The Gillard Government

[wayneL]

I think we both aware of the arguments for and against I am for a Republic.

However

I think the British Monarchy should remain as some type of ceremonial head of state with no powers to remind the do gooders that Australia for better or worse is today what it is because of a government and system of law put in place by a dominate white protestant population.

My opinion:

At best, becoming a republic won't change anything of substance.

At worst a republic could result in a more totalitarian police state.

At the very worst we might suffer the indignity of having Howard or Hawke... or Whitlam ffs on our coins. :

The potential for unintended consequences is enormous. While I'm no fan of the monarchy, things work pretty well as they are really.

 

[trainspotter]

Do you have a link to that number?
Only remember the$7.6 billion "black hole" budget deficit left to Howard of course Howard as treasurer left the Hawke government $9.6 billion budget deficit.

Sure thing Ifocus. Here are a few to chow down on. I will even throw in a few graphs for good measure.

http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/...rnments-can't-seem-to-restrain-their-spending

http://www.news.com.au/opinion/a-debt-burden-to-shame-keating/story-e6frfs99-1111118758645

http://www.kevinruddthedisaster.com/ (this one is well worth the read as Joolyah gets a spray of truth as well)

 

[nioka]

Sure thing Ifocus. Here are a few to chow down on. I will even throw in a few graphs for good measure.

There are a few charts missing. The first is a chart showing the value of public assets such as Telstra, Com bank, roads, rail, electricity, water etc that were sold off to offset the debt. The second is the increase in the debt of the private sector which shows the debt being transferred from the public sector to the private sector. Another would chart the decline in the value of Australian ownership in assets within Australia as 'things" are sold off to fund the current account deficit.

A few of these to chew on as well. Not just Labor eating at this table.

 

[trainspotter]

Ummmmmm nope niokia ...... it was Hawke/Keating that started the privatisation of Australia old chap. The Keating government privatised Qantas and commenced the privatisation of the Commonwealth Bank. The Howard government privatised Telstra. Try some facts and chow down on them.

Ummmmmm ....... "roads, rail, electricity, water etc" ???? (some have been sold by the States but I digress) Most of the main Highways are still controlled and funded by the Federal government.

Prime Minister Keating's SOLD his share in a piggery to his partner, Achilles Constantinidis, who then on-sold it to Indonesian interests at the same time as Prime Minister Keating was negotiating a treaty with Indonesian dictator and embezzler, President Suharto. OOOOPSIES

Try here first http://www.google.com.au

http://www.my-world-guide.com/upload/File/Reports/Australia/Privatization_Australia.pdf Privatization in Australia: How Much and What Impacts? Very interesting reading here nioka. Such as:

A significant transformation occurred within the Labor Party, governing at Commonwealth level between 1983 and 1996. Though the party’s rank-and-file and its trade union supporters strenuously resisted, the party leadership became converted to economic-rationalist values and determined to mount a program of microeconomic reform (see e.g., Beckett, 1992; Quiggin, 1996). In the process the party lost many members; nonetheless, as the country moved into the 1990s, Labor governments under Prime Ministers Hawke and Keating began to sell off public enterprises.

 

[nioka]

Ummmmmm nope niokia ...... it was Hawke/Keating that started the privatisation of Australia old chap. The Keating government privatised Qantas and commenced the privatisation of the Commonwealth Bank. The Howard government privatised Telstra. Try some facts and chow down on them.

Read my lips, sorry fingers. Did I just blame Libs. I hold all parties responsible for this. I go further and say that a "world order" probably pressured them into those sales to offset the current account deficit. NSW Labor is guilty right now with the ecectricity sale deal going on right now and the NSW Libs are happy to stand by and help it happen.

Qantas was not a problem as it was not a public utility. Well no more than selling almost all our manufacturing, most of our mining etc,etc. We will be left with a great big hole in the ground as all we have to show for being the lucky country.

 

[Calliope]

The Julia Gillard duck walk is catching on.

 

[Macquack]

The Julia Gillard duck walk is catching on.

Usual bit of garbage from the dope.

 

[Calliope]

Usual bit of garbage from the dope.

I think Macquack that you take your duck connections too seriously.

 

[noco]

I think Macquack that you take your duck connections too seriously.

Calliope, try and get one one on Tony Abbott in his budgies doing a pidgeon toed walk. It might induce Macquack to remove the lemon he is sucking.
Poor Maquack, he don't like puns on our beloved Prime Minister.

 

[Macquack]

I think Macquack that you take your duck connections too seriously.

I will pay that one, Calliope.

 

[Calliope]

If Assange confines his leaks to Rudd he will be safe from Julia.

 

[trainspotter]

TAXPAYERS may have paid $188 million too much for the Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution (BER) stimulus program in NSW, the state's auditor-general says.

Although construction work under the scheme was rapid, building costs were too high and the wishes of school communities were often ignored, NSW Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat said.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-new...us/story-e6frfku0-1225967076354#ixzz17P69ohpL

Yeah great stuff here !! But but but we saved Australia from going into a recession I hear them bleat.

 

[Julia]

Did anyone see Kerry O'Brien's interview with Malcolm Turnbull this evening?
I thought it was interesting that he spoke with Ms Gillard last night, and then Mr Turnbull tonight as a representative of the Coalition.

Wouldn't you have thought it would have been Tony Abbott up there tonight?

Is Mr O'Brien making a parting shot suggestion? i.e. that he sees Mr Turnbull as the obvious leader of the Libs?

It was an interesting interview just on the basis of the dynamics between the two of them - pretty equal match of intellects and senses of humour. Had the sense they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This is not something that occurs too often in these political interviews.

Mr Turnbull seems to be gradually learning how to bide his time, developing some political nous perhaps. He certainly has the demeanour to fill the role of a leader.

 

[noco]

Did anyone see Kerry O'Brien's interview with Malcolm Turnbull this evening?
I thought it was interesting that he spoke with Ms Gillard last night, and then Mr Turnbull tonight as a representative of the Coalition.

Wouldn't you have thought it would have been Tony Abbott up there tonight?

Is Mr O'Brien making a parting shot suggestion? i.e. that he sees Mr Turnbull as the obvious leader of the Libs?

It was an interesting interview just on the basis of the dynamics between the two of them - pretty equal match of intellects and senses of humour. Had the sense they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This is not something that occurs too often in these political interviews.

Mr Turnbull seems to be gradually learning how to bide his time, developing some political nous perhaps. He certainly has the demeanour to fill the role of a leader.

I agree with you Julia, he would be a good leader but he has to cleanse his brain of an ETS., otherwise he will be back to where he started and that is disunity with the Nationals. At least Abbott was able to meld the two parties together, whereas Turbull had the Coalation in turmoil.

I thought Kerrie O'Brien really put Julia Gillard through the hoops the other night which was unusual for him to show such aggression to her.

 

[Calliope]

Mr Turnbull seems to be gradually learning how to bide his time, developing some political nous perhaps. He certainly has the demeanour to fill the role of a leader.

it was a good interview. On the other hand in the interview with Gillard the smiling assassin just played with O'Brien and ignored his questions. It was he who ended up flustered.

Turnbull is more credible than Abbott or Gillard on carbon reduction, the Murray-Darling fix and the NBN. It won't be long before Abbott is exposed as a hollow man.

 

[Julia]

it was a good interview. On the other hand in the interview with Gillard the smiling assassin just played with O'Brien and ignored his questions. It was he who ended up flustered.

Agree. But I do think she looked exhausted. Hardly surprising.

 

[joea]

hi.
I read that a little smoke is rising in Canberra on the future or Rob Oakeshott's future in politics.
An article on 'Abbott's shot at the Lodge" in the Business speculator explains it. It appears Rob could be the weak link in current government, that is if he wants to continue in politics.

Early days yet, but is it a smolder? Or will the fire ignite?

 

[trainspotter]

Roy Morgan has conducted another poll to confirm their previous poll that had the Coalition ahead 55-45 2PP. The new poll is basically unchanged at 54.5-45.5 2PP with a larger sample size. The ALP primary vote is as low as 23 per cent in QLD and hovering in the low 30s in VIC and NSW. The Coalition wins every age group above 24 years.

The ALP’s polling company Essential Research has a new poll with the Coalition ahead 52-48. This poll has a larger sample size than Roy Morgan at 1900 people.

LNP ALP
Average 52.5 47.5
Essential Research 52 48 13th Dec
Roy Morgan 54.5 45.5 12th Dec
Roy Morgan 55 45 10th Dec
NewsPoll 50 50 6th Dec
Essential Research 51 49 6th Dec

Anyone heard the rumour that Penny Wong and Joolyah Gizzard are playing the magic carpet ride together and Tim Mathieson aint real happy about it?

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...may_be_a_barrel_of_tnt_under_that_parliament/

Just gotta love Andrew Bolt

 

[Julia]

Anyone heard the rumour that Penny Wong and Joolyah Gizzard are playing the magic carpet ride together and Tim Mathieson aint real happy about it?

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...may_be_a_barrel_of_tnt_under_that_parliament/

Just gotta love Andrew Bolt

How does the link to Andrew Bolt's comment suggest the above people?
I just can't believe Ms Gillard would be foolish enough, even if she had suddenly decided to alter her sexual orientation, to engage in anything so stupid.
Not that it would be any of our business if she did.

 

[drsmith]

Warnie ?

Who in politics is married, high profile and attractive enough for him to go for ?