The Australian politics thread

[howardj]

Yeah, I think the opposition needs to be a bit further ahead at this stage if there's a real chance of a change in Govt. That was certainly the case for the only two changes of Govt that I'm old enough to remember. Of course, this may help. Glad the poor dear is OK, but she really should star in a Liberal campaign ad. Just joking.

[social]

Originally Posted by howardj

Yeah, I think the opposition needs to be a bit further ahead at this stage if there's a real chance of a change in Govt. That was certainly the case for the only two changes of Govt that I'm old enough to remember. Of course, this may help. Glad the poor dear is OK, but she really should star in a Liberal campaign ad. Just joking.

Libs have no chance despite the ALP doing sweet **** all for the last 4 years except hose money up against the wall

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by social

Libs have no chance despite the ALP doing sweet **** all for the last 4 years except hose money up against the wall

Only been in two and a half tbf

[howardj]

I think, to be fair, he meant it feels like four.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by howardj

I think, to be fair, he meant it feels like four.

Seems like only yesterday really.. [/whimsy]

[howardj]

I don't subscribe to the theory that the Govt's publicly funded mining tax advert blitz is going to be counterproductive and actually do them damage. Commentators who think that will be the case, make the mistake of thinking that everyone follows politics and therefore that everyone is going to know that the Govt is abusing taxpayer funds. People who say that it didn't work with WorkChoices...well, how do they know that, but for that advert campaign, the Coalition loss would have been even heavier?

Advertising works.

[age_master]

Workchoices faced a very good campaign against it which people empathised with. Im not sure the mining companies can come up with anything anywhere near as effective to attack the government with.

[James90]

Would be keen to see what peoples answers are to the following questions

How have you personally benefited from the actions of the Rudd Government?

What has the Rudd Government done which has been detrimental to you?

[James90]

Benefits
- If I lose my job then I will be able to qualify for Youth Allowance when I turn 22
- Can't be denied the opportunity to have a collective agreement.
- More money for teaching and learning at my University

Disadvantaged
- Alcopops increased in price...not that I ever really drank them.

Reckon the only people who've been genuinely disadvantaged are:

1. Tax accountants.
2. People who have had their medical treatment taken off the PBS.
3. Smokers.
4. Rich mining executives. (Liberals)
5. People who have applied for Skilled Migration and had the goalposts suddenly moved on them (can't vote)
6. Sri Lankan and Afghani asylum seekers (can't vote)
7. Luxury car buyers. (Liberals)

For all it's faults...there's not enough people with a genuine reason to vote the Government out. People bitch and moan about mining taxes, insulation, inaction on climate change, other people getting preferential treatment (asylum seekers, pensioners etc etc) but in very few cases it's actually had a negative impact on them personally.

[benchmark00]

How about the gooch load of money I have lost/am going to lose for having a significant number of mining shares?

Onya Rudd.

[social]

Originally Posted by James90

Benefits
- If I lose my job then I will be able to qualify for Youth Allowance when I turn 22
- Can't be denied the opportunity to have a collective agreement.
- More money for teaching and learning at my University

Disadvantaged
- Alcopops increased in price...not that I ever really drank them.

Reckon the only people who've been genuinely disadvantaged are:

1. Tax accountants.
2. People who have had their medical treatment taken off the PBS.
3. Smokers.
4. Rich mining executives. (Liberals)
5. People who have applied for Skilled Migration and had the goalposts suddenly moved on them (can't vote)
6. Sri Lankan and Afghani asylum seekers (can't vote)
7. Luxury car buyers. (Liberals)

For all it's faults...there's not enough people with a genuine reason to vote the Government out. People bitch and moan about mining taxes, insulation, inaction on climate change, other people getting preferential treatment (asylum seekers, pensioners etc etc) but in very few cases it's actually had a negative impact on them personally.

Hundreds of billions in needlessly incurred debt

Actually, that's a positive as their track record would indicate that they would've hosed more

[James90]

Not buying that.

Debt would be larger if the Government didn't intervene into a freefalling market and prop up the automatic stabilisers. It's not like we've lost our credit rating or have had tax rises as a result either.

Govt also doesn't have a responsibility to look after one group of shareholders over the interests of the public at large.

[howardj]

I understand what you're saying James about not enough people having been personally negatively affected in just a few short years. But, in my experience, many many people vote against Governments because they are sick of them or sick of their leader. Or they feel that 'it's time'. If Labor lose, unlikely at this stage but certainly not impossible, it will be because people have had enough of Rudd. I honestly think he's getting towards, in terms of people zoning out when he comes on TV, where John Howard was after 12 years.

[howardj]

Watching Insiders this morning, you'd think the Government was trailing 80-20 in the polls.

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by howardj

I understand what you're saying James about not enough people having been personally negatively affected in just a few short years. But, in my experience, many many people vote against Governments because they are sick of them or sick of their leader. Or they feel that 'it's time'. If Labor lose, unlikely at this stage but certainly not impossible, it will be because people have had enough of Rudd. I honestly think he's getting towards, in terms of people zoning out when he comes on TV, where John Howard was after 12 years.

Would agree with you there, three years of 'but you know something' and the other sound bites he seems to rely on get a bit much. Didn't seem to be so fixated on them before he became Prime Minister. Needs to come across as being more relaxed and less intent on educating us about something when he's speaking in my opinion.