Article from: weekly times Row in Coalition over MIS Leslie White
August 11, 2010 THE federal Coalition's stance on managed investment schemes is reminiscent of a bunch of kids talking over one another.
Each kid is yelling and it's impossible to make out any clear message.
The official policy positions are that the Nationals are opposed to MIS and the Liberals support it.
But the Nationals' position means two-fifths of five-eighths because it's the Liberals who rule the roost.
The Nationals leaders - Barnaby Joyce and Warren Truss - have both bowed to the Liberals by softening their public stance.
The Coalition is desperate not to show any division between the Nationals and Liberals, but the softening on MIS alienates the Nationals' rural supporter base.
Truss now says MIS has worked well in some areas, "particularly forestry".
God only knows how converting farmland to trees to feed pulp into a hopelessly over-supplied world market means a scheme is working well.
Nationals MP for Mallee John Forrest passionately disagrees with his leader.
Forrest is bitterly opposed "and I don't care what anyone else thinks".
Liberal senator Richard Colbeck says the Nationals will not convince the Liberals to abolish MIS after the election.
But Liberal candidate for Wannon Dan Tehan's position seems to be that he'd argue for the upfront tax break to be dropped and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop says MIS is "unfair".
In summary, the Nationals and the Liberals look individually and collectively stupid.
Not that the Government has much to celebrate.
Labor's running to ousted PM Kevin Rudd as soon as its campaign ship hit choppy seas is like a teenager yelling at their parents that they're running away and then returning to ask for a bus fare and directions to their aunt's house.
The Coalition has at least promised to relax the youth allowance independence test so all regional students can obtain independent youth allowance so long as their parent's combined salary isn't above $150,000.
Good move.
But its health policy is a flop - the Rural Doctors Association says rural health has been "ignored by the Coalition".
Good policy is often copied.
Rural people are screaming for some leadership and genuine policy.
From anyone.
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