7 February 2009

$350 mil in wonga coming our way

| johnboy
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[First filed: February 05, 2009 @ 19:58]

Like a drunk waking up after a week long bender, rather than shaving, showering, ironing a shirt and getting to work – instead we’ve found a bottle of bourbon and we’re going to have one last hurrah before we face the music.

The Chief Minister proudly announces that the ACT is going to get $350 million of “stimulus” money once the minor party Senators have been sufficiently bribed in the upper house to pass the package next week.

    “The ACT’s share of the package includes: $229.3 million in upgrades to buildings in every primary school and $102 million for social housing. Eligible Canberrans will also have access to free ceiling insulation for homes, up to $950 in one off cash payments and a temporary tax break for small and medium size businesses buying eligible assets.”

Enjoy it while it lasts.

    Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
    Old Time is still a-flying:
    And this same flower that smiles to-day
    To-morrow will be dying.

    — To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
    – Robert Herrick, 1648.

UPDATED: To make sure we don’t spill a drop Mr. Stanhope has now announced that the Chief Executive of the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, Ms Sandra Lambert, will glory in the title of “ACT Nation Building Co-ordinator-General”.

    “She will join Co-ordinators based in each state and the Northern Territory to oversee the rollout of the planned infrastructure and construction and liaise with the newly-created Commonwealth Office of Co-ordinators.

    “Ms Lambert will lead a team of senior public servants tasked with delivering on the ACT’s share of the Rudd Government’s $42 billion stimulus package,” Mr Stanhope said.

    “In signing up to deliver this unprecedented, one-off funding from the Commonwealth we need to ensure the ACT is able to roll out a record number of new capital works projects for our schools and in excess of 400 public and community housing dwellings.”

UPDATE: Never one to miss a chance to kick man who’s down, Mr. Stanhope is calling on Zed Seselja to hurry up our slice of the pie by in turn demanding Malcolm Turnbull call off the Senate’s inquiry into the package. Why not ask Zed to wish for gold bricks to fall from the sky while he’s at it?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Zed has expressed his dismay at being used as a punching bag just hours after coming to an agreement to work co-operatively on how to spend all this money as quickly as possible.

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Not sure what I think of the package itself, (love being given money), but you have to admire the political strategy employed. Day 1, announce a huge defecit is on it’s way, remember that, got two minutes of airplay because – Day 2, announce a $42 billion dollar stimulus package with big giveaways to “the working class man”, but place a pressure sales proviso of two days on it, then blame the opposition for holding up our bonus because – cheek of ’em – they want want to read the contract before signing it!!! A masterstroke of misdirection. Or am I just a teensy bit cynical?

Is the allover 42 billion on offer a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference one wonders?

There are not many people alive today who lived through the great depression. It was not called “Great” because everyone was having a good time. It was a time of huge upheaval which contributed to a major world conflict. Any measures that could be taken to avoid or lessen the effects of an economic depression are worth a try. Short term political point scoring is definately not a good idea, its just dumb.
Perhaps a good sense of humour might help, for example Ronald Regan once quipped “a recession is when your neighbour losses his job; depression is when you lose yours”.
Of course Canberra is usually insulated during periods of economic downturn, we may notice it a little more this time.

Thanks everyone. I did a little google search, however it appears my google skills must be lacking!

If your taxable income was under $80k, you’ll get the full $950.

More info:

http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/00178930.htm&page=4&H4

You get $950 if you earned under $80k, $650 between $80k and $90k, and $300 between $90k and $100k.

You also have until the end of June to put your tax return in and still get the payment.

You need to read my blog!

    Tax Bonus for Working Australians
    The Government will provide an up-front, lump-sum tax bonus of up to $950 to around 8.7 million Australian workers earning $100,000 or less.

    A lump-sum payment of up to $950 will be made to eligible taxpayers from April 2009. The bonus will be available to Australian resident taxpayers who paid tax in the 2007-08 financial year after taking into account available tax offsets and credits.

    The bonus is subject to an income threshold test which determines that a:

    • $950 bonus will be paid to eligible taxpayers with a taxable income of up to and including $80,000;

    • $650 bonus will paid to eligible taxpayers with taxable incomes exceeding $80,000 and up to $90,000; and

    • $300 bonus will be paid to eligible taxpayers with incomes exceeding $90,000 up to and including $100,000.

    Taxpayers will not need to apply for the payment. The Australian Taxation Office will automatically make the payment after determining eligibility.

Do you know how much one has to earn to be classed as a high income earner?

I agree with Random #5

FC said :

Does anyone know what’s the eligibility for the $950 payment?
Do you have to be a pensioner or on the dole?

You Just need to have paid tax, and filed a tax return for 2007/8 (providing you’re not a high income earner).

Does anyone know what’s the eligibility for the $950 payment?
Do you have to be a pensioner or on the dole?

neanderthalsis9:07 am 06 Feb 09

350 million out of 42 billion? Adds up to 0.8% of the package…

What a joke.

Do you reckon this ACT mob will be able to actually spend it (as opposed to fritter it away)? I’m not sure they could manage their way out of a brown paper bag, let alone open a prison (with people in it) or build a road on time and budget, or now spend $350 million in infrastructure.

Appropriations in the past few years have had a significant rollover of unspent capital works projects from previous appropriations. Education has been one serial offender, giving the Minister the opportunity to reannounce the same thing in several appropriation bills. (from memory it was the school upgrades and high school IT, but I’d actually have to read it again to be certain)

Can we have an escalator to nowhere or a monorail please?

I’m actually pretty impressed with most of the package except the $950 cash. (There is evidence that lump sum payments are not effective.) No nonsense like very fast trains.

We’ve needed more public housing for years, and the insulation thing seems like a clever way of killing half a dozen birds with one stone: boosting local employment, going green (better energy efficiency), making life easier for those on low incomes (far more likely, I would think, to live in a house with no insulation), etc.

GottaLoveCanberra9:46 pm 05 Feb 09

I hate it when they lie to me in song.

Hehe.

Can we have an escalator to nowhere or a monorail please?

If I was eligible id probably donate it as well charity begins at home haha. Any way lets sit back and watch round two of Rudds great pokey and booze spend up.

GottaLoveCanberra8:17 pm 05 Feb 09

For now I’m thinking I might donate my $950.00 to someone who needs it more, like the RSPCA.

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