Welfare Reform for Warfare Expenditure? : Melbourne Indymedia

IMAGINE

Howard: "Self-evidently
we would have liked
the major combat to
have gone differently ...
[but] coalition withdrawal
or defeat is unimaginable."
(Rooters)

Federal Cabinet has discussed welfare changes to be introduced after the Government takes control of the Senate in July, including forcing the disabled to work and one size fits all benefits payments.

HoWARd suggests he's running out of workers and is also trying to save $20.00, the difference between the Newstart allowance and the sole parent and disability support pension benefits so that there will be more workers down the track?

The disabled may lose any concessions they get now and have to compete with job search applicants, fill in a dole diary or work for the dole for $10.00.

Top of the agenda for what the Government describes as its "strategic" Cabinet meetings are the restructuring of industrial relations and welfare reform, but not CORPORATE WELFARE REFORM and it seems increasing GOVERNMENT expenditure on WARFARE in Iraq?

HoWARd's real mission

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says he does not support the Government's decision to send 450 extra troops to Iraq.

The soldiers, mostly from Darwin's 1st Brigade, will leave for Iraq in about 10 weeks to replace a withdrawing Dutch contingent.

Mr Beazley says that during the election campaign, the Government said it would not become more deeply involved in Iraq.

"Suddenly there is a dramatic change," Mr Beazley said. "The Government will need to explain the reasons for that dramatic change.

"We in the Labor Party have said that as far as Iraq is concerned, we need to be differently engaged, not more deeply engaged."

The Opposition Leader says the Government has misled Australian voters.

"He should have at least indicated to them, before they had a chance to vote, that he was of that cast of mind," he said.

"[Voters] got the opposite impression from him and this puts him in substantial breach of undertakings and views he's put to the Australian people."

Greens Senator Bob Brown says the decision to send more troops is not in the national interest.

"This is a breach of promise effectively and an outrageous breach of trust with the Australian people and with the Australian Defence Forces themselves," he said.

Community scandal

The escalation of Australia's military contribution to Iraq will cost up to $300 million a year.

Mr Howard says Iraq is at a "tilting point" after the country's landmark elections and Australia will send the extra soldiers to southern Iraq.

The soldiers will train Iraqi forces and provide security for the Japanese.

Howard says the extra soldiers will replace a withdrawing Dutch contingent.

"Unless additional security could be provided to replace the Dutch, then there was a real possibility the Japanese could no longer remain there and that would be a serious blow to the coalition effort," Howard said.

Howard says it is essential that Australia contribute more to help rebuild Iraq.

But it sounds like it is essential for the Coalition of the Killing to be able to save face instead of losing the war to win the battle they lost from the start when they declared their illegal war at the outset.

It now appears so essential to save face that there is now a need for welfare reform to pay for WARFARE EXPENDITURE?

The community believes that Iraq is a disaster and not at a tilting point but a tilting point that's tipped over into a ditch full of war crimes, blood and guts.

Howard says the additional Australian forces will be needed in the country for at least a year?

"This has not been, is not and will not be an easy decision for the Government," he said. "I know it will be unpopular with many.

Flawed election

HoWARd the Fascist Prime Minister who was elected by the pro government media stands accused of taking this country to an illegal and degrading war on Iraq, killing, maiming and torturing tens of thousands of innocent men women and children to achieve this goal AND failing to count the dead.

Then we have his GOVENMENTS complicity to kidnap and torture citizen Mamdouh Habib.

This is not the behaviour of a Prime Minister or a leader but that of a war criminal that has to be held accountable for these crimes against humanity.

This is a person who would undermine the underprivileged and needy in this country to help grab oil for George W Bushit AND SAVE FACE WHEN THE WAR IS LOST!

There are currently about 950 Australian Defence Force personnel in and around Iraq.

Howard says Britain and the US are already carrying a heavy commitment and Australia's involvement in Iraq is under continual review.

"Self-evidently we would have liked the major combat to have gone differently ... [but] coalition withdrawal or defeat is unimaginable."?

IMAGINE

Howard says the coalition must stay in Iraq if the country is to make a successful transition to democracy?

"It will take time and if we were to see a crumbling of coalition commitment, I think the likelihood of Iraq completing the transition to democracy would be absolutely non-existent," he said?

On the weekend, the Federal Government said Australia would take up its most senior role of the Iraq conflict by taking command of the naval force at the northern end of the Persian Gulf?

Related:

Govt plots post-July strategy?

Allegedly 8 billion dollars a year is spent on social welfare? But below it appears is HoWARd's real mission and I hope his contradictions can be seen by all because what you see is what you get.

More: http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/88071.php

Senate accused Govt of war crimes

The Federal Opposition says it is clear from evidence given to the Senate estimates hearing that the Government wanted to cover-up aspects of Australia's involvement in the illegal and degrading war on Iraq.

More: http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/87752.php

Howard: We as a nation have got to invest heavily in defence?

"We will have an increased defence commitment in the years ahead. I've said this before, I think, on this program, and nothing has changed my view."

More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/87175.php