Election 2010 August 21

[drron]

A few quirks have opened up based on the slow electoral count:
Lindsay Tanner still gets paid as a Minister of the Government even though he did not stand as a candidate.
Senator John Faulkner still gets a Ministers pay despite agreeing to cease being a Minister.
There should be questions raised on why the counts are not completed in a timely manner.

Finally Senator Bob Brown remains the only politician I know to qualify in full for 2 big Government pensions.His first was where he wangled and got his State Government pension in Tasmania from State politics and now his Federal Government pension.
Now that I believe is a unique position.Who is a lucky Bob then?

The other Bob of the moment.Bob Katter has a QLD state govt pension and has qualified for a federal one as well.There are quite a few others-but not Bobs as far as I am aware.

 

[cove]

Thank you DRRON for telling me who else has BOBBED up so to speak.
Is it fair to get 2 massive pensions when we have a big group of greys just trying to survive or am I looking the wrong way at this?
When we attempt to fix our Constitution sometime in the next 20 years or so we had better get the submissions worded correctly as voters don't like referendums in the first place.
Lucky we still have Lizzy as our big kahuna!

 

[Moody]

Lucky we still have Lizzy as our big kahuna!

And don't you colonial chaps just love tugging your forelock to your masters? Helps you remember your place in the empire!

 

[simongr]

And don't you colonial chaps just love tugging your forelock to your masters? Helps you remember your place in the empire!

Never once tugged a forelock - though I did once form part of the Guard of honour for Princess Margaret.

 

[medhead]

And don't you colonial chaps just love tugging your forelock to your masters? Helps you remember your place in the empire!

Indeed it does help us remember we're the ones who come to the rescue when you get in trouble and we're the ones who are good at sport. Thank you kind masters.

 

[medhead]

Never once tugged a forelock - though I did once form part of the Guard of honour for Princess Margaret.

I opened the door of charlie's car once in similar circumstances. But only on the man servants side of the car.

 

[Moody]

Never once tugged a forelock - though I did once form part of the Guard of honour for Princess Margaret.

I opened the door of charlie's car once in similar circumstances. But only on the man servants side of the car.

Q.E.D.

(But it's great that you're good at the important things in life .... like sport).

 

[medhead]

(But it's great that you're good at the important things in life .... like sport).

I know. In fact, I can't think of anything more important than sport. Somebody has to properly represent the empire, especially as England has dropped the ball so to speak. It is like a benevolent mercy that we stay with the empire. lol

Btw I'm not sure paying due respect to Charlie is a sign of much besides personal respect; his wife was hot he must do something right.

 

[Keith009]

For context:
Liberals trampling democracy at the University of Queensland | Socialist Alternative

Of course there's 2 sides to the coin. Having been slagged for exactly the same things when I was involved in student politics myself, I know what it's like to be unfairly accused of various attrocities. I do not know what's going on at UQ other than hearing third hand accounts from my younger contemporaries. Nor have I any experience of going to a Liberal-controlled campus - as the Melbourne Uni Libs were only ever elected through coalitions with moderate Labor students - seems strange but think about how much more left wing the uni political spectrum is. But suffice to say, the Left on campus are extremely territorial and treat student unions as their stomping ground - woe betide any moderate student group (in this context, I am referring to the Liberal Students and ALP Right students) who wins an election - doesn't take long for trumped up allegations of corruption to appear, or bizarre allegations of racism/sexism/homophobia.

Student politics (and I'd put local government politics in this category - drron please correct me if you disagree) is only so bitter because the stakes are so low. But it sure is good training for the real thing. Ahh I miss uni politics....

As a bit of an aside, I found this notice at the bus shelter on at uni.

It seems that the federal level is not the only place where democratic normality, morality and order is in short supply...

View attachment 1148

If you thought federal politics sucks, then no crude/harsh/disgusting descriptor can be appropriately found for university student union politics.......

 

[anat0l]

... doesn't take long for trumped up allegations of corruption to appear, or bizarre allegations of racism/sexism/homophobia.

Pretty much every union election we had during my time at UQ there would always be a poster explaining the less than desirable conduct of the last union president (usually trumpeting corruption).

Let's not also forget all the innumerate, undocumented counts of assault (ranging from direct contact / fights to simply blocking union representatives from attending union meetings and then accusing said restricted people of not doing their jobs). I've also been regularly accosted verbally (as well as, at times, physically) during both campaigning and election periods - no, I am not a member of any union political movement, and since VSU not a member of the union either!

Do you wonder why I am so disillusioned with politics in this country when the microcosm of politics within a university are absolutely atrocious, let alone the joke of a system we have at the federal level?

All I hear from all sides (with the possible exception of the left) of uni union politics is that they would rather settle this with weapons except killing and maiming people is (surprisingly enough) actually illegal.

Student politics (and I'd put local government politics in this category - drron please correct me if you disagree) is only so bitter because the stakes are so low. But it sure is good training for the real thing.

I really have to ask this: You're freakin' kidding me, right?

 

[Keith009]

I really have to ask this: You're freakin' kidding me, right?

You do pick up vital skills that can't be learnt from a political science lecture, political party branch meetings, or no matter how many doors you knock or letter box you stuff. First hand experiences at negotiating policy or preference deals, "doing the numbers", using meeting procedures to your advantage (withholding/dropping quorum was my favourite), planning a campaign from start to finish, public speaking etc. You might have been put off by student politicians accosting you during election week, but I can tell you from experience that it was equally daunting doing the accosting in my first year - after that I simply grew a thick skin. :mrgreen: Many then go on to staff electorate and Ministerial offices, or union offices for the ALP-aligned, or get elected to local government, but equally do many get burnt out and decide politics isn't for them. There were also those who shunned student politics and were more involved in Young Labor/Young Liberal instead - I thought I gained more out of the former and that the latter was simply a glorified debating society half the time but to each their own. Personally, it was the process that excited me, rather than outcomes - and which is why I am no longer involved in politics full time as I decided the private sector is a lot more lucrative. I am not proud of some of the things I did, but on the whole it was a fantastic learning experience.

Though having recently been (re)acquainted with ASX rules and the rumble and tumble of the Corps Act, and watching how a hostile takeover bid unfolds - the similiarities are striking and it seems student politics is useful training for more than just party political politics.

Now again I have no idea of what goes on in UQ, beyond the fact that electing Liberals to office caused some ruckus amongst the Left just like when a joint Liberal/ALP Right group was elected at Melbourne last year. But from my experience, violence is rare and when it does occur, is universally condemned. I have heard of chairs being thrown at national conferences, mostly by the usual suspects that are prone to such radical behaviour. There were a couple of years when my group ran candidates for fairly senior positions who held socially conservative views when it came to stuff like abortion - not that it mattered as far as we're concerned as such views have nothing to do with student representation (and we're the only ALP group that allowed a conscience vote when socially contentious policies came up) - but to the Left they were treated like the Anti Christ. As an aside, these candidates got elected anyway - and nothing thrilled me more than the sight of raving, loony, nasty bullies broken down at the ballot room. But at Melbourne Uni, beyond a few, umm, spirited debates, people have mainly been cordial and civil to one another - even the far left groups - I'm not known for my generousity either.

 

[simongr]

Do you wonder why I am so disillusioned with politics in this country when the microcosm of politics within a university are absolutely atrocious, let alone the joke of a system we have at the federal level?

Exactly why I advocate for a return of the Monarchy.

 

[drron]

I opened the door of charlie's car once in similar circumstances. But only on the man servants side of the car.

I actually got to talk with him and shake his hand-unfortunately it was Mrsdrron who got to talk to Princess Diana.

 

[drron]

Student politics (and I'd put local government politics in this category - drron please correct me if you disagree) is only so bitter because the stakes are so low. But it sure is good training for the real thing. Ahh I miss uni politics....

Sorry but in Local Government you have Developement Applications and Developers-unless you are in NSW where the Planning Minister makes all the big decisions.

 

[Keith009]

Sorry but in Local Government you have Developement Applications and Developers-unless you are in NSW where the Planning Minister makes all the big decisions.

Or in VIC where most everything gets contested at VCAT anyway... The antics of both sets of political participants are pretty similar though, and you wouldn't be able to get away with a lot of that stuff at a State or Federal level where there's more public scrutiny.

 

[medhead]

I actually got to talk with him and shake his hand-unfortunately it was Mrsdrron who got to talk to Princess Diana.

I let my mum talk to him seeing as she went out and got a colour TV especially for his first wedding and I enjoyed watched DrWho on that tv for years.
I did shake his hand though. (not to mention the salute as well)