What is the cost of Rudd and Gillards shameless self promotion over new school sheds and fences;

All up, the Government expects to supply 9,285 school plaques at $200 a pop. There will also be 6,000 roadside signs at $295 each. The total cost is $3.8 million.

Now there is a value spend.

Only people as thick as the left could not see the irony of Rudd making a concerted media effort to not appear like a spin merchant;

THE Federal Government has issued a list of "wartime-like" infrastructure projects now under way as the hard hat- and fluoro-wearing Prime Minister comes under fire for being more about spin than substance.

Parliament resumes today, with Kevin Rudd likely to face an Opposition tirade over his reluctance to spell out the $300 billion public debt figure and his habitual donning of labourer's gear for the cameras last week.

With Mr Rudd's rating in the polls taking a knock last week and the Government facing increasing criticism over debt and deficit, the Government yesterday sought to show it was for real, issuing a five-page list of infrastructure works already in train.

The document details where the first sods have been turned, railway track laid and houses built, as part of the third phase of the Government's stimulus strategy, the $22 billion infrastructure plan.

Senator Mark Arbib, Labor's fix-it man and parliamentary secretary for government service delivery, who released the list, declared that state governments were "pulling out all stops and allocating resources in a wartime-like effort to get stimulus projects up and running".

Hmmm... state Labor Governments, that reassuring, because they are renowned for project delivery on-time, on-budget... Ghaacckkk... I nearly choked on those words.

Finally the media seems to be waking up to Rudd and his endless spin.

Paul kelly is certanly changing his tune;

Transcript from the Insiders 10/12/2006

BARRIE CASSIDY: What sort of a leader do you think he'll make?

PAUL KELLY: Personal qualities kick in at this point, Barrie. I think Kevin Rudd is measured, methodical, and he does have a commitment to policy development. It's most interesting this week that there were no fireworks, there were no extravagances, and I think Kevin Rudd sees himself as a leader for the long haul. If one looks at his performance over a period of years as shadow foreign minister, one sees that he operates with tenacity. He's got a great sense of discipline, very high energy levels, and a deep commitment as a media operative. In fact, those qualities are all very similar to John Howard, and I think Rudd and Howard have a lot of overlap when it comes to their political style and qualities.

Rudd, I think, has got a reasonable chance of projecting Labor as a competent party on the economy and national security, and that's where it counts. He's an economic conservative. He's very pro-US and he has got a deep understanding of Asia. He is also a conservative and I think Rudd is comfortable and relaxed at making a pitch to conservatives. I think he will challenge Howard here front on, in terms of pitching to family values, to conservative and to Christian values. That, I think, will make him a most interesting Labor leader, and different from previous Labor leaders.

But that was before he really got to know Rudd and experiance him in government, what does Kelly think now?

 Transcript from the Insiders 24/05/2009

BARRIE CASSIDY: Now Paul, you wrote on spin as I mentioned earlier in the inquiry. And clearly you think it's reached a certain level?

PAUL KELLY: Well obviously it has Barrie. I mean if you look at the Rudd Government its got two defining features. It's a policy wonk Government and it's a political spin Government. And there's always a degree of tension between the two.

I think what happened this week was that the political spin became far too pronounced. The main example of this was clearly the Prime Minister's interview on Lateline when he was too evasive and was reluctant to put numbers on the debt and deficit figures. This looked childish; it looked demeaning; it looked as though he had something to hide. It was very much counterproductive.

And I think, you know, you can't have a serious debate about debt and deficits unless you talk about the numbers. Quite elementary I would have thought.

I think modern Labor needs to have a think about this because modern Labor's political management techniques came from state Labor governments. The requirements of a national government are different.

And I think one of the dangers here that Kevin Rudd needs to be careful of is that his Government is not branded and seen to be branded by the public as a political spin Government. That's not what Rudd wants and frankly I think he's better than that.

Bad new for you Paul, Rudds not better than that... not by a long shot.

Hmmmm.. unless there was to be an early election this tender seems a bit soon to be required;

ATM ID: AEC RFT 09 009
ATM Title: For the provision of the Construction and Dismantling of the Tally Board and Ancillary Structures within the National Tally Room (NTR) for the 2010 Federal Election.
Category: Building and Construction and Maintenance Services

https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=42D47D04-E896-CE7E-1EE250509EF57093

Rudd has just bosted that his stimulus packages have saved the day on the unemployment front... However;

TODAY'S federal budget will forecast a record deficit of $58 billion for next financial year while also claiming that the Government's stimulus packages will save 200,000 people from losing their jobs.

With the two stimulus packages worth a combined $52 billion, the average cost of each job saved will be $260,000.

Nuff said.

Seeing how it doesn't kick in until 2011 its more of an election promise than a done deal... 

but it still has the stink of expending Taxpayers money when there just is no more left, and for what benefit?

THE Federal Government will commit to paid parental leave from January 2011 for those earning less that $150,000 a year, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

Political benifit of course, no more. If it really was a measure that increased productivity they would have implimented it now to save money / generate income.

I think the budget will target a whole lot of people at that magic $150,000 per year income mark. But hey, I'm sure that based on economic modeling, not voter demographics... and a pig may levitate.

Its called a Structural Deficit, and it means the budget without the benefit of the mining boom. But what many Labor supporters have grasped hold of it as is an excuse for Rudd and Swans mismanagement of the economy.

George Megalogenis has blogged a line that has left the Labor Luvvies still applauding;

Next week’s budget will confirm that the resources-led surge in revenue between 2003-04 and 2007-08 will have disappeared by 2009-10 and - crucially - won’t come back in the next recovery.

The core policy problem for Wayne Swan in dealing with the global recession is that the Coalition government left him with an unsustainable income tax mix that assumed too much from capital and took too little from labour. This is why the Treasurer is trying to tell two budget stories at once: economic stimulus for the short term and sacrifice for the long term.

But the dual purpose of the national budget contains its own political risk.

The size of the hole wasn’t apparent until this year - after Mr Swan’s first budget last May and after Labor’s first stimulus package last October.

So it leaves the Rudd Government vulnerable to the charge that the culpability is its.
This would be a false reading of recent political and economic history because it was the Howard government that misspent the proceeds of the mining boom.

Now thats sheer gold for the Labor trolls on his blog, but the argument against is very easy and simple;

Firstly the so called Structural Deficit is nothing more than failure to see the impending failure of national revenues. Despite the Coalition warnings during the election period, and quite some time after, Rudd and Swan were still running the Inflation Genie line well up to thier last budget. A perfect indicator that had not a clue as to the forward state of the economy.

Its been 18 months and 1 Labor budget (a budget that did nothing to adjust tax mix, nor forcast downturn) since Rudd and Swan too control of the economic and fiscal controls of this nation. No more can blame be apportioned to previous governments.

Wayne Swan Crows about the success of the Cash Splash;

"Today's data, showing retail trade four times higher than expected, is undeniable proof that the government's economic stimulus package has been extremely successful in supporting a retail sector which employs over one million Australians," Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

But the facts are easily reveled;

...only about 17 per cent of the December "cash splash" was spent.

"So that had an impact on retail sales figures, but it was very little bang for a very big buck," Mr Turnbull said.

In effect, the government's economic stimulus package did little but move peoples private debt to the public purse.

Isn't Mr Rudd such a nice chap for having the tax payer pay off so many credit cards and personal loans?

Gillards words should be thrown back in her face;

We obviously want to see an environment of wage restraint. We’ve made sure, in designing our new industrial relations system that it is focused on building productivity,'' Ms Gillard told Sky News today.

"What we are saying to everyone; to employers, to trade unions, to everyone involved, is that wage increases have to be about productivity gains."

"If you work harder and you work smarter, then there are gains to be shared and that is not inflationary. That is the focus of our industrial relations system."

As Rudd and his associated swine expand the trough;

KEVIN Rudd will not act to prevent politicians receiving an extra $90 each week while the rest of the country faces a difficult budget in a fortnight's time.

In what Independent Senator Nick Xenophon called a "backdoor pay rise", the Remuneration Tribunal has recommended a $4700 increase in politician's electorate allowances to $32000 a year, a jump of 17 per cent.

Thats three times the expected increase of $30 a week for pensioners in the upcoming budget, and we have not one sign of "Increased Productivity" unless you think government debt levels being increased, and a deficit from hell, count.

One might think that gathering a thousand of Rudds hand picked "Best and Brightest" (of the left) to come up with Nation building ideas for Australia would contribute massively to the productivity of Australia.

The 2020 Summit also had great timing, just on the cusp of a global financial crisis. No better time to brainstorm for the future of Australia's prosperity.

Unfortunately no. As expected the whole exercise was nothing more than a planning meeting for the frivolous waste of our wealth. Of the 1000 ideas that gushed forth from money hungry socialists and greens, I doubt we can afford even the poultry 9 that survived;

A THOUSAND Australians generated 1000 ideas at the 2020 Summit in Canberra 12 months ago.

But the Government has announced in its formal response it will "immediately begin work" on just nine.

The Government has offered individual responses to the ideas generated at the Summit, but has not offered details of the funding timing for the projects it will take forward.

Seems Rudd know we cant afford them either. Now the embarrassment of this Dudd 2020 results have been announced, following delay, Rudd can simply shuffle them into the dust bin of "future budgets". So if they do get up in the next budget what can we expect;

1. A Peace Corps-style Deployable Civilian Capacity to respond to emergencies in our region

What something like;

Australian Volunteers International http://www.australianvolunteers.com/

AusAID Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (AYAD)  http://www.ayad.com.au

AusAID Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA)  http://www.vidavolunteers.com.au/

RedR, who supply technically skilled staff at short notice for emergency operations. http://www.redr.org.au

2. A dedicated ABC children's channel

I think we are somewhat past our 8 cents a day paying for the ABC.

3. $50 million for research towards the development of a bionic eye.

Two groups of Australia Scientists already have prototypes for Bionic eyes. One is ready to implant its prototype into a human volunteer. Methinks Rudd is riding some coat tails.

4. The Government will encourage mentoring in the workplace to facilitate the passing of knowledge between skilled mature-age Australians and business and the community

Already established - The Australian Mentor Center

5. Establish a Business and School Connections Roundtable to enhance opportunities for business and schools to work together to improve educational outcomes.

So in fact yet another committee to feed the intellectual-educational class;

The Government will be inviting a small number of people from top business, community and the education sectors to share their expertise and to shape the strategy.

These will be people who have already demonstrated their commitment and expertise in supporting school communities.

In other words: "We have just the right-minded people lined up for this little gravey train". Labor, they will never change.

6. A Skills for the Carbon Challenge initiative to equip workers and businesses with skills for sustainability

Mr Rudd, may I suggest a Union based training scheme on "How not to Burn your toast". Oh.. you want brain washing and reinforcement of your message.. Gothca.

7. Take the first steps towards establishing an Indigenous Cultural Education and Knowledge Centre. 

These first steps would be forming a committee of course, years of study (none of which has been done previously of course), from the ALPs own website;

Initially a feasibility study will be undertaken to decide the form and role of an Indigenous Cultural Education and Knowledge Centre.

The study will gather the views of the Indigenous and wider communities to develop options for the most effective way to strengthen and support Indigenous cultures. 

Studies and consultation... starting just one year after the initial idea. A new ALP record.

Do you get the feeing that this "activity" is just one of the fingers that Rudd can count out when asked what he is doing to close the gap?

8. A  Vocational Education Broadband Network to build a single post-secondary high-speed broadband network connecting the Australian training system to a similar network that currently serving universities.

This is nothing more than a regurgitation of Rudds Education Revolution speech... The barrel has been scraped.

9. An Australia Asia Endeavour Awards Scheme to support scholarships for students in Australia and Asia and deepen cultural understanding.

Seems there was some crap left in the barrel after all. Rudd now going to take credit for the practice of Student Exchange that has been underway for years.

Just Nine initiatives, nothing new, and all of them drain the budget, feed the chattering, and reduce productivity. 

Great work Rudd and the left.

The evidence doesn't come any cleaner than as a confession from the perpetrator;

An Iraqi refugee in Indonesia has told the ABC he plans to board a boat to Australia because he is encouraged by changes to asylum seeker policies.

"Kevin Rudd - he's changed everything about refugee. If I go to Australia now, different, different," a second asylum seeker told the ABC.

"Maybe accepted but when John Howard, president, Australia, he said come back to Indonesia."

He says Kevin Rudd will not send him back to Indonesia and that is why he will be getting on a boat again.

Rudd is hit right in the face with this confession but yet gets airtime with this nonsense;

"I ran into a bloke the other day who hopped on a boat in 2001 in the midst of Mr Howard's prime ministership and as I was advised was informed that once he got to Australia under Mr Howard there'd be two free houses and three free tractors.

"It's a rumour mill out there."

Now did Rudd actually meet this person he talks of? After all he said he ran into him... Then why was he just "advised" as to what information the guy had. Its either poor grammar or an arse covering approach to a patiently false statement. 

Rudd polices encourage people back on boats and endanger lives. Full stop. Shame the media still are not prepared to report the facts, still preferring the Rudd spin. 

Its the worst and most blatant spin attempt ever perpetrated by anyone, in the history of anything.

Rudd does a "Quick look over there" by admitting to a Recession that everyone knew we already were in.

The master of spin is up to old tricks... but just maybe the gallery has seen the trick one time to many to be lured by the prestige;

Christian Kerr from the Australian;

Mr Rudd's comments will also serve to distract from the row that has enveloped his Government over asylum seekers.

I'm getting pretty sick of nothing being Kevin Rudds fault.

Take the oncoming onslaught of boat people, Rudd uses others as reinforcement for his own weak kneed admission of uselessness;

Mr Rudd has discussed the problem of people smuggling with his Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts in the wake of Thursday's boat explosion which killed three asylum seekers and injured dozens more.

He says they all agreed that new global security and economic factors are causing an increase in the numbers of asylum seekers trying to get to Australian by boat.

"The reality is we are facing huge additional numbers across the archipelago coming off global factors," he said.

"The UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] underpins that, other commentators underpin that, our regional partners in Indonesia and Malaysia underpin that as well.

Awww poor Rudd, he has to deal with tough circumsatnces... its not fair! Toughen up princess, unless you do, it will just get worse.

And the sickening position Rudd has placed our economy??... wait for it... NOT HIS FAULT!!

“The worst global economic recession in 75 years means it’s inevitable that Australia too will be dragged into recession,” he (Rudd) said.

So our $200 Billion dollar deficit will have had nothing to do with Rudds economic ineptitude, its all forced on us by the globals. The Bastards!!

Really!!!

It is not only your fault Kevin but it is your responsibility to fix.

So stop your childish whining, put on some big boy pants, and implement some policy that will fix things.

Or, more to the point, reimplement Howard's policies, they actually worked.

But he wont, instead he cries that the whole Globe Conspires against the Great Rudd, they must be all so jealous and petty.

Apparently "the Buck Stops With Me" doesn't apply in tough times, eh Mr Rudd.

What unmitigated gall Rudd has.

First he attacks "neo-liberalism" and "unrestrained market capitalism" and "market fundamentalists".

Then we get calls for Bastard Bosses to slash their pay packets

Now he demands that;

...Business leaders not to cut back on corporate philanthropy during the economic downturn.

Opening the Australian Davos Connection's Philanthropy Summit in Sydney on Sunday, Mr Rudd said corporate charity would be central to helping individuals and communities struggle with the impact of the global recession.

Who knows which face he will speak from next.