Australian Politics General...

[SirRumpole]

You ain't seen vitriol until you've seen me under attack on other forums for denouncing Gillard and Rudd

Et tu Brutḗ ?

 

[overhang]

The General Public: "We want our politicians to do something."

The Politicians: " We are living beyond our means so we will have to decrease spending on health, education and welfare."

The General Public: "Oh no, you can't do that."

It's more a case of

The General Public: "We want our politicians to do something."

The Politicians: " We are living beyond our means so we will have to decrease spending on health, education and welfare but give a corporate tax cut in hope that it will spark investment in our country even though demand won't increase because wage growth is at its lowest point since records began but trickle down economics might mean there is some scraps left for the average joe blow ."

The General Public: "Is this really the best you can come up with"

 

[qldfrog]

If you are going to bait qldfrog, you need to do it better than that.

Ask yourself why my friends and I would openly declare voting for Pauline Hanson before the election ... she is the mortal enemy of Labor moreso than the LNP and Greens = answer = because we are fed up with the tedium and anxiety of having Drill Sergeants instead of Vanguard Generals.

My philosophies are simple and far more liberal than the supposed Liberal Party. I actually believe in the right of the individual to have his or her own opinion without being mocked by some political union like the ALP, LNP, Greens, etc and they are UNIONS whether we like it or not.

If having a social conscience and allegiance to our nation is interpretted an ALP faction hack so be it, but in truth I see things in three dimensions, not a tunnel between political bookends Commos one end Facists the other.

If and when you see an ALP in power you will see my same critical eye focused on them, because they will be the ones in charge not the LNP. .........

You ain't seen vitriol until you've seen me under attack on other forums for denouncing Gillard and Rudd

are you the same persons as the post who initiate the response, am confused as i would Ok all the above?
Anyway we are both off topic for this thread

 

[Smurf1976]

The General Public: "We want our politicians to do something."

The Politicians: " We are living beyond our means so we will have to decrease spending on health, education and welfare."

The General Public: "Oh no, you can't do that."

I think the masses realise that things aren't right but where the problem lies is that politicians seem only interested in their "preferred" solutions which don't align too well with community expectations.

The obvious "no brainer" thing to do to fix the budget is to crack down hard on tax avoidance. Only after that's done, and seen to have been done, will the community be willing to accept cuts to services.

 

[Smurf1976]

Even those who you'd expect to support the Liberals have realised what the problem is:

Business backlash for Liberals http://www.themercury.com.au/news/n...s/news-story/6d1bb7443b601a9e69c28d282cb417d4

“The distinct difference between the Liberals and Labor was Labor were always talking about local issues.

“The Liberals were stuck in this Sydney-based campaign rather than how policies affected the person on the street.”

Politics in Australia needs to focus back on the average person on the street and start an agenda for the future that brings people along

 

[SirRumpole]

Even those who you'd expect to support the Liberals have realised what the problem is:

Business backlash for Liberals http://www.themercury.com.au/news/n...s/news-story/6d1bb7443b601a9e69c28d282cb417d4

All the pollies have to realise that 2/3 rds of the economy is consumer spending.

If the consumers don't have the confidence to spend eg if they are afraid of losing their jobs, are stuck in part time/temporary/casual positions, are spending most of their incomes on rent/mortgages/child care or have to compete with cheap overseas labour, then the economy will stumble along like it has done for the last 5 years or so,

Security of employment lifts the confidence to spend. We have to look at what the trend towards part time and casual work is doing to the economy in general and the processes we can use to correct this.

 

[noco]

All the pollies have to realise that 2/3 rds of the economy is consumer spending.

If the consumers don't have the confidence to spend eg if they are afraid of losing their jobs, are stuck in part time/temporary/casual positions, are spending most of their incomes on rent/mortgages/child care or have to compete with cheap overseas labour, then the economy will stumble along like it has done for the last 5 years or so,

Security of employment lifts the confidence to spend. We have to look at what the trend towards part time and casual work is doing to the economy in general and the processes we can use to correct this.

I have a solution for that problem.

Send the militant unions over to those Asian countries and get the workers to strike for higher wages, get their pay rates up from $2 per hour to $25 per hour, penalty rates on weekends, 4 weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading, 2 weeks sick pay, 9.5 % superannuation, workers compensation, 36 hours per week, 6 months maternity leave.....Get them on the dole if they can't find work........Did I miss anything that might add to the cost of overseas manufacturing?

And make sure those Asian factories have anti pollution to reduce green house gases.....That will be a good job for the Greenies.

Now bring those Asian countries into line all of the above and then we might become competitive again.

I mean, what would we have done without the militant unions in Australia?....

 

[Tisme]

I have a solution for that problem.

Send the militant unions over to those Asian countries and get the workers to strike for higher wages, get their pay rates up from $2 per hour to $25 per hour, penalty rates on weekends, 4 weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading, 2 weeks sick pay, 9.5 % superannuation, workers compensation, 36 hours per week, 6 months maternity leave.....Get them on the dole if they can't find work........Did I miss anything that might add to the cost of overseas manufacturing?

And make sure those Asian factories have anti pollution to reduce green house gases.....That will be a good job for the Greenies.

Now bring those Asian countries into line all of the above and then we might become competitive again.

I mean, what would we have done without the militant unions in Australia?....

Our currency is weighted against other economies based on e.g. interest rates, inflation, political stability, current account deficits, terms of trade, public debt, economic performance, etc. The fact that our standard of living is way higher than Asian has the effect that cheap goods imported here are are not so affordable over there.

Given your post is tongue in cheek, I'm not sure why you would advocate we rejig our economy to level it with a third world country. I thought the general idea was to leave the place in better shape than when you entered the world ..... and it's definitely better than it was way back yonder imo.

 

[SirRumpole]

I have a solution for that problem.

Send the militant unions over to those Asian countries and get the workers to strike for higher wages, get their pay rates up from $2 per hour to $25 per hour, penalty rates on weekends, 4 weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading, 2 weeks sick pay, 9.5 % superannuation, workers compensation, 36 hours per week, 6 months maternity leave.....Get them on the dole if they can't find work........Did I miss anything that might add to the cost of overseas manufacturing?

And make sure those Asian factories have anti pollution to reduce green house gases.....That will be a good job for the Greenies.

Now bring those Asian countries into line all of the above and then we might become competitive again.

I mean, what would we have done without the militant unions in Australia?....

Every now and then you actually have a good idea, even if you are being sarcastic.

If foreign workers were being paid properly, their standard of living would increase and we wouldn't have to give them as much aid.

Our farmers/manufacturers would be competing on a level playing field and could serve our own market, keeping jobs secure and enabling consumer confidence.

It's the multinationals that are exploiting workers overseas and they need to be given a kick up the backside.

 

[noco]

Every now and then you actually have a good idea, even if you are being sarcastic.

If foreign workers were being paid properly, their standard of living would increase and we wouldn't have to give them as much aid.

Our farmers/manufacturers would be competing on a level playing field and could serve our own market, keeping jobs secure and enabling consumer confidence.

It's the multinationals that are exploiting workers overseas and they need to be given a kick up the backside.

If we were able to manufacture goods here, we would have to pay 10 fold for clothing, shoes and other garments.......White goods would cost 10 times the price you pay now.

Would you be happy to pay those prices?....And what would that do to the cost of living here in Australia?

Tell me, if you went into a store to buy a shirt and notice one shirt selling for $10 say made in Bangladesh and a similar shirt made in Australia for $100. which one are you going to buy?

You can't blame the multi nationals for wanting to buy cheaper over seas to stay competitive....That is not exploiting workers overseas.

You can't have your cake and eat it too....You either pay a higher price for one thing and have to do without something else.

 

[SirRumpole]

If we were able to manufacture goods here, we would have to pay 10 fold for clothing, shoes and other garments.......White goods would cost 10 times the price you pay now.

Would you be happy to pay those prices?....And what would that do to the cost of living here in Australia?

Tell me, if you went into a store to buy a shirt and notice one shirt selling for $10 say made in Bangladesh and a similar shirt made in Australia for $100. which one are you going to buy?

You can't blame the multi nationals for wanting to buy cheaper over seas to stay competitive....That is not exploiting workers overseas.

You can't have your cake and eat it too....You either pay a higher price for one thing and have to do without something else.

Firstly, the price difference you quoted is exaggerated, secondly if the Aussie shirt lasted 10 times longer than the Bangladeshi one, then it's worth the cost.

Most people are prepared to pay more for quality, and to keep the money circulating locally rather than going OS.

Isn't your heroine Pauline promoting "Aussie made" and cutting out 456 visas ?

Are you a traitor to her cause ?

 

[Tisme]

Every now and then you actually have a good idea, even if you are being sarcastic.

If foreign workers were being paid properly, their standard of living would increase and we wouldn't have to give them as much aid.

Our farmers/manufacturers would be competing on a level playing field and could serve our own market, keeping jobs secure and enabling consumer confidence.

It's the multinationals that are exploiting workers overseas and they need to be given a kick up the backside.

But that is what happens, they start out as bargain bazaars and end up either with a post boom wasteland of factories and hi rise, or move onto becoming city states like Singapore or Hong Kong. The refocus moves to the next third world country like India and some places in Africa.

Some poverty countries never get past Call Centre status e.g. Philippines. Many countries that trace their imperial roots back to the Iberian Peninsula seem to be eternal basket cases and therefore always destined for mediocrity.

 

[SirRumpole]

But that is what happens, they start out as bargain bazaars and end up either with a post boom wasteland of factories and hi rise, or move onto becoming city states like Singapore or Hong Kong. The refocus moves to the next third world country like India and some places in Africa.

Some poverty countries never get past Call Centre status e.g. Philippines. Many countries that trace their imperial roots back to the Iberian Peninsula seem to be eternal basket cases and therefore always destined for mediocrity.

Education seems to be the key.

Singaporeans are highly educated and therefore move into the services sector like finance, education is a low priority in the Philippines, Bangladesh etc so they are easy fodder for slave labour in factories.

Automation will kill factory work,but provides an opportunity for countries like us if we can educate people in writing software etc to run the machines.

Did you see Four Corners this week ?

 

[noco]

Firstly, the price difference you quoted is exaggerated, secondly if the Aussie shirt lasted 10 times longer than the Bangladeshi one, then it's worth the cost.

Most people are prepared to pay more for quality, and to keep the money circulating locally rather than going OS.

Isn't your heroine Pauline promoting "Aussie made" and cutting out 456 visas ?

Are you a traitor to her cause ?

Firstly, if we were able to manufacture clothing here, they would probably be made from imported cottons or wool most likely originally grown in Australia or polyester materials so your argument of a shirt lasting 10 times longer is exaggerated....The price difference I quoted was hypothetical to be used as a comparison.......Their is nothing wrong with the quality of overseas manufactured articles and they are improving all the time.....I would say most people would buy an article at a cheaper price...Anyway, please tell me where can you buy a shirt in Australia which is made in Australia....

Pauline Hanson's idea of cutting out 457 visas is a point that I don't think she quite understands. The use of 457 visas are normally used when some of our lazy workers do not want to leave the comforts of city life to work in some remote part of Australia except in the case of one particular union that brought in 41 workers from overseas when in fact they should have employed local workers.

I am in cinch with Pauline when it comes to, "we are all Australians whether we are black or white"......I agree with her when it comes to the Muslim community wanting to introduce their own laws here and the hatred some Muslims exhibit towards Australians......I agree with her that we should ban the burka here and cease the approval building of more mosques....Muslims leave their country because they are being persecuted but they should not be allowed to bring with them their own Sharia laws and hatred for our way of life.

 

[Tisme]

Education seems to be the key.

Singaporeans are highly educated and therefore move into the services sector like finance, education is a low priority in the Philippines, Bangladesh etc so they are easy fodder for slave labour in factories.

Automation will kill factory work,but provides an opportunity for countries like us if we can educate people in writing software etc to run the machines.

Did you see Four Corners this week ?

I didn't, but it's interesting you mention automation.

Way back in the 70's I was installing and programming PLCs, in the 80's I helped vanguard direct digital control, fibre optic comms, etc and yet here we are 40 years on and it's still considered a black art because of resistance to knowledge change and to my mind people who have allowed politics to cloud their intellect (e.g. NBN). We tend to be an end product consumer nation rather than a participator.

The QLD govt embraced automation teaching in schools around 8 years ago only to have the Newman Govt wind it back in favour of the three R's focus....sufficed to say the current govt has reinvigorated it so that grade 7's are the starting point for digital teaching.

 

[noco]

Education seems to be the key.

Singaporeans are highly educated and therefore move into the services sector like finance, education is a low priority in the Philippines, Bangladesh etc so they are easy fodder for slave labour in factories.

Automation will kill factory work,but provides an opportunity for countries like us if we can educate people in writing software etc to run the machines.

Did you see Four Corners this week ?

What rubbish you speak about Filipinos not being educated.....I have been married to a Filipino for 34 years.....we brought her two sisters and one brother here to Australia.....the brother has a degree in structural engineering, one sister is a civil engineer and one sister has her letters an accountancy.

I cannot speak for the standard of education in Bangladesh.

I tell you what, our standard of education here leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to literacy and numerousy....Many youths are entering university and are behind in the simple use of the English language...They can't do simple arithmetic without the use of a computer or calculator.

 

[SirRumpole]

What rubbish you speak about Filipinos not being educated.....I have been married to a Filipino for 34 years.....we brought her two sisters and one brother here to Australia.....the brother has a degree in structural engineering, one sister is a civil engineer and one sister has her letters an accountancy.

So why did they need to come here to get a job ?

 

[noco]

So why did they need to come here to get a job ?

They were happy to come here to marry an Australian, to earn a higher rate of pay in their profession to be able to help poorer members of their family back home....There is a lot of poverty in the Philippines but things have improved out of sight over the past 30 years from observation of several trips we have had in that time and I would say The Philippines would be be further advanced than Bangladesh.

 

[moXJO]

So why did they need to come here to get a job ?

Money.

Yes our standard of living is high due to high wages, govt benefits.
But our standard of life sucks. We basically live to work. Many of those people that come here to work send money back to family. Doesn't necessarily mean they want to live here. Most I talk to say Australia is very difficult to live in.

 

[SirRumpole]

Money.

Yes our standard of living is high due to high wages, govt benefits.
But our standard of life sucks. We basically live to work. Many of those people that come here to work send money back to family. Doesn't necessarily mean they want to live here. Most I talk to say Australia is very difficult to live in.

When you say "difficult", do you just mean "expensive" or is there something else ?