They (Labor) also, if people recall, cut the Medicare benefit for cataract surgery .     It was quietly slipped through, so not many  noticed.  I pointed it out here on this forum at the time.  

It is interesting to note that the 80+ little old lady, who has been smoking since she was 15, now pays approximately $12 in tax & excise for her $15.50 packet of cigarettes.  At the same time, any boat people who do not take part in riots or burn down their premises are rewarded with free packets of cigarettes to the extent of well over $1Million per year, on Christmas Island alone.

The government subsidy for IVF has also been reduced, so many struggling couples remain childless because they cant afford this technology...... yet we take in hundreds (if not thousands) of immigrants with no skills and who cannot even speak our language.

Why are we paying good money for useless migrants rather than sponsoring native Australians?

There are a lot of things that have been cut out--I think Colonoscopeys are also reduced

are you all now beginning to see that the modern labor party has become a clone of the liberal party?

Hey they are all just puppets--not a lot of difference between the lot of them

When you look at the federal budget, the lion's share is committed to services that really must be provided and both major parties agree on those service.  There is no room not agree really, because pensions have to be paid, there has to be a defence force and so on.  Of course both sides can dabble round the margins but most of the claimed difference in policies is to suit the media, who love that sort of thing.  The small section of pie left is where most of the dealingr takes place.

Gillard is failing to impress because:

- she is a singularly unimpressive person when the superficial packaging is stripped away;

- there is no-one on the front bench who can market their wins effectively;

- the government's implementation is lacklustre, hamfisted really; and

- Gillard's partner in government is a cuckoo in the nest and probably gains more from frustrating policy they have agreed, as from any 'success' (yeah, I know, what success).

However we should be talking about the cuts and what to do about them if anyone has any ideas.

I agree Planb ,if you boiled them all down you would be lucky to make  one good pollie out of the stew

We pay their advisers, the senior public servants, handsomely since 'corporatisation' of the APS and there are many more senior executives in the public service than ever before.  The pay and allowances for members of parlaiment are about to increase significantly.  Any pollie whose career is cut short falls back on generous superannuation.

I wonder how talent and good advice were obtained in the past?  Isn't the belief that more money always buys the best leaders?  Then again, perhaps not.

nautilus, you are sounding more and more like a clone of rupert murdoch.

No good saying you hate the Liberals because they are a power in the land with enough supporters as many if not more than Labor which is why both swop power over and over and no other party seems to get enough support and when one did - both joined in to defeat it - remember Pauline?

Also never just Liberals in government are always with Nationals anyway so it is a 2 way coalition.

Works far better than the current arrangement with Greens and independents supporting Labor - face it - by blackmailing them to withdraw if they don't get their own way on their private agenda's - Wilke - pokies - Oakshott - forum just taken place - Windsor who knows? - the others didn't make an agreement to prop up Labor.

Howard gov introduced the Dental scheme which has been very successful for elderly and others with a disability to get their teeth fixed, provide dentures. This was because they withdrew support for state dental schemes when all states were Labor and dental schemes as usual under Labor over weighted with bureaucrats less dentists to pay within the budget so waiting lists got blown out to 8 - 15 years for first appointment and emergency if a private dentist willing. It has been used a lot for all sorts of people who were in great need.

Labor has eyed it for the last 4 years working out if shutting it down would cost them votes - Rudd kept it but it seems now Julia is in charge - and lets face it she has a noticeable lack of sympathy for aging population who no longer work - so it is tippped to go the same way as the Dodo bird.

Anyone needing it better be quick off the mark. Mind you waiting lists at the docs seemingly to get on it as need a medical etc - some wait up to 6 months.

Not looking to axe it because it is not beneficial to many but because 1 dentist in particular charged alledgedly over 1 million for more work than he did!

So usual re-ection from a socialist government as they has this blind side - cut it out so majority suffer instead of making the guilty pay.

Under previous Coaltion government both salaries and wages advanced by 24% after falling back badly under 14 years of Labor with the Accord to blame for most of that and meanwhile execs during those years had a 60% increase as noted in 1995 by ACCC.

Howard could have done heaps - like reverse the 2c on ULP but he didnt. He could also have got rid of compulsory voting.

He did get rid of Multicult as a department but Labor has put it back and has just spent 9.7 million to aid Islamification of Australia by grants to associations but where are the grants to the biggest overseas born group here - UK born? Not forthcoming!

Now they're letting out grants to councils for a $60,000 Education Islam officer so the ratepayers can learn about Islam. So her priorities to be  suspect - more for minority group who tell us they have no intention of assimilating into our society and less for our own Australians who have reached their so called golden years having worked and paid their taxes and BTW didn't get the handouts and middle class welfare being handed out today either nor the high living standard.

just wondering where big vals friend went? if shes on a pension,which i seem to recall she is,then i dont understand?i just went through this hearing stuff and was treated very well,had the tests and recieved my voucher for my free hearing aid.i go back to have it adjusted and havent had ant problem with australian hearing.all i paid is $35.00 and thats yearly for batteries.i just think its wrong what happened to her and i would dig deeper and find out why this happened