Australian Current Affairs Thread (not a Politics Thread) lol

[sonar]

9 minutes ago, wendybr said:

Well...Albo on 7.30 pointed out that only 1 in 3 people voted Labor across the country.

And twice mentioned something like  , "redistribting wealth" as a Labor value.

Two foolish moves in promoting himself as the next leader in the current climate, if you ask me.

With compulsory preferential voting the ALP is on 49% or 4.9 people in 10 prefered the ALP as to 50.1  or 5 in 10 people prefered the current govt. The ALP needs to lift it's primary vote for sure but it isn't a write off and Shorten won't be the leader. He was unpopular.

Edited May 20, 2019 by sonar

[wendybr]

To Mack's suggestion that it's time to lock the thread...

Nope...that would be very foolish.

There'll soon be not that much to chat about here ....for 5 months.

This has been interesting...a great way of getting to know members of the WSW community.

As it always has been. 😉

[sonar]

Just now, wendybr said:

Nope...that would be very foolish.

There'll soon be not that much to chat about here ....for 5 months.

This has been interesting...a great way of getting to know members of the WSW community.

As it always has been. 😉

Ditto......at least give us to the start of the new season mack.....lol

[wendybr]

Don't ever lock it...or I will have to actually go and find the Politics forum I registered on a few months ago, remember the user name and password I created ...and chat there.

Not that THAT would affect anything here. Lol.

[wendybr]

Interesting panel on Q&A.

Alan Jones predicting Labor's demise even in the next election!!! 

Lol!

 

Jim Chalmer's is on. Let's watch!

[StringerBellend]

3 hours ago, Edinburgh said:

My general perception of the main reason for the Greens existence is they object to developments and ventures such as mining. These provide and/or will provide jobs.

Similarly, I perceive a significant part of the reason for the Labor party is protection of jobs.

To me those basic tenets conflict with each other.

Consequently,  any attempt by those 2 parties to start working together has a major stumbling block.

I’d misinterpreted your original post to be that labor is somehow anti job creation.

As for the greens, it’s easy for them they can say whatever they like as they’ll never form a government and have to implement it.

while I support a lot of the broad objectives of the greens, they also **** me 

[Flytox]

1 hour ago, sonar said:

For those feeling a little down with the resilt on Saturday .......... the AEC site 4000 odd votes across 4 or 5 seats was the difference between winning & losing government. Labor needs to keep things in perspective & be confident.

Labour has received about 400,000 votes less than they expected based on the polling.

[wendybr]

Jim Chalmers excellent tonight...as he always has been.

Just because Albo has been around for ever, and has a sense of entitlement, there are younger Labor people who could well appeal to a wider audience.

Hope it's not a one horse race.

And... there's Albo swilling beer on the ABC News as I type.

Sigh.

[mack]

23 minutes ago, wendybr said:

And there's Albo swilling beer on the ABC news as I type.

This is what the country wants. A beer swilling PM who won't do a thing with a nice three word catchphrase like "Go For Albo".

[wendybr]

Hmmmm.....

We kid ourselves about a lot of stuff...don't we?

PS Not sure that what Bob Hawke got away with , Albo (or Morrison) would necessarily get away with.

[Midfielder]

8 hours ago, wendybr said:

Jim Chalmers excellent tonight...as he always has been.

Just because Albo has been around for ever, and has a sense of entitlement, there There are younger Labor people who could well appeal to a wider audience.

Hope it's not a one horse race.

And... there's Albo swilling beer on the ABC News as I type.

Sigh.

New  blood IMO is what the ALP need so yer Jim

[echidna]

I don't believe football and politics should mix or divide us, but I offer the following story and insight:

I'm someone who has followed the ebb and flow of politics pretty closely for nearly 50 years. I was there in the front row at the Light A Candle for Democracy rally in Canberra in December 1975, appalled (as a life-long republican and patriot) that the representative of 'our' English queen should dismiss a popularly elected Australian Prime Minister in Gough Whitlam (irrespective of the government's failings). That night I shook Whitlam's hand and got a number of minister's autographs.

On Australia Day in 1978, I attended the Albert Hall in Canberra for Gough's Farewell from Politics. Immediately after he had finished speaking and sat down, I headed to him. I thought I had a piece of paper in my coat pocket (along with my pen) but found I had only a $20 and $1 note. I asked him to sign them to commemorate breaking 21 years of Coalition government. He looked at me for a few moments (no doubt thinking "young fool", as it was 23 years, and defacing the currency is illegal), but signed both in any case. I had my house broken into in 1985 by a drug addict, who stole the $20 one, but thankfully he left my favourite behind - Whitlam's signature on the Queen side of a $1 note.

On Sat March 5, 1983, I headed to the National Tally Room in Canberra with a copy of Blanche d'Alpuget's biography of Hawke, intent on getting his autograph. As the packed room waited for him to arrive, I got Paul Hogan, Don Chipp, Alan Reid, Ros Kelly, Paul Keating and Burnum Burnum, to sign it. The latter offered to take it to Bob when he arrived, but the throng was so thick, that he returned, apologetic, saying he couldn't even get close. I had been talking to ABC TV's Ken Begg, and he kindly offered to put it on his table, the last in the line of tv stations to interview Bob. Soon after he and Hazel sat down with Ken Begg, and the interview had started, Ken said they would have to interrupt things for a cross to Melbourne's Southern Cross Club, as (a tearful) Malcom Fraser would concede defeat. Ken said to Bob: "The young man behind us would like you to sign this copy of your biography." At 1.05am on Sunday March 6, as Fraser conceded defeat, Bob Hawke signed my copy of the book - his first signature as Prime Minister-elect.

Subsequently I also got Liberal leader John Hewson's personalised signature on a copy of 'Fightback' on 29 Dec 1991.

When rumours started swirling that Keating was going to roll Hawke, I contacted Keating's Office and asked them if he could sign a copy of his biography to me on the day he becomes Prime Minister. They apologised that they did not have a spare copy (adding they expected Hawke to be rolled any day), so I said I would drop in my copy of 'The Prime Ministers of Australia'. Three days later they rang me to say that Keating had successfully made his move, become Prime Minister and signed the book personally to me. They had added a slip 'With the Compliments of the Prime Minister of Australia'.

You should not infer my current political views from my unique political autograph collection.

My view on the election result is that Labor targeted too many people negatively with its agenda for change. Its association with the more radical Greens, and preparedness to make Climate Change an issue, but not spell out the cost of action, worried what has always been a largely small 'c' conservative Australian electorate. ['Climate Change' was 'Global Warming' but the dire predictions of even 25 years ago have not yet materialised - though it has provided jobs for academics. The world's climate has always been changing as we have been through Ice Ages, and back. We have always had fires and floods etc. Yes, we should all be concerned by pollution from vehicles and plastics in the ocean and should ideally move to renewables, but that shift should be done in a way that preserves our power supplies.]

On personalities, Bill Shorten's goose was cooked with Hawke's death. His attempt to link himself closely (in image and presumably character) with Hawke, would not have gone down well, with an  electorate that, at least in part (see comment to Arnold S. about him being the next Australian Prime Minister) saw him as arrogant. Shorten had also tried to summon up the spirit of Whitlam and the mood for change by his appearance at Bankstown, where Whitlam had held his famous 'It's Time' 1972 rally. Sadly, Bill Shorten is no Edward Gough Whitlam or Bob Hawke. The electorate had known this long ago, and I think Hawke's death had the opposite effect to what many had hoped and expected.

As to where Labour should go now, I tend to agree with Wendybr (and not for the first time). While Albo is popular with the rank and file and the large Labor left, Jim Chalmers or someone from the right to centre may be a better choice, when the generally conservative nature of the Australian electorate is recognised.

Otherwise, please remember that the election is over and we are all in this together, and should be united, ideally loving football and our country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sonar]

^^^^^^^^^^^^Great post echidna^^^^^^^^^^^^

[LeeMarvin]

9 minutes ago, echidna said:

Otherwise, please remember that the election is over and we are all in this together, and should be united, ideally loving football and our country.

F'ken brilliant post mate. Almost bought a tear to my eye.  

Is the 'Prime Ministers of Australia' book the one written by Michelle Grattan?  I got it as a Christmas present when it first came out and read it cover to cover lying on an old couch on the back veranda of my mum's house.

I still have the copy of 'Fight Back' that I got hold of when I worked as a volunteer on John Hewson's campaign. Future political candidates learned from his defeat the folly of presenting comprehensive, detailed policies that could be picked apart before an election.  To the nation's detriment the tactic now predominantly favoured is to give as little detail as possible so as to offer a smaller target.

Although on the losing side with John Hewson, not long after I experienced success on Jeff Kennett's campaign for Premier in Victoria.  Interestingly, while I thought Hewson was a decent bloke, I had felt Kennett was a wanker and had no chance. Go figure!

[echidna]

In response to LeeMarvin, my copy of 'The Prime Ministers of Australia' is the Parliament House produced version (green and yellow cover with drawn images).

I must correct what I wrote in that Hewson's autograph to me on Fightback was dated 29.11.91 (not Dec).

Just another comment: as all of you past your 20s might appreciate... time, nearly, heals all wounds. This applies to one's mistakes in life (financial, emotional) and incidents generally etc.

I was a great supporter of Malcolm Turnbull due to his leadership of the republican cause, though sadly he never lived up to the leader we hoped: one who was articulate and definitive. Labor's repeated reference to 'chaos' may have been well-received at the time of the Wentworth by-election, but many months had passed since then and Morrison had clearly taken control - appearing to do so singlehandedly (deliberately) during the election campaign.

Turnbull's lack of support and perceived undermining, did nothing but undermine Turnbull's own legacy, so Labor reference to Turnbull's ousting 'fell on deaf ears'. Morrison, in any case, had not started any move against Malcolm.

In part due to Turnbull's undermining, people had moved on - time had healed most wounds and Shorten's repeated reference to it appeared almost irrelevant.

We must remember that there are smart and very decent people on almost every side of politics - just a pity we cannot pick our own XI!

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by echidna

[LeeMarvin]

Kinda a cross over question here.  I once saw a photo of Sally McManus, the head of the ACTU in a Wanderers jersey.  Is she a genuine supporter or just doing the regular polly (Not a polly, I know) photo thing?

[wendybr]

1 hour ago, echidna said:

I don't believe football and politics should mix or divide us, but I offer the following story and insight:

Wonderful post Echidna!

And it's great to see you and some others who mainly stick to the football threads participating here. 

I was fortunate to meet Echidna and his wife at the stadium opening - and he shared some of his football related stories,  which if we're lucky, he might share here sometime!

Anyway - I feel grateful to have got to meet Echidna and hear his stories, along with many others of you over the past few tears! And it's great to see some new people, like Lee Marvin and others, who are now dropping in to the Off Topic Forums these days.

Someone recently posted about how decent and civil a community this forum actually is (I think it was LM?) and I couldn't agree more!

 

[wendybr]

18 minutes ago, LeeMarvin said:

Kinda a cross over question here.  I once saw a photo of Sally McManus, the head of the ACTU in a Wanderers jersey.  Is she a genuine supporter or just doing the regular polly (Not a polly, I know) photo thing?

Pretty sure she was a regular at our games (maybe still is) - and that it was mentioned here when that photo circulated. But someone else will hopefully confirm that.

[sonar]

1 minute ago, wendybr said:

Pretty sure she was a regular at our games (maybe still is) - and that it was mentioned here when that photo circulated. But someone else will hopefully confirm that.

I'll send her a tweet and see if she replies.....lol

[LeeMarvin]

2 minutes ago, wendybr said:

Pretty sure she was a regular at our games (maybe still is) - and that it was mentioned here when that photo circulated. But someone else will hopefully confirm that.

Would have to be one of the highest profile supporters along with 'Dicko' then.  Is he still about?

[wendybr]

This article is a bit self congratulatory... but the main thing that resonated with me was the reference to the Beasley-Crean years (for those of you who remember them).

And THAT is exactly how having Albo in the leadership role would feel to me.

If Albo was considered 2nd best behind Shorten 6 years ago - the passing of time, and this election failure, wont necessarily mean that Albo should now be the top choice.

Time for the next generation to have a go.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/comment-losing-the-unlosable-election-the-aftermath-for-labor/ar-AABBqc9?ocid=spartandhp

 

 

PS I'm not slacking at work today (I feel a bit guilty hanging out here) but I'm off sick.

Yesterday was a bit of an exception - but I don't usually participate here during a working day. 

[sonar]

22 minutes ago, wendybr said:

This article is a bit self congratulatory... but the main thing that resonated with me was the reference to the Beasley-Crean years (for those of you who remember them).

And THAT is exactly how having Albo in the leadership role would feel to me.

If Albo was considered 2nd best behind Shorten 6 years ago - the passing of time, and this election failure, wont necessarily mean that Albo should now be the top choice.

Time for the next generation to have a go.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/comment-losing-the-unlosable-election-the-aftermath-for-labor/ar-AABBqc9?ocid=spartandhp

 

 

PS I'm not slacking at work today (I feel a bit guilty hanging out here) but I'm off sick.

Yesterday was a bit of an exception - but I don't usually participate here during a working day. 

wendy,,unfortunately the one clear message from the election is people do not like having money taken off them......ie franking credit, negative gearing etc. and the coalition tactics was Labor.......TAX TAX TAX .

As shallow as this sounds the only way the ALP will get back is to offer shitloads of $'s. regardless of the economic consequences. When you have a govt that intends to give billionare and millionares massive tax cuts into the tens of 0,000's per week even though that money would be better off in services what else do you do.

The people of the country voted for the coalition policies. When the cuts to services start I wonder who will scream the loudest.?

Edited May 21, 2019 by sonar

[Legionista]

Anyone moving to New Zealand?

[Legionista]

6 minutes ago, sonar said:

wendy,,unfortunately the one clear message from the election is people do not like having money taken off them......ie franking credit, negative gearing etc. and the coalition tactics was Labor.......TAX TAX TAX .

As shallow as this sounds the only way the ALP will get back is to offer shitloads of $'s. regardless of the economic consequences. When you have a govt that intends to give billionare and millionares massive tax cuts into the tens of 0,000's per week even though that money would be better off in services what else do you do.

The people of the country voted for the coalition policies. When the cuts to services start I wonder who will scream the loudest.?

Some will although there are people who completely reject your idea of the role of government. 

I don’t want services from the government. 

I don’t need the government to subsidise my lifestyle.

If I want something, I go and get it.

 

[sonar]

12 minutes ago, Legionista said:

Some will although there are people who completely reject your idea of the role of government. 

I don’t want services from the government. 

I don’t need the government to subsidise my lifestyle.

If I want something, I go and get it.

 

legion, you and others may reject it as is your right...... but I guarantee you when the cuts to services happen,and they will, a majority of the very same people who voted for the coalition will scream blue murder. People can turn very quickly from one party to another if they think they are being shafted....ala Campbell Newman who blew an absolute whopper of a majority in Qld after one four year term.

Edited May 21, 2019 by sonar

[MartinTyler]

56 minutes ago, Legionista said:

Some will although there are people who completely reject your idea of the role of government. 

I don’t want services from the government. 

I don’t need the government to subsidise my lifestyle.

If I want something, I go and get it.

 

Building your own roads, schools and hospitals then?

[Legionista]

49 minutes ago, sonar said:

legion, you and others may reject it as is your right...... but I guarantee you when the cuts to services happen,and they will, a majority of the very same people who voted for the coalition will scream blue murder. People can turn very quickly from one party to another if they think they are being shafted....ala Campbell Newman who blew an absolute whopper of a majority in Qld after one four year term.

I don’t doubt that cutting government spending/services is electorally toxic. The wave of right wing populism gaining popularity worldwide has stayed well clear of savage cuts. 

Donald Trump is an example of this.

Doesn’t change the fact that it needs to be done. 

[LeeMarvin]

56 minutes ago, Legionista said:

Some will although there are people who completely reject your idea of the role of government. 

I don’t want services from the government. 

I don’t need the government to subsidise my lifestyle.

If I want something, I go and get it.

 

Legionista - I want to add to this but still trying to figure out what I am trying to say.

BTW, are you of Polish background?  I am guessing a lot of people's view on the role of government is informed by their own and their families' experiences in previous generations.  That will obviously vary greatly depending on where they come from and in what era.

[Legionista]

3 minutes ago, MartinTyler said:

Building your own roads, schools and hospitals then?

Infrastructure is a difficult subject and one that I am open about the Government having a role in. 

[wendybr]

1 hour ago, Legionista said:

Some will although there are people who completely reject your idea of the role of government. 

I don’t want services from the government. 

I don’t need the government to subsidise my lifestyle.

If I want something, I go and get it.

 

 

15 minutes ago, MartinTyler said:

Building your own roads, schools and hospitals then?

 

And fighter jets. tanks, submarines and border patrol ships, as well as pay for those who perform national defence services??