from the SMH

A Coalition government would charge big business a levy to fund a six-month paid parental leave scheme.

Speaking in Sydney on International Women's Day, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said it would pay new parents the equivalent of their salaries up to $150,000.

He estimates his plan to charge a 1.7 per cent levy on businesses earning more than $5 million a year would raise $2.7 billion a year.

Opposition Deputy Leader Julie Bishop, the most senior woman on the Coalition front bench, said the scheme was generous.

"But it's appropriate because we want to see more women in the workforce," Ms Bishop told Sky News.

The Coalition scheme is more generous than the government's 18-week paid parental leave scheme, which will come into effect in January 2011.

Labor's program is costed at $260 million a year, and is paid for without a levy on business.

BIG business has universally condemned a plan by Tony Abbott to hit the top 3200 companies with a $2.7 billion tax rise to fund a national system of six months' paid parental leave.

Breaking a promise that no election policies would be funded by new or increased taxes, the Opposition Leader proposed yesterday to fund his parental leave scheme by increasing corporate tax by 1.7 per cent on all taxable company income of more than $5 million.

All primary carers would receive their full salary for 26 weeks, capped at salaries up to $150,000. For example, someone earning $40,000 a year would receive $20,000 over the six months while someone on $150,000 would receive $75,000.

The scheme aims to outdo Labor's $260 million taxpayer-funded policy, which would pay all primary carers the minimum wage of $544 a week for 18 weeks.

------------------

Yes, Tony, the master of selling porkies, is all about illusionary offerings that cannot be fulfilled... And he knows it...

And of course this morning on the Alan Jones radio show (where the porkie master, Abbott, was "interviewed" about his great new idea, a caller blasted "the government" for being too generous with handouts... : "in my day", the caller went on like a pricked dorothy-dixer, "we had to move out west to get a house... These days everything is handed out to THEM..." to which the Jones — having worked as a mouth-piece for a Prime Minister in the early 1980s — explained ALL about "worker's rights", such as sick leave, holiday pay and other things (... that, as a Gus aside, Tony was/is trying to slash with his Pork-Choices)... Amazing!!! Jones the defender of workers entitlements!!!

But soon all was well in Jones right-wing-hubris as "Tony is so-oooo INTELLIGENT" as to dream a scheme that is "far superior to that of Labor".. (but of course cannot be funded without raising an impossibly hefty levy-not-a-new-tax. See, Jones HATES Labor but warms up to Kristina Keneally — Labor Premier of New South Wales — [Jones is so-ooooo "complex" a character...])... The reaction of big business was predictable: "get stuffed, Tony, Ah ah ah... good joke Tony" ... But as Alan Jones intimated: "things" are so expensive now, especially in Sydney where most couple cannot afford having a job and having kids — (and a house) — at the same time... And, apparently the consensus was reached inside the studio, that basically everyone was as poor as Charles Dickens' Oliver and forced to beg in the streets... My eyes cried with generous sorrow for their plight as, looking at my own bank account, that's all I can afford...

And did I laugh my head-off when another soap-boxed caller prodded the blabber-mouth to get his teeth into Obama and the global warming theorists... What came our did not have any inkling of sense — just white rage about commies and presidential incompetence brough on for not having managed anything before ... Of course, in Jones' mind, Bush was a genius, and Obama, the pits — forgetting that all Bush's "ventures" (daddy-funded) in the real world WENT BANKRUPT. Arse up.

The modulated hubrist made by motor-mouth was that the problem faced in Yamerika, mainly unemployment and financial crisis, was OBAMA's FAULT... Forgetting that important time-lag and inheritance, that Bush Junior, dressed in his fake-bomber jacket, had started the nose-dive, including starting wars that are basically impossible to win, and crashed the whole shamboooola — passing on the bent steering-column of a wrecked country to the next president.

So baby-tantrum-ish, that I felt like giving Jones a lollipop. And here it is... There, there...

Er... No... have a raspberry. Mouah..

And I'm still laughing...

The Australian Industry Group's Heather Ridout says the scheme is not up to scratch.

"I think Tony Abbott has never really believed in paid parental leave and one tends to think that this policy doesn't seriously address the issue," she told AM.

"We think it is bad policy in terms of parental leave policy and we think it is bad tax policy, so on both counts it fails our test."

Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner says the plan will threaten jobs.

"Some of the better-off people who can well afford to deal with these challenges themselves will end up getting substantial sums of money from the Government that will be paid for at the expense of working people whose jobs will be undermined," he said.

But Greens leader Bob Brown has praised the policy.

"Tony Abbott needs a big pat on the back," he said.

---------------------

The greens, there again — like an organic turd on one's shoe — totally misunderstand the Machiavellian porkies of the Abbott, unless they think it's smart to annoy the government by "supporting" its nemesis, the parasitic worm... Sorry Bob, we like you but make an effort not to go stupid from time to time...

I once respected the Greens for their resistance to more pollution of our planet, always realizing that they had no idea of how that problem could be solved “immediately” and what hardship and financial disasters would follow.

I respected their stance, popular or not, on the basis that their argument was in the best interests of all humans – albeit as difficult as it would be.  I believed in Bob Brown for his dedication to the objective of a greener planet but, with the major upheaval of nations at the Copenhagen Conference, he became just another opportunist – no different to the “Mad Monk”.

If his excuse is (and he needs an excuse) that if he can play games with the very subject that made his party, then I hope he fails miserably.  I hope - like that traitor to her party Meg Lees - his obstructionist policy brings his party down. 

Credibility in Australian politics took a beating during the Howard “New Order” when the entire coalition (including Barnaby) voted unanimously to oppose an Accountability Bill, which I believe, was put forward by Brown himself.

I believe that Mr. Brown has destroyed his credibility by playing politics for personal gain.  His very aggressive and offensive spokesperson Milne is like an Albatross to his amoral push for a greater say.

I watched the Senate question time today (nothing else to do) and a Liberal Senator demanded that Penny Wong should tell him how many square meters of insulation has been wasted on the Rudd attempt to maintain employment.

We are screwed if these people maintain their power in the Senate.

God Bless Australia and provide our people with the courage to insist that the Government they elected should run the country.  NE OUBLIE.

Former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello has launched a scathing attack on the Federal Opposition's paid parental leave plan, accusing leader Tony Abbott of engaging in a "race to the bottom" with Labor.

Writing in Fairfax newspapers this morning, Mr Costello says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan is against Liberal party principles and will lead to higher taxes.

The scheme would give parents six months leave paid at full salary and be funded by a new levy on big business.

Mr Costello says Mr Abbott is engaging in a policy race to the bottom.