Who are you voting for in the Federal election?

[greggy]

Look's like, and reminds me of Mr Ma Goo
Kevin Rudd that is

If I was totally pissed and Howard and Rudd walked in together at the local pub I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. They both look similar, both are geeks, boring and conservative. Neither one has scared the "horses".

 

[numbercruncher]

There are gaping holes in Australia’s education and training system. We are facing an estimated shortage of skilled workers of 240,000 within the next ten years.

To put this in perspective, that is two and half times the number who came to this nation from 30 other countries in the 1940s to built the Snowy Hydro Electric Scheme. And we find State government officials bumping into each other in towns across northern England, as they scour the streets for nurses and doctors to bring back to Australia because of our training shortages.

Mr Howard and Mr Costello have failed to act on the skills crisis. Just as they have failed to act on the deficiencies in our national economic infrastructure.

Labor has already committed to the establishment of Infrastructure Australia, the Building Australia Fund, a Major Cities program and our $4.7 billion National Broadband plan to deal with the nation’s critical infrastructure needs…Too many businesses across our nation are being held back by the skills crisis, and the time has come for national leadership.

About time someone was prepared to act properly on the skills shortage.

 

[chops_a_must]

About time someone was prepared to act properly on the skills shortage.

Yep, referencing my post below

And while we are on union bashing, why don't we get rid of the most powerful and saturated union workforce of all? You know the one I am talking about... the police? Why aren't people prepared to take them on?

And in all seriousness, what's the difference between a union... and an association? I'm a member of my industry's largest association. We lobby for legislative changes, protect members, have workshops, training days, public information campaigns etc etc. Everything a union should do. So why not get rid of it? Why not get rid of the AMA as they are also effectively a union. Why not? They are an overtly political body.


But a final point I want to make, and most important. I met a student teacher the other night, who had been sacked from their place of work... because of going on prac. He was given an ultimatum, either go on prac and be sacked, or don't and keep your job.

Now, under work"choices", this is totally legal and acceptable. So... which one of you Liberal supporters here can defend the application of these laws in this instance. Someone who has taken a scholarship to go bush, to help your kids, someone who is going to give up a significant chunk of their lives to help out YOUR kids, gets sacked for doing so. What kind of society says that that is not important? What kind of society would allow the sacking of a worker, for trying to enter a workforce grossly understaffed? What kind of society says it is now ok to be sacked for becoming a teacher? Can one of the cheer squad here tell me how we are meant to have a functioning society when this sort of thing is happening, and is obviously happening a lot?

Can someone address the issues raised here. Thankyou.

 

[numbercruncher]

Australia 'lagging on public education'
Tuesday Sep 18 23:49 AEST
Australia is spending less on public education than most other developed countries, new figures show.

A report released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) finds Australia has among the lowest levels of public spending on schools, vocational education and universities combined, and trails only the US and Korea in private spending on education.

http://optuszoo.news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=70686&_cobr=optus


And thanks to Johnny "dumb down your Kids" Howard this is the exact reason why I have had to enrol my Daugther in a private School

 

[numbercruncher]

I Like how this blogger puts it ....

This government has been in power since I was 19 and now I'm 30..Long enough! What do they have to show for it? An unskilled ageing population, dated infrastructure, divisive policies and an economy based mostly on a hole in the ground. Time to go, John!

 

[Whiskers]

Yep, referencing my post below


Can someone address the issues raised here. Thankyou.

I'm waiting too chops.

'Work Choices' is just another example of this governments extreme over emphasis on economic performance to the detrement of social standards and lifestyle.

'Work Choices' not only took away common law rights from the workplace but common sense also.

 

[chops_a_must]

This might raise the ire of some of the religious wrong (right):

'Gay dirt' blamed on Labor



By Glenn Milne

September 23, 2007 12:00am

THE dirt fight between the Federal Government and Opposition is in danger of spinning out of control, with allegations a Coalition Minister regularly visits gay bath houses.

The Government is blaming the Labor Party for circulating a "fact sheet" on the married politician, which alleges he has sexually harassed other males in political circles. It also claims his wife is known within the Liberal Party as a "beard" - a term for someone acting as a cover for a gay man.

A copy of the sheet circulated to journalists has been seen by The Sunday Mail. It names the Minister, who has children.

It says: "Witness has seen him go to a bath house in Sydney on several occasions. Rumoured that he is sleeping with one of his staff members in Canberra."

Political journalists in the capital are being urged to investigate the claims. The allegations came as Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd accused the Government of running a "dirt unit".

Mr Rudd blamed the unit for a television report about a heart valve replacement operation he had undergone many years ago, which he claimed was designed to question his fitness for the office of prime minister. The Opposition Leader warned it was a sign of the sort of election campaign the Coalition planned to wage against himself and his deputy Julia Gillard, who also alleged that the Government was keeping a "dirt file" on her.

Mr Rudd accused Prime Minister John Howard of condoning a smear campaign against him, a charge Mr Howard rejected outright.

Now Mr Rudd faces scrutiny in light of what's known in Labor circles as a "s--- sheet" being circulated in an attempt to bring down a government minister for being gay - a lifestyle which the ALP publicly supports.

And while Mr Rudd has condemned the Government for allegedly mounting such campaigns, he has apparently made no effort to discipline Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union boss Kevin Reynolds over public comments in which he attempted to smear both the Opposition Leader and Ms Gillard.

Mr Reynolds said he had "many secrets" which he would reveal about Labor's inner circle in the future.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22463444-952,00.html?from=public_rss

Any guesses as to who it is? I wonder what Heffernan's comments about it are going to be...

Good to see that Labor are no longer going to passively cop the old dirt and scare campaign that the Libs are famous for. Something that was a criticism of old Kim nd Labor generally, from hardened lefties. Because there is some huge dirt on these guys, and it should be known.

I also heard Downer didn't want to get into SA politics because, "It is a busted **** state".

And one for the road:

 

[numbercruncher]

Isnt it just shocking, Liberals spread rumours about there own people and then in turn say its Labor doing it. Typical though I guess, a sign of Australias future path should they get back in

Libs spreading gay bathhouse file: Oakes
Sunday Sep 23 11:04 AEST
Nine Network political editor Laurie Oakes says the Liberal Party is behind a "fact sheet" about a Howard government minister who visits gay bathhouses and harasses other men.

A report in News Ltd papers the fact sheet claims the unnamed minister, who is married with children, sexually harasses other males in political circles and is rumoured to be sleeping with one of his staff members in Canberra.

It follows accusations last week that government operatives were digging up Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's medical records, after confirmation Mr Rudd had a heart procedure 14 years ago.

News Ltd journalist Glenn Milne's report on the gay accusations the fact sheet on the minister was not being circulated by the Labor Party.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=289740

 

[Whiskers]

And one for the road:

Is that a smurk behind that finger!???

I adjust my glasses a lot too, but I usually do it with the pointer finger. I tried with THAT finger and it is quite hard and unnatural for me to fold back all the other fingers. I tend to bend THAT finger in and extend the others out.

 

[moXJO]

Is that a smurk behind that finger!???

I adjust my glasses a lot too, but I usually do it with the pointer finger. I tried with THAT finger and it is quite hard and unnatural for me to fold back all the other fingers. I tend to bend THAT finger in and extend the others out.

Finger conspiracies

Chops most of the union bashing is directed towards the construction industry.

 

[brilliantmichael]

If Howard wins again, see what he would act like when he does:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsSkrgqrCgc

 

[moneymajix]

Doormat

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/opinion/animations/0,25199,30,00.html

 

[noco]

Noted articale in the Courier Mail September19 2007, when it stated Kevin07 shredded documents from the Heiner Inquiry in 1990. A 3600 page report by NSW. QC David Rolfe allegedly identifying 67 breaches of the criminal code by members of the former Queensland Labor Cabinet, ministerial staff and public servants.Kevin 07 Premier was Wayne Goss's chief of staff.
What did he have to hide and why did he destroy the documents? Looks "fishy" to me. If he has nothing to hide he should tell the public.

 

[greggy]

This might raise the ire of some of the religious wrong (right):



Any guesses as to who it is? I wonder what Heffernan's comments about it are going to be...

Good to see that Labor are no longer going to passively cop the old dirt and scare campaign that the Libs are famous for. Something that was a criticism of old Kim nd Labor generally, from hardened lefties. Because there is some huge dirt on these guys, and it should be known.

I also heard Downer didn't want to get into SA politics because, "It is a busted **** state".

And one for the road:

Funny how all the dirt is coming out around election (e.g. the stripper incident, Rudd's health, "gay" rumours etc). Voters get turned off by all these political games.

 

[2020hindsight]

anyone in the mood for some cynicism ?
Here's a pretty good clue that the election will be before Xmas

and even before the Abs take off en masse on their Xmas holidays - their annual pilgrimage to their coastal beach houses ........

(PS those medical teams are obviuosly doing a good job - but is it sustainable? still, better to light a candle than curse the darkies all the time I suppose ...

- especially during an election year which is where all the "energy" for this operation came from in the first place )

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/01/2047511.htm?section=justin

NT child health checks to stop for holidays
Posted 20 minutes ago

Map: Darwin 0800
Child health checks in the Northern Territory's Aboriginal communities will be put on hold for three weeks over the Christmas holiday period.

More than 2,500 children have received the free non-compulsory checks as part of the Commonwealth's intervention into child sex abuse.

Major General David Chalmers from the NT Emergency Response Task Force says the intervention will continue through the wet season, but there will be a break in January.

"Partly because during that period obviously our doctors and nurses will be taking holidays, but also because people in the communities will be also be taking holidays and I don't want to be bringing in capacity that might disturb communities at a time when they'd rather not be confronted with these sorts of things," he said.

I also liked this cartoon on Johnny's theory of the need for action on global warming

 

[noirua]

I'm all for lowering interest rates to 3.5% and weakening the Aussie against the Greenback. This would bring in far stronger profits for the miners and oilers. Inflation would rise, but the price of imported goods would as well and give home grown companies a fairer playing field.

 

[2020hindsight]

If Howard wins again, see what he would act like when he does:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsSkrgqrCgc

michael , good one, lol, old Yoda sounds like a mixture of Buddha and Mister Magoo XXX no, that should be Buddha and Gollum... (from Tolkien's Hobbit)
off topic etc - but I never realised before how much Starwars borrowed from Buddhism

Emperor Palpatine : hehe - the jedi are no more
Master Yoda : not if anything to say about it, I have!
"telekinetic biff" ...
Emperor Palpatine : ahhhhh
Master Yoda : at an end your rule is
and not short enough it was

PS probably fair to say that neither Rudd nor Howard could ever dream of such a squeeky clean image as Yoda yes? - other than the ears maybe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoda

Character overview
Master Yoda is portrayed as the wisest and most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. George Lucas originally wished Yoda to follow his other characters in having a full name: Yoda Minch. The films and Expanded Universe reveal that he had trained several notable Jedi, including .... Obi-Wan Kenobi (partially, before Qui-Gon Jinn took over with Obi-Wan's training); .... and eventually Luke Skywalker.

........ The Star Wars prequel films explain that he instructed all younglings in the Jedi Temple before they were assigned to a master. .....

In fact, very little is reported of Yoda's life before the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He was trained by Jedi Master N'Kata Del Gormo. Following his training, Yoda is said to have spent 100 years in self-imposed solitude, attempting to attain a higher status of the the Force.

The Phantom Menace
In the timeline of the films, Yoda first appears in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In that film, Qui-Gon brings the young Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council, claiming that the boy is the "Chosen One" who will bring balance to the Force, and requests to train him once Obi-Wan has completed the trials necessary to become a Jedi Knight. As told to young Anakin Skywalker, " Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering..' Yoda plays a key role in that body's initial decision to deny the request; he believes that the boy is clearly affected by his years as a slave, and that he still clings too tightly to the memory of his mother to be trained safely. Yoda thinks his future is clouded.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering" - hey ! the Starwars scriptwriters have been reading Aung San Suu Kyi's papers !!

 

[johnw7000]

Watch the movie 'the war on democracy', the whole political system has been allowed by us (after all we are the true bosses-they are the public servants) to become a pathetic joke.

Although I am curious to see where Peter Garret goes with his political career.

VOTE 1: Peter Garret

 

[Julia]

Watch the movie 'the war on democracy', the whole political system has been allowed by us (after all we are the true bosses-they are the public servants) to become a pathetic joke.

Although I am curious to see where Peter Garret goes with his political career.

VOTE 1: Peter Garret

Garrett seems to polarise people.
He would be absolutely the last person I'd vote for.

 

[2020hindsight]

Watch the movie 'the war on democracy', the whole political system has been allowed by us (after all we are the true bosses-they are the public servants) to become a pathetic joke.
Although I am curious to see where Peter Garret goes with his political career.
VOTE 1: Peter Garret

trailer :-
The War On Democracy Film Trailer by John Pilger
John Pilger - The War On Democracy - Part 1 of 10
etc etc parts 1 through 10

btw johnw,
this is not too dissimilar to the BBC documentary on who killed Aung San, the father of Aung San Suu Kyi. - and (arguably) directly caused all the problems that Burma has today !!

except there it was probably not 10 Downing Street involved,
whereas here it is (arguably) senior members in US govt involved, if not the White House (spread out over the years).
https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=207526&highlight=aung#post207526