Prime Minister Julia Gillard knew just who she was talking to when she gave her address to the Australian Industry Group鈥檚 annual dinner on October 25.
The AIG and its affiliates represent more than 60,000 bosses, according to its website. This includes Veolia, the privatisation juggernaut.
But just so she didn鈥檛 rustle too many feathers, Gillard spoke to them in the kind of arcane riddles she hoped only they could understand.
big business
鈥淏usinesses like making profits鈥, said Labor leader Julia Gillard on ABC鈥檚 Q&A on August 9. She was explaining why Labor opposed the Coalition鈥檚 proposal to raise the company tax rate by 1.5%. 鈥淚f they鈥檝e got to pay more tax and that鈥檚 going to cut into their profits, then they鈥檒l think of a way of adding a bit more profit.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the best way of adding a bit more profit in? They put up prices.
鈥淚t, you know, just stands to common sense reason, doesn鈥檛 it?鈥
The Greens lead NSW senate candidate Lee Rhiannon agrees.