Latest news with #Doge-like
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dutton's backflipping and clumsy delivery has him spiralling in the polls. What happened?
The central struggle for the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, this election campaign has been for authenticity, a quality so important electorally he occasionally has been tempted to fake it. At one point he appeared to pose as an antipodean Donald Trump. In this version of himself, Dutton was a tough guy defender of the voiceless in Australia, an enemy of bloated government ready to unleash Doge-like cost-cutting on a range of services, and to engage in a culture war offensive against 'agendas' in schools. Trump had his Make America Great Again cap; Dutton's party has its Australia Back on Track tote. Even staunch Liberals began to flinch from what sounded like a Mar-a-Lago political menu as voters speculated on what a Dutton Doge would do to pensions, jobseeker, ABC, Medicare and Australia's other beloved supports. Opinion polling by YouGov this week shows the dramatic rupture in support for Dutton early this year. The findings show Dutton was at his worst-ever net satisfaction rating of -15 at the start of this month, down from -2 in February. This meant 38% of voters were satisfied with him but 53% were not. The director of public data at YouGov, Paul Smith, said the collapse followed 'his embrace of controversial Trump-style policies such as banning work-from-home arrangements and proposing to sack 40,000 public sector workers'. 'These actions have clearly impacted his public perception, contributing to a significant drop in satisfaction.' The critical comparison is that Anthony Albanese's satisfaction rating was -6. That was 44% satisfied and 50% not. The popularity decline reflects Dutton's aggressive personal and public style, as compared with the relative flatness of Albanese. Dutton likes stormy waters. Albanese doesn't like making waves. At a time of global disruption, voters might be seeking a calm hand on the tiller. Dutton has now realised the US president isn't a suitable model for Australian politics, no matter what his billionaire acquaintances such as Gina Rinehart say. Australian voters broadly think American politics is nuts at the best of times and menacingly toxic under Trump. Why vote for a wannabe Trump here? In February Dutton read the mood of the national electorate and on the Nine television network's 60 Minutes he rejected the idea he was impersonating the US president. 'Well, that might be a Labor line but it's just not true,' he said. 'I grew up under John Howard's wing. I worked closely with Peter Costello as assistant treasurer, so I think that's more my role model than others around the world.' It didn't help that also in February, on Nine's Today program, Liberal frontbencher Michaelia Cash pumped up the Trump likeness: 'The American people, they expect action. And that is what they're getting. 'And they'll get the exact same attitude under a Peter Dutton government.' But there was much worse to come to dent Dutton authenticity. The too-frequent alteration of policy on the run has damaged Dutton's authority over issues, even when they are issues he has raised as priorities. He has had so many pratfalls it is becoming difficult for voters to accept he genuinely believes in the policies involved. There are doubts as to whether he knows what he is doing. The editor-in-chief of the West Australian, Chris Dore, on Friday bluntly put this view in Dutton's presence:'And frankly, Mr Dutton has, at times, looked a bit punch-drunk since the beginning of the campaign … ' In a muted echo of Trump's pledge to 'drain the swamp' and slash the cost of government, Dutton vowed to reduce the federal public service by 41,000. He just wasn't sure where or how. When the mechanics of mass firings – and the effect on services – were rejected, the opposition said numbers would be cut through natural attrition – a non-replacement rule. Well, that was a silly idea given Dutton had set a five-year timetable for the reductions. So, on Friday this process was bolstered by a voluntary redundancy program, with no immediate calculation of how much it might cost to pay 41,000 people to quit. 'We will cap the size of the Australian public service and we will reduce the numbers back to the levels they were three years ago through natural attrition and voluntary redundancies,' said campaign spokesman James Paterson on ABC Radio National. The most embarrassing policy shuffle has been the ill-fated Dutton proposal to ban working from home. It was designed to get public servants back into offices but was understandably identified by many privately employed voters as a blanket prohibition across all employment. Dutton's clumsy delivery of this proposal, and his failure to foresee how it would anger many women voters forced him to apologise for his 'mistake'. Dutton is now identifying himself as a John Howard Liberal. But the man who was prime minister for 11 years never felt the need to be someone else, and – right or wrong – was master of his policies. Malcolm Farr is a political journalist
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk not leaving yet, wrapping up work on schedule once 'incredible work at DOGE is complete': White House
Elon Musk will exit his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on schedule later this spring, once "his incredible work at DOGE is complete," the White House confirmed Wednesday. "This 'scoop' is garbage," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X on Wednesday. "Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete." Leavitt was referring to a Wednesday Politico article reporting that "Trump has told his inner circle & members of his Cabinet that" Musk "will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role." Musk, however, has long been anticipated to step back from DOGE when his 130 days as a "special government employee" run out in May. Musk has been the public face of DOGE since President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the office on Jan. 20. Musk officially was hired as a "special government employee," which is a role Congress created in 1962 that allows the executive or legislative branch to hire temporary employees for specific short-term initiatives. Ivy League Student Accused Of Causing 'Emotional Harm' To Non-faculty Staff For Sending Doge-like Email Read On The Fox News App Special government employees are permitted to work for the federal government for "no more than 130 days in a 365- day period," according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk's 130-day timeframe, beginning on Inauguration Day, runs dry May 30. "Politico has become a tabloid paper that would rather run fake news for clicks than real reporting," White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox Digital on Wednesday of Politico's report. "This is exactly why President Trump and DOGE have terminated millions of dollars in wasteful, government contracts to so-called news organizations that have diminished their credibility with the American people." A Politico spokesperson told Fox Digital that the outlet stands by its reporting when approached for comment over the matter. Doge Slashes Over $100M In Dei Funding At Education Department: 'Win For Every Student' DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group itself will be dissolved on July 4, 2026, according to Trump's executive order. Musk and Trump have both previously previewed that Musk's role was temporary and would come to end in the coming weeks. "You, technically, are a special government employee and you're supposed to be 130 days," Fox News' Bret Baier asked Musk during an exclusive interview with the DOGE leader and members of his team Thursday. "Are you going to continue past that or do you think that's what you're going to do?" "I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame," Musk responded. Trump hinted at Musk's departure in comments to the media Monday when asked if he wants Musk to remain in a government role for longer than the predetermined 130 days. Doge Volunteer Credits Trump For Unprecedented Effort To Curb 'Jaw-dropping' Social Security Fraud "I think he's amazing. But I also think he's got a big company to run," Trump responded. "And so at some point he's going to be going back." "I'd keep him as long as I can keep him," Trump said. "He's a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He's very smart. And he's done a good job," the president added. "DOGE is, we've found numbers that nobody can even believe."Original article source: Musk not leaving yet, wrapping up work on schedule once 'incredible work at DOGE is complete': White House
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Bank of England holds interest rates amid global economic uncertainty
The dour Scotsman holding the title of chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office minister, Pat McFadden, doesn't seem much of a space cowboy but he has in common with Elon Musk an apparent zeal to eliminate waste. Being more sensible and considerably less excitable than his (rough) US counterpart, McFadden has not yet egregiously breached the British constitution but he has summarily abolished almost all of the civil service 'credit cards', a distinctly Doge-like action. It's more than just a symbolic move… Read the full article here: Pat McFadden's move to curb excessive civil service spending highlights a focus on tackling waste and inefficiency in government, writes Sean O'Grady, but does it go far enough to rebuild public trust? Holly Evans 20 March 2025 13:30 David Lammy has confirmed that a British national was wounded in an Israeli attack on a UN compound in Gaza on Wednesday, as he said recent attacks had been an 'appalling loss of life'. The Foreign Secretary told MPs: 'Yesterday morning a UN compound in Gaza was hit, I can confirm to the House that a British national was amongst the wounded. 'Our priority is supporting them and their family at this time.' Mr Lammy added that the attacks on Gaza on Tuesday night had caused the largest Palestinian death toll on a single day since the war began. He said: 'A number of Hamas figures were reportedly killed, but it's been reported that over 400 Palestinians were killed in missile strikes and artillery barrages. The majority of them were women and children. 'This appears to have been the deadliest single day for Palestinians since the war began. This is an appalling loss of life, and we mourn the loss of every civilian.' Holly Evans 20 March 2025 13:15 Holly Evans 20 March 2025 13:03 Responding to today's interest rate decision by the Bank of England, Suren Thiru, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Economics Director, said: 'The decision to keep interest rates on hold will be a palpable letdown to those households looking for relief from high mortgage bills and businesses preparing for April's major jump in business costs, including the national insurance hike. 'While the vote to 'hold' was emphatic, there was enough in the meeting minutes to suggest that rate setters remain concerned over the health of the economy, keeping the door wide open for a May interest rate cut. 'With inflation set to rise further and international headwinds growing, the path to materially lower interest rates remains filled with uncertainty. As such, rate setters will probably continue to maintain their slow and steady approach to loosening policy.' Interest rates are a double-edged sword for households (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire) Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:50 The Chancellor must use the coming spring statement to 'take responsible steps' that will pave the way for an interest rates cut, the Tories said. Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said: 'Interest rates staying higher for longer will mean higher mortgages for millions of people across the country. 'Because of Rachel Reeves' Budget, inflation is above the Bank of England's target, making it harder to bring interest rates down. 'Next week, during her emergency budget, the Chancellor must take responsible steps on spending, borrowing and debt to allow the Bank of England to cut interest rates.' Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:37 In response to the Bank of England holding interest rates, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: 'We've had three rate cuts since the summer, but there's still work to do to ease the cost of living. 'That's why I'm fighting every day to put more money in the pockets of working people to deliver our plan for change, and why we protected workers' payslips with no rise in national insurance, income tax or VAT, boosted the national living wage and froze fuel duty. 'In a changing world, I'm determined to go further and faster to kickstart growth, and bring in a new era of stability, security and renewal that protects working people and keeps our country safe.' Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:34 The base rate has been held after February's cut - so what's the day-to-day impact on people? Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:24 When the BoE made the Bank Rate cut last month, inflation had been on the decline. However, a mid-February report showed Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 3 per cent in January, from 2.5 per cent in December. With inflation therefore rising again - and, importantly, rising by more than expected - interest rates were always unlikely to be cut this time around. Lower interest rates can be used to encourage businesses to resume investing as the cost of borrowing is lower, which can give the wider economy a boost. However, it can also lead to rising prices as investment in more jobs or salaries mean people have, and spend, more money; therefore the reverse is also seen as true in that if demand is lower, it can help reduce these potential price rises - or in other words, it can help stem inflation. Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:20 Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, said: 'There's a lot of economic uncertainty at the moment. 'We still think that interest rates are on a gradually declining path, but we've held them at 4.5% today. 'We'll be looking very closely at how the global and domestic economies are evolving at each of our six-weekly rate-setting meetings. 'Whatever happens, it's our job to make sure that inflation stays low and stable.' Bank of England's governor Andrew Bailey said interest rates are on a 'gradually declining path' (via REUTERS) Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:12 The Bank of England has held interest rates after eight members of the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to maintain the base rate at 4.5 per cent. One member of the committee, Swati Dhingra, voted for a sharper reduction to 4.25 per cent. Holly Evans 20 March 2025 12:09
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What Labour's crackdown on government credit cards reveals about its approach to public spending
The dour Scotsman holding the title of chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office minister, Pat McFadden, doesn't seem much of a space cowboy but he has in common with Elon Musk an apparent zeal to eliminate waste. Being more sensible and considerably less excitable than his (rough) US counterpart, McFadden has not yet egregiously breached the British constitution but he has summarily abolished almost all of the civil service 'credit cards', a distinctly Doge-like action. It's more than just a symbolic move… What's the problem? The immediate one is the sometimes seemingly wanton use of some 20,000 government procurement cards (GPCs) that enable officials to order relatively trivial items – ie not new aircraft carriers or reservoirs – without too much onerous invoicing and other paperwork in the digital age. Typically this means paying for ad hoc official hospitality, travel and office equipment. However, Labour in opposition discovered some expenditure that seemed questionable. This included: A £4,445 dinner in New York for the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, for himself and 24 of his staff About £1,500 on lunch and dinner for Liz Truss, as foreign secretary, in two upmarket restaurants in Jakarta Rishi Sunak, when chancellor, spending £3,000 on 13 photographs to brighten up the Treasury Buying DJ equipment, which raises the possibility that the karaoke kit that featured in the Partygate horror was paid for by the taxpayer Total spending on GPCs has quadrupled in the last few years to a non-trivial total of £600m. What's the answer? An immediate Muskian freeze on GPCs, a reduction in the item limit for hospitality from £2,500 to £500, and any spend more than £500 requiring director general (top civil servant) approval. Civil servants will also be banned from using cards where there is either a departmental or cross-government procurement route. McFadden would like to radically reduce the number of GPCs in circulation. Is McFadden 'the British Musk'? Joking apart, he and his colleagues in the Cabinet Office and Treasury are pursuing waste, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness across the British state, the most high-profile examples being the abolition of NHS England; the current review of social security long-term sickness and disability benefits; Yvette Cooper's attempts to get spending on migrant hotels down; and Angela Rayner's drive to reorganise local government. Regulators are being told to prioritise growth, and the government wants to rationalise agencies and quangos. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has actually created a new quango, the Office for Value for Money, to reassure the public about things, though the parliamentary public accounts committee has expressed scepticism about its role. The cuts in overseas aid are the nearest functional parallel to Doge, though, to be fair, British ministers don't argue that such transfers are corrupt and wasteful. Why does it matter? In the great scheme of things, this is 'sweating the small stuff' and doesn't make much difference to the big picture in a public spending total exceeding £1 trillion a year. However, McFadden and his colleagues recognise, if not fear, the damage that lurid stories about abuse do to the reputation of the state and trust in government. Tony Blair always used to say that the public didn't mind paying more in tax for public services provided they could be sure it wasn't being wasted, and, as they couldn't have such confidence, were therefore reluctant. The public's dismay at the £3bn a year that's been spent on migrant hotels is a prime example of how things can go wrong. Is Labour now the party of prudence? Funnily enough, the GPCs were introduced by the New Labour government in 1997, to reduce administrative costs, but things appear to have got out of control in the Conservative years. There will always be waste and inefficiency, even in the most cash-starved of organisations in the public or private sectors; but at least McFadden, Keir Starmer and Reeves seem to be genuinely appalled by it. Maybe one day they too will drift into the kind of bad habits parties develop after a prolonged time in power.
