The Gillard Government

[So_Cynical]

The strength of the whine industry, as you put it, is what votes governments out of office.

Certainly worked that way for Johnny and Costello.

 

[wayneL]

Maybe they are 'Liberal socialists.'

They do exist. eg Malcolm Turnbull

 

[Macquack]

They do exist. eg Malcolm Turnbull

You mean "Liberal Socialite".

Turnbull (former Goldman Sachs banker) with a net worth of $186 million (BRW 2010), is hardly a socialist.

 

[Julia]

And that's fine! You lot will get your chance at the next election, and to be honest if the coalition reign for as long as they did last time, so be it - you won't see me becoming all antsy and being 100% critical of the government of the day like some members here do!

Actually, that could be interesting. If those that are 100% critical of the present government no matter what, post with the same vigour espousing 100% perfection of a future coalition government, they had better be prepared to cop a lot of crap when things go wrong!

Eager, there are a few members on both sides who are so rusted on in their support of either Left or Right that absolutely nothing would change their allegiance.

But I think there are way more people, on this forum and in the general population, that have the capacity for objectivity and who are genuine swinging voters.

I strongly suspect that most of the electorate right now just feels depressed and without hope of good leadership.
The government seems overall to be entirely self-serving, particularly Julia Gillard in her determination to hold on to her position, and the opposition is determined to oppose for the sake of it with the meagre exception of Afghanistan where imo both sides are wrong and out of step with what the electorate wants.

I cannot recall a time in politics where the landscape has been so desolate.
And there seems not to even be anyone on the horizon in either party to lift us from this all time low.

 

[wayneL]

You mean "Liberal Socialite".

Turnbull (former Goldman Sachs banker) with a net worth of $186 million (BRW 2010), is hardly a socialist.

Well that's the thing with socialists. Socialism is for the plebs, while the "leadership" lives high on the hog.

That's how it has always worked comrade.

 

[noco]

This letter written by Jenny Bell is well worth a read and while it is directed to both Gillard and Abbott, I would judge 90% of her letter is aimed at Juliar Gillard.


http://www.wernercairns.com/2011/09/open-letter-to-gillard-abbott-from.html

 

[drsmith]

And that's fine! You lot will get your chance at the next election, and to be honest if the coalition reign for as long as they did last time, so be it - you won't see me becoming all antsy and being 100% critical of the government of the day like some members here do!

Actually, that could be interesting. If those that are 100% critical of the present government no matter what, post with the same vigour espousing 100% perfection of a future coalition government, they had better be prepared to cop a lot of crap when things go wrong!

Certainly worked that way for Johnny and Costello.

I'm not 100% critical of this government.

It's done a fantastic job in reaching its used-by date in a lot less time than its predecessors.

 

[sptrawler]

And that's fine! You lot will get your chance at the next election, and to be honest if the coalition reign for as long as they did last time, so be it - you won't see me becoming all antsy and being 100% critical of the government of the day like some members here do!

Actually, that could be interesting. If those that are 100% critical of the present government no matter what, post with the same vigour espousing 100% perfection of a future coalition government, they had better be prepared to cop a lot of crap when things go wrong!

Well my memories of governments are:
Whitlam, I voted for him , thought he did a great job. Caused a lot of inflation but wages took off as well so it was great. Also brought in single mothers payments, so women no longer had to live in a relationship, where they copped a thick ear on payday. I was only a kid then and was swayed by the media to vote him out.
Fraser, nasty piece of work, only thing I can recall was wage freezes without price freezes.
Hawke, voted for him, we all thought he was going to be the saviour, pull the whole country together.
Well the election promise of getting rid of the fuel excise which he said was a tax on workers driving to work, went out the window straight away. Then there was the wages accord that never quite gave wage earners the promised cost of living increases they promised.
Then the 87 crash and a realisation that Australian banks and industry were too dependent on overseas money. So the superannuation guarantee was introduced, it should have been for the workers benefit not for the institutions. Hawke and Keating lost the plot ended up playing the workers.
Howard, you had to vote for him, jeez what a trojan he had been around for years, earned the nickname 'honest John' for always owning up when he stuffed up.
I don't think anyone expected him to be such a terrific leader, never shot from the hip, never had the get stuffed I'm the boss attitude and always put Australia first.
Now to the present, I've never been in a situation before where the government is chaotic and the opposition don't offer much of an alternative.
I just think the irrational policy being perpetrated on us has to be flipped the bird.
Well that's my christmas rant.LOL

 

[joea]

Now to the present, I've never been in a situation before where the government is chaotic and the opposition don't offer much of an alternative.
LOL

sp
I think you have covered it pretty well!!
What I cannot understand is "the opposition don't offer much of an alternative".

In 2007 Rudd got into power without one policy, Gillard was the same. It was all "promises" not policy. Sky news announced at 5.30am on the day of the election, "that it looks like Labor will get in without a single policy".
I might add that they never mentioned that line of news once during the campaign.

Numerous times on this forum it has been mentioned that the Coalition have no policy.
Well as far as I know their policy's are a continuation of Howard's(that worked), and in the campaign of the next election, they will release the amendments to those policy's that are applicable.
The reason Abbott is doing this, is Gillard will pinch any policy's she likes from the coalition, implement them, then campaign on the fact she has implemented them so why put the Coalition in over her.

I think its time people start to look at the "team" and not the leader.
The current situation is, Labor has "degenerated" politics in Australia to polls and not policy. They are in a state of chaos because they are not a team.

Finally "there is a saying that you can choose your friends but not your relations".
In politics you can only vote for who is available. If Abbott's persona is the problem then we may have to wait until the campaign to see who leads the opposition.
The alternative I am voting for, is the team who will prevent Australia being added to the PIGS collection of countries.
ANY government cannot give the "taxpayer" one dollar that the taxpayers themselves do not supply. What we have to vote for, is the team that spends the taxpayers money wisely.!!!!!!!!

And on a lighter note, I may have to help Katter campaign, as its not "seekers" that are taking over the country. "its bloody flying foxes".
joea

 

[todster]

I'm not 100% critical of this government.

It's done a fantastic job in reaching its used-by date in a lot less time than its predecessors.

Arthur Fadden?

 

[Eager]

Doc S: I wasn't having a go at you, or anyone in particular, personally. I particularly like Julia's analogy that there are some people that are 'rusted' and that is the impression that I have so far formed of the greater membership here (they must be socialists according to Wayne's definition), but I will learn who is who as I go along.

sptrawler, I was too young to vote for Whitlam. His greatest achievements IMO were the ending of conscription, the introduction of Medibank and attempting to put this country on the world stage by creating trade links with China (which the coalition opposed). What a legacy that turned out to be!!!! In the early 70's it was time, and he was decades ahead of the fogey that he defeated. The Hawke era saw the floating of the dollar, another very important aspect to Australia being part of the real world, IMO in stark contrast to the insular attitudes of the preceding regime. Howard was in the right place at the right time, steering a ship through smooth waters.

joea, Rudd got in because the people got tired of Howard. Although his term was only half that of the Libs before Whitlam, 11 years is a helluva long time in politics. Problems like the 'children overboard' issue and Workchoices hurt him too, regardless how valid anyone now thinks those arguments were.

 

[wayneL]

(they must be socialists according to Wayne's definition),

Point of order!

That's a massively liberal interpretation of what I said.

Socialists are authoritarian collectivists.

They are tribalists, but not all tribalists are socialists.

Do you see your logical fallacy?

 

[explod]

Socialists are authoritarian collectivists.

A very narrow view based on the extreme examples only. Which in fact were totalitarian communist.

There are some very credible socialist governments in Scandinavia and some other North European countries.

A real socialist seeks cooperation, inclusion and equality.

 

[Eager]

Point of order!

That's a massively liberal interpretation of what I said.

Socialists are authoritarian collectivists.

They are tribalists, but not all tribalists are socialists.

Do you see your logical fallacy?

Did you NOT see the ?

 

[wayneL]

A very narrow view based on the extreme examples only. Which in fact were totalitarian communist.

No. Many administrations would be more authoritarian if they felt they could get away with it and in fact try to creep it up on the populace. There is no better example than the Blair/Brown so called "new labour" ruse. 3000 new criminal statutes later, ordinary Brits have been criminalized like never before.

There are some very credible socialist governments in Scandinavia and some other North European countries.

Must I point out for the 534,783,097,987th time that these are not purely socialist economies; rather, they are mixed economies heavily reliant on the capitalist sector of the economy to support their welfare largesse?

A real socialist seeks cooperation, inclusion and equality.

That's the rhetoric, but not the reality.

 

[wayneL]

Did you NOT see the ?

Yes.

But still a point of order.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Point of order!

That's a massively liberal interpretation of what I said.

Socialists are authoritarian collectivists.

They are tribalists, but not all tribalists are socialists.

Do you see your logical fallacy?

A very narrow view based on the extreme examples only. Which in fact were totalitarian communist.

There are some very credible socialist governments in Scandinavia and some other North European countries.

A real socialist seeks cooperation, inclusion and equality.

Either way this mob of basket weavers in Canberra are muppets.

The resemblance is uncanny.

gg

 

[sptrawler]

Thanks for that picture GG, I nearly brought up my dinner. Lucky I had a nice shiraz to keep it down.
The basket weavers and muppets look quite intellegent though. Shame about the class of 75 union photo.LOL

 

[joea]

Thanks gg.
I printed out the photo of the MP's, clipped it to my dart board, walked back the appropriate distance, hesitated and threw the dart "for the next Labor leader, if Labor goes full term".

It clearly hit the smiling chap with the red tie behind Gillards right shoulder.

joea

 

[noco]

Thanks gg.
I printed out the photo of the MP's, clipped it to my dart board, walked back the appropriate distance, hesitated and threw the dart "for the next Labor leader, if Labor goes full term".

It clearly hit the smiling chap with the red tie behind Gillards right shoulder.

joea

Was Kevin Rudd the invisible man in that photo?