Politics Super Thread - keep it all in here

[pawsandclaws1]

The flip side is that we aren't outbidding China. It's a geopolitical issue and we can't get into any sort of fight with China.

Our continuation of aid at existing levels or more demonstrates we are a good neighbour to these countries. Remember, Scumo has blown $5.5bn on submarines that will never be built and there are issues with the future frigate.

 

[Nelson]

We don't have the money to give out.

I definitely wouldn't destroy the public service either. They are good jobs. If they can do better they are welcome to it.

Are house prices too high ?
Is the debt too large ?

There is a cost to fixing this stuff. You cannot continue to pump the economy with money.

You are definitely right though in that no one would vote for my policies. Can you imagine it - you guys have had your fun and now it's time for tightening your belts.

Did you see that guy attack Morrison in the pub because he wanted a bigger pension. Getting on the piss at the pub and complaining your pension isn't big enough. It kills me.

Public sector wages are only one part of the budget and they have been suppressed (in NSW at least) with wage increase caps for a long time. Cost of living is going to increase regardless of government policy due to external factors and that's going to bite on public sector workers. You may think they're all expendable and easily replaced and if they don't like it they can go off to the private sector, but the reality is that if that does happen it will set certain public sector agencies back decades. Some professions like nursing are already pretty frayed after a pandemic, they don't need another slap. You wouldn't expect a business to piss off all of its best employees and expect it to function properly but that's basically what you're suggesting.
Plus, it will discourage new entrants into certain areas because all they see is poor wage outcomes and a lack of respect. So you'll create future potential shortages in teaching, healthcare and the like and how will you have to address those down the track? By paying higher wages to attract staff or having worse educational and health outcomes.
I'm not saying you just throw money at people, but the models are far more complicated than you're suggesting by saying that increasing public sector wages would be incompetent.

 

[earl]

I'm not saying you just throw money at people, but the models are far more complicated than you're suggesting by saying that increasing public sector wages would be incompetent.

I agree but the issue is more complicated than I am suggesting but we need politicians to err on the side of financial responsibility. This is not the time to increase wages in the public sector. You might get a few exceptions but not many.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Briget Mckenzie says "you don't have to like him". But we do need to be able trust him.

 

[Tim Sheens]

100% agree.

The US has had China surrounded for many years by military bases with nukes (Okinawa, Korea, Guam, Marshall Islands).

But now China will soon have a gun at Australia's head, holding us hostage to give them one up in negotiations with the US.

If the going gets tough, the yanks won't be there for us.

Really huge fail for our national security. Probably our worst ever.

But, but, but, we have moved on from threatening shirt fronting and are really good at both beating our chests and grandstanding with loud voices.

 

[Tim Sheens]

The flip side is that we aren't outbidding China. It's a geopolitical issue and we can't get into any sort of fight with China.

Soft diplomacy such as ABC Pacific broadcasts used to do a great deal of good for relatively little outlay.

The coalition in their haste to break up the commission through cutting their funding and services for party gain was very costly, with China saying thank you very much and immediately broadcasting their informational wants over the same frequencies.

We need a reopening of dialogue with China immediately post election and we also have to concentrate more in the Pacific to ensure nothing like the Solomon's debacle can again occur.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Thanks Christ you'll never be in power then. No real wage growth, destroying the public service. How is it the fault of APS staff that the Commonwealth runs up a debt?

Especially so when this iteration has been splashing out $ Billions overpaying consultants.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I believe if any part of our society deserves pay increases, it is our doctors, nurses, paramedics and all staff who have been frontline against Covid. They have risked their lives to help those unfortunate enough to contract the disease. We need to remember a lot of their salaries is spent supporting businesses.

Along with aged care, which is in need of an immediate significant increase and/or permanent positions instead of a bits and pieces workforce.

 

[Yossarian]

We don't have the money to give out.

I definitely wouldn't destroy the public service either. They are good jobs. If they can do better they are welcome to it.

Are house prices too high ?
Is the debt too large ?

There is a cost to fixing this stuff. You cannot continue to pump the economy with money.

You are definitely right though in that no one would vote for my policies. Can you imagine it - you guys have had your fun and now it's time for tightening your belts.

Did you see that guy attack Morrison in the pub because he wanted a bigger pension. Getting on the piss at the pub and complaining your pension isn't big enough. It kills me.

It’s not giving out money, it’s remunerating people for the work they do. Your stance displays an ignorance of these things. Tighten your own damn belt if you want. There are smarter and more efficient ways to save money than putting decent people under the pump to satisfy some ideological bent.

I think your last sentence is a fair demonstration of your opinions. Looks like shock value for god knows what purpose. His money, his choice.

 

[tigerballs]

It’s not giving out money, it’s remunerating people for the work they do. Your stance displays an ignorance of these things. Tighten your own damn belt if you want. There are smarter and more efficient ways to save money than putting decent people under the pump to satisfy some ideological bent.

I think your last sentence is a fair demonstration of your opinions. Looks like shock value for god knows what purpose. His money, his choice.

I think his last sentence is fair enough. You're right, his money, his choice..... but why should the government ( taxpayers ) ( us ) give him any more? Just because he wants it? I'm all for helping the disadvantaged but if he's worked his whole life and has nothing to show for it, that's on him.

 

[Tim Sheens]

AEC advised that even without a good chunk of WA votes counted, already in receipt of 280,000 votes on the first day of polling. That's already 250% greater than at the last federal election with a good few yet to be accounted for.

Sure, there is covid and increasing numbers of such each election, but that is a big, big turnout of people wanting a say and screams intention for change to me.

 

[earl]

I think his last sentence is fair enough. You're right, his money, his choice..... but why should the government ( taxpayers ) ( us ) give him any more? Just because he wants it? I'm all for helping the disadvantaged but if he's worked his whole life and has nothing to show for it, that's on him.

You cannot justify more money if you are at the pub getting drunk and probably playing on the slappers. If you can afford to do that then you don't ask for more money.

I am also all for helping the disadvantaged but not people who supposedly work their whole life and don't have a cent to their name. That is called poor decision making and there are consequences to that.

 

[earl]

It’s not giving out money, it’s remunerating people for the work they do. Your stance displays an ignorance of these things. Tighten your own damn belt if you want. There are smarter and more efficient ways to save money than putting decent people under the pump to satisfy some ideological bent.

There is no ideological bent. It doesn't exist. I'm voting Labor.

I believe that we have a massive massive debt and we have a tonne of things we have to pay for. Something has to give.

It's not about remunerating people for the work they do. They are already getting paid. It's about paying them more and something else has to give.

Money has to go to defense. Money has to go towards clean energy. Money has to go to education, healthcare and infrastructure.

We have inflation right now. We have houses that are extremely expensive.

Giving out more money under this scenario for people doing the same work is absolute madness.

Sure there may be some extreme situations that require and increase in salary but this should be minimized. I can only think of aged care and potentially nurses.

I suggest anyone stating anything differently is interested in their back pocket only.

I have no problems with increasing the minimum wage because I want to help the disadvantaged.

 

[stryker 69]

Spot on mate. If you're worried about climate change, why in God's name would you get into bed with China?

$$$$$
The corruptible are always easily corrupted. China outmanoeuvred us with a better paper bag.
I didn’t even know the name of the Solomon Island’s leader until this happened. Now he is on the news once a week slipping the boot into our country.
Funny how his balls grew overnight….

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I think his last sentence is fair enough. You're right, his money, his choice..... but why should the government ( taxpayers ) ( us ) give him any more? Just because he wants it? I'm all for helping the disadvantaged but if he's worked his whole life and has nothing to show for it, that's on him.

I've been known to be wrong, but I think he was on a disability pension? Maybe he lost the ability to work and wasn't able to work the years required to build a nest egg.

There's every chance he could have been there getting on the piss, but he could have been a teetotaller that heard that Scomo was going to be there and decided to get down there to confront him.

In any case, these sorts of interactions are great for the media who can whip up a bit of a frenzy by having the PM or opposition leader being accosted by angry punters to create media clicks but at the end of the day they are forgotten about on election day. I doubt any of us will be thinking about old mate and having that influence the way we vote when we walk into the ballot booth.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

$$$$$
The corruptible are always easily corrupted. China outmanoeuvred us with a better paper bag.
I didn’t even know the name of the Solomon Island’s leader until this happened. Now he is on the news once a week slipping the boot into our country.
Funny how his balls grew overnight….

And poor pacific nations will always go where the bigger paper bag is.

 

[stryker 69]

AEC advised that even without a good chunk of WA votes counted, already in receipt of 280,000 votes on the first day of polling. That's already 250% greater than at the last federal election with a good few yet to be accounted for.

Sure, there is covid and increasing numbers of such each election, but that is a big, big turnout of people wanting a say and screams intention for change to me.

I think change is inevitable.
Having said that, the Morrison Government has had a rough run the entire time they’ve been leading (droughts, pestilence, floods, fires, pandemic, floods, war and more floods)…and to be honest they have not done a bad job under the circumstances. Not much golf got played.
Going on past efforts, I’m glad the Liberals lead us through this time. Labor would not have done as well.

Will fresh blood help us recover now the storm has been weathered? That is the only question worth asking yourself on polling day. I’m still undecided.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

I think change is inevitable.
Having said that, the Morrison Government has had a rough run the entire time they’ve been leading (droughts, pestilence, floods, fires, pandemic, floods, war and more floods)…and to be honest they have not done a bad job under the circumstances. Not much golf got played.
Going on past efforts, I’m glad the Liberals lead us through this time. Labor would not have done as well.

Will fresh blood help us recover now the storm has been weathered? That is the only question worth asking yourself on polling day. I’m still undecided.

Remind yourself before you vote Stryker
it won't be easy under Albanese

 

[Cobarcats]

There is no ideological bent. It doesn't exist. I'm voting Labor.

I believe that we have a massive massive debt and we have a tonne of things we have to pay for. Something has to give.

It's not about remunerating people for the work they do. They are already getting paid. It's about paying them more and something else has to give.

Money has to go to defense. Money has to go towards clean energy. Money has to go to education, healthcare and infrastructure.

We have inflation right now. We have houses that are extremely expensive.

Giving out more money under this scenario for people doing the same work is absolute madness.

Sure there may be some extreme situations that require and increase in salary but this should be minimized. I can only think of aged care and potentially nurses.

I suggest anyone stating anything differently is interested in their back pocket only.

I have no problems with increasing the minimum wage because I want to help the disadvantaged.

Hi Earl, I'm not up to date with politics so excuse my ignorance.
You mentioned we have to spend money on defence.
I was told that defence spending is unproductive unless it's supports Australian industry, making wepons, ammunition etc.
I don't believe this country is defensible.
To defend this huge country it would take a defence force as big as the Americans.
Our power is with resources and commerce isn't it.
Why don't we put as much money into what has a return like tourism and exports?
Being an ex serviceman, in over 26 years I never saw anything that would give me confidence in defending this country.
The only way would be gorilla warefare but that's off topic.
Just an observation mate???

 

[stryker 69]

Remind yourself before you vote Stryker
it won't be easy under Albanese

I certainly have my suspicions this will be true and the more I hear from Labor the more this looks likely.
They are promising a lot of rainbows and sunshine….