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Costello Caught Out - Again!

The revelation in today's Australian newspaper [see the article here] that Treasury warned the Government, in particular Peter Costello, that lower-paid workers would be "hit", certainly in the short-term, by the new IR laws will hardly come as a surprise. Nor, the fact that Costello appears, yet again, to have misled the House when he replied in the negative to a question whether such a Treasury Report on the IR laws existed.

The fall-out of the now passed IR laws is, interestingly, analysed by, by Glenn Milne in an opinion-piece in today's Australian. If Milne is correct, and in particular the survey-figures he cites, the Government is in trouble at the next election. His statement that it will only take 28,609 voters in key seats to see a change in Government is interesting when one reflects on the fact that the present Government holds such a clear majority.

No doubt coincidentally, but in an interview with Dr. John Falzon, Social Policy National Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society on ABC Radio Breakfast this morning, Falzon graphically details the results from a Report issued by the St. Society on the extent of inequalities in Australia - and how it is getting worse. Many people not even being able to pay for what most would regard as very basic day-to-day things. Listen to the interview here and ponder the question how it can be said that this is a lucky country. For how many exactly?

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