Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[Skyring]

Not subscribed.

Very difficult to avoid though as it is at the top of New posts list most of the time.

Be strong, JohnK!

There was an issue of some relevance last night - the issue of a second airport. Both leaders squibbed it, but PM Rudd didn't explain why he didn't act on an urgent issue when he was in charge. He was quite happy to accept any positives from Gillard's term.

 

[Skyring]

I manage to avoid many many threads that don't interest me.

I manage to avoid many threads that DO interest me. Seriously, this place is a feast, and I could do nothing but read trip reports all day long and be a very happy man.

But life intervenes...

 

[Skyring]

Actually, they put in a market-linked carbon price with an initial fixed-price term.

When both Rudd and Gillard call it a tax, that's one battle you've well and truly lost, drsmithy!

You are getting to be a bit like those Japanese soldiers who used to emerge out of the Borneo jungle unaware the war had been over for 40 years. I never got the chance to ask them WTF they thought was going on that the sergeant had stopped coming around to give new orders, but I can ask you.

Why are you fighting a battle that has not just been lost, but cremated, buried and memorials erected by both sides?

 

[Skyring]

On the debate.

I watched with interest, but found it mainly frustrating as both leaders were somewhat predictable and evasive. I liked the questions and glad there was some attempt to force answers. Mind, some of the questioners could have trimmed their time down a bit.

Looking at the Twitter debate, it was equally predictable, with hired hands from both sides cheering on their champions. Annabel Crabb was predictably perceptive and funny - love that woman!

Obviously the salad days are over and there are going to be economic problems facing whoever wins. A little honesty would have helped here, but I guess both were trying to be positive.

The really interesting issue to emerge from what was basically a draw was the fact that Rudd broke the debate rules. No documents or props, but he brought in a sheaf of notes and read his speeches.



When quizzed about cheating, Rudd's defence was that he did it in plain view and wasn't called on it.

This goes to the issue of trust, as Andrew Robb was swift to point out.

 

[drsmithy]

Ours isn't a direct democracy, where the people vote directly on every matter before Parliament. We have a representative democracy, where we select people to represent us. The party system further interferes with any notion of smooth transition from public opinion to public policy. So the Greens and Independents had a disproportionally large impact over the past three years.

I never once suggested our system was a direct democracy.

I'm still waiting for examples of this "disproportionally large impact".

 

[medhead]

Seems Abbott was channelling the ghost of elections past. I'm awaiting the outrage at Abbott's aggressive handshake. I'm sure many of you here ranted about arm breaker Latham over his handshake.

View attachment 17924

 

[amaroo]

Have you seen the vid of Rudd crushing the hand of the 5 year that photo bombed him? Disgusting act of a dog!

Pathetic tosser is now resorting to Latham style tactics.

 

[medhead]

Have you seen the vid of Rudd crushing the hand of the 5 year that photo bombed him? Disgusting act of a dog!

Pathetic tosser is now resorting to Latham style tactics.

Once again your completely miss the point.

 

[amaroo]

Once again your completely miss the point.

Actually - my post was made completely without regard to yours - hand't seen yours until I reviewed my post. So no, you are incorrect again!

 

[cove]

Rudd almost looked sane last night. Remember he spent $250 billion of our money that he borrowed from foreigners.

 

[Skyring]

I'm awaiting the outrage at Abbott's aggressive handshake.

If you personally are not outraged, then you may have to wait some time. The expert view is contrary to your own.

 

[medhead]

Actually - my post was made completely without regard to yours - hand't seen yours until I reviewed my post. So no, you are incorrect again!

Yeah tell yourself that if it makes you feel better.

 

[amaroo]

Not good headlines for the PM today - cheat.

Get ready for some juvenile selfies of him reading some rubbish.

 

[Skyring]

Not good headlines for the PM today - cheat.

He's not making any traction and TA is looking good by comparison.
Flimflam pretty much sums up the Rudd push.

 

[get me outta here]

There's a lot of 'did so',
'did not',
'did so',
'did not,' on this thread. It makes it a bit boring when a person is just trying to catch up w' it.

Re economic migrants, it seemed to be just fine to invite all the poms here to help us build up the place. They probably would have been economic migrants.

 

[Skyring]

Re economic migrants, it seemed to be just fine to invite all the poms here to help us build up the place. They probably would have been economic migrants.

The key word here is "invite".

 

[BadgerBoi]

There's a lot of 'did so',
'did not',
'did so',
'did not,' on this thread. It makes it a bit boring when a person is just trying to catch up w' it.

Re economic migrants, it seemed to be just fine to invite all the poms here to help us build up the place. They probably would have been economic migrants.

Yes, but remind me again - what colour were most of them?

 

[get me outta here]

Yes, but remind me again - what colour were most of them?

I think they would ALL have been white and the key word is economic, not 'invite'

 

[medhead]

I think they would ALL have been white and the key word is economic, not 'invite'

Economic really is the key word. I'm sure that there will be room for 40000 odd people who arrive in a boat in the million jobs Abbott is going to create.

 

[Skyring]

I think they would ALL have been white and the key word is economic, not 'invite'

No. Everybody accepts that people will do a lot to better their circumstances. We all would. Like the Ten Pound Poms, it must have been a big wrench to leave their home country, all their rels, everything they'd known. We see the same here, when country boys - and girls - leave the family farm for the big smoke. It's human nature to go where things are better.

But we invited those Poms. And the Balts and the Greeks and the Turks. We had a program, we built places for them to live, we found jobs for them, we invited them in and they were welcome.

Not so the boat people, who don't ask and have created a huge headache. It costs us a lot of money to intercept them, house them, process them. That's money that is going to be very keenly felt as the national income continues to shrink. The fact that Rudd, who campaigned six years ago on being more welcoming and lenient has now turned completely around and is promising to permanently settle them in in PNG - of all places! - is proof enough that attitudes have changed.

Being kind to unlawful arrivals is no longer a vote winner.