Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[Skyring]

He also lost the support of the public service.

I remember those times. When he was PM I would be called in to give rides to exhausted public servants long after the buses had stopped running. They'd been kept up preparing reports for the PM's office. They would fall asleep in the cab and I'd have to crank up the aircon and hit the brakes to jolt them awake at the end. I listened to extraordinary tales of computer programmers who had taken a couple of extra days to finish a website and would be rung up and sworn at by Kevin Rudd himself, wanting them to work faster.

This kept on going for months and years. Rudd's own staff couldn't stand the strain - I'd pick them up and they'd be yelling on the phone. Gradually he surrounded himself with young staffers fresh from Uni, who didn't have families to distract them.

And yet, for all the hoops he made people jump through, nothing ever happened. Press releases and discussion papers. A few initiatives to get media coverage.

 

[Pukka]

I remember those times. When he was PM I would be called in to give rides to exhausted public servants long after the buses had stopped running. They'd been kept up preparing reports for the PM's office. They would fall asleep in the cab and I'd have to crank up the aircon and hit the brakes to jolt them awake at the end. I listened to extraordinary tales of computer programmers who had taken a couple of extra days to finish a website and would be rung up and sworn at by Kevin Rudd himself, wanting them to work faster.

This kept on going for months and years. Rudd's own staff couldn't stand the strain - I'd pick them up and they'd be yelling on the phone. Gradually he surrounded himself with young staffers fresh from Uni, who didn't have families to distract them.

And yet, for all the hoops he made people jump through, nothing ever happened. Press releases and discussion papers. A few initiatives to get media coverage.

I have a patient that used to work for Rudd in some legal capacity she described him as " an absolute nut job the most self centered, self obsessed man to walk this earth"

So I'm guessing he's difficult to work for #happylittlevegemite lol

 

[Pushka]

Agree, QLD shows what happens when there is no effective opposition.

Except the Coalition support is now back to where it was pre election so despite the actions people now see it had to be done.

 

[Skyring]

Agree, QLD shows what happens when there is no effective opposition.

So where are Gillard's problems coming from? An effective Opposition?

Or just plain incompetence?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

He also lost the support of the public service. That the Commonwealth Nuclear Safety Agency was giving him 6 hourly updates on fukushima* (This is on the public record), when he was foreign minister might explain why those working for him and with him wanted him gone.


* An issue that was publicly topical but represented zero to very little risk to Australia, hence not warranting 6 hourly updates. Maybe daily....

to be fair there was a lot of uncertainty at the time as to the safety of being in Japan and particularly Tokyo. no one knew what was going on, or exactly how bad it was. the airports were a total scrum, with huge lines, packed flights, and airlines charging top dollar (the man behind me paid 3000 euro for a one way economy flight to Frankfurt).

it is possible the Australian government was monitoring the situation in the event evacuation flights would be required. 6 hourly updates would have been prudent given the shifting winds and potential for radiation. there were credible rumors of a total evacuation of Tokyo being a possibility (although I cannot imagine how it would have even been practically possible).

 

[lovestotravel]

Neither of them is perfect and whilst Julia has made some mistakes at least she tried to do something unlike Howard and co including Abbott.

We are on the cusp of huge changes and we need leaders with vision and courage to try new things. I don't believe the Liberal's will do that.

Nothing Julia has done can be classed as good and you don't get points for "trying"

Except of course in school now, where everyone tries and if you fail you have still done a great job...

Julia has no vision or courage just doing whatever the Greens/Independants want so she stays in power

As for the NDIS it's just another tax, of which I don't support

You are right, the Liberal's won't be able to do much because there is no cash left, there will be severe cuts the likes of which haven't been seen for years, along with more tax hikes. The budget is a blackhole of overspending and Julia is to blame!

You can of course feel free to tell me more about the revenue from the Carbon tax once it aligns with the EU scheme..............

 

[Moody]

Nothing Julia has done can be classed as good and you don't get points for "trying"

So none of the 500-odd pieces of legislation meet your approval???? How sad for you

Except of course in school now, where everyone tries and if you fail you have still done a great job...

Bizarre! What sort of school do you send your kids to?

Julia has no vision or courage just doing whatever the Greens/Independants want so she stays in power

I think the NDIS, MRRT, Carbon Tax, NBN, Gonski reforms, etc show a fair bit of vision and courage to put forward. You may not agree with any of them, but that doesn't support your argument

As for the NDIS it's just another tax, of which I don't support

You don't support Taxes? Even for the NDIS?? Just how far to the right are you??? [BTW - even TA supports the NDIS, don't you know?]

You are right, the Liberal's won't be able to do much because there is no cash left, there will be severe cuts the likes of which haven't been seen for years, along with more tax hikes. The budget is a blackhole of overspending and Julia is to blame!

There is PLENTY of cash left - you can borrow as much as you like when you are in Australia's enviable position. But of course the idea is that (on the whole) you live within your means, so in the good years you bank a surplus and in the bad you run at a deficit. The problem at the moment is that the tax revenue on average isn't paying for the things we want. Tony Abbott's options for achieving a surplus (like JG's) are to raise taxes or cut services or both - but judging by your comments about the NDIS I feel sure you will howl him down when he does, won't you?

You can of course feel free to tell me more about the revenue from the Carbon tax once it aligns with the EU scheme.....

If we do align with Europe (and they are still bankrupt) then the carbon tax will fall and so should prices and so should compensation. What will actually happen I don't really know, but judging by humanity someone always gets screwed.

 

[amaroo]

I have a patient that used to work for Rudd in some legal capacity she described him as " an absolute nut job the most self centered, self obsessed man to walk this earth"

So I'm guessing he's difficult to work for #happylittlevegemite lol

Funny as - considering how they banged on about work choices.

 

[Deleted member]

Agree, there are good and bad points to both sides. Neither of them is perfect and whilst Julia has made some mistakes at least she tried to do something unlike Howard and co including Abbott.

We are on the cusp of huge changes and we need leaders with vision and courage to try new things. I don't believe the Liberal's will do that.

I suggest Abbott is more concerned about personal power and glory than he is about Australia.

And that makes him different from the current leader and unique Australian politics in general?

 

[Deleted member]

So none of the 500-odd pieces of legislation meet your approval???? How sad for you



Bizarre! What sort of school do you send your kids to?



I think the NDIS, MRRT, Carbon Tax, NBN, Gonski reforms, etc show a fair bit of vision and courage to put forward. You may not agree with any of them, but that doesn't support your argument



You don't support Taxes? Even for the NDIS?? Just how far to the right are you??? [BTW - even TA supports the NDIS, don't you know?]



There is PLENTY of cash left - you can borrow as much as you like when you are in Australia's enviable position. But of course the idea is that (on the whole) you live within your means, so in the good years you bank a surplus and in the bad you run at a deficit. The problem at the moment is that the tax revenue on average isn't paying for the things we want. Tony Abbott's options for achieving a surplus (like JG's) are to raise taxes or cut services or both - but judging by your comments about the NDIS I feel sure you will howl him down when he does, won't you?



If we do align with Europe (and they are still bankrupt) then the carbon tax will fall and so should prices and so should compensation. What will actually happen I don't really know, but judging by humanity someone always gets screwed.

Moody. You are logging a dead horse.
This is ( and most of the free thinking electorate knows this) a toxic, dysfunctional and dishonest government.
Suck it up and deal with it

 

[Skyring]

This report in from the Canberra Times. [h=1]Gillard says China ASIO breach reports 'inaccurate'[/h]Don't you just love polispeak? She doesn't mean the reports of Chinese spies stealing the ASIO HQ blueprints are wrong, just that a few details are "inaccurate'.

Can't we have a bit of honesty? Well, not a bit of honesty that we've got to read between the lines to discover. A lot of honesty would be better. You know, something that's 100% truthful.

Keating was involved in something similar.

Keeping secrets is one thing. If the Chinese don't know their embassy's bugged, keeping quiet about it is a bloody good idea. If they do know - and they did - then it's just another government cover up. I'd prefer to know if my government is incompetent or corrupt or dishonest. Regardless of which party is in power.

Thank goodness for investigative media and a keen Opposition.

 

[Moody]

This report in from the Canberra Times. Gillard says China ASIO breach reports 'inaccurate'

Don't you just love polispeak? She doesn't mean the reports of Chinese spies stealing the ASIO HQ blueprints are wrong, just that a few details are "inaccurate'.

Can't we have a bit of honesty? Well, not a bit of honesty that we've got to read between the lines to discover. A lot of honesty would be better. You know, something that's 100% truthful.

Keating was involved in something similar.

Keeping secrets is one thing. If the Chinese don't know their embassy's bugged, keeping quiet about it is a bloody good idea. If they do know - and they did - then it's just another government cover up. I'd prefer to know if my government is incompetent or corrupt or dishonest. Regardless of which party is in power.

Thank goodness for investigative media and a keen Opposition.

Skyring - do you honestly believe that if the conservatives were in office they would handle this situation differently?


Your bias is getting worse and worse..... my rates are an apple a day if you want to talk about it.

 

[Hvr]

<snip>

Thank goodness for investigative media and a keen Opposition.

Well an investigative media at least. I have no doubt that if the Liberal party were in power the matter would be handled the same way. Indeed they are very quiet on the issue.

 

[Skyring]

Skyring - do you honestly believe that if the conservatives were in office they would handle this situation differently?

Your bias is getting worse and worse.....

Brother, why not read what is actually written before wedging your foot into your mouth?

I'd prefer to know if my government is incompetent or corrupt or dishonest. Regardless of which party is in power.

No, I don't think the Coalition would do any different. But that's beside the point. Having the Prime Minister mislead the voters to cover up a government bungle which is not only important to national security but expensive to fix is a good reason not to support her at the upcoming elections. You may think differently, of course.

Thanks for the reminder about bias, Moody. Much appreciated.

 

[Skyring]

Well an investigative media at least. I have no doubt that if the Liberal party were in power the matter would be handled the same way. Indeed they are very quiet on the issue.

Apart from the Questions in Parliament, of course.

 

[Moody]

Skyring - how exactly has JG "mislead the voters"? Were you a spy at the ASIO briefing that George (Maxwell) Brandis attended? Did the cone of silence not work again?

As you are fond of saying .... citation please!

 

[Skyring]

Skyring - how exactly has JG "misled the voters"?

Simple. If the reports were totally wrong, she'd say so. She wouldn't muck about with weasel words when she had the big guns available, now would she?

 

[drron]

And now Martin Ferguson is quitting at the next election.One of the ministers I had respect for.it is really going to be a very weak Opposition after September.

 

[Pushka]

And now Martin Ferguson is quitting at the next election.One of the ministers I had respect for.it is really going to be a very weak Opposition after September.

In the unlikely event that Labor was to form Government they would have very little talent and experience to choose from. And Labor are trying to make the case that it is the Coalition who have no experience. Sheesh!

 

[Moody]

Simple. If the reports were totally wrong, she'd say so. She wouldn't muck about with weasel words when she had the big guns available, now would she?

Simple? You will have to run it by me again. How exactly has she mislead the voters? Hang-on .... let's personalise it a bit .... how has she mislead you?