Telling the truth about tax. Perhaps the best way for the Labor Government to deal with the Henry Tax Review is to just tell the truth and say that “we the Government have no idea which of the recommendations will become law because we do not now, and will not in the future, have the numbers in the Parliament to guarantee anything.” The best that Treasurer Wayne Swan can do when he finally releases the report is to outline the changes he will recommend and suggest that people have a chat with the Coalition and the Greens to see which of them might in the end be implemented.
The Senate impasse. The current obstructionism of the Senate might serve one good purpose and make voters realise just how worthless political promises are. Not even when parties go to the polls in broad agreement on an issue is there now any certainty about what will happen. Tony Abbott has seen to that with his approach to emissions trading.
No interest rate rise now the favourite. The Crikey Interest Rate Indicator suggests that there will be no increase when the Reserve Bank Board meets next month.
Truth on the Nine Network website. Pleased to see the new honest approach being taken to promoting A Current Affair on the Nine website this morning:
Betting on global warming. The world’s temperature this year is continuing at high levels and I am trying to get set for a little bet at Intrade that 2010 will end up being the h0ttest year on record. The last trade put the probability of the record at 40% and I think that’s generous. Those northern hemisphere people have been too influenced by their own snow falls to realise what has been happening elsewhere.
The temperature measured by satellite on 10 March this year is the one with the little box around and the pretty coloured lines are measurements since 1998.
Just another Democrat president. Barack Obama’s approval rating as measured by Gallup has now clearly dropped below the 50% level.
At 45% approval President Obama is doing about the same as Bill Clinton was at the same stage of his presidency.
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