So long Sol, it's obvious, you won't miss us

Sol Trujillo, the CEO of Telstra for another month has left Australia already back into the safe loving arms of the Americans.
Supposedly Australians are racist, from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, down to the lowliest bogan.

Trujillo has been the CEO of Telstra for a few years and has ran into the ground, service in regional areas has suffered whilst prices have gone up, yet he's walked away with 30 million dollars. When he announced his departure from the job, Kevin Rudd was quoted as saying "adios" (spanish for goodbye) Sol being of Mexican decent has seen this as a racial slur and in a recent BBC radio interview called the whole country "backward"

The Australian Federal Budget

So the budget has been handed down again and the two major immediate winners are pensioners and infrastructure.
Universities, Small Business and Parental leave also come out with a few positive outcomes but most of the policy is delayed or only short term.

In dot points
*single aged pensioners will get $32.49 more a fortnight $10 if a couple
*Universities will get a large amount of funding and also in 2013 the Federal government will fund 50,000 more university places
*Large investment in transport and broadband infrastructure
*Tax breaks for small business
*18 week taxable parental leave starts in jan 2011

The only real loss apart from the 57 billion dollar deficit is the loss of the 30% health insurance rebate being cut from those whom earn over 120 000 a year.

The week in dot points

*rumors about next weeks Australian Federal Budget were abundant - in particular the axing of the 30% Private health insurance rebate, superannuation contributions and paid paternity leave

*Malcolm Turnbull accused Kevin Rudd of being "hot headed" after a supposed incident over not having a hair dryer on his last trip to Afghanistan. Speaking of Turnbull, he announced rather pigishly that He and the Liberals will be ready whenever the Labor party are for the election. All getting rather childish in Canberra by the sounds of it, I expected him to be poking his tongue out after he said it as well.

*Death total from Swine Flu currently stands as being under 200, whilst the world wide hysteria kicks into overload and everyone uses alcohol hand sanitizer like Niles Crane from Frasier.

*Everyone learned that those in the Congo Army believe that sodomising Pygmies give supernatural powers

*In Australia the gender test for pregnant couples has been made available - which has struck fear into those hate filled right to lifers (who will gladly kill you if you ever mention the "A" word around them) saying that couples who find out the gender of their unborn child at 8 weeks will lead to more abortions.

*In Tasmania, it was found out that opposition leader Will Hodgman spent $13000 on his website - gee and I spend nothing for mine, he's really being ripped off

30% rebate loss hype – is it justified?

Rumors have begun circulating in the Australian media concerning what measures will be included in the Federal Budget next Tuesday night, the most predominant one is the axing of the 30% rebate on Private Medical Insurance.

Thing is, there will be conditions and an income test for the rebate put in place so those individuals who earn over $150 000 a year or families who earn over $240 000 a year will lose the rebate completely.

But that's the thing, if your family was earning $240 000 a year would you really have a problem paying an extra 30% for Private Medical Insurance?
Really, in all honesty???

As someone whom has spent the last couple years living on under $850 a month whilst at university and payed rent, bought food, paid phone, power and internet bills whilst still finding a bit of cash to save, one would imagine that a family on 240k or an individual on 150k a year would find the adjustment easy.
Maybe cut down on a few lattes or trips to the theatre?
and thats another thing the Private Insurers are running round going "OMG OMG OMG IF YOU DO THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PUT UP FEES TO COVER THOSE WHO CUT OFF THEIR INSURANCE!!!"
I say "Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft"
The private insurers are already making a bundle, and even if they do lose some business the only reason that put their fees up is for greed, nothing more.