessive about and, fair enough, if you want to have these obsessions, go for it." |
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