Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

This year's G20: getting the fundamentals right

By Tony Abbott - posted Tuesday, 28 January 2014


Then, a subsequent government decided that the Crisis had changed the rules and that we should spend our way to prosperity.

The reason for spending soon passed but the spending didn't stop because, when it comes to spending, governments can be like addicts in search of a fix.

But after the recent election, Australia is under new management and open for business.

Advertisement

To boost private sector growth and employment, the new Government is cutting red tape and reducing the tax burden by scrapping the carbon tax and the mining tax.

We've established a once-in-a-generation Commission of Audit to re-consider the size, scope and efficiency of government.

We're streamlining environmental approvals and have already ticked off new projects worth over $400 billion.

We've successfully concluded negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea and are working on agreements with Japan, China, India and Indonesia as well as wider ones such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

With an ageing population, we're implementing measures to get more people into work: like a 'fair dinkum' (as we say in Australia) paid parental leave scheme to give mothers in the workforce their full wage for six months.

We're investigating childcare changes that will respond to modern families participating in a round-the-clock economy.

Advertisement

We're determined that fit working age people will work, preferably for a wage but, if not, as a condition of receiving unemployment benefits.

We'll do more to keep people with temporary health conditions in the workforce, rather than on a pension.

And we're accelerating the construction of major infrastructure, especially roads, because time spent in traffic jams is time lost from work and family.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. Page 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. All

This is a slightly edited version of Tony Abbott's speech last week to the World Economic Forum at Davos.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

20 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Tony Abbott is a former prime minister of Australia.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Tony Abbott

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Tony Abbott
Article Tools
Comment 20 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy