Australian Election 2013

[Guest]

Firstly, If this thread gets too out of hand, I'll just lock it and take subsequent action.

 

So your thoughts? 

 

Was Rudd right in challenging the Labor leadership? Can Labor still be trusted after their claim of "There will be no carbon tax under the labor government"? 

 

Personally I'm a fan of neither but I'm not happy with Labor's history of actions. They claimed there would be no carbon tax but look what happened. I am also concerned with the taxes being implemented on big businesses - i.e the mining industry. If the industry keeps copping taxes from the government, what's the benefit of sticking around and providing jobs?

[the_devil52]

Although I can't vote cause I'm not a citizen, I want Labor to stay just because of the NBN.

[Guest]

Although I can't vote cause I'm not a citizen, I want Labor to stay just because of the NBN.

Yes we definitely need the NBN! 

[JaeDee884]

I trust and Support Rudd, he's our only chance of getting the true NBN.
Without him as leader, We're going to the liberals without a doubt, I prefer the Liberals in local and state, but they're to short minded for national affairs.

[Guest]

My question is does the NBN really matter that much? Are public health, education, the national economy, employment and defence not more important issues to focus on? 

[Hoppa]

To be honest I don't like the idea of having KRudd, Gillard, or Abbott as the leader of this country. I do think that the Labor party wastes too much money, and in turn has resulted in our massive national debt (about $244 Billlion). From what I remember, when John Howard left his position as Prime Minister, the Australian National Debt was $0.

 

Sure I understand that the citizens get all of these benefits these days but I don't want our country to end up like Greece.

A lot of funding is given out to the worthless people who are alcoholics and drug addicts who refuse to get jobs of their own and instead are given housing  and an income wage, and all they have to do is turn up at centrelink once a fortnight or so.

 

I just don't like where Australia is heading.

[Vitalius]

Firstly, If this thread gets too out of hand, I'll just lock it and take subsequent action.

 

So your thoughts? 

 

Was Rudd right in challenging the Labor leadership? Can Labor still be trusted after their claim of "There will be no carbon tax under the labor government"? 

 

Personally I'm a fan of neither but I'm not happy with Labor's history of actions. They claimed there would be no carbon tax but look what happened. I am also concerned with the taxes being implemented on big businesses - i.e the mining industry. If the industry keeps copping taxes from the government, what's the benefit of sticking around and providing jobs?

As an American, I can warn you now, this is going to end badly and no one is going to be happy about it.

Then, if this is how your government works, this government will be re-elected for another term. And everyone will be like "wtf, really?"

I lived through Obama. I know what I'm talking about. 

[TassieTim]

comes down to who lies cost less  i guess

 

Labor = No carbon tax

Liberal/National = No GST

 

but i rather Labor stay in to complete their things, then have the Liberals come in, as yet i don't even know what they want they want to do apart from them saying everything labors doing is wrong

[Guest]

To be honest I don't like the idea of having KRudd, Gillard, or Abbott as the leader of this country. I do think that the Labor party wastes too much money, and in turn has resulted in our massive national debt (about $244 Billlion). From what I remember, when John Howard left his position as Prime Minister, the Australian National Debt was $0.

Valid point. The liberals took years to dig the country out of debt that labor had put it in.. 

[Josh]

Not particularly fond of either labor or liberal at the moment. As far as Ruddy challenging is concerned, imo it'll be best for the party if he wins given his populartity they're likely to win a few more seats at the election however I still don't see them winning. This labor leadership bs has been going on for far too long and should have been sorted well before the election and it's deffinitely hurt them in this election.

[AroundWayOtherThe]

Oh crap! There's an election?! Well... that just proves how out-of-sync I am with the news...

 

Someone tell me who to vote for, I really don't care.

[JaeDee884]

Rudd is now PM

 

Oh crap! There's an election?! Well... that just proves how out-of-sync I am with the news...

 

Someone tell me who to vote for, I really don't care.

Vote for labour, because internet. :P

[AroundWayOtherThe]

Rudd is now PM

 

Vote for labour, because internet. :P

 

Ok... which one's Labour? (I know, I know, dat politics knowledge)

Rudd/Gillard, right?

[mr moose]

Wow, what a barrel fish there is to shoot here.  Politics is a discussion best served cold...   I mean...   I could right pages on this topic but instead I think I will truncate it to several sentence and elaborate later if need be:

 

Kevin didn't want to take the leadership unless he had the public backing of majority of caucus,  so it will be interesting to see which way they jump. I personally can't see the GG changing anything except to swear in a new leader (or the same one) after tonight. I don't think this will send us to the polls any earlier.

 

Australian Politics is the laughing stock of the world right now, and I do believe the two party preferred system is partially to blame, along with the Westminster (let's do private deals) system. But in general our politics looks something like this:

 

Kevin Rudd is not really a liar, he just bends the truth a bit. :ph34r:

Julia Gillard is a compulsive liar. :angry:

Tony Abbot is selective with the statistics but hasn't told any major porkies yet. :rolleyes:

 

The election can't come soon enough for 71% of the population,  a very scary statistic.

The general consensus is that Tony Abbot is a self confessed liar, catholic extremist and anti-woman 1950s chauvinist, but he polls as the preferred Leader, the most trusted and set to win the election with a landslide. This tells us a lot more about how poor of a job Julia Gillard is doing as the PM and leader of the Labor party than how good Abbot is. 

 

Upon reflection the Labor party has more flawed or failed policy implementations than the Liberal party has un-released or as yet un costed policies.

 

Time will tell how accurate the galaxy, nelson and Fairfax polls are,  They are usually accurate to about 5%.

 

My 2.5c

 

Cheers

Mr Moose

[mr moose]

Oh crap! There's an election?! Well... that just proves how out-of-sync I am with the news...

 

Someone tell me who to vote for, I really don't care.

Oh Crap I hope your joking, we are indeed in a scary place when people are asking on international forums who to vote for.

 

If you don't know or care enough then leave your voting form blank or write some crap on it so it doesn't count, otherwise you are just giving someone else two votes, which isn't fair. 

[Lyons]

(for anyone familiar with the Ron Paul meme...)

[AroundWayOtherThe]

Oh Crap I hope your joking, we are indeed in a scary place when people are asking on international forums who to vote for.

 

If you don't know or care enough then leave your voting form blank or write some crap on it so it doesn't count, otherwise you are just giving someone else two votes, which isn't fair. 

 

No joke, and it's not like it's going to matter anyway. I can't see many people taking this approach to party selection. And you get fined if you write miscellaneous crap or leave the ballot paper blank anyway, so that isn't an option (otherwise I'd take it).

[PhilPC]

Who keeps putting Peter Helliar infront of the camera?

Do people actually think he's funny?

Strawny wasn't even a character, it was just Helliar in a wig

[BirdyTheMighty]

i swear our leaders are hopeless never payed attention to them. always do a donkey vote any way <_<

[bradscoolio]

Me as a teenager just wants NBN and Labor is bringing that past the node. So if giving Kevin his spot back leads to, or helps lead to, getting fibre actually faster than 25M then i'm all for it. He's also just a really nice guy, Abbott isn't.

[TheMightyNoob01]

damn, with Rudd back in I'm not sure who to vote for. I don't like Abbot, but can we trust Labor? arghhhhhhhhh.

Liberals will screw up NBN

Labor will screw up everything else

Argghhh

[mr moose]

No joke, and it's not like it's going to matter anyway. I can't see many people taking this approach to party selection. And you get fined if you write miscellaneous crap or leave the ballot paper blank anyway, so that isn't an option (otherwise I'd take it).

UM...  no you do not get fined for writing on the ballot paper, you will get fined if you do not show up to a polling booth and have your name crossed off the roll. Once you take your ballot paper to the booth you can write or not write whatever you want on there, it is a private vote and no one will see you vote. Therefore when you drop your folded up piece of paper into the ballot box, no-one knows whether you actually voted or not, no-one knows if you write obscenities on it or not.  And I have to disagree strongly that it won't matter. Every vote counts. or in this case some votes should not count unless you want it to. 

[mr moose]

i swear our leaders are hopeless never payed attention to them. always do a donkey vote any way <_<

 

Man I have to learn how to use the multi quote thing...

 

Anyway you should know that a donkey vote is a legitimate vote and you will be voting for the person on the top of the ballot paper if you do it, If you don't want to vote then just leave your ballot paper blank.

 

Cheers

Mr Moose

[JamesDwho]

Without Rudd challenging for the leadership the ALP would have been largely wiped out come the election in September. As for the "Can we trust labor?" you should always be critical of what politicians say regardless on which party they stand for. With the statement that there would be no "Carbon Tax" you have to remember that ALP came into power back in 2010 with a minority government, an event like that is bound to affect policies and commitments. As for Taxing big business such as the mining industry it is worth remembering that some of the richest people in this country have found their fortune in the mining and minerals industry, one of people is building a replica version of the Titanic and another is the richest women in the world with a large ownership of Australia's media outlets.
 

My question is does the NBN really matter that much? Are public health, education, the national economy, employment and defence not more important issues to focus on?

The NBN is an investment on all of those things, fast internet access is critical to e-health services, education, defence. The nation’s economy and employment benefit by creating the opportunity for business in remote or currently poor internet speed areas to conduct trade on an international scale, the rollout itself creates jobs not to mention jobs created around the use of the infrastructure (i.e. the business aforementioned).

As for Labor having a budget deficit but Howard leaving the country with none you have to think how much infrastructure investment is now needed because it wasn't done by previous governments.

This is just might take on it, disagree with me if you want.

[AroundWayOtherThe]

UM...  no you do not get fined for writing on the ballot paper, you will get fined if you do not show up to a polling booth and have your name crossed off the roll. Once you take your ballot paper to the booth you can write or not write whatever you want on there, it is a private vote and no one will see you vote. Therefore when you drop your folded up piece of paper into the ballot box, no-one knows whether you actually voted or not, no-one knows if you write obscenities on it or not.  And I have to disagree strongly that it won't matter. Every vote counts. or in this case some votes should not count unless you want it to. 

 

Oh...well, I thought you got penalised... I guess you can tell how little I care for this stuff. And I absolutely agree that my vote shouldn't count for crap, however when considering a democratic government, forcing everyone to vote is the fairest way to get a valid result... either that or a completely random choice on the leader of the country, which isn't really a viable option.