ELECTIONS - Labor or Liberal

[arminius]

i firmly believe australians should be paid a bonus to be taken away from their friends and family, sport, recreation, or plain ol time out.
i feel sorry for the retail workers on beautiful sundays, and i get angry to think their bosses only pay them base rates to be there.
if you make a good profit from their labours on sundays, good on you.

we asked some friends to come to a barbie today. they couldnt...working.

 

[zt3000]

i firmly believe australians should be paid a bonus to be taken away from their friends and family, sport, recreation, or plain ol time out.
i feel sorry for the retail workers on beautiful sundays, and i get angry to think their bosses only pay them base rates to be there.
if you make a good profit from their labours on sundays, good on you.

we asked some friends to come to a barbie today. they couldnt...working.

Umm ... were your friends FORCED to work on sunday?

i think it would be a resounding NO ... in other words we live in a country that values CHOICE .. hence why should someone decide for me if im allowed to go to the shops on a sunday or allowed to work on a sunday? Where is the democracy in that?

Why are so many people in this country so conservative and afraid of change?

Frustrated is an understatement ...

 

[The Mint Man]

We have recorded a 57% productivity increase in 18 months and still trending up.

Must have been bad to start with?
Also, isnt this exactly what the liberals have been saying all this time? productivity increase since new IR laws.

Cheers

 

[The Mint Man]

Howard and Rudd are indeed very similar. Both are economic and social conservatives. IMO the major points of difference are IR and Iraq. Howard is well behind in the polls, but is still leading in terms of economic management (according to the polls). Rudd is definitely playing a smart game agreeing with Howard on most issues. This is shaping up to be a very interesting election, most likely to be held in Nov 07 (my guess). Still undecided as to whom I'll go for.

No, Rudd agreed on Iraq. As for IR, Rudds just pleasing the unions.... for the moment

Cheers

 

[mark70920]

Umm ... were your friends FORCED to work on sunday?

i think it would be a resounding NO ... in other words we live in a country that values CHOICE .. hence why should someone decide for me if im allowed to go to the shops on a sunday or allowed to work on a sunday? Where is the democracy in that?

Why are so many people in this country so conservative and afraid of change?

Frustrated is an understatement ...

The most precious thing we have as Human Beings is time , once our time is gone it is gone forever. As the animal we are and have involved into over the years , we are not designed to work night shifts (its actually reduces your life span) therefore if you work night shifts it costs you more time than just the time worked, it cost you less time on the planet so you should be paid a penalty.(a real penalty not a token amount)

If you have a young family your time with them again is finite , they won't be children forever if you ask someone to sacrifice quality family time you should pay a penalty , if this is the same across the board all business are paying ,then the cost is passed on to the end user (the consumer) after all they are the people demanding services etc at nights and weekends.

I don't want to live in a society of working robots , where the only measure of success is the bottom line. Do you?

PS I'm not afraid of change , but I want change that is positive to society as a whole ,not just the business community

 

[Sprinter79]

Well said Mark.

 

[greggy]

At Centrebet, the shortest odds are all dates in Nov., so I'd have to agree with your 'guess'. The bookies are usually pretty good predictors of election dates and outcomes. The government is currently at $2.60 and Labour at $1.55, but this can change as the campaign heats up of course. Howard will leave it as late as he can IMHO but he probably wouldn't want to hold it over the holiday season. People don't like having their holidays interrupted. Greggy, you've been sitting on that fence for a while now. Careful you don't cause yourself an injury mate!

Hi Skint,

Yes, I've been sitting on the fence for a while. I may need to get a helmet for extra protection. I generally make my final decision towards the end of the election campaign.
I follow politics very closely and majored in it at uni.
Howard and Rudd are both very similar. Rudd is trying his best not to scare the horses unlike Latham in 04.

 

[moXJO]

Hi Skint,

Yes, I've been sitting on the fence for a while. I may need to get a helmet for extra protection. I generally make my final decision towards the end of the election campaign.
I follow politics very closely and majored in it at uni.
Howard and Rudd are both very similar. Rudd is trying his best not to scare the horses unlike Latham in 04.

I'll join you on that fence for the moment and see how it pans out late in the election campaign

 

[Julia]

i firmly believe australians should be paid a bonus to be taken away from their friends and family, sport, recreation, or plain ol time out.
i feel sorry for the retail workers on beautiful sundays, and i get angry to think their bosses only pay them base rates to be there.
if you make a good profit from their labours on sundays, good on you.

we asked some friends to come to a barbie today. they couldnt...working.

I had one job where I worked shift work (airline). Sometimes a 4.30 am start, sometimes a 2am finish. Didn't hurt me a bit and I really enjoyed having weekdays to shop at leisure and just enjoy being free when everyone else was at work. Even opted to work Christmas Day one year and completely enjoyed it.

If people don't like their working conditions surely in this time of high employment they can find something they prefer.

 

[Rafa]

If people don't like their working conditions surely in this time of high employment they can find something they prefer.

the word choice seems to be coming up an awful lot... (zt3000 brought it up earlier) as a justification for the new IR policies...

There is one thing to have choice, its a completely different thing to have the option to excercise choice.

Not everyone is in a position to make choices... Certainly, in the present boom times more people have the option to make a choice... (how long is this going to last?). Still for most, its means moving into mining, or changing careers...

But with record high debt being burdened on the young... both with education costs, mortgage / rent costs, cost of living... the ability to excercise choice is diminishing by the day...

Again, this doesn't apply to any us in this forum... Nor does it apply to those of us who value money more than time... in those cases, the choice is easy.

 

[moXJO]

But with record high debt being burdened on the young... both with education costs, mortgage / rent costs, cost of living... the ability to excercise choice is diminishing by the day...

Again, this doesn't apply to any us in this forum... Nor does it apply to those of us who value money more than time... in those cases, the choice is easy.

Doesn’t seem to stop people running out and buying the biggest TVs I have ever seen (how much profit has Harvey Norman made even with all these interest rates).Sooner or later people will learn the nasty lesson of saving when in boom times. Even the simple act of saving for a deposit on a house has been eroded.I have friends that seem to splurge and splurge. I can't figure out how the hell the can buy so much when they are already in so much debt.

Personal responsibility, and a bit of thought into your own future, would not go astray in this country

 

[Rafa]

Can't argue with that...

we are indeed the lucky country... no where else does the ordinary working class enjoy such high standard of living.

why should that be? i guess we can't have paradise forever

 

[chops_a_must]

Doesn’t seem to stop people running out and buying the biggest TVs I have ever seen (how much profit has Harvey Norman made even with all these interest rates).Sooner or later people will learn the nasty lesson of saving when in boom times. Even the simple act of saving for a deposit on a house has been eroded.I have friends that seem to splurge and splurge. I can't figure out how the hell the can buy so much when they are already in so much debt.

The statement was about pressures on the young, not about people already established.

Personal responsibility, and a bit of thought into your own future, would not go astray in this country

Surely this may have spilled over into voting habits... wouldn't you say?

 

[moXJO]

The statement was about pressures on the young, not about people already established.

Surely this may have spilled over into voting habits... wouldn't you say?

Thats funny I was talking about 23year old couple in my example.Or are you talking younger and less established, that at this time have the opportunity to make a killing in the mines if they delay studies for 2 years?

 

[Rafa]

i'll repeat what i said...
There is one thing to have choice, its a completely different thing to have the option to excercise choice.

the choices exist because of the mining boom... (tho i am sure not everyone is cut out to be a miner!) The IR laws will exist long after it....

If someone CHOOSES to work weekends at no penalty rates simply to help stop their house being repossessed... do you call that having CHOICE?

And if someone refuses to accept lower conditions, but there are many people grudgingly accepting it so as to stop their houses being repossesed... or pay off their huge HECS debts, or to get that big plasma TV that everyone apparently HAS to have.... what do you have then...?

the CHOICE of being unemployed or to have a race to the bottom in wages and conditions.

guess which choice most are going to take...

i am all for personal responsibility... but then be prepared for huge social inequity and the other social repercussions that come with that... cause in the end, we do all live in the same society... you need look no further than the US for proof.

If your happy with that... then thats fine... thats your CHOICE. Cast your vote accordingly.

 

[moXJO]

i'll repeat what i said...
There is one thing to have choice, its a completely different thing to have the option to excercise choice.

the choices exist because of the mining boom... (tho i am sure not everyone is cut out to be a miner!) The IR laws will exist long after it....

If someone CHOOSES to work weekends at no penalty rates simply to help stop their house being repossessed... do you call that having CHOICE?

And if someone refuses to accept lower conditions, but there are many people grudgingly accepting it so as to stop their houses being repossesed... or pay off their huge HECS debts, or to get that big plasma TV that everyone apparently HAS to have.... what do you have then...?

the CHOICE of being unemployed or to have a race to the bottom in wages and conditions.

guess which choice most are going to take...

i am all for personal responsibility... but then be prepared for huge social inequity and the other social repercussions that come with that... cause in the end, we do all live in the same society... you need look no further than the US for proof.

If your happy with that... then thats fine... thats your CHOICE. Cast your vote accordingly.

So award rates have been done away with alltogether with no employee protection?

 

[Sprinter79]

So award rates have been done away with alltogether with no employee protection?

You just summed up where it's heading beautifully.

 

[mark70920]

So award rates have been done away with alltogether with no employee protection?

At the moment award rates still exist , but the majority of new positions will be AWA's , if someone on the EBA leaves the , new person will only be offered an AWA(this happens where I work) so in time there will be no one left on EBA's or awards. If there no one on an award it will not be reviewed and will remain static , so if you compare an AWA to the old award it will look much better because the old awards value would not have risen in real terms in years.
The majority of Australian still work under EBA and awards , the sky hasn't fallen. If the Liberals get in again they will be working toward getting the majority on AWA's , given time this will occur. Not because this is what people wanted most will have no choice. The social security safe net will be futher eroded and the minimum wage will be something you tell your grand children about.

 

[The Mint Man]

I can't figure out how the hell the can buy so much when they are already in so much debt.

Personal responsibility, and a bit of thought into your own future, would not go astray in this country

Can't agree more. I'm sick of all these people going on about interest rates when they got themsef into the situation to start with. I understand that some people are doing it tough but I think alot of these people have got in way over their head without even thinking about the future. Also, there was more than enough warning to lock their rate in! why didn't they do it? simply because it would have cost a little more for alot of saving down the track?
I bought my first house around June 07' and just caught an interest rate rise but it was locked in from there so I've missed the rest, I just cant see why everyone else would not have done the same. surely they could see it coming

Cheers

 

[chops_a_must]

Also, there was more than enough warning to lock their rate in! why didn't they do it? simply because it would have cost a little more for alot of saving down the track?

Perhaps because honest john promised to keep interest rates at record lows?