Poor little Malcolm Turnbull! How nasty of Bill Shorten to criticise him for being wealthy and benefiting personally from the tax cuts for big business. These appear in an attack ad aimed at the upcoming by-elections which asks “Why is former banker Malcolm Turnbull so keen to give big business a tax cut instead of properly funding our schools and hospitals? Who exactly is he looking after? Malcolm Turnbull – is he just for the top end of town? It goes further and states that Turnbull “has millions invested in funds which hold shares in dozens of big businesses that would benefit from the tax cuts”1.
Turnbull in retaliation stated that the Labor Party just “want to attack me for having a quid. They want to attack me and Lucy (sic) for working hard, investing, having a go, making money, paying tax, paying plenty of tax, giving back to the community, which we do.”2I cannot help but wonder how much less tax Turnbull pays on the many millions3that he has secreted in the Cayman Islands tax haven, than he would if he had the money invested in Australia.
Turnbull seems to feel aggrieved that Shorten attacked him, but seems to forget that he attacked Shorten, calling him a “simpering sycophant”, and a “parasite” who yearns for his own harbourside mansion, and who grovels to billionaires. He also seems to have forgotten that it was Peta Credlin (Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff) who first called him “Mr Harbourside Mansion”, some time after he rolled Abbott.
Turnbull also seems to forget the numerous very personal attacks on Julia Gillard when she, being a woman, had the unmitigated gall to be Prime Minister5,6,7. I don’t seem to remember Turnbull telling these bigots to pull their heads in. So, you will have to forgive me if I don’t feel any sympathy for Turnbull.
Sources
- https://theconversation.com/labor-makes-company-tax-fight-all-about-malcolm-turnbulls-money-98838
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/jun/25/coalition-polls-tax-hanson-politics-live?page=with:block-5b303152e4b01266b4b87a07
- https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/23/malcolm-turnbull-offloads-a-couple-of-tax-havens_a_21661189/
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/turnbull-and-shorten-trade-barbs-during-question-time/8252540
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Jones_%22died_of_shame%22_controversy
- https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/insults-and-chaff-bags-leave-jones-in-bad-odour-20121001-26vla.html
- https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/violence-against-women-the-price-is-wrong1,9251
I have as much sympathy for the hollow man as he had for workers who had their penalty rates slashed. Exactly none.
Australian has had two master hypocrites as PM during my life, both conservatives. Abbott is possibly still marginally ahead but Turnbull is running a very close second. Hopefully Australians reject his policies and hubris and he’s sent packing with his tail between his legs at the next ekection. Ironically people from both “left” and “right” will rejoice in giving him the sendoff he so richly deserves.
Jon,
One can only hope. If this government remains in office we are headed to a corporatocracy.