The Psb Advanced Federal Ellection

[Deej]

We’ll we’ve all seen the polls and heard the political reporting, but as we know opinion polls don’t win elections, it aint won until election day.

So election day comes early for PSB. Today is election day, and seeing the demographic of PSB is such that 80% of our users are of the age that would mean they have never experienced being a mature working age person in anything but this amazing hyperactive economy, and have never experienced 17% interest rates, or tried to get a job in times of anything but full employment and high wages growth, my thinking is the PSB elections will be won by Rudd.

I am hopeful however that although we all fantasize about a change of government, when it comes to polling day that majority of Australians will vote with their hip pocket.

So lets see Australia, vote now and decide your government and lets see how close we get to the end result in November.

[Pricey]

I dun like howard cause he's gay and old and brings GST and shit hospitals and schools which he had 10yrs to fix. PS I fail at politics (if it isn't already obvious). :p

[resist]

Actually I reckon that PSB is full of right wing bigots, every thread on crime, racism or the dole says it will be a Liberal victory in the PSB elections.

[Mr John]

Actually I reckon that PSB is full of right wing bigots, every thread on crime, racism or the dole says it will be a Liberal victory in the PSB elections.

+1

I'm not gonna vote for my hip pocket, I'd rather vote for all the boring stuff like health, education, infrastructure, future planning etc. I know Howard won't deliver on any these so I'll go for whomever has a hope of kicking him out.

Interesting read in today's The Age on Howard's promised tax cuts Howard's tax cuts are not cuts at all - Opinion - theage.com.au

[MacMan]

The running of hospitals and schooling is a State matter not federal. Labour, under Keating, were going to bring in GST as well just called something different. I also get sick of the media saying that this Liberal government has been in power too long when Labour were in for 13 years (83-96) compared to Liberal being in for 11 years (96-07).
Also iirc when John Howard came in interest rates were at 9%+ or there abouts and they came down to 4%+- or such(correct me if it was a little higher or lower). So to say that interest rates are now high is ridiculous. The cost of living is higher but that is caused by the amount of money we as a community are borrowing, the Government doesn't make us do it. A lot of problems we face on a daily/weekly/yearly basis are State government issues not Federal. The cost of fuel is high because State Governments tax 10% GST on top of a Federal tax being the fuel excise.

[Taylor]

Kevin Rudd should go be ambassador to China. An Honours degree in Asian Studies doesn't qualify you to be Prime Minister of Australia.

[Dubs]

did anyone see chasers last night and the Rudd backing JH on a lot of things, "written by JH spoken by KR and authorised by JH"

classic,

i hope jonny gets back in, i think we are running ok, and change is good if it is good change


Dubs

[Flamedance]

Ummmm....Where are the options for the dope smokers party or the greens or one nation or independants?
You must believe what they tell us...anyone can win on the day....

[resist]

Fine. Totally get your points, let me also point out the difference between '17%' and '9%'. See how 9 is actually a lot lower than 17, and that the downward push on interest rates was well under way by the time the Liberal's came in?

Personally, im not anti GST. I was, but now im not. I quite like a broad base tax system, and I think the economy was strong enough to adopt it when it came on.

So here are the things I dont like:

A dramatic decrease in Education funding as a percentage of GDP at a time when governement revenue streams are ever stronger.

A dramatic decrease in Health funding as a percentage of GDP at a time when government revenue streams are ever stronger.

A dramatic increase in 'Defense' funding at the same time as the two above.

Scare mongering - they are so busy sending out fridge magnets and warning us of 'Suspicious packages on trains' they cant protect people like that poor exchange student from the REAL dangers. I bet the other people on the train were looking real hard for a left behind backpack when those two white guys followed her down the road and murdered her.

Scape goating and lying - there were no children overboard, the pacific solution is far more expensive than the former system (NB: Labour introduced mandatory detention and are pricks for it, can't stick that one to Liberal - in fact, it was Malcolm Fraser who had the best refugee management policy Australia has seen) however they didnt resort to the overt demonising that Howard et all enjoy.

Lack of empathy and understanding - sounds soft does it? Well in a time when we are talking about 'Aussie Values' ad nauseum, two of the most critical values for a functioning democratic society are not only being ignored, but actively discouraged by a Liberal goverment.

Politics and leadership is not about taxes and the economy. It is also about a collective national growth and development. About the progression of society as a whole, the opening up of opportunity and the broadening of horizons. The labour party doesnt really tick that box, but I cant tell you now they do it better then the recividist reactionary politics of fear as portrayed by your dear economic mangers in the Liberal party.

I want my children to be happy and have every opportunity for experience possible.
I will make sure they are wealthy, I dont need the goverment for that.

Im voting for the lesser of two evils.

[Taylor]

..and the Labor party hasn't been scare mongering about industrial relation reform?

"You take a sick day, you lose your job." "You'll be forced to sign an agreement which will cut your salary in half and hours to double."

Blah blah blah, bullshit. I've negotiated payrises every six months on my AWA because I'm valuable and productive enough at my job to earn it.

Union issue is strong, I warn you from an educated and in the loop position that if laws are removed preventing strikes for no reason other than ice cream flavors the large scale economic boom we've been having, built off our mining and construction will slow right down. Sites will walk off the job, construction will be delayed, money will be lost, Australia will suffer.

That's not scaremongering, that's the truth, that's how it will go down, that's how it used to go down and it will again.

[Klink]

Im gonna donkey vote for Ronald Mcdonald... at least he dresses like a clown... not just acts like one.

[resist]

Scare mongering about IR laws is in no way comparable to the demonisation of a people, and certainly not comparable to the dramatic shift in our countries phsyche as a result of the governement scaremongering about terrorists. The NUMBER 1 hardbringer of terror, the only person repsonsible for the shift from the balanced and calm gregarious Australia of old, and the yank style paranoia and husteria of the new Australia is John Howard.

Now, re unions, if you really believe that. Then I do honestly feel pity for you. Its not an educated nor an in the loop position to hold. Certainly, there was a period where union actions etc went too far, but now the backlash has gone too far, and there needs to be a relaxation.

This boom won't last, and people need some protection when it all goes to shit.

[Taylor]

Then I do honestly feel pity for you.

There's a reason union figureheads own million dollar penthouse floors of the big Multiplex built apartment buildings in Perth mate. They sure didn't win lotto.


Re Terrorism and stigma against Islam. Surely the USA has played a bigger role through it's global actions and media than Australia's petty contribution to a "War on Terror". There was a time all the bad guys in movies were Eastern European (see Die Hard), then moved to South America (see Die Hard 2) and now to Arabian nationals.

The movies play far more to the mind of the community than a "Be Alert, not Alarmed" ad campaign. I see your point though, but the government didn't choose for most of the "terrorists" by USA's definition to be middle eastern, that's all anybody has seen. Blame our culture of always needing someone to hate.

[sathid]

I had an interesting discussion with a mate yesterday. He was telling me that some people are expecting the Libs to lose the federal election, and to then have a major reshuffling of the party, to come out with some new faces and some less conservative views, more aligned with traditional liberalism, and to then regain power in the next election.

I'm not sure where the idea came from, but it would be an interesting outcome.

If I knew that was going to happen, I'd consider voting for someone other than the libs , and just suffer labor getting in for a few years.

[resist]

Taylor, im not sure if you deliberately miss my points in these conversations by adopting over-simplistic interpretations of my comments and only engaging them on thier most superficial level, or if thats just how your brain works.

The point is, as a society, levels of fear and anxiety, and room for experience, experiment and development outside the contrived homogenous modes of being is eroded. That level of fear and anxiety is not actually rational against the climate of the day, it only appears that way due to carefully orchestrated and cynically motivated spin doctoring.