FERAL ELECTION

Roger are you serious regarding the $250 billion? How did that figure get arrived at? Sounds too much, like some ones dream or figment of imagination? Happy to be proved very wrong?

Happy daze John in Aus, a few friends sent us clippings of letters to the editors about that from people off shore who had either only worked in Aus for a year or so, or had not been in Aus since the days of yore (no bugger it we did not get it) yes it was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Why he did it God knows, was it to curry favour or win votes...?

Must say he seemed a better PM than the current one though I say that from afar some say he was a control freak & alienated the cabinet I do not know but they have made some doozey decisions as well as about faces refugee camps being one very expensive one. Do not think he was much chop as Foreign Minister though at least presented better than the dip stick Downer oh what a embarrassment he was.
Your last sentence says it all & one hopes both parties come up with new leadership before the election as it would be most untidy to do it say a year in to the new parliament but more than likely the way it will occur. Is Turnbull still hanging in there like Little Johnny Howard who knows he could be the next Lazarus Arising...without a bypass though (:

Hi Leratty,

I am not at all surprised that you should doubt the figures I quoted regarding Australian Government debt - it makes frightening reading doesn't it ?

In 2007 when the current Labor Government came to power, they were beneficiary to ZERO government debt plus a healthy 70 Billion A$ in the bank, left to them by the outgoing Liberal government. I do acknowledge that estimates may vary depending on material source, but, according to website
australiandebtclock.com, as at 2pm., this date (Sydney time) the Australian Commonwealth Government Debt stood at 265,596,540,000 A$ and rising (fast !!!). Perhaps, I was wrong after all, maybe I should have said 300 Billion ;)

Is it any wonder I have so little faith in the abilities of the Julia Gillard Circus? IMO they are an absolute disgrace to the Labor movement.


....................Roger

My favourite Pollie,has to be

Sir Les Paterson.

Abbot( with his fake, "Western Ocean roll" Is going to find it hard going alone. Without his Partner in Mime.

Peter Costello. Dame Edna! s creation ,Displays more honesty,than these other, Pretenders.

I can honestly tell you that in my town of 1400 people population up in the Wimmera the Majority of voters in this town have no faith in either of them so their vote will go to the Greens who will never get a seat up here anyway, people are doing this instead of getting a fine for not voting, the two only main candidates up here are National country party and the other one Labour which has never won a seat up here since 1947.
The greens stick their person in so disatisfied voters will all go for the Green candidate which will be nearly 1400 people here. Glenn Baker so dont be surprised if there is another hung parliament, which tells you that 50% of the people do not want any of them.

You may well be right Glen, but we cannot continue the way we currently are. History shows that most previous Labor govs, state or Federal have left large deficits behind them , deficits the Libs have to clean up. Hawke/Keating lsft 96 billion and it took the libs almost 9 years tp pay it off, how long for the current deficit? It is akin to using your credit card to run your life but never paying off the loan, just paying interest, eventualy it overtakes you.
Fiscal responsibility is something Labor have great difficulties in coming to terms with it would appear.
Then we have the issue of the mining tax! It occurs to me that the mining companies concerned will be employing accountants and business managers far more competent than any the gov can find. They will I have no doubt found many ways in which they can structure profits in such a way that they pay legaly only minimal tax.

Point taken , but that doesnt take away the entire disatisfaction of the two main Partys, whichever the case in my lifetime it has always been one or the other in Parliament, not much of a choice.
the national country party which supposedly is for the Country people have done absolutely nothing for the Dairy farmers and Growers of any produce they ought to stand ashamed of themselves for letting Imported Produce into this country and sending Producers to the Wall, thats the opposition for you, and the same goes for the present incumbant govt.

Id trust Abbot less than a Brown snake up here, and that is why most people in Country towns have a large sense of distrust with both of them.
Mr abbot will and you can back it in will do the Maximum damage to Public Health and if he takes the Gillard Tax away is he going to strip Pensioners of their Pay rise given to counteract Energy Rises.

He will make absolutely sure that Mr and Mrs nobody will be stripped of any benefits which were hard fought for over many years indeed to make this country a better place to live in, thats why many migrated here.

Labour in turn is no longer a Labour govt made up of ex Solicitors etc, If the Mr Abbotts of this Worls were allowed to run free range , Employees would be paid the Lowest wages possible within the confines of semi decency.

They will also sell off the remnants of what is left of Australian owned assets.
I dont trust any of them none Zilch Naughtpence.
They just care about the Higher end of the Social scale.

If you write unsatifactory on your voting slip it will go to the encumbant Govt up here most of us in the small towns that have been double crossed by both partys will be going Green unless some Independant person stands.

You can blame your Hung Parliament on us the Country People and it may well happen again, or whichever party wins Govt it will prove tha half of Australias voters dont like whos in power regardless, (Not a good Choice)

American politics I really do not understand. There are only 2 parties as far as I know The Republican and Democrats is this correct. As the USA is often seen to claim the birth place of Democracy how can this be. Leading up to their elections if you want to call them that, as they appear to me to be a Mardi Gras. Obviously the more money that is dispensed during the period leading up to the ballot the greater the chance of obtaining the hot seat. So have to be a person of some means, or able to get such by sponsors who will want repaying if their candidate assumes office not particularly by monetary means either, so the government aspiring to office is already committed in some of their future statutes. I made recent comment about Dr. Goebbells, he would have been in his element as regards the propoganda that is pushed out by the 2 main partys, this applies to most Democratic countrys. As regards Australia if Pauline Hanson had not been pushed out of the running by other scheming people of both major parties, I would have voted for her as an alternative to the other 2 partys, any breath of fresh air would be grabbable at the present time. Cheers John Sabourn

Hi All.
Roger and John don't worry I have been debating politics for many years now, and I never take exception to other peoples views, just as we tolerated different views on No Five hatch. what a poor world this would be if everyone had the same views. Don't think for one minute I'm satified with Labour my father would turn in his grave if he saw them now. I was disgusted when Gillard supported Thomson when it's obvious he had been robbing unionists blind, I'd shoot the bastard. And as for the NSW labour party it would be better if they dissapeared most of them into jail,and a new party started as I believe the working class and yes they are still with us need someone to stand up for them.
Cheers DesAttachment 12006

There are good points in all the replies but the problem for us here in Oz is that we are a minor player in world politics no matter how either party dress it up. We are captive to what happenes beyond our borders and will be so controled for many generations to come I fear.
I doubt any politician Labor, Lib or what ever would consider removing existing benifits, quickest way to the exit if you do. But we have a need to begin living within our means as a nation. We need to encourage companies to invest be they local or foreign. Look how some overseas countries are developing with the assistance of countries such as China investing in them. But before you start saying thta is a bad thing and will not happen let me give you an example of what is occuring. About 1 kilometer from me is anew estate, the developers invited a Chinese contingent in to look at it. They bought a third of the 300 homes being built. Now rented out but 20 percent of the rents they take they give back to the local council to use in the local community. It is possible to have a situation where both parties can benifit from forein ownership.

That all sounds good John but doesn't it also mean that anyone renting these Chinese owned properties is paying a 20% local tax over and above their statutary taxes?

Regards
Calvin