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Updated March 09, 2017 14:42:51

A public stoush has broken out between WA Government alliance partners the Nationals and Liberals over regional funding, less than 48 hours before voters go to the polls.

The WA Liberals are keen to push their financial credentials, but the WA Nationals today dropped a bombshell by lashing out at the Liberals' plan to cut regional spending under the Royalties for Regions program.

On Wednesday the Liberals' election costings revealed funds from the scheme would be shifted to meet recurrent costs of regional programs to save $800 million over two years.

The money would be used for operating regional infrastructure that was previously funded through consolidated revenue.

Nationals leader Brendan Grylls said the promise was "based on a massive 40 per cent cut to Royalties for Regions".

He told ABC Perth Radio the Liberals had taken a "blunt machete" to the program.

"I will not be a part of the gutting of the Royalties for Regions program," he said.

"We will fight until our last political breath to ensure that (Treasurer) Mike Nahan and (Premier) Colin Barnett cannot implement this plan.

"We look forward to the voters signalling to Labor and Liberals that their plans are unacceptable."

It deepens the fractures that have emerged between the alliance and puts their key election promises at odds.

"This is now a critical moment in this election campaign for regional voters," Mr Grylls said.

"This is now a fight to save Royalties for Regions. I am happy to be in it."

But Mr Barnett said the Liberals would "set the agenda" and remained committed to changing Royalties for Regions.

He said the Liberals' position would not prevent them forming government with the Nationals after the election.

"Because we are the Liberal Government, and if we are elected, we will form government," Mr Barnett said.

"And we will invite the National party to be part of that, but we are the major party and we will set the agenda."

Mr Barnett defended the proposed shift in Royalties for Region funding from new projects to recurrent funding for existing facilities and services.

"Everything we have committed to will be honoured but in the out years, so years three and four of next term we are going to make some adjustments," he said.

Mr Barnett said the major new regional projects had been largely completed, but money to maintain them was now needed.

"So where Royalties for Regions funding goes into an area we will help, not only to build the facility but also help to maintain it and operate it," he said.

"The Royalties for Regions money will still 100 per cent exist and 100 per cent go into country and regional Western Australia, but we're going to fund it in a better way.

"We've done the catch up job and it is fantastic and we are going to continue that project."

Topics: elections, state-parliament, regional-development, regional, nationals, liberals, wa

First posted March 09, 2017 14:21:06

Continued here:
WA Election: Royalties for Regions stoush between Nationals and Liberals on election eve - ABC Online

Left-leaning groups are sending a stern message to Democrats who consider backing President Trumps nominee for the Supreme Court: Do it and risk a primary challenge in 2018.

Liberal activists say Senate Democrats are not doing enough to focus the publics attention on Neil Gorsuch, a conservative judge who has attracted praise from both sides of the aisle.

This is absolutely a fight they should be fighting and that we will hold them accountable if they dont fight it, she said.

Although Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerCharles SchumerWhy Jeff Sessions must resign Schumer promises Dems will try to defeat 'Trumpcare' Conway: Dems want 'to stop everything' Trump is trying to do MORE (N.Y.) came out strongly against Gorsuch shortly after he was nominated, the liberal grassroots believe he has let the reins slacken on moderate Democrats who are swing votes.

Three centrist Democrats up for reelection next year Sens. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSenate Finance Dems push for solution on coal miners' benefits Healthcare bill faces steep climb in Senate Liberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch MORE (W.Va.), Jon TesterJon TesterHealthcare bill faces steep climb in Senate Liberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch Dem senator introduces bill to 'drain the swamp' MORE (Mont.) and Joe DonnellyJoe DonnellyMellman: What Dems should do now Liberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch Senate Majority PAC names Schumer ally as new leader MORE (Ind.) and independent Sen. Angus KingAngus KingLiberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch Senate confirms Perry for Energy secretary The Hill's 12:30 Report MORE (Maine) applauded when Trump touted Gorsuch during his address to Congress last week.

Manchin has touted the nominees impeccable credentials and pointed to the Senates unanimous consent to put him on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006.

Another centrist Democrat, Sen. Michael BennetMichael BennetLiberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch Dem senator introduces bill to 'drain the swamp' GOP chairmen reject Senate Dems' request on Trump's tax returns MORE (Colo.), was recently spotted strolling with the judge a Colorado native in downtown Denver, and hundreds of lawyers from the state have urged Bennet to back him.

Meanwhile, Tim Swarens, the opinion editor at the Indianapolis Star, predicts Donnelly will vote for Gorsuch.

The Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group that backs Gorsuch, is spending a $10 million budget airing ads promoting his record in red states represented by Democratic senators.

The media response from the left has been muted.

People for the American Way, a liberal group, launched a 30-second online ad in early February charging that Gorsuch doesnt respect the Constitution and would put powerful interests ahead of the American people. Overall, however, conservatives are winning the message war.

Democratic efforts to torpedo Gorsuch have stalled because he isnt viewed as a controversial pick at least not yet. The biggest headlines Gorsuch attracted occurred after Sen. Richard BlumenthalRichard BlumenthalSenate Dems introduce bill to block Trump's revised travel order DOJ nominee declines to back special prosecutor on Russia Dem senator: Trump's wiretapping allegation is 'bizarre' and 'baseless' MORE (D-Conn.) said the Supreme Court nominee labeled Trumps tweets attacking federal judges disheartening and demoralizing. The White House quickly said Blumenthal misrepresented what Gorsuch said in their private meeting.

The Blumenthal-Gorsuch exchange will undoubtedly be addressed in his confirmation hearing, but its unlikely to derail his nomination.

One of the main rallying cries among liberal activists during last years presidential election was that the winner would shape the Supreme Court for years to come.

But now that Trump is in office and has nominated someone who could become the most conservative member of the court, theres been relatively little debate in Washington and in the media on the topic.

Were hearing an enormous amount of anxiety among the grassroots and this isnt just our membership about the lack of conversation theyre hearing, said Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading abortion-rights advocacy group.

The people are not feeling like the attention is being paid to it thats commensurate with the magnitude of the issue, she said.

Hogue said if Democrats vote for Gorsuch, voters who favor abortion rights would take it extremely seriously.

This is a do-or-die issue, she said. It is of supreme concern to people around the country.

Asked if Democrats who vote for Gorsuch might face primary challenges, Hogue replied, We would keep all options on the table.

Eleven liberal groups, led by NARAL Pro-Choice America, sent a letter to Senate Democrats Monday criticizing them for not putting up more of a fight against Gorsuch.

Democrats have failed to demonstrate a strong, unified resistance to this nominee despite the fact that he is an ultra-conservative jurist who will undermine our basic freedoms and threaten the independence of the federal judiciary. We need you to do better, they wrote.

The signatories included 350 Action, he Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Communications Workers of America, Credo Action, Demos Action, Domestic Worker Legacy Fund, MoveOn.org, the Service Employees International Union, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund and the Working Families Party.

The lack of an all-out counteroffensive against Gorsuch, whose confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin March 20, is raising concerns that Democratic lawmakers are getting weary of battling Trump at every turn.

Senate Democrats have already held three all-night debates to protest Trump Cabinet picks Betsy DeVos, Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsArmstrong Williams op-ed: America will have to deal with Putin's Russia long after Trump leaves office Huntsman accepts ambassadorship to Russia: report Put Trump under oath MORE and Scott Pruitt the presidents nominees to head the Education Department, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, respectively. All three were confirmed, though Trumps initial pick for the Labor Department withdrew his name for consideration amid controversy.

After a seven-week stretch without a recess a longer than usual D.C. work period for a chamber that has several members in their 70s and 80s there was a palpable sense of fatigue. Rick Perry, Trumps choice to head the Energy Department, a department he once pledged to abolish, was confirmed last week with little drama.

A senior Democratic aide rejected the notion that Senate Democrats are getting weary and vowed a stiff fight against Gorsuch as his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee draws closer.

No one is tired, and the caucus is ready to give him the very, very rigorous review that he deserves. He has a very high bar to clear given the Trump administrations disdain for the rule of law, said the aide. He has a very rough road ahead of him to prove that he can be that independent check.

Nevertheless, liberal operatives are dissatisfied with what they see as a lack of urgency on a lifetime appointment that could have a much longer-lasting impact on the national policy climate than Trumps Cabinet picks.

They are talking about flooding Senate offices with calls, sending activists to Capitol Hill with petitions, organizing protests and storming town hall meetings

But they recognize that in the charged atmosphere that has descended on Washington since Trumps swearing-in, the bar for getting a senators and the publics attention has been raised.

Congressional phone lines have been jammed for weeks, and people have been taking to the streets to protest Trumps actions since Election Day.

Theres a growing realization that the best way to yank Democrats out of possible complacency over the Supreme Court debate is to drop the P-bomb: primary challenge.

Activists are warming up to the threat leveled by liberal filmmaker Michael Moore. He tweeted on Feb. 1 that if Democrats dont block Trumps Supreme Court nominee, we will find a true progressive and primary u in the next election.

Neil Sroka, communications director for Democracy for America, a liberal advocacy group with 1 million members nationwide, says any Democrat who votes for Gorsuch will be out of step with the partys base.

If youre voting against the interests of the vast majority of Americans by voting for someone like Gorsuch for this Supreme Court position, that should be one of many things that should open you up to primary challengers, he said.

Thats a message thats cutting through the noise and waking up centrist Democrats facing reelection.

Sen. Claire McCaskillClaire McCaskillDem rep. to introduce bill to block use of federal funds for Trump's border wall DHS nominee open to virtual wall Mellman: What Dems should do now MORE (D-Mo.), who is one of 10 Democrats up for reelection next year in states Trump won, said on The Mark Reardon Show last month that shes aware of a likely backlash from the base if she votes for the presidents nominees.

I may have a primary, because there is in our party now some of the same kind of enthusiasm at the base that the Republican Party had with the Tea Party, she said. Many of those people are very impatient with me because they dont think Im pure. For example, they think I should be voting against all of Trumps nominees, and of course, Im judging each nominee on its own merit.

Original post:
Liberals threaten to primary over Gorsuch - The Hill

A progressive advocacy group is organizing a CPAC-style conference for liberals, hoping to harness the attention the conservative event receives, Politico reported.

The event, called the Ideas Conference, is being organized by the John Podesta-founded Center for American Progress as a way to showcase the progressive movement in the way that CPAC has done for conservatives since 1973.

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CAP President Neera Tanden said progressives are engaged in an ongoing political battle against President Trump, and she sees the conference as a way to highlight a "positive alternative" to Trump's "affront to progressive values."

The conference will also serve as an important step for the progressive movement as it prepares for the 2018 midterm and 2020 presidential elections.

Confirmed speakers for the event include several high-profile liberal legislators, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Steve Bullock (D-Mont.).

CPAC gave Trump a major platform several years ago as he prepared for his eventual immersion in politics, and has featured several other high-profile keynote speakers, including Rush Limbaugh and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

The Ideas Conference will be held in May only a few blocks from the White House at the St. Regis Hotel.

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Link:
Warren, Booker to Headline CPAC-Style Conference for Liberals - Fox News Insider

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Wednesday on CNNs The Messy Truth, host Van Jones said President Donald Trump was driving liberals insane, to the point he does not want yall to be in charge either.

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Jones said, One thing I want to share, progressives tend to focus, when we critique him, on politeness and proper protocols okay? Theres a proper way to deal with reporters or intelligence agencies or judges. And when Trump breaks the rules, we start fanning ourselves and fainting and freaking out and handing out all of these protocol violations. And for his supporters, his appeal has nothing to do with protocol. It has everything to do, though, with pride and prosperity.

Hes saying, I want you to be proud of the country and have a job, he continued. So liberals seem to only see, like the crazy tweets. And we act like thats all hes doing. But his supporters actually ignore those tweets. You want to know the tweets they cherish? The one where hes taking credit for the stock market thats rising and their 401(k)s doing better and the jobs he so-called saved. If progressives want to understand Trump supporters, those are the tweets we need to be paying attention to.

He added, I think hes driving liberals insane. I mean that. I think he is. I think he is. And Im seeing more Im seeing liberals and progressives now so mad and distracted and depressed, Im like, I dont really want yall to be in charge either. So its Am I wrong?

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

See more here:
Van Jones: Trump Is 'Driving Liberals Insane' - Breitbart News

A federal tax-reform plan will not be concluded in time for Finance Minister Bill Morneaus 2017 budget as the Liberal government waits to see how promised tax changes in the United States will affect Canada.

During the 2015 election campaign, the Liberals pledged to raise $3-billion in new revenue by eliminating tax breaks that primarily benefit wealthy Canadians or are ineffective.

March 22 federal budget will focus on job growth: Morneau (The Canadian Press)

Mr. Morneau had intended the budget to reflect the final results of a review of all tax credits, but sources say the process will extend beyond that date. The budget, to be delivered on March 22, is likely to eliminate some tax credits and will also focus on skills training in response to rapid changes in the work force.

Read more: To paint a portrait of the Liberals federal budget, Morneau will have to get crafty

Our budget will be very much about trying to increase jobs in this country, to create opportunities for people today, for their children and for their grandchildren, Mr. Morneau said. It will be about how we can help Canadians get the skills that they need in a dynamic and changing economy. Mr. Morneau has little room for new spending, so his budget is not expected to include a major change in direction. It will provide new detail on existing government plans for infrastructure spending, innovation and research in addition to the review of tax credits. Business groups had argued that the more complex aspects of the tax reforms would need more debate and consultation beyond the budget date.

Tax credits are worth more than $100-billion a year in forgone federal revenue. They cover everything from tax breaks for apprentice vehicle mechanics buying tools to deductions related to investments such as stock options or the sale of a primary residence.

Extending the tax review would allow the government time to see how U.S. President Donald Trump implements his pledges of major tax reform and factor that in to its own plans. Business groups say Canada could be at a disadvantage when it comes to retaining companies and highly skilled workers if the United States sharply reduces personal and business tax rates.

Sources say the budgets focus on skills will be part of a longer-term approach to the economy as the ratio of working-age Canadians to retirees shrinks. Measures to encourage specific groups including aboriginals, low-income people and women with young children to boost their participation in the work force will be a central theme.

Well be thinking about not only how we can grow the economy, but how we can ensure that Canadians are prepared for the exciting and good opportunities that will come out not only for this generation, but for the next generation as well, Mr. Morneau told reporters after announcing the budget date in the House of Commons.

Conservative finance critic Grard Deltell said he hopes the government shelves the tax credit review in light of the changes in the United States.

If the Trump administration tables some new direction to have less fees and less tax for business, well, we must address it because its very serious, Mr. Deltell said. America, as you know, is our most important partner, but also our most important competitor.

The Conservatives also want a more ambitious timeline for erasing the deficit. A finance department report recently said the budget will not be balanced until the 2050s.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said the Liberals should follow through on closing tax loopholes for the rich and deliver on their promises to Indigenous people.

Mr. Morneaus advisory council on economic growth which worked directly with the Finance Minister and his team over the past year called for an increased focus on skills training in a February report.

The Liberal government was elected on a central plank of running deficits to boost economic growth through infrastructure spending, but the Parliamentary Budget Officer and a Senate committee say the money has been slow to get out the door.

The 2017 budget is expected to provide more detailed breakdowns of the long-term spending plan for infrastructure. The numbers are not likely to change much from what Mr. Morneau outlined in his Nov. 1 fiscal update, which increased the total to $186.7-billion over 12 years.

While some new projects are expected to be highlighted in the budget as examples of what is to come, funding announcements on big projects will have to wait. Ottawa has not formally launched its second phase of funding for large projects, which means provinces have not submitted wish lists.

Mr. Morneaus Nov. 1 update added trade and transportation as well as rural and northern communities to the three categories public transit, green infrastructure and social infrastructure on which the Liberals have promised to focus.

One senior government official said the budget will have more to say on federal efforts to promote trade infrastructure.

John Gamble, president and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada, said his members are not seeing evidence of increased construction in spite of promises from the Liberals and the Conservatives before them to hike infrastructure spending.

Were very excited and very supportive of the fact that weve seen three successive budgets, from two governments, and each one of them has legitimately claimed to be the largest infrastructure investment in Canadian history, he said. However, in practical terms, we have just not seen the corresponding level of design activity so far. We know there are a lot of reasons. Were just trying to convey a sense of urgency.

With a report from Robert Fife

Follow Bill Curry on Twitter: @curryb

See the original post here:
Liberals extend tax credit review beyond 2017 federal budget, keeping an eye on Trump - The Globe and Mail