Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[amaroo]

Just bumped into Clive at the local polling station......his driver was illegal parked - upsetting quite a few people as they headed into the booth.

His Beemer was plastered in yellow and giant thumbs up....watching him, I couldn't help wondering how many sausages he will knock off today?

 

[burrco]

Minor disaster when I voted - local CFA had run out of sausages! Nationals HTV guy pointed out that there was never a shortage of sausages during the Howard Years; wasn't 100% sure if he meant at the polling place or on the front bench.

Crisis was diverted when I decided to vote below the line - by the time I'd finished a new batch had arrived and was cooking away.

 

[777]

Never paid any attention to a polling station before as I don't vote. Dropped the fiancé off to vote this morning and was astonished to see not only a squillion election posters around the school but also that she had to run a gauntlet of people at the entrance all pushing their own party. That's bullcrap.

I was at a local school this morning and handing out for my preferred candidate who is a mate of mine of twenty years. I'm pleased to say that there were people there labor, greens, independent, liberal and even Clive Palmers mob. Good on them all. There was a bit of jostling for poster spots but on the whole the attitude was pretty friendly, everyone had a laugh and got on pretty well.

Everyone who volunteered their time and efforts for what they believe in and who is willing to contribute something to the democratic process (the real volunteers and not the party hacks) should be commended. Democracy is not a spectator sport.

 

[cgichard]

Minor disaster when I voted - local CFA had run out of sausages!.

What's missing from those electoral booth maps is any indication of which (if any) are sausage-free. I can't stand the stink. No way to escape it in the half-hour shuffling queue where I voted this morning. Is this an allowable reason for pre-election voting?

 

[burrco]

What's missing from those electoral booth maps is any indication of which (if any) are sausage-free. I can't stand the stink. No way to escape it in the half-hour shuffling queue where I voted this morning. Is this an allowable reason for pre-election voting?

As sites like 2013 Federal Election Sausage Sizzle Map continue to grow - you can at least know some places to avoid. In my large rural electorate normally any polling place not located at a school is sizzle free.

 

[Shelf]

The place where I voted had sausages, egg & bacon rolls, coffee, tea, soft drinks and sweets! Here's hoping someone applies for a liquor license for the next election.

 

[straitman]

As sites like 2013 Federal Election Sausage Sizzle Map continue to grow - you can at least know some places to avoid. In my large rural electorate normally any polling place not located at a school is sizzle free.

No sausages, Cakes or Vegetarian in my area according to your link. :shock:

I'll go and check reality shortly.

 

[burrco]

No sausages, Cakes or Vegetarian in my area according to your link. :shock:

I'll go and check reality shortly.

Agree - such sites have yet to reach critical mass - maybe by next election. The place where I voted had (delayed) sausages and cakes - but is not on the map.

 

[whatmeworry]

That feeling when you get to your polling station and you don't have to line up! #winning

 

[drsmithy]

Alternatively - they could have simply left it for tomorrow's taxpayer to pick up the tab.

Which is what should happen. Politician superannuation, like salaries, is an operational expense.

Should we pre-pay the next 50 years worth of public servant salaries as well ?

If we're going to build an asset that will deliver benefits for 25 years, does it make sense to delay it until it can be paid for all up front, or spread that cost over the 25 years of people who will benefit from it ?

 

[drsmithy]

Really?? You seriously believe that???

This is what concerns me about the country.

Today's debt is tomorrow's taxation.

Tomorrow's expense should be tomorrow's taxation.

Do you take cash advances from your credit card to spend on a new swimming pool?

Your analogy is absurd.

 

[serfty]

.. Dropped the fiancé off to vote this morning and was astonished to see not only a squillion election posters around the school but also that she had to run a gauntlet of people at the entrance all pushing their own party. That's bullcrap.

Back home, and I know this is not my home I get no say, yada yada yada, but where I come from all campaigning and campaign paraphernalia is prohibited around polling booths.

It's an independent, impartial and poster free zone.... All campaigning is also ceased 7 days out from the Election Day. ...

Some people need the how to vote cards as they have no idea about who is who in their electorate until they arrive at the polling booth....

The canny folk set up nearest the door so that their HTV card is on top. There's always a few who have tuned out and just turn up to get their names crossed off. Gotta vote for somebody.

... It's not "bullcrap" and they are restricted as to how close to the actual polling place they can be, and none that I passed were at all agressive. The polling place itself is independent, impartial and poster free. The people working where I voted this morning were quickly removing any material from the little boxes where we filled in our ballots....

Indeed - there are regulations limiting how close to the 'Polling Place' (Building) front door people handing out HTV paraphernalia, warning political party Shirts, etc. may come and certainly not inside.

It used to be 50', but I think now is 20 metres.

Enforcement varies - today when voting, they were all a safe distance away but I have seen them right up a the door in other places. In my student days I worked at polling booths and once was asked to work as an 'Deputy retuning officer' at a place where I had never been before. The other workers did not know me, nor me them and rather than me doing table work, I was given the lacky task of clearing out the booths, monitoring the door and ballot boxes etc. I challenged one older guy who tried to come in wearing a political badge, turned out he was a mate of the "Retuning Officer" (Boss). It was quite an awkward moment.:-|

 

[dfcatch]

Which is what should happen. Politician superannuation, like salaries, is an operational expense.

Should we pre-pay the next 50 years worth of public servant salaries as well ?

If we're going to build an asset that will deliver benefits for 25 years, does it make sense to delay it until it can be paid for all up front, or spread that cost over the 25 years of people who will benefit from it ?

The defined benefit scheme was closed. It was for former and yet to retire public servants and the scheme was both over generous and unfunded (as Medhead says - unfixed by multiple governments). Combined with the aging workforce it was an issue of Intergenerational Inequity which was only going to get worse.

By funding it through the future fund - they were investing in the future by freeing up the burden on the next generation.

But I guess you're the kind of person that would rather max out your lines of credit and leave all the debt for your children??

It's a different issue to debt-funding new infrastructure projects that take advantage of the time value of money as well as productivity enhancements.

They are two different issues.

 

[drron]

Which is what should happen. Politician superannuation, like salaries, is an operational expense.

Should we pre-pay the next 50 years worth of public servant salaries as well ?

If we're going to build an asset that will deliver benefits for 25 years, does it make sense to delay it until it can be paid for all up front, or spread that cost over the 25 years of people who will benefit from it ?

So you know very little about the future fund?
Set up to fund Public Sector Superannuation Liabilities.Much of the liability had already been incurred but not funded.
70 billion put in by Costello.
None by Swan.
Now 88.89 billion for those liabilities.

Now tell me which of the ALP's Infrastructure Investments are making returns.

 

[tgh]

The mood is always evident at polling booths.. well at ours anyway.
Last state election the libs were euphoric and the lefties subdued, but I have seen it t'other way .. :-(
Today there was a lone leftie offering how to vote sheets competing with a cast of thousands of LNP volunteers.
One was standing near the out gate asking for the htv cards back please.. I thought this was quite amusing... obviously in high demand.
The lady was not allowed to approach the garbage bin beside the exit door to pick them out , so suddenly my dw has marched back in through the out gate ( nor security at all... ) and walked along the voting booths (and folks voting) to collect a pile of cards, meantime another anonymous lady has rifled through the bin and also presented the volunteer with a swag of cards... all done with a lot of laughter .
I guess winners are truly grinners.

 

[drsmithy]

The defined benefit scheme was closed. It was for former and yet to retire public servants and the scheme was both over generous and unfunded (as Medhead says - unfixed by multiple governments). Combined with the aging workforce it was an issue of Intergenerational Inequity which was only going to get worse.

Why should superannuation payments for politicians that haven't retired yet, be funded today ? Why should they not be funded like other periodic expenses, when they are incurred ?

(Some would make the argument that since the liabilities are in Australian dollars, they can never be unfunded.)

But I guess you're the kind of person that would rather max out your lines of credit and leave all the debt for your children??

Not at all. The only debt I carry for more than a month is a mortgage.

It's a different issue to debt-funding new infrastructure projects that take advantage of the time value of money as well as productivity enhancements.

They are two different issues.

The point is that money could have been used to fund infrastructure, services, and the like, rather than tying it up for decades.

 

[straitman]

Which is what should happen. Politician superannuation, like salaries, is an operational expense.

Should we pre-pay the next 50 years worth of public servant salaries as well ?

If we're going to build an asset that will deliver benefits for 25 years, does it make sense to delay it until it can be paid for all up front, or spread that cost over the 25 years of people who will benefit from it ?

What an absolutely absurd set of comments :!:

Is this where you start to contradict yourself as well :?:

Which part of the budget do you propose those unfunded liabilities come from :?:

 

[drsmithy]

Which part of the budget do you propose those unfunded liabilities come from :?:

Maybe we could take it out of the Paid Parental Leave.

 

[medhead]

One of the major parties better employ the person who did the preference deals for the No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics party in SA. They stand to pick up the 5th senate spot with 0.2% of the vote according to Antony Green's senate calculator.

 

[medhead]

Maybe we could take it out of the Paid Parental Leave.

Or buy back the boats.