Politics Super Thread - keep it all in here

[Saturnalia]

I don't understand how some people are 'Labor/Liberal' till I die mentality..

Because both parties operate on sets of core principals that you either agree with or dont? ….... i dont understand how anyone could change parties over small policy issues.

Rubbish, both parties are very similar anyway.

If you don't believe in changing your vote dependant on policies why bother even having elections?
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Don't assume because someone is an awkward public speaker that they lack intelligence.

So we're not supposed to judge him on what he says or does in public?

Like the following

"They're young, feisty, I think I can probably say have a bit of sex appeal and they're just very connected with the local area,"

 

[diedpretty]

I will be voting informal this time around - the Ray Hadley/Alan Jones smear campaign wiped out the only decent candidate in this area. Thanks Ray - you @#%&

 

[avocadoontoast]

"No one, however smart, however well-educated, however experienced, is the suppository of all wisdom," said Mr Abbott, of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday.

:roll

Our future PM - what an embarrassment!

Hang on, Abbott smarter than you think. He really did mean to say "suppository" in reference to Rudd, because as we all know, Rudd is the biggest arsehole in Oz.

Lol, peace all

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Good point, Dazza, although I don't think Tony is that smart :laughing:

Any idea what a Rhodes Scholar is mate?

Don't assume because someone is an awkward public speaker that they lack intelligence.

No but having a rhodes scholarship doesn't indicate exceptional intelligence. Academic achievement is just one avenue to getting the scholarship. From memory it can also be through moral pursuits, sports etc.

Do you know for certain that abbott got it through academic achievement?

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[pHyR3]

Abbott's also went to USyd with a bachelor of economics. So he's no idiot. His motives and reasoning I question though.

 

[Tigersfan2]

Tony Abbott and all the rest are smart. They get life time pensions on all of us.

 

[Winnipeg]

George W Bush went to Yale and Harvard Business School, that didn't make him a good President or an economic mastermind.

Abbott has been described by friend and colleague Peter Costello as an 'economic illiterate'

 

[Chadman_s_Ghost]

Working in the building/construction industry, traditionally Labor type voters, all I hear is how people want a change from Labor.

I'm starting to think that all these opinion polls count for nothing. Small business, construction & mining industries are going to punish the ALP at this election, as far as I can see.

The media is making a big hoo-haa about Peter Beattie running for the seat of Forde up here, and living in the area, I can say that the sentiment of the voters is not in their favour either.

ALP knows their overall federal policies are on the nose, or will be if the funding structures get looked at closely, and are therefore making the election about Rudd vs Abbott, not ALP vs Coalition- because they know the one weakness of the Coalition is that Abbott hasn't won the people over.

That's my opinion, of course…

 

[Gold_Coast_Tiges]

Working in the building/construction industry, traditionally Labor type voters, all I hear is how people want a change from Labor.

I'm starting to think that all these opinion polls count for nothing. Small business, construction & mining industries are going to punish the ALP at this election, as far as I can see.

The media is making a big hoo-haa about Peter Beattie running for the seat of Forde up here, and living in the area, I can say that the sentiment of the voters is not in their favour either.

ALP knows their overall federal policies are on the nose, or will be if the funding structures get looked at closely, and are therefore making the election about Rudd vs Abbott, not ALP vs Coalition- because they know the one weakness of the Coalition is that Abbott hasn't won the people over.

That's my opinion, of course…

I'm self employed and at times I've voted Libs, and at other times I've voted Labor.
I voted for Labor when Hawke got in, and against Labor( When Howard got in), and then against Howard when Rudd Got in and .So I guess that I could be called a swinging voter. People will not change their vote because of anything posted on here, but my opinion is that we are in a period , where we have the worst bunch of so called leaders that I can remember in my adult life(from all Parties. )
I will vote Labour this time because Abbott scares the life out of me ,I wouldnt have voted for Gillard , but I think that if someone has the top job in any large business and gets the chop . If he gets the chance at it again it would be a very stupid man not to improve on the things that let him down the first time. And i don't think Rudd or any of the Other leaders are stupid, Maybe a lot of things , but not stupid.
THE ridiculous one sided rubbish that has come out of the Telecrap offices lately has probably pushed me a bit of the way towards Rudd, But I dont Think Abbott can keep up his "Mr.Reasonable " act for much longer ,and soon or later he will go back to his real persona .
Had Turnbull been running the Lids , I probably would have voted Libs, as I think that he would have taken the best ideas of both sides and we may have had some bi-partisan policies in the future(Not possible with Bud).
I know we keep hearing that we're not voting for a party when we vote. We are voting for our member.
True. But every vote that we cast also goes towards getting one or the leaders in power.
Just a pity that we cant get their super scheme

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I don't understand how some people are 'Labor/Liberal' till I die mentality..

Because both parties operate on sets of core principals that you either agree with or dont? ….... i dont understand how anyone could change parties over small policy issues.

**Rubbish, both parties are very similar anyway.**

If you don't believe in changing your vote dependant on policies why bother even having elections?
\

Don't assume because someone is an awkward public speaker that they lack intelligence.

So we're not supposed to judge him on what he says or does in public?

Like the following

"They're young, feisty, I think I can probably say have a bit of sex appeal and they're just very connected with the local area,"

Bang on Sataris. I suggest any who does not agree have a crack at the ABC vote compass. Based on the answers I gave I rated the following with the three majors:

ALP: 56%
LNP: 54%
Greens: 51%

I suppose it was to be expected when I see myself as a centrist, but I was shocked to find out how I stacked against the parties on certain policies (you can line your answers up against the parties.)

Briefly heard about the LNP looking to scale back/abolish the public health system? Is it scaremongering from the left or legit?

 

[stryker]

I will be voting informal this time around - the Ray Hadley/Alan Jones smear campaign wiped out the only decent candidate in this area. Thanks Ray - you @#%&

I wouldnt call Oakeshott decent mate. He basically went against everything that got him elected in the first place to become a Labor stooge for the whole term of government. Then when it became obvious that he would lose his seat of power come September he has taken his bat and ball and gone home.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I will be voting informal this time around - the Ray Hadley/Alan Jones smear campaign wiped out the only decent candidate in this area. Thanks Ray - you @#%&

I wouldnt call Oakeshott decent mate. **He basically went against everything that got him elected** in the first place to become a Labor stooge for the whole term of government. Then when it became obvious that he would lose his seat of power come September he has taken his bat and ball and gone home.

Very unfair and quite to the contrary, as he has **basically been true to his electoral platform, despite the hype to suggest otherwise, and is on the public record for all to see. Both he and Tony Windsor ran as genuine independents, and also have history in the NSW parliament when the balance of power was also held.\
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Voting for and against each individual piece of legislation after considering the pros and cons for both the local electorate and the nation is what ALL elected repesentatives should do. I for one will miss the genuine research and thought into policy that the independents brought.**

 

[happy_tiger]

Gladstone has had Liz Cunningham for about 18 years who had been an independent MP in state ploitics all that time , she held the balance of power when Borbidge was Premier

Personally I think Liz is a good member , but Gladstone has suffered with not having a politician that is aligned to any party and was one of the major reasons Gladstone wasn't ready for LNG boom and had major accommodation issues and now has major traffic issues in peak hours

 

[Winnipeg]

Removing carbon price would see electricity prices rise

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/dumping-carbon-price-would-drive-up-power-bills-reputex-57656

Whereas the coalition plan either wont work or will cost billions more than expected (or both)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/14/funding-gap-abbott-climate-plan
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Abbott, being the man that he is, puts his fingers in his ears and says 'lalalalala'

The coalition has done a great job in making 'green' and 'environment' dirty words this election

 

[happy_tiger]

Must say that Abbotts new bridging visa policy pisses me off

 

[Knuckles]

I will feel embarrassed to call Tony Abbott the Prime Minister of my country !

If his policy on asylum seekers is a forerunner to what's to come …... The battlers are in for a tough time.

 

[happy_tiger]

I will feel embarrassed to call Tony Abbott the Prime Minister of my country !

If his policy on asylum seekers is a forerunner to what's to come …... The battlers are in for a tough time.

Agree Knuckles ,I have young fella working for me who has a bridging visa , just the nicest young man you could ever meet (many of the kids could take a leaf from his book with his manners ,attitude ,work ethic) and he has told me why he had to leave his country and what is still happening now in the persecution of his own family and their assets since he has left

To send him back would mean his death

Yes we must monitor the people we bring in to our country to make sure they are not here for the wrong reasons , but once they have proven they are able to be legitimate citizens what is the issue ??

We live in a democracy last time I checked ,people deserve the right to make the best for themselves and their families without fear of red neck ,racists or bigots making what may have been a life of terrible hardships even harder

Lets put the shoe on the other foot ,lets say in 100 years when resources start to begin to become extremely limited and a country eyes Australia off as a place they might wish to attempt to invade or overthrow

Then we need to leave in our thousands and ten of thousands to avoid persecution for any matter of reasons , do we expect countries to turn their backs on us or treat us like second class citizens when we arrive ??

 

[Knuckles]

I couldn't think of anything more frightening Happy. It goes to show how desperate they are if they are willing to risk their life just to get here. At the end of the day we are all just flesh and blood …. We are just a bit luckier to have been born here than where they come from. Doesn't make us any better than them .... Just a bit more fortunate.

 

[wtigers]

I couldn't think of anything more frightening Happy. It goes to show how desperate they are if they are willing to risk their life just to get here. At the end of the day we are all just flesh and blood …. We are just a bit luckier to have been born here than where they come from. Doesn't make us any better than them .... Just a bit more fortunate.

IMO the worst thing about the Abbott campaign (and now Rudd too kinda) is that they're exploiting these people at their most vulnerable - they're all scared & in search of a home and he's wrongly portraying them as criminals. We're all flesh and blood, but Abbott likes to portray the flesh and blood that are trying to find security and safety as villains who the public should hate. It's disgusting.

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[stryker]

I do not see a major problem with this policy Happy, your mate will get a TPV which entitles him to:
- The right to work and have access to job matching by Centrelink
- Special Benefit,
- Rent Assistance,
- Family Tax Benefit,
- Child Care Benefit,
- Medicare,
- Early Health Assessment and Intervention Program,
- Torture and trauma counselling,
- English as a Second Language classes.

I fail to see how they are being treated as 'second class citizens'.

"STOP THE BOATS" is a simplistic slogan but if you look behind the rhetoric, there are 4 underlying issues that desperately need adressing and action:
1) The loss of human life due to these boats overturning and people drowning out at sea.
2) The people smugglers are organised crime and at the moment are helping to dictate who enters this country.
3) Our Navy and coast gaurd agencies are being run off their feet keeping up with the arrivals. This is costing us billions.
4) The fact that the 'boaties' are attempting to sneak into the country is very concerning. We have legitimate channells set aside for genuine applicants who are running from terrible situations. They are being held back because those with money are jumping the queue.

There is no doubt that we should help those less fortunate and allow them to live a better life. However when you have people sneaking in after destroying their papers - well we have no idea who they are.
Are they genuine?
Are they involved with organised crime and are sent here to establish new chapters?
Are they criminals running from the law?
Are they a part of terrorist cells?

Come in the front door and we will help you. Sneak in and you'll end up worse off for your troubles.

As for your final anecdote, I suspect that if that ever eventuates, the greater majority of countries would help us but we would have to abide by their specific policies and rightly so.

 

[wtigers]

I do not see a major problem with this policy Happy, your mate will get a TPV which entitles him to:
- The right to work and have access to job matching by Centrelink
- Special Benefit,
- Rent Assistance,
- Family Tax Benefit,
- Child Care Benefit,
- Medicare,
- Early Health Assessment and Intervention Program,
- Torture and trauma counselling,
- English as a Second Language classes.

I fail to see how they are being treated as 'second class citizens'.

"STOP THE BOATS" is a simplistic slogan but if you look behind the rhetoric, there are 4 underlying issues that desperately need adressing and action:
1) The loss of human life due to these boats overturning and people drowning out at sea.
2) The people smugglers are organised crime and at the moment are helping to dictate who enters this country.
3) Our Navy and coast gaurd agencies are being run off their feet keeping up with the arrivals. This is costing us billions.
4) The fact that the 'boaties' are attempting to sneak into the country is very concerning. We have legitimate channells set aside for genuine applicants who are running from terrible situations. They are being held back because those with money are jumping the queue.

There is no doubt that we should help those less fortunate and allow them to live a better life. However when you have people sneaking in after destroying their papers - well we have no idea who they are.
Are they genuine?
Are they involved with organised crime and are sent here to establish new chapters?
Are they criminals running from the law?
Are they a part of terrorist cells?

Come in the front door and we will help you. Sneak in and you'll end up worse off for your troubles.

As for your final anecdote, I suspect that if that ever eventuates, the greater majority of countries would help us but we would have to abide by their specific policies and rightly so.

It is obvious that you care about helping people less fortunate, however Tony Abbot's portrayal of Boat People as 'illegal' creates a sense of fear and racism - not everyone who supports the policy is as open minded and supportive of those less fortunate than them. Look at the Cronulla Riots, they were started because Australians believed that they were superior to other races - the only ones that deserved to be here. The portrayal of these people as illegal just creates a public mindset in which White Australians believe they're the only ones deserving of this country. These people are treated a second class citizens by our people AND our government. Boat people have not once been terrorists attempting to attack Australia, and I'm sure that many of them would take the official passages were they available but not every immigrant has that opportunity.
There's no doubt in anyone's minds that the boats need to stop - people are drowning and it's unacceptable. But creating a sense of fear and exclusion towards migrants is not the way to go. We need to be offering more support to them in their attempts to arrive in Australia rather than turning them away. Which is what Abbott and co. Don't appear to want to do.
And we can house more migrants - countries in northern Africa (Tunisia possibly? I a not great at geography) take more migrants than us and they have a far more unstable economy and greater percentage of people under the poverty line.

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