Friday 29th of March 2024

tiny business...

 

tiny business

Small business lobbyists fear the Abbott government has pushed controversial competition law reforms “out into the never never” because it could not resolve deep divisions within its cabinet or stare down “the big end of town”.

The changes were the second item on Tuesday’s cabinet agenda and ministers had received a slide presentation from the small business minister, Bruce Billson, about the so-called “effects test”, which has deeply divided cabinet and pitted the biggest companies in the country against the small business “engine room” that the government courted with its “have a go” 2015 budget.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/01/coalition-selling-out-small-business-to-big-end-of-town-say-lobbyists

 

my scanner is kaput...

I have made a toon of Minister Billson but I had to use his official picture (distorted like a toon) because my scanner is on the blink... The wifi has gone out of its belly... Will restore it ASAP. 

stats and lies and fiddles and cheese fondue...

Statistical payback' shows economy remains below trend


Before today's data was released, several analysts said it was likely to overstate the weakness of the Australian economy, just as the first quarter's figures overstated the country's economic strength.

"A lot of it appears to be statistical payback," Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe told Reuters immediately after the figures came out.

"Nevertheless ... it's a soft outcome whichever way you cut it and the economy remains below trend.

"As long as we're digesting this downturn in mining and investment, that's going to continue."

The economy was saved from a contraction by growth in domestic demand with household consumption growing by 0.5 per cent.

Government consumption was another strong contributor — spurred on by increased defence spending — growing at 2.2 per cent for the quarter and 4 per cent over the year.

read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-02/dollar-falls-below-70-us-cents-on-back-of-weak-gdp-figures/6743298

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Lucky I paid my overseas owing yesterday... Today I would have had to pay 2 per cent more...

rummaging through the small dumpster...

 

The Prime Minister has urged one of the men he dumped from Cabinet not to leave Parliament and held open the possibility of a return to the ministry.

Between Christmas and New Year, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke with former small business minister Bruce Billson and told him to reconsider his decision to quit politics in the wake of his demotion.

In the conversation, the Prime Minister reflected on his own about face on leaving politics in 2010, and held open the possibility that 50-year-old Mr Billson had time to work his way back into Cabinet.

Mr Billson told the ABC his mind was made up to leave.

"My family has given our all to this job and we have voted for our family," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-09/pm-urges-dumped-cabinet-minister-bruce-billson-to-stay/7151278

 

See toon at top...