So who's buying an Ethos with the $950 bonus?

[Ric]

I'll do my bit to stimulate the economy. Theres a certain ED80 I had my eye on plus a few accessories.

Cheers

[leon]

Well I wont see a penny, it seems if you are unemployed, you don't get a cent, ah well, same old story.

Leon

[renormalised (Carl)]

Nearly everyone I know received last Decembers payout to those who receive Centrelink benefits, ie age, disability, unemployed

Didn't see a brass razoo of it and I'm, at present, in that last category. I know others that did get it...mostly kids on Centrelink payments, pensioners, students (but not postgrads like myself)...and I probably won't see any of this one either. If I did, I'd consider myself very lucky.

[JohnG (John)]

Originally Posted by leon

Well I wont see a penny, it seems if you are unemployed, you don't get a cent, ah well, same old story.

Leon

You got that right Leon....

In the same boat, no income, seems that age of between 60 to 65 no one wants to know you...

Cheers

[TrevorW]

Like the Xmas bonus the idea is too stimulate the Australian economy unfortunately if you don't spend it on products made in Australia then all you money goes oversea's so what good does it do.

[spacezebra (Petra)]

Hi guys

Well, I have some astro gear that I have my eye on and this bonus will take the pressure of my astro fund.

Now all I need to do is convince David that he needs to contribute his bonus to my astro fund also.

Cheers Petra d.

[tornado33]

Originally Posted by qld

the announcement today concerning the injection of 42m,is simply targeted at marginal seats for an early election,there are no programmes in the announcement that go towards long term stragetic infrustructure investment....the experiment with the pensioners not only failed the pensioners but it did not give the economy the stimulus it was hailed to do as the xmas period spending went on at the last moment anyway.It failed the poor old pensioners,because the constitution of Australia guarantees the pension to all,this hand out will not be repeated and was simply aimed at getting the grey vote at the next election.....politics today is about staying in power not about good governance.For those of you interested in NSW politics you should all be aware that yesterday the head office of nsw Health at North Sydney closed its office to watch the Superbowl telecast,the event was lavish and fully catered for guests arrived by invitation....during the superbowl hospitals in nsw were without medical supplies,payment of creditors and airconditioning during the 40 plus climate temp...the minister spun the usual line that during the heat of the day all that was possible was being done and where necessary pedestal fans were made available to those in need.So thats where your tax money goes...bit like the rebate on the m5 too diffucult to collect for most and in the end no one is accountable...how many of you voted for these outcomes continue to amaze me.....but dont complain when a relative or close friend dies in a hospital next time remember the superbowl its more important.

Ahh no, not correct at all. I work at a local shopping centre, amd MY GOODNESS things went hypo when Kevin Rudds forst stimulus package was paid out. The manager said they did better than at any time in the store chain's history, sales were through the roof. People were on a spending spree.

The rest of your issues are state related, and I blame the State Liberal party. They FORCED me to vote Labour, I had no choice but to, as the fool Peter debman said he would move all workers on to the draconian Work Choices, the most disgraceful piece of legislation in Australia I have ever seen in my 43 years on this Earth.

If John Howard won the last election this would be his response to the world finincial crisis, Workchoices Version 2.0

1 Increase the working week to 45 or 50 hours/week
2 Scrap all public holidays including Christmas Day
3 Cut the minimum wage to a similar level to what it is in the US
4 Scrap Medicare. If you cannot afford to pay, you die.
5 Make unionism and all strikes illegal.
6 Cut the Dole, let people starve.

I know beyond all doubt my living standard would plummet under another Howard/Costello term. I sleep so much more easily at night knowing Kevin Rudd is Prime Minister. Julia Gillard is excellent too

The local astronomy businesses here could well benefit from the $950. I do worry what will happen to the excellent astro businesses we have here, and indeed the makers of the products they sell. If people can buy more astro gear with any govt. bonuses then please do so, support your local busineses if you can. If the opposition was in power, thered be no bonus payments to hard working Australians I can assure you.

[andrew2008]

So it's not just families earning in those brackets??
My partner and i living together, both earn under 80k, no children can expect it??

Really not getting my hopes up on this coming through. If not a 1000d or ED80 is most certainly on the cards:-)

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Don't think childless couples will see much..

[matt]

Hmmm.

Think I'll go for a browse at a few photo shops on the weekend.

Got my eye on a few Canon lenses.

Thanks Unky Kev

[stevejack (Steve)]

Interesting comments!
For the unemployed; I may be completely wrong here but I would assume it would be saved and not spent (only judging by what I would do)? With the desired outcome being to spend spend spend the govt would possibly be criticised if the currently unemployed were included in the bonus payments (which for all I know they may indeed be?)

Over $100k earners would possibly spend it - but the other side of the argument would be that those earning that amount are spending their share already and really the package is designed to boost the majority of the population who aren't quite spending enough.
Notice they aren't handing out food vouchers here - it's purely designed to encourage people to buy non-essential items.

I'm in no position to comment on whether or not this will be effective (though I have my opinions ) but I think it's all pretty interesting.

And centrelink's not all bad - I spent a couple of years working (factories/farms/shearing sheds etc) before I went to uni so I could claim study payments and they helped a lot. Last year I was also lucky enough to score a postgrad scholarship which should keep me going for the next few years - a good position to be in considering the current climate

[astroron (Ron)]

My $ 1400 from Kevin before Christmas went in one day and A lot of people I know who received it also spent most of, if not all of it

[erick (Eric)]

Pentax 16-45 f4 zoom

[andrew2008]

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Release/2...lease_0778.cfm

These five key bonuses include a:

• Tax Bonus for Working Australians of up to $950 paid to every eligible Australian worker earning $100,000 or less. This will support up to 8.7 million individuals.
• $950 Single Income Family Bonus to support 1.5 million families with one main income earner.
• $950 Farmers' Hardship Bonus paid to around 21,500 drought affected farmers and farm dependent small business owners receiving exceptional circumstances related income support.
• $950 per child Back to School Bonus to support 2.8 million children from low- and middle-income families.
• $950 Training and Learning Bonus paid to students and people outside of the workforce returning to study to help with the costs of education and training.

[renormalised (Carl)]

$950 Training and Learning Bonus paid to students and people outside of the workforce returning to study to help with the costs of education and training.

We'll see....until it's in my wallet and/or bank a/c, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Craig.a.c (Craig)]

I'm single and earn less then $40,000 a year.
Will I see any of this bonus?


Sorry I don't understand pollitics, economy etc. That why I am just a "rent-a-cop".

[monoxide]

im just a 'dumb fisherman', bet i dont get a cracker

there are some people that really work hard and struggle to get the bills paid let alone buy all sorts of other gear so i keep that in mind and hope they get theirs before i worry about my own. a $950 bonus can make a huge difference for them.

remember them before you ask where yours is! especially if your on a decent wage already. i know you'd think you deserve it too but the living standards between a 50k wage or less and a 100k+ wage are very different.

[TrevorW]

[quote=monoxide;408170]im just a 'dumb fisherman', bet i dont get a cracker

Never think of youyrself as a dumb anything

remember the saying "dumber is that dumber does"

If you earn under $100000 and submit a tax return as I read it you'll get something

A lump-sum payment of up to $950 will be made to eligible taxpayers from April 2009. The bonus will be available to Australian resident taxpayers who paid tax in the 2007-08 financial year after taking into account available tax offsets and credits.

The bonus is subject to an income threshold test which determines that a:

• $950 bonus will be paid to eligible taxpayers with a taxable income of up to and including $80,000;

• $650 bonus will paid to eligible taxpayers with taxable incomes exceeding $80,000 and up to $90,000; and

• $300 bonus will be paid to eligible taxpayers with incomes exceeding $90,000 up to and including $100,000.

Taxpayers will not need to apply for the payment. The Australian Taxation Office will automatically make the payment after determining eligibility.


Cheers

[Stuart78 (Stuart)]

Dunno if anyone has posted this yet but here is info on the bonus payments..


http://www.centrelink.gov.au/interne...ts_feb2009.htm

[tornado33]

Its now a moot point what we do with the payment, as the fools that are the Liberals will block it, they announced it today.
link

KEVIN Rudd has a fight on his hands to get his $42 billion financial rescue package up and running.

Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has said the Opposition will vote against the package in Parliament, saying the huge sum of taxpayers' money would be better spent in other ways and urging the Government to keep some money up its sleeve.

The Government can use its numbers to drive the package through the lower house, but Mr Turnbull's decision means the Prime Minister will rely on the support of the Greens and independents in the Senate.

The package includes tax bonuses of up to $950 each for millions of Australians, as well as billions of dollars in spending on schools and new housing. By opposing it, Mr Turnbull risks angering voters who would be denied that extra cash.

"We know that this is not going to be a popular decision, but it's the right decision," Mr Turnbull told Parliament. "The good old-fashioned conservative value of thrift and saving is going to come back into fashion and ... it ought to come back into fashion."

Related Coverage
Rate cut: Big banks pass it on

Vote Now!
Should Malcolm Turnbull support the Rudd rescue plan?

Add your vote! Yes - this is a crisis No - it's too much money I don't care Your Say
Hrmm, One $950 hooker or 950 $1 hookers.. that's is the question. Only joking I'm going to donate my money to my old high school they have a donation thing going for the fam...

(Read More)

x-ray eyes of Australia He said the tax cuts planned for next year should be made effective immediately and backdated to January 1. "It does not put $950 in everybody's pocket today, but that's the point - it increases permanent income and it therefore provides a greater incentive to work and to invest."

Pressure

The Government introduced the package to Parliament this morning and said it had to be passed by tomorrow to ensure cash was getting to households from next month.

Treasurer Wayne Swan repeated Mr Rudd's admission that there were no guarantees the package would work or that the world financial criris would not deepen. "The only certainty here is our country will be worse off and more Australians will be out of work if we do not act," he said.

But despite the Government's and Opposition's rush to show their hands, cross-bench senators have said they want more time to look at the fine print. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said blindly passing the package would be like buying a $42 billion car "without having a good look under the bonnet".

The Greens also want a closer look, although Senator Christine Milne said at first glance it had "lots of good things in it".

Grim forecast

Announcing the package yesterday, Mr Rudd said it was aimed at protecting Australian jobs. The Government is tipping the jobless rate to hit 7 per cent next year, taking the number out of work to almost 800,000.

It was reported this morning that more than 300,000 Australians will lose their jobs in the next 18 months if that forecast is realised. But some economists believe the Government has drastically underplayed the anticipated job losses, the Daily Telegraph reports.

JP Morgan chief economist Helen Kevens told The Daily Telegraph an unemployment figure of 9 per cent was more likely in 2010, with 7 per cent to be reached before the end of this year.

"In our forecasts, we are going to see a significant slide in local labour market conditions over the next 12 months," Ms Kevens said. "We are expecting the unemployment rate to double by the end of 2010 ... to just under 9 per cent."

Commonwealth Bank senior economist Michael Workman said a dramatic surge from current unemployment levels of 4.6 per cent to 7 per cent was not unprecedented.

"It's gloomy, but it's quite realistic. Seven per cent is quite feasible," Mr Workman said. "The shift from the low fours to 7 per cent, that's almost three percentage points and that's in line with what happened in the 1990s recession."

The prediction of 7% unemployment was WITH the economic stimulus package, blocking it will see that rate well above 7%, and every job lost will be upon Malcomb Turnbulls head! Blame him for costing each of you who would have got the payment, the payment.