Australian Politics General...

[Sean K]

It looks likely that we're headed to a hung parliament, with the Greens and/or Teals needed by Labor to form a government. The Libs might win a couple of seats back but not enough. I nearly coughed up my wheaties with the thought of the Greens having a cabinet position in a Labor/Greens coalition. Maybe Bandt in Defence?

Albo is going to have to have a rethink on his 'under no circumstances' line methinks. It's the obvious call at this point, but he's going to be caught up in another lie.

Appearing at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Mr Bandt, who holds one of four Greens seats in the House of Representatives, said, “There are at least five new seats across the country where we believe we’re in with a strong chance.”

These are the Labor seats of Perth, Richmond in NSW, and McNamara and Wills in Victoria. The fifth seat is the Liberal electorate of Sturt in South Australia.

RedBridge director Tony Barry said of the five seats Wills was the most vulnerable. He said Macnamara was unlikely to vote Green given its large Jewish population, while in Sturt, the Greens would have to at least come second in the primary vote, which again would be difficult. Richmond, too, would be tough to take while incumbent Justine Elliott stayed in the seat. Labor’s Patrick Gorman has a 40 per cent primary vote in Perth making a Greens win there also unlikely.

 

[Sean K]

Who is going to win out of this? BHP, or King?

IMO, Labor is shooting itself in the foot on these policies.

Killing the golden goose does not result in a good outcome.

I do wonder how much these Labor decisions are due to their preference deals with the Greens.

I think we're already in a Labor-Greens coalition.

It's scary stuff.

I fear for Australia's prosperity unless we wake up to this.

Resources Minister Madeleine King has gone to war with BHP in an extraordinary spray, attacking one of Australia’s biggest taxpayers and employers for always “railing against” Labor policies and refusing to work productively with union leaders.

Anthony Albanese’s most senior cabinet minister in Western Australia, a mining powerhouse state where Labor is desperate to hold seats at the next election, also took aim at what she labelled “hysteria” whipped up by the Coalition and resources figures about unions in the industry and the impact of Labor’s industrial relations crackdown.

“Yes, we are a Labor government,” Ms King said on Thursday. “The government’s bargaining reforms are working as intended – our reforms were designed to encourage employers back to the bargaining table.”

In a Q&A session following a speech to business figures in Perth spruiking the importance of gas, Ms King stunned audience members when she took aim at BHP for complaining to the media about not “liking” that the “Australian Labor Party in government will work in the interest of workers”.

Ms King – usually a pro-industry Labor MP who holds the seat of Brand on Perth’s southern outskirts – doubled down in a news conference, saying BHP had “always railed against Labor policy whether in opposition or in government”.

“And they’re the first to go to the Murdoch press (News Corp is publisher of The Australian) to do a story around what they don’t like about what a Labor government chooses to do, and it wouldn’t matter what it is,” she said.

 

[PZ99]

Heh heh, BHP / Qantas blaming the ALP for having to pay their staff more than they would under the Coalition doesn't sound like scary stuff to me.

Hang 'em by the bawls

Both companies have underpaid their workers in the past. No sympathy here.

 

[Smurf1976]

The problem with federal Labor is they seem mostly focused on issues well below federal level. Things that would be more appropriate for state or local government to deal with or which arguably aren't really a matter for government at all.

Meanwhile, where's the national vision for a better future? Where's the fix for the real problems facing Australia with shifting export markets, deglobalisation, the housing crisis and so on? That's where the focus ought be, not lightweight identity nonsense.

Anything actually difficult it seems to be the states giving it a crack not the feds.

Federally both sides seem to have a lot in common with musicians who pose in the photo shoot for the album cover, they're in the videos, they're on the concert stage, but they didn't actually play any instruments on the studio recordings. All image no substance. All the real work's done by someone else or it's not done at all.

 

[wayneL]

The problem with federal Labor is they seem mostly focused on issues well below federal level. Things that would be more appropriate for state or local government to deal with or which arguably aren't really a matter for government at all.

Meanwhile, where's the national vision for a better future? Where's the fix for the real problems facing Australia with shifting export markets, deglobalisation, the housing crisis and so on? That's where the focus ought be, not lightweight identity nonsense.

Anything actually difficult it seems to be the states giving it a crack not the feds.

Federally both sides seem to have a lot in common with musicians who pose in the photo shoot for the album cover, they're in the videos, they're on the concert stage, but they didn't actually play any instruments on the studio recordings. All image no substance. All the real work's done by someone else or it's not done at all.

The conspiracy theory is that the left's intention is to destroy the current order. The way left (and faux right) western governments are behaving, it's almost a believable hypothesis.

Focusing on BS social issues like trans and race.... Nero fiddles while Rome burns?

 

[SirRumpole]

What a lot of fuss about the gender question in the census. Seems a minority group screaming 'look at us'. What services do they expect that don't apply to the rest of society?

 

[sptrawler]

The conspiracy theory is that the left's intention is to destroy the current order. The way left (and faux right) western governments are behaving, it's almost a believable hypothesis.

Focusing on BS social issues like trans and race.... Nero fiddles while Rome burns?

That is looking more and more likely IMO.
They cant stop China growing, so distract us as our lifestyle and China's find a common denominator level.

 

[mullokintyre]

So Antony Green has called it.
Looks like a change in Government in the NT with Chief Minister Eva Lawler conceding defeat to her Country Liberal oponent, Lia Finnochiaro.
About a 13% swing against the incumbents on a two party preferred.
To top off a bad night for Eva, it looks as though she has lost her seat as well.
NT labour will obviously have to find a new leader to lead them in Opposition.
Mick

After the final declaration, the NT greens are still without a rep in the NT state house.
There was much talk prior to the election about them making inroads into the major party strongholds, but it proved to be just that - all talk.
Mick

 

[investor13]

Who is going to win out of this? BHP, or King?

IMO, Labor is shooting itself in the foot on these policies.

Killing the golden goose does not result in a good outcome.

I do wonder how much these Labor decisions are due to their preference deals with the Greens.

I think we're already in a Labor-Greens coalition.

It's scary stuff.

I fear for Australia's prosperity unless we wake up to this.

View attachment 183389


Resources Minister Madeleine King has gone to war with BHP in an extraordinary spray, attacking one of Australia’s biggest taxpayers and employers for always “railing against” Labor policies and refusing to work productively with union leaders.

Anthony Albanese’s most senior cabinet minister in Western Australia, a mining powerhouse state where Labor is desperate to hold seats at the next election, also took aim at what she labelled “hysteria” whipped up by the Coalition and resources figures about unions in the industry and the impact of Labor’s industrial relations crackdown.

“Yes, we are a Labor government,” Ms King said on Thursday. “The government’s bargaining reforms are working as intended – our reforms were designed to encourage employers back to the bargaining table.”

In a Q&A session following a speech to business figures in Perth spruiking the importance of gas, Ms King stunned audience members when she took aim at BHP for complaining to the media about not “liking” that the “Australian Labor Party in government will work in the interest of workers”.

Ms King – usually a pro-industry Labor MP who holds the seat of Brand on Perth’s southern outskirts – doubled down in a news conference, saying BHP had “always railed against Labor policy whether in opposition or in government”.

“And they’re the first to go to the Murdoch press (News Corp is publisher of The Australian) to do a story around what they don’t like about what a Labor government chooses to do, and it wouldn’t matter what it is,” she said.

both ther ALP and BHP treat the Australians with little respect so its hardlty the pot calling the kettle black

 

[Tisme]

The conspiracy theory is that the left's intention is to destroy the current order. The way left (and faux right) western governments are behaving, it's almost a believable hypothesis.

Focusing on BS social issues like trans and race.... Nero fiddles while Rome burns?

A prosperous nation needs innovation backed in by govt at all levels. My feel is our govts have thrown in the towel instead and decided to tinker with abstract notions of artificial sex assignment, the joys of sphincter exploration, confusing pronouns with proper nouns, and Didn't Earn It (DEI) policies, amongst a plethora of other distractions for the natives to get excitables over.

Something like 80% of the public service is overlorded by females with arts degrees who prefer constant meetings about meetings, rather than productivity. That has resulted in the male staff fighting the call of effeminate group think (neuter Toms). More people who will robotically vote for socialism to avoid risks associated with making decisions and advancing human kind.

 

[mullokintyre]

The Treasurer has gone to war with the RBA .
While it might be good politics, its dangerous from an economic point of view.
His own government's policy of massive immigration increases may have a bit to do with why the RBS has acted as it has.
Thats not to let the RBA off the hook, merely to point out that neither org have covered themselves in glory.

From Evil Murdoch press

The government strategy outlined by Chalmers might be quite laudable, the problem is always in the execution.
Mick

 

[moXJO]

A prosperous nation needs innovation backed in by govt at all levels. My feel is our govts have thrown in the towel instead and decided to tinker with abstract notions of artificial sex assignment, the joys of sphincter exploration, confusing pronouns with proper nouns, and Didn't Earn It (DEI) policies, amongst a plethora of other distractions for the natives to get excitables over.

Something like 80% of the public service is overlorded by females with arts degrees who prefer constant meetings about meetings, rather than productivity. That has resulted in the male staff fighting the call of effeminate group think (neuter Toms). More people who will robotically vote for socialism to avoid risks associated with making decisions and advancing human kind.

It's a huge problem that anyone with half a brain could see was heading towards major trouble.
I'd also say that a lot of young men have been trashed by the system to the point of complete ineptitude.

Work ethnic is shot with a large proportion of them. It will likely take a couple of generations to breed this ideology out.

 

[moXJO]

The Treasurer has gone to war with the RBA .
While it might be good politics, its dangerous from an economic point of view.
His own government's policy of massive immigration increases may have a bit to do with why the RBS has acted as it has.
Thats not to let the RBA off the hook, merely to point out that neither org have covered themselves in glory.

From Evil Murdoch press
View attachment 183574
The government strategy outlined by Chalmers might be quite laudable, the problem is always in the execution.
Mick

Often wonder about these politicians. Chalmers: "Why are our handouts raising the risk of inflation". Idiot knows what he's doing. They try to keep everyone happy and lying through their teeth. It feels very much like a recession out there.
There's been both good and absolutely terrible aspects of this government.

I'm still on the fence with them though to tell you the truth. They have done just enough to not catch my attention. Don't get me wrong there's some absolute shockers though. But Dutton hasn't shown to be of much substance either.

 

[sptrawler]

I think the Govt constantly blaming everyone else for anything that happens is wearing thin.

 

[moXJO]

I think the Govt constantly blaming everyone else for anything that happens is wearing thin.

Chalmers has blamed everyone. Even his RBA pick.

 

[wayneL]

The problem is is that there are very few of us that actually know what's going on. The average plebeian has very few clues apart from what directly filters in to their wallet... or out.

 

[Smurf1976]

A prosperous nation needs innovation backed in by govt at all levels. My feel is our govts have thrown in the towel instead and decided to tinker with abstract notions of artificial sex assignment, the joys of sphincter exploration, confusing pronouns with proper nouns, and Didn't Earn It (DEI) policies, amongst a plethora of other distractions for the natives to get excitables over.

One only need look at the public service itself.

Go back a couple of generations and it was mostly filled with people who did things. It had an administrative component yes but if you worked for government then most likely you were someone who did something physically. Indeed a good portion of our past tradespeople did their apprenticeships with government authorities - electricity, gas, railway and other machinery workshops, traffic signals, housing commission, etc. Just about all privatised or outsourced today.

My grandfather ran a materials testing lab within government. Because someone had sensibly realised that regularly testing samples of the materials used in construction of government projects would be a good idea so as to minimise the chance of future problems. Needless to say that idea's long gone.

Plenty more like that. Technical knowledge has been broadly purged out of government, replaced with a focus on law and administration.

 

[SirRumpole]

Plenty more like that. Technical knowledge has been broadly purged out of government, replaced with a focus on law and administration.

And trivial stuff like minority rights.

 

[SirRumpole]

I think the Govt constantly blaming everyone else for anything that happens is wearing thin.

It's also simplistic to blame the Government for everything. Interest rates and the world economy for example.

 

[mullokintyre]

It's also simplistic to blame the Government for everything. Interest rates and the world economy for example.

The problem is, Governments are the root cause of many of the conditions in Interest rates, tariffs, immigration, money supply, public debt etc.
The rules and regulations they bring in profoundly affect everything we do.
Governments have become more intrusive, more controlling, more expansive and ultimately more inept.
Governments feel the need to have a policy on everything, not always the "best" policy either.
I am not alone in wanting as little interference from Governments as possible in my life.
Mick