Australian Current Affairs Thread (not a Politics Thread) lol

[sonar]

1 hour ago, Midfielder said:

Thats not what I said, 

You can bury your head in the sand if you think their is ever going to be an election where one side does not lie and paint things that are not true... The ALP in the last election said the Libs plan to sell medicare and ran a huge scare thingy...

Like it or not the ALP ran IMO the worst campaign at a federal election in my living memory...  

 

The libs paid  a firm $5m to make a report called" Privatising Medicare" It wasn't a scare campaign it was based on FACT.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2016/02/09/coalition-want-medicare-privatisation/

[StringerBellend]

6 minutes ago, sonar said:

The libs paid  a firm $5m to make a report called" Privatising Medicare" It wasn't a scare campaign it was based on FACT.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2016/02/09/coalition-want-medicare-privatisation/

If I want a hospital  I’ll go off and get one myself self governments should keep out of it 

[Midfielder]

50 minutes ago, Potkorok said:

As a traditionally just left-of-centre voter I have to agree with you here  - given the disastrous disunity in the coalition ranks only a few months back, it is astonishing that Labor managed to lose this one - definite shades of 1993 and Keating v Hewson, albeit without the birthday cake. Combination of too may policies and too little campaigning.

Where I disagree with you is that Labor didn't have sufficient policy agenda - given their recent history of tending to pander to the soft left and identity-politik base in the inner suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, I was quietly pleased that the announced policies did genuinely seem to be aimed more at the lower and lower-middle class voter (focused tax cuts to low/middle income earners, health and education spending aimed more at need/the bottom 20% and cutting some of the fat given by Howard to the upper middle class (of which, based on income I am one), such as reducing superannuation concessions for those of us who are wealthier, taxing family trusts, cutting CGT and negative gearing and of course, the franking credit fiasco (another Howard sop). While I understand that the franking credit reduction/removal was going to cause some problems for a number of people based on their retirement planning etc, it could have been managed in such a way as to minimise this by not grandfathering the legislation and better information - mind you I do struggle a bit with the whole notion that changes in policy might not have a negative impact on individuals - it happens all the time - ask the genuine unemployed or those struggling on the disability support pension how they are faring after the last 10 years of negative policy!!! There's also the issue of inter-generational conflict as most of those retirees had access to free University education, full employment and cheaper housing, compared to the current younger generation.

I am what would be described as a classic Liberal/Conservative fish just waiting to be caught - small business owner, Christian, white, middle-upper middle class, heterosexual and male - yet I despair at the apparent worship of "my kind" by the soft right of Oz politics! I don't need extra help from the government - and it's not because I am some super hard-working bloke who made his own luck - I have been fortunate to work in a growing industry (healthcare), had parents who valued education, got an excellent public school education, was helped a little with house purchasing by parents back in the day and get to live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.....in short, I have been quite blessed/lucky and I want to give back and be part of a community and society - not be locked in some gated community with other entitled, self made individuals who drive Audi Q9s and Posche Cayennes who think they should be rewarded by the government for their own good fortune - and I know I'm not alone because I have chatted many times with friends and patient and clients who feel the same way - we want a fairer Australia with less income inequality, not more and it's so frustrating that the Labor party has forgotten the working class man/woman (a la the Democrats in the U.S.) in favour of whichever particular noisy lobbying group from the identity-politics band-wagon has grabbed control of their agenda this week - the way they are going, they will win the Inner west of Sydney (until the Greens in NSW reorganise themselves) and bits of Melbourne but lose the rest of the country for good.

Rant over....sorry - geez last weekend was a shocker in so many ways   

 

Mate, read what I say and remember I voted for the ALP.

I posted some of their polices where crap and secondly they ran a crap campaign .... thats the key reason they lost, what the others did hurt and its mad to say had no effect ... but the principal reason they lost was to the broader community they did not excite and did not react often to many chances they had to tear the Libs apart...

Clinton lost to Trump because she ran IMO the worst campaign in the history of the world and to date many of her supporters are blaming Sanders, Fox etc...  lets not make the same mistake... 

 

 

[Edinburgh]

27 minutes ago, sonar said:

Stop effing insinuating I have no clue or I am burying my head in the sand. If people are effing stupid enough to vote for ****wits  who who have done **** all for the enviorment or climate change over the last six years that's their problem. I didn't vote for the coalition. Now eff off and go complain to the people who did.

Take a deep breath squire.

Middy presents a moderate argument you don't agree with and you go on a personal attack.

While I rarely agree with your political perspective, you're better than that. 

[Flytox]

5 minutes ago, Potkorok said:

Happy to agree with that Flytox, however I didn't even mention the issues of climate change, congestion and environmental degradation, governments using high immigration to provide economic growth, rather than productivity increases and business investment, negligible wages growth, the 'gig' economy, casualisation and the opening up of the economy to international competition ( a two-edged sword that one as depends on other countries having genuinely open markets etc ). Also the only reason interest rates are so low is minimal real economic growth, lack of wages growth and very low inflation.

I guess what I'm really saying is that I think the taxation system as it stands benefits us older voters moreso than the younger and that is likely to cause resentment and inequality. And that is only one area - poorer older Australians don't benefit much from the system either.

 

Correcting the facts I quoted, 12% was the unemployment rate not the interest rate.  In addition wages were not tied to CPI and bracket creep increased taxation for most Australians.

I'm from the period of paying fees for university ie pre the Whitlam change in 1974.

The emphasis on cutting costs rather than increasing productivity is one I shake my head at.  It's why I think the ALP got it wrong tactically this election.  Going with a message to increase productivity and from that harvest extra revenue to do the things it wanted to prioritise would have been quite palatable to the electorate.

[sonar]

Just now, Edinburgh said:

Take a deep breath squire.

Middy presents a moderate argument you don't agree with and you go on a personal attack.

While I rarely agree with your political perspective, you're better than that. 

Ed, sorry, but I didn't attack Midi personally. I just saiid eff off and don't complain to me.. If people want to have a sook about inaction on climate change then go to the people who are in control......The Coalition. THEY ARE THE GOVT....not the ALP. 

[sonar]

1 hour ago, sonar said:

Ed, sorry, but I didn't attack Midi personally. I just saiid eff off and don't complain to me.. If people want to have a sook about inaction on climate change then go to the people who are in control......The Coalition. THEY ARE THE GOVT....not the ALP. 

Ed, I will also add that who you vote for is up to you. That's your perogative and right. You are right in that we most probably wouldn't agree politically but I would never say to you that you have your head buried in the sand or are misinformed just because I don't agree with you. If people have a problem with govt policy they need to voice that complaint......to the govt.Not to people who didn't vote for them......lol

Edited May 22, 2019 by sonar

[Edinburgh]

2 hours ago, sonar said:

Ed, sorry, but I didn't attack Midi personally. I just saiid eff off and don't complain to me.. If people want to have a sook about inaction on climate change then go to the people who are in control......The Coalition. THEY ARE THE GOVT....not the ALP. 

 

47 minutes ago, sonar said:

Ed, I will also add that who you vote for is up to you. That's your perogative and right. You are right in that we most probably wouldn't agree politically but I would never say to you that you have your head buried in the sand or are misinformed just because I don't agree with you. If people have a problem with govt policy they need to voice that complaint......to the govt.Not to people who didn't vote for them......lol

No worries.

I think you're misunderstanding what Middy is saying. I read his comments as a critique of how Labor campaigned rather than complaining about any policies on climate change or anything else, on either side of politics.

[Cynth]

It’s just so laughable to claim Labour ran a poor campaign. It’s just not true. They ran a full policy platform compared to the Liberal party who did not run on any policy platform whatsoever. And the Labour Party explained that policy platform. They released it early, they worked hard to inform people 

We have to face facts.

The Australian people knew they were voting for a party skeptical of climate change and that they were not going to act to address it.

The Australian people knew they were voting for wealthy self funded retirees to keep their government given gift of franking credits and they also knew they were voting for people with multiple investment properties to keep their tax advantages.

The Australian people knew they were voting for indefinite detention and for reductions in refugee intakes. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to keep welfare payments below the poverty line and they knew they were voting to take away penalty rates from young people. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to have their own personal tax cut at the cost of no action to save or improve public education or public health.

They knew. They didn’t care. That’s who we, as a nation, has become. May as well face facts.

People aren’t dumb. And an affluent nation such as this one fears losing even one cent. 

 

[sonar]

2 minutes ago, Cynth said:

It’s just so laughable to claim Labour ran a poor campaign. It’s just not true. They ran a full policy platform compared to the Liberal party who did not run on any policy platform whatsoever. And the Labour Party explained that policy platform. They released it early, they worked hard to inform people 

We have to face facts.

The Australian people knew they were voting for a party skeptical of climate change and that they were not going to act to address it.

The Australian people knew they were voting for wealthy self funded retirees to keep their government given gift of franking credits and they also knew they were voting for people with multiple investment properties to keep their tax advantages.

The Australian people knew they were voting for indefinite detention and for reductions in refugee intakes. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to keep welfare payments below the poverty line and they knew they were voting to take away penalty rates from young people. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to have their own personal tax cut at the cost of no action to save or improve public education or public health.

They knew. They didn’t care. That’s who we, as a nation, has become. May as well face facts.

People aren’t dumb. And an affluent nation such as this one fears losing even one cent. 

 

Exactly. 

[Edinburgh]

3 minutes ago, Cynth said:

It’s just so laughable to claim Labour ran a poor campaign. It’s just not true. They ran a full policy platform compared to the Liberal party who did not run on any policy platform whatsoever. And the Labour Party explained that policy platform. They released it early, they worked hard to inform people 

We have to face facts.

The Australian people knew they were voting for a party skeptical of climate change and that they were not going to act to address it.

The Australian people knew they were voting for wealthy self funded retirees to keep their government given gift of franking credits and they also knew they were voting for people with multiple investment properties to keep their tax advantages.

The Australian people knew they were voting for indefinite detention and for reductions in refugee intakes. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to keep welfare payments below the poverty line and they knew they were voting to take away penalty rates from young people. 

The Australian people knew they were voting to have their own personal tax cut at the cost of no action to save or improve public education or public health.

They knew. They didn’t care. That’s who we, as a nation, has become. May as well face facts.

People aren’t dumb. And an affluent nation such as this one fears losing even one cent. 

 

I voted Liberal.

I knew what I was doing. Little, if any, of your list affected my vote.

[Potkorok]

2 hours ago, Midfielder said:

 

Mate, read what I say and remember I voted for the ALP.

I posted some of their polices where crap and secondly they ran a crap campaign .... thats the key reason they lost, what the others did hurt and its mad to say had no effect ... but the principal reason they lost was to the broader community they did not excite and did not react often to many chances they had to tear the Libs apart...

Clinton lost to Trump because she ran IMO the worst campaign in the history of the world and to date many of her supporters are blaming Sanders, Fox etc...  lets not make the same mistake... 

 

 

Yeah I think I was broadly agreeing with that but felt that the policies were not so much to blame as poor selling of the merits of the policies ( and perhaps just too many for one election campaign)

Agree with the Clinton assessment - but also so many disenfranchised white workers turned to Trump because they felt Democrats had abandoned them in the years leading up to the campaign - even a sizeable number of poorer black voters voted for him and these people used to be the Democrats bread and butter supporters - my fear is the Labor party here has been doing the same.

Cheers

[Cynth]

11 minutes ago, Edinburgh said:

I voted Liberal.

I knew what I was doing. Little, if any, of your list affected my vote.

I like your honesty Ed. 

I, myself will always vote for a fairer, healthier community. 

[Wobblies]

2 hours ago, sonar said:

Ed, sorry, but I didn't attack Midi personally. I just saiid eff off and don't complain to me.. If people want to have a sook about inaction on climate change then go to the people who are in control......The Coalition. THEY ARE THE GOVT....not the ALP. 

Sorry Sonar but you have it all wrong, It's all Labours fault, it always has been and it always will be. You need to listen carefully to the Liar from the Shire. 

[Edinburgh]

3 minutes ago, Cynth said:

I like your honesty Ed. 

I, myself will always vote for a fairer, healthier community. 

That's what I did on Saturday. 

[Cynth]

5 minutes ago, Edinburgh said:

That's what I did on Saturday. 

Lol. 

[Edinburgh]

17 minutes ago, Cynth said:

Lol. 

I wasn't joking.

[LeeMarvin]

Hey guys - I lay in the sun getting a tan while drinking booze and listening to country music all day.  If anything, get mad at me for being apathetic towards the privileges afforded by our wonderful democratic system and not voting!

[theguyyouwishyouwere]

[Taurus]

Bowen to withdraw his nomination, allowing Albo to be elected unopposed for the leadership of Labor Party.

Can't see how another lurch to the left, would improve Labor's chances at the next election 

Confirmed?

David Speers‏Verified account @David_Speers

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More

Chris Bowen to address the media at 3:45pm. Expected to withdraw from the leadership contest.

2:28 PM - 22 May 2019

[Cynth]

33 minutes ago, Edinburgh said:

I wasn't joking.

Name me the policies of the Liberal party that promotes fairness and a healthier community. I am fascinated. 

[hawks2767]

Sport2030

 

[Flytox]

3 hours ago, Cynth said:

Name me the policies of the Liberal party that promotes fairness and a healthier community. I am fascinated. 

The Libs policies are on their website, all 19 of them, and the 37 separate statements they made for the election are there too.

[Cynth]

49 minutes ago, Flytox said:

The Libs policies are on their website, all 19 of them, and the 37 separate statements they made for the election are there too.

Then Ed will have no trouble finding the policies that inspired his vote for a fairer, healthier  community. 

[wendybr]

5 hours ago, Potkorok said:

Yeah I think I was broadly agreeing with that but felt that the policies were not so much to blame as poor selling of the merits of the policies ( and perhaps just too many for one election campaign)

Agree with the Clinton assessment - but also so many disenfranchised white workers turned to Trump because they felt Democrats had abandoned them in the years leading up to the campaign - even a sizeable number of poorer black voters voted for him and these people used to be the Democrats bread and butter supporters - my fear is the Labor party here has been doing the same.

Cheers

Fully agree with all that...but this result may, hopefully, act as a warning before we go too far down the US path.

[Taurus]

14 minutes ago, wendybr said:

Fully agree with all that...but this result may, hopefully, act as a warning before we go too far down the US path.

Please explain, their economy is going well.

Everyone that wants to work, is being given an opportunity to do so

[Cynth]

1 minute ago, Taurus said:

Please explain, their economy is going well.

Everyone that wants to work, is being given an opportunity to do so

They also have a huge gap between rich and poor. One of the biggest in the world. Many have to work two jobs. 

They have lower life expectancy, higher chronic illness rates and the highest maternal death rate in the western world. 

They have low educational levels. Sitting well below Australia and pretty much all the western countries in the OECD.

They have extreme gun death rates. (Fun fact: there are 40000 gun deaths a year in the US, 2/3 are suicide and 80% of those are white males...) Happy bunch.

The US is also the only western country to have a significant problem with mass shootings. 

So the economy is going well....I guess that can keep them warm at night. 

[Taurus]

Thanks Teach,

Elections are won & loss on the economy.

Social policies are just white noise during an election campaign. 

In Oz, we have safety nets in place for those who need a hand up, refuse to contribute or can't work due to a disability. 

I should know, with 10+ years to go until retirement I now have to re-enter the workforce, but that's ok, I don't expect anyone to provide for me

[Cynth]

Just now, Taurus said:

Thanks Teach,

Elections are won & loss on the economy.

Social policies are just white noise during an election campaign. 

In Oz, we have safety nets in place for those who need a hand up, refuse to contribute or can't work due to a disability. 

I should know, with 10+ years to go until retirement I now have to re-enter the workforce, but that's ok, I don't expect anyone to provide for me

Unfortunately you are right. It’s all about money. 

Good luck with re-entering the job market. I hope it all goes well. 

[Unlimited]

I can’t believe this BS about the liberals being so called better economic managers 

Even if you discount Labor being able to steer us through the 2008 GFC without too much hassle, the fact that inflation was at 0% for the quarter and that the RBA is considering dropping rates twice this year (after keeping them unchanged for almost three years) shows that lately, the Liberals have bottled it

And then the AFR going to cheerlead for the Coalition and saying lowering rates is a good thing? Clearly they didn’t study properly in Year 9 Commerce ffs