"I for one welcome our insect overlords" - The Politics Thread

[dibo]

Maybe we need a socialist alternative that doesnt insist on loving trees etc. I just cant come at voting green to end up with some smelly f**king hippy who wants us to return to a hunter gatherer society and just love each other

LOL

You, my friend, would sit very comfortably with some mates of mine from the MUA, AMWU and CFMEU...

I think the environment and the planet are important, and that things like climate change need to be addressed. I also think things like the economy, industrial relations, education and health need to be looked after at the same time. That's why I'm perfectly happy to vote for (and be a pretty active member of) the ALP again.

I think they're getting the balance mostly right. I think this year they'll pretty much clear the decks and push on a few big ticket items - health, education and tax reform chief among them. Climate change is pretty well off the table this term I think and it will either be sorted under the new Senate either with the Opposition cutting their losses or by the Government dealing with a Green crossbench. The ALP must plan to win and plan for the next term - there is no point in planning to do things before you lose.

Health, education and tax reform between them form three planks of reform that could reshape how our governments work and how our economy works for decades. Add to that some more financial and microeconomic reform (to make our markets work in favour of competition and consumers, not business - there's a difference) and you've got another two or three terms' worth of work to do.

Rudd will be there till after the next election, but Julia will have her day. I don't especially like either of them, but I like both a lot more than the Liberals' own Latham - Tony Abbott.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Hiding the Henry review because it (presumably) argues for higher taxes to pay for our ageing population etc etc is bad politics and it just smacks of poor judgement.

Even if the review does call for higher taxes, the Govt isnt obliged to act on it

What we need is another Andrew Fisher, sadly, someone like him wouldnt ever get pre selected in todays sanitised political world, let alone elected. Without the white australia nonsense of course

 

[dibo]

Hiding the Henry review because it (presumably) argues for higher taxes to pay for our ageing population etc etc is bad politics and it just smacks of poor judgement.

Even if the review does call for higher taxes, the Govt isnt obliged to act on it

What we need is another Andrew Fisher, sadly, someone like him wouldnt ever get pre selected in todays sanitised political world, let alone elected. Without the white australia nonsense of course

I don't think either side will go *hard* down the road of something as dangerous as tax reform unless they've got:
a) bipartisan support;
b) the sort of majority that makes them think that a tactical nuclear strike on tasmania wouldn't necessarily cost them power, or;
c) the sort of crazybrave attitude to public policy that are usually carefully selected out of politicians through preselections, leadership ballots or horrific election defeats. [See: LATHAM, Mark]

 

[FFC Mariner]

I'd like to lock "b" please Eddie

(I'm sure NSW's tax share will go up if someone nuked Tassie)

I'm off with MF - POETS day

 

[Jerem]

well i can barely stand listning to kev let alone Julia Missy higgings gillard

 

[FFC Mariner]

Is this the 1st written,tentative little nudge?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/16/2847215.htm?section=justin

 

[midfielder]

Is this the 1st written,tentative little nudge?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/16/2847215.htm?section=justin

HHHHHHMMMMMMMMmmmmmm I wonder if they will have a secert agreement like Hawke / Keating & Howard / Co ....

 

[dibo]

Is this the 1st written,tentative little nudge?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/16/2847215.htm?section=justin

Oh please. Look at this:

Labor backbencher Darren Cheeseman has backed Mr Rudd but he has pointed out that the deputy, Julia Gillard, is waiting in the wings.

"She is naturally in line to become the prime minister at some point into the future," he said.

That's Cheeseman answering the question asked and less than the full quote being reported. Had they written something like:

When asked about whether softening poll numbers had ignited potential leadership tensions, Labor backbencher Darren Cheeseman has backed Mr Rudd but he has pointed out that the deputy, Julia Gillard, is waiting in the wings.

"Obviously Kevin Rudd is Prime Minister for as long as he wants to be, and he has a loyal deputy in Julia Gillard. She is naturally in line to become the prime minister at some point into the future," he said.

...then their little story for a slow news day wouldn't work now, would it?

Of course Ian 'chainsaw' Macfarlane wants to kick it along, Tony 'the mad' Abbott was portrayed as captain Catholic last night on four corners and he wants something else to talk about.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Julia wont move until she is good and ready and has the numbers.

I suspect he can feel her hot breath on the back of his neck tho (lucky bastard)

 

[MagpieMariner]

I would suggest that you would be well aware the notion of a leadership change at this stage is ridiculous and would not be considered until the Labor party or it's leader were polling towards an election failure.

If you want to see what a bad idea it is please see the NSW Liberal Party. They should have won the last three elections but for changing leaders 12 months out each time. I wonder if Fatty O'Barrell is getting nervous around now?

What worries me is that the Liberals waited until they'd had 3 consecutive losses, including the last which should have been an unlosable election, before they chose Fatty. Is that a reflection on his capability?
God help us if it is.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Personally, I think Fatty will be a disaster as NSW Premier.

Thing is, disaster is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than the clowns we currently have (notwithstanding the marketing of Barbie MILF)

 

[radar]

more footage of Abbotts daughters in their bikinis thanks

 

[marinermick]

more footage of Abbotts daughters in their bikinis thanks

Amen to that. Not in bikinis but:

 

[radar]

uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[goingtoadisco]

Hes kinda touching her ass a bit......

 

[FFC Mariner]

Looks like we might have home insulation II starting to unravel.

The schools scheme looks like a bigger rort than Garrett's collossal blunders.

Be v interesting to see how she handles this coz its not in Kevs interest to dig her out

 

[curious]

You would be surprised how big it is with the majority of principles reluctant to speak out at present. But that could change. Things will get quite dirty in the attempts to hush it with Julia in the firing line on this occasion.

I don't know of anyone realises the anger misdirected spending has generated. A couple of points regarding that. If it bores you, turn to a different channel.

The present government has continued the former governments policy of annual 50k grants to schools to employ counsellors that must be in the form of a religious counsellor such as a church minister or a layperson with an affiliation with an approved church group. Through a steady withdrawal of funding for the existing (soon to be almost non existent) qualified child welfare officer/psychologist positions, those positions are being replaced by these new 'Religious Counsellors'. It has reached a stage at present where many schools now share a regional visiting qualified student counsellor. He/she may be only seen a for a few hours a fortnight or monthly. To top it off, it's more prevalent in the socially disavantaged areas that need it most.
Religion in schools by stealth, with substantial budget savings to boot.

Another sore point, and probably the one causing most anger is the said 'rationalisation' of 'Special Education' in schools. All public schools have qualified 'Special Education' teachers (a specialsed degree) that cover students with special needs in classes separate from the others. The kids may include low functioning autism, down syndrome, intellectual disability and any number of special needs, through to severe behavioral problems. 
Special Education classes are also being removed, with the special needs kids now being placed in general classes. In the general classes the kids don't receive the specialised attention they require and the general classes have difficulty operating normally because of the demands of the special needs students. The special ed teachers are moved to regular classes to replace those lost through normal resignations, transfers ect.  No more special ed classes, but very big savings in reduced teaching staff.

In stark contrast to this cost cutting at the expense of the students, we have the run out of laptops to year 9 students for three successive years. In each of those 3 years, year 9 kids will each receive their 10 inch notebook. They get to take them home for study (compliant with good behavior and/or particular school rules) and get to keep them for good if they continue on to year 12. They must be returned if leaving after year 10. After 3 years the delivery of notebooks stop. Through the normal process of graduating yr 12 students, after longer period the notebooks will not exist in schools. That's of course, unless the government of the day intends to continue the present policy and budget the extra billions required accordingly. Presently, as far as I'm aware that isn't intended.
Schools have also been required to employ a full time specialist IT expert to maintain the notebooks and program software.

Now we have wastage on the schools building policy gone wrong with it's centralised administration attempting to fast track billions of building dollars in the notorious construction industry. Wastage I'm aware of without the need to read about it in the paper.
Dollars wasted and better spent on retaining the welfare counsellors and special education classes being eliminated to save dollars elsewhere.

 

[midfielder]

Top post Curious

If I may add a little ... we want Commonwealth control of education, we want Commonwealth control of Health... we have no experience running these things ... but we want control ...

The Home insulation thing  has shown one thing that  people  in Canberra  find it hard to listen to the cry that is not on their song sheet...

A perfect example is a accountant in public practice I know has shown a couple of letters sent to Peter G ... about the home insulation scheme ... Peter G replied to this guy's first letter saying he needed to get more efficient... this guy replied to which Peter G replied he was a racist... Both the letters go into great detail and are now subject to a lot of looking at and how did you not understand what this guy was saying...

In education their are heaps of voices and in the main from folk with ALP backgrounds and values who are saying all sorts of things ... none of which are on the current song sheet ... nor suit the existing policy ...

Add to this we want a new carbon tax ... and it must be this way ... Interesting the dogmatic approach ... not the consensus approach of the Hawke government more the crash tho or crash approach of Keating.... 

 

[midfielder]

Rather than start a new thread maybe we could change this thread to a political debate ...

Just watched am interview with Steven Conroy on Fairfax press ... bloody interesting things he has to say about why the Australian government is putting on web filters... worth listening too..

There is a print story too but the streaming comes in on the top after a minute or so...

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/internets-not-special-says-communications-minister-20100401-rg7h.html?autostart=1

 

[FFC Mariner]

On matters political, best April Fools joke by some distance from the Guardian in UK today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/01/labour-gordon-brown-hard-man

Labour's election strategy: bring on no-nonsense hard man Gordon Brown

Campaign posters focus on alpha male personality
Advisers consider tactic of staged confrontation

The spoof posters