Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Wow that's a big call, accusing the GG of not being impartial. So far she has proven to be one of the better GGs this country has had for many years.

I tend to agree re: GG's performance and she is a classy lady, however it is a particularly large conflict of interest.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Why "unfortunately" ? What difference does it make who the PM is ?

Thank you for the lesson on the Westminster system.

Rightly or wrongly, most people have an expectation that when a party elects a leader and that party goes to an election and wins, that the party elected leader prior to the general election will be the PM.

 

[drsmithy]

I am sure you are not referring to the vast majority of people who have a belief based around Christianity.

I was referring to the kind of people I described.

Many - probably most, I'd wager - of them would identify themselves as some sort of Christian. Some would probably claim proudly to be leaders of their churches.

 

[drsmithy]

Thank you for the lesson on the Westminster system.

Rightly or wrongly, most people have an expectation that when a party elects a leader and that party goes to an election and wins, that the party elected leader prior to the general election will be the PM.

Which brings me back to the point I made earlier. Compulsory civics classes in the leadup to an election would work wonders.

The Americanisation of our society has gotten to the point where the majority of people seem to think a Prime Minister is the same thing as a President. A trend that really got going with Howard, I think, but has been mercilessly reinforced by each subsequent leader.

 

[medhead]

Well how about this piece of cough from a former liberal party advisor. An article that first attacks the ALP for playing the man but then goes onto play the man without any substantial discussion of policy. But at least it does list Coalition policy, and this is the list:

• 
  [*=left]support for multiculturalism
  [*=left]constitutional recognition for Aboriginal people,
  [*=left]refusal to embrace climate scepticism and his proposal to implement an interventionist economic policy (direct action) to address climate change
  [*=left]Advertisement
  [*=left]paid parental leave scheme,
  [*=left]a preference for increased federal government control over the states and
  [*=left]belief that abortion should be ''safe, legal and rare,''

That's it, that is all the liberal party policy that a former adviser to liberal party leaders can put up. Especially when we consider the following thoughts:

• Didn't Abbott say multiculturalism has failed in Australia?
• Didn't the current government's attempt to include constitution recognition for aboriginal people fail? Partially because of opposition opposition?
• Direct Action is an absolute dud policy. Firstly it is bizarre for someone who does not believe in climate change to be willing to hand out money for it. Why? a populist quest for power? Then direct action is just handing out taxpayers money to industry instead for making industry pay. How's he going to pick the winners, with Ros Kelly's whiteboard
• Massive expensive paid parental leave scheme that provides vastly more money than the ALP scheme, which can barely be afforded. This scheme is also supposed to be funded by a "great big new tax" on business that is also apparently going to get compensation to offset the new tax. All I can say about that load of twisted logic is WTF!
• Taking over from the states. So that would require people to do what state governments currently do. So increasing the size of government? That's Abbott policy? Really? This is the man of castigates the ALP for expanding the commonwealth government. Bipolar or what. Hardly a winning policy.
• Finally an abortion policy that is a statement of the blindly obvious, safe and legal, as well as a personal religious statement - rare. Sorry Tony Abortion should be as frequent as is required to within the allowances of the law to suit the needs of women and families. That might be rare or it might not be rare.

And that's it, is it? That's the cream of the coalition's policies, those are the best they have to offer?

Read more: Abbott, the thinking person's prime minister​

So, word is we *may* have a new PM by the end of next week. Again, it won't be one elected by the people of Australia - not that our system works that way unfortunately.

With any luck, should it happen, hopefully the GG will overlook her personal connection to the Labor party and call an early election to let the people decide.

Long live democracy!

In which case we'll have 2 PMs in quick succession when the first one is unable to form a majority in the house, the second will then call the election (if he has any principles) and then we have to wait, what is the minimum, 6 weeks?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

In which case we'll have 2 PMs in quick succession when the first one is unable to form a majority in the house, the second will then call the election (if he has any principles) and then we have to wait, what is the minimum, 6 weeks?

I'm almost certain the electorate would be very happy with what you propose.

 

[medhead]

I'm almost certain the electorate would be very happy with what you propose.

Not a proposal, a prediction. If Rudd does it, it just highlights his stupidity. His actions have made this minority government into a circus that has killed any chance we, the public, had of getting something useful. I just wish I can express my true feelings about the man, but AFF is a family site.

 

[medhead]

I tend to agree re: GG's performance and she is a classy lady, however it is a particularly large conflict of interest.

That's bovine excrement. Someone does not get to be GG by putting the interests of their son in law over the duties of their position. Especially something that is going to be so public and on which her hands are pretty much tied by the constitution. Do you really think she could ignore the constitution to provide some tiny little bit of help to her son in law. To defer the election until 14 September instead of 14 August. It's just a ludicrous suggestion, one the the coalition likes to make, which turns them into a joke really.

For clarity the GG does not have a personal connection to the ALP. Her daughter is married to an ALP MP/Senator. But that's her daughter's connection. Is her daughter even a member of the ALP? is the GG?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

That's bovine excrement. Someone does not get to be GG by putting the interests of their son in law over the duties of their position. Especially something that is going to be so public and on which her hands are pretty much tied by the constitution. Do you really think she could ignore the constitution to provide some tiny little bit of help to her son in law. To defer the election until 14 September instead of 14 August. It's just a ludicrous suggestion, one the the coalition likes to make, which turns them into a joke really.

For clarity the GG does not have a personal connection to the ALP. Her daughter is married to an ALP MP/Senator. But that's her daughter's connection. Is her daughter even a member of the ALP? is the GG?

An ALP MP who may be the next (albeit short lived as you predict) PM if the murmurings are true.

I'm not suggesting impropriety but it certainly would not be a good look.

 

[medhead]

An ALP MP who may be the next (albeit short lived as you predict) PM if the murmurings are true.

I'm not suggesting impropriety but it certainly would not be a good look.

I haven't read the murmurings, I assumed Rudd was in the frame. But the look would be no worse than the look of the stuff that's been coming out around Kerr and Fraser.

(no drron, I'm not making a judgement of Kerr/Fraser with that statement, just mentioning the accusations that have been made without judging the truth or otherwise)

 

[Hvr]

An ALP MP who may be the next (albeit short lived as you predict) PM if the murmurings are true.

I'm not suggesting impropriety but it certainly would not be a good look.

And I reckon that has already been considered and advice taken should the situation arise. The protocol is that the senior state governor assumes the position if the GG isn't available so there is a fall back position.

 

[whatmeworry]

Anybody mention Clive Palmer recently? Here is a quote?

'Rupert Murdoch gets on the telephone and tells people what to do.
'I have had my office broken into, I have had all my files stolen.

Telstra BigPond News and Weather

 

[casanovawa]

Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man -- living in the sky -- who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! ..But He loves you.

Yes it's cough sorry.

Good example of taking a complex subject and trying to reduce it to a rather silly, glib one liner... But thanks for letting us know your opinion...

 

[casanovawa]

women being slaves to their reproductive systems.

With all due respect, what an utter bullsh!t line....

 

[casanovawa]

If you want to hero-worship a president, move to a country that has one.

That's rich coming form you, weren't you coughping on earlier about having made plans to leave?? Was that you?? Don't let the door hit you in the @rse on the way out if so... Maybe you can even go and take up your hero worship of the friggin Swiss...

 

[dajop]

The GG would have zero basis to do anything.

The people already decided. They elected their representatives, and those representatives chose a Prime Minister, precisely as they are supposed to do. That's how the system here works.

This would be the case if labor were in majority government. However in this case labor does not have a majority government, it relies on the support of independents who have (as we the public understand) an agreement to support the PM , not the ALP. So if Gillard was pushed aside by the ALP, and independents did not support ALP in government where would that leave us?

I guess you may be right anyway, the independents could switch their support to Lib Party, and suddenly TA becomes PM on the basis of the elected representatives chosing a PM!

Whatever the case, I am sure GG's office legal counsel has played out the different scenarios as what happens if there is no majority support for a PM on either side of politics.

 

[Skyring]

Compulsory civics classes in the leadup to an election would work wonders.

Ahh, just what sort of compulsion were you imagining? A couple of coppers in a paddywagon knocking on the door. "Ah, Mr Smithy? Our records show that you missed your scheduled civics class, so we've come to provide free transport to a bonus session in a secure location. Just hold your wrists together, please."

I'm all for chances to improve the woeful state of civics knowledge in the community, but we could easily get carried away.

Literally.

 

[Skyring]

Well, his history as health minister suggests otherwise.

On the other hand, Abbot is nothing if not an opportunistic populist, so he'll just go whichever way he thinks the wind is blowing.

But there's the impacts religious beliefs have already had. Marriage equality, for example.

Julia Gillard votes against marriage equality. And if you are talking opportunistic populism, remember that big Rooty Hill circus a while back? Her every public statement is crafted for maximum effect on the masses.

In the end, marriage equality is up to the voters. If it's a big enough issue with majority support, it'll get up. So far we are just seeing - from both sides of politics - half-hearted gestures and posturing. Neither has their heart in it. Tony Abbott, on personal views, fair enough. Julia Gillard, she obviously doesn't have a commitment to marriage as an institution, but she would jump on a chance for a good headline and a bounce in the polls. She's not seeing marriage equality as a winner, otherwise she'd be all over it.

 

[Skyring]

As people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers

Any idea when that's going to start happening?

 

[Skyring]

Which might vaguely resemble a valid argument had it not already been in use for over a decade in other countries. There was nothing controversial about RU486...

We don't automatically approve drugs just because other nations use them. We have an approval process in place to make sure that the drugs do what they are claimed, that testing supports the claims and that the appropriate information about doses and side-effects and so on is accurate and available.

As for "nothing controversial", well! I'd be interested to know a more controversial prescription drug. cough, maybe, but that got up just fine without polarising the community.