(1) Declare we unlike the UK will support the US in any action in Syria and ask why Tony Abbott is so fond of Bashr al-Assad, and why he sought Obama’s overthrow last year.
(2) Order the arrest of O’Shannessy and Briggs for having, according to Clive Palmer, corruptly rejiggered the findings of Galaxy and Newspoll and ask why they ring only landlines and why, and how, their figures are ‘adjusted’.
(3) Swear in the Arabic-speaking war hero Mike Kelly as Defence Minister and send him, on Sunday, to Syria.
(4) Ask Tony Abbott to front the Attorney-General and say why he covered up acts of homosexual rape — according to the uncontested Duffy biography — in St Barnabus’s in the late 1980s.
(5) Ask Peter Slipper and Craig Thomson — and their wives — to sue Tony Abbott, Christopher Pyne, Laurie Oakes and Kate McClymont for malicious libel.
(6) Ask Tony Abbott why he did not go to the funeral of the woman he ruined, Kathy Donnelly, by deserting her when she was pregnant, and shaming her twenty-six years later with the news of his cuckolding.
(7) Announce on Sunday that Rudd if re-elected will seek the constitutional means, by referendum if necessary, to reduce rents for everyone by a third.
(8) Announce in Sunday a thirty-five cent lottery whose prize, this fiscal year, is ten thousand free tickets to Tasmania and back on the car ferry.
(9) Pass legislation that allows Coles and Woolworths only five outlets each in any capital city.
(10) Reveal the rumours, already published in Fairfax, of Christopher Pyne, sexual harasser.
(11) Ask Abbott straightforwardly if his sister will go to hell.
(12) Ask Brian Loughnane is he is divorcing his wife, Peta Credlin.
(13) Ask Margie Abbott when she and her husband are separating.
(13) Ask the GG to threaten Abbott with a fresh election if he does not, by noon Monday, reveal all his costings.
(15) Put a temporary four percent tariff on everything.
(16) Announce that the next Governor-General will be Bob Brown.
Any three of these would ensure success next week but the Leadership Group seems besotted by the dream of defeat, and I not understand why.
Name:
Actually, on this I agree.
I would love to see all of these things happen, really.
The difference is, I suspect it would reduce the ALP vote to somewhere south of 20%.
I just notice that the original post has been changed from what was there when I commented. Same view though.
Banned for life.
Fuck you.
If you believe that, read Bolt instead, and the hell with you.
Do not speak to me, or write to me, ever again.
Amusing….
Only views consistent with the party line are allowed.
But, I urge you, please, please keep pushing this set of initiatives.
Whereas bolt, jones et al entertain divergent views.
Brains Trust in full swing.
Fucking Idiot.
At least Bolt doesn’t blacklist people for insufficient toadying.
Bolt posted his disapproval of the PPL scheme:
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/abbott_trims_his_absurdly_expensive_leave_scheme/P40/
This puts him at odds with Liberal Party policy and, if you read the comments, there are plenty of people who disagree with him on that.
It’s the language once; its all about the language.
Look at the headline, ‘trim’ really?
Trim?
Trim connotes a range a meanings each one of which is light years away from the language used to describe AND prescribe any Labor qualification or finesse or change.
If you can’t see that in the language then you’re just not reading right.
Ellis is not blacklisting for not toadying; he’s banning you because your arguments are shit.
BE blacklists because a liberal voting devils argument is shit….
in his opinion. No doubt Bolta thinks the same of anyone who doesn’t agree with him but he still allows their dissent to appear on his blog.
troll alert!
hi-ho silver, tit for tat (Van to trolls is like garlic to vampires)
love you for that…
snaap!!
But, I do accept your effective right to welcome or not welcome people as you see fit.
Might it be better (honest suggestion) to have a registered posters option.
Nick,
I’m with you.
I’m sorry. Ban lifted.
I was wrong.
I am a CIA agent with a gun in my mouth awaiting instructions.
I have seven minutes to live. Pray for me.
Bob, can you get these suggestions to Bruce Hawker? There is still time to turn the tide.
I can. But it is his habit, and has been for ten years, to reject every suggestion I make to him.
alp had its best day today..full exposure of lnp lack of disclosure.. and arrived via a complete clusterfuck.. the humour is immense..
Bypass Hawker and deliver them to Rudd personally.Through Fiona Sugden if necessary.
Well, give me her phone number.
“(3) Swear in the Arabic-speaking war hero Mike Kelly as Defence Minister and send him, on Sunday, to Syria”
Im a Mike Kelly fan but to do what?
Given the situation in Syria, maybe Bob isn’t a Mike Kelly fan.
Mike is a war hero and an intimate of Saddam Hussein and his corpse, and the corpses of his sons. He will look like an expert, and will win votes.
#1- The last 10 years have seen the left screaming about the ‘warmongering Liberals’. Why exactly do you think they would support another war?
#2- You cannot arrest people just because of something Clive Palmer says. You need proof of an actual crime.
#3- Exactly will he accomplish in Syria that no other defence minister in the world cannot?
#4- You have no proof of these allegations.
#5- Why would suing someone increase voter support? More importantly how do you expect to have this launched in…oh the 1 week remaining?
#6- Pointless personal attack. Will not sway anyone.
#7- Cannot be done. This is a free market economy, you cannot dictate prices like this. And it will lose the vote of anyone who owns a rental property, thus being utterly counter-productive.
#8- Most Australians don’t live anywhere near where your departure point will be. Very few people will care about this.
#9- Do you have ANY idea how many jobs you will destroy with this idea? This is terrible.
#10- You better hope those rumours are true, or there will be legal action. Tread very carefully and double-check your sources.
#11- Silliness. Will be recognized by voters as such.
#12- What does this have to do with anything?
#13- See #12. Pointless and petty.
#14- I’m pretty certain the GG will refuse this request. The voters will decide if Abbott has done enough to articulate his plans or not.
#15- That’s effectively upping the GST, (and putting it on food) exactly what the ALP have been claiming Abbott will do. This will do nothing but lose votes.
#16- This will achieve nothing. The only people who will be pleased by this vote Green.
I agree and I’m a o/s Labor voter!!! Let’s win on god sustainable policies and clean politics.
1. People are appalled by Assad, and want to see him punished. Why would they vote for someone, like Abbott, who thinks him no worse than the children he is murdering?
2. Yes you can. He confessed, himself, the crime of forging votes.
3. Votes for Labor.
4. Yes I do. It’s in his uncontested biography, p68, crucial words ‘and worse’.
5) Because it will remind voters of the vile things done to them, and the lies told about them.
6) So .. ruining a woman’s life .. if you’re TONY ABBOTT.. will not sway one woman’s vote against you? Really? Are you mad?
7) If you can dictate wages, and in New York conrol rents, why not here?
8) Five hundred thousand adult Tasmanians will.
9) It will gratify every corner store owner in the country who will then, for the first time, vote Labor.
10) The rumours are in Fairfax, uncontested and unlitigated.
11) He cannot be a true Catholic if he does not believe it. He cannot be a good man if he does.
12) Peta Credlin is famously fucking, I am told, Tony Abbott, the family man and ‘daggy dad’.
13) They did last year. For the reason, see above.
14) No, she was chosen by Rudd and may want to keep him. She may not.
15) It will gratify every small businessperson in Australia.
16) He is the most admired politician of a generation. Two million gay persons and their relatives will vote or prefer Labor, plus five million others.
Please answer all these points.
U need a reason to send Kelly there, Why / how would sending sway any voters?
God help us. Eisenhower won the PRESIDENCY with the meaningless slogan, ‘I will go to Korea.’
How this will help still escapes me.
1. There are still many Australians who dont know who Mike Kelly is, unlike DDE.
2. Rudd & Labor are attacked & not always unfairly for do nothing “announables”
3. Why not send him to Washington to consult with Hagel & Kerry or send him with Carr to the G20
It will become quickly known that he dealt with the dead bodies of Saddam, Uday and Qusay and persuaded Saddam to stand trial.
He gives good Middle East, and he occupies the litmus seat, Eden Monaro, and would win it.
If he had something to do there it could work.
Thanks 4 the time Ellis
#1 People were (or should have been) appalled by Saddam Hussein and the Taliban too.
Same situation. I see no reason to see why people would react differently.
#2a)Paying for favourable polls is not the same as actual electoral fraud. The latter is a crime. The former (to my knowledge) is not. Immoral perhaps. Illegal no.
b) You are relying on th assumption that Palmer is telling the truth. He has a clear ulterior motive in this and his utterances should be taken with a large grain of salt.
#3- How? Why would this convince people to vote for Labor?
#4- Do you know what ‘and worse’ means? You are guessing. Without proof. And uncontested does not mean true.
#5- Not all voters believe as you do Bob. Many believe these men to be guilty. Reminding them could very well send votes the other way.
#6- Relationships collapse all the time. I daresay most people aren’t going to see anything paticularly special in Abbott’s failed relationship.
You might sway one womans vote. You might even swing 100. But not enough to make a serious difference in my opinion.
#7- Rent control in New York does not work like this. It limits the extent of rent rises. No more.
Same with Wages. I don’t think there is any precedent anywhere in history for the government forcing businesses to CUT wages by a third.
#8- Tasmanians will enter a lottery to travel to Tasmania? What?
#9- Perhaps. And it will piss off THOUSANDS of people who have just lost their jobs because you forced their employers to close up shop.
Not to mention the damage to the bottom line of these companies which will impact shareholders right around the country.
I don’t think you truly understand how economically unsound this idea is.
Find a better way to deal with the duopoly.
#10- That does not automatically make them true.
#11- Religious interpretation comes in many flavours. I suspect that if Abbott were to treat your question seriously and answer in the negative, it will not hurt his chances in the eyes of an enlightened electorate.
#12-Again, you have no proof of this at all. I have not seen these rumours anywhere but this blog.
#13- Again, you have zero proof.
#14- Alright lets see what happens. Send a message to the GG asking her to do this right now.
We’ll see her response. You can post it here.
No need to wait for Labor to do it for you.
#15- No it won’t. They will have to pay more for their stock. It will make no difference to them.
And it will piss off every consumer in the country. This was Labor’s accusation against Abbott. Why would they then turn around and enact it?
16- He’s a Greens politician. You are aiming to gain votes from those choosing between the Coalition and Labor. These people are not the type to care about Bob Brown.
You will only earn the approval of those whose votes you already have.
In summary, I do not believe any of your suggestions will be of much help to Labor, and certainly not on the scale that is required.
At best you will be pitching to the converted. At worst you will drive votes away.
To Ethan Hunt,
You seem to me to be a Liberal voter, bent, like the Tea Party, on rubbishing everything I say. If you think I was advocating Tasmanians travel to Tasmania you are a moron or a troll.
Banned for life.
I
You said Tasmanians Bob. I don”t know what else I’m supposed to think. Feel free to clarify.
As for the rest, why are you so angry whenever anyone disagrees with you?
Surely you can tolerate a difference of opinion.
Consider it like going into a mosque and delivering a Christian sermon.
You can have your difference of opinion somewhere else.
Try Catallaxatives, or Bolt’s effluvia.
Fuck off Doug. This isn’t religion, it’s politics.
If you cannot handle a difference of opinion in an area that RELIES on difference of opinion to generate new ideas, then feel free to piss off to you favorite totalitarian regime. They brook no dissent either. You’ll be right at home.
Juddy is flitting around demanding that posters discuss or defend Liberal policy, so it’s only fair the same is done here with Bob’s ideas. Thoughtless agreement without discussion is utterly pointless.
Doug merely exposes himself as a mindless sycophant and an intellectual black hole with his attitude.
To Ethan,
Well then do it!!
Do it and start the conversation!
But fuck you if you think you boys can hit and run like a bunch of tizzy schoolgirls and then be allowed to stay.
Do it Ethan Hunt!
Start with Indo boat buyback, move into broadband, shift over to health and education, then we;ll finish off wherever you want.
Do give lip service - just do it.
Once has withdrawn, Jesse has clammed up, so its up to you.
Since this poster has been banned for life, his rubbish will soon be erased.
Freedom of speech does not require anyone to provide a platform upon which his critics and opponents may attack him.
Then why bother having ideas at all?
What is the point of having a bunch of yes-men like you Doug, who sit around and nod vapidly at every suggestion?
How do you get any honest feedback? How do you learn anything? How do you improve?
If you want to express ideas where no-one will disagree with them, You might as well simply stay at home and talk to yourself in front of a mirror.
(Maybe that explains where you got your ridiculous mirror schtick from.)
If you’re going to put your ideas online for wider scruitiny, accept that not everyone thinks the same way you do.
Well do it Ethan. Lets see what you’ve got.
No one here is frightened of ideas, what we are sick of, at least I am, is that Liberal supporters drop into bob’s, throw a few Tele headlines at us, and then fuck off without either debate, argument or further questions.
I call it cowardice and I’m fucking sick of it.
If I were Bob I’d cull Liberal who used this space as a soapbox.
Fuck them, they’ve got 4 million other places to do that.
So Ethan Hunt, how do you want to start this?
Posted below Judd, more room.
And yes Doug is quite scared of debate, by his own admission.
He wants a ALP hivemind buzzing with groupthink.
Sad really.
Tasmanians depend on tourism. Ten thousand more tourists will, by a multiplier effect, add in a year a billion dollars to their economy.
Got that?
All clear now?
‘and worse’ follows the word ‘seduction’ and precedes the words ‘of younger seminarians’.
its a minor point, but I’d like to point out that you don’t get to define what a ‘true catholic’ is Bob.
What is it?
‘true catholic’ implies one who knows, believes, and practices the teachings of that church.
not everything can be confined to definition; the dictionary is not a primer in philosophy
If only three are needed, well, these would be my picks for action -
On (5), I completely agree; in fact I suggested as much to Craig on the same night you and I shared a few words in passing. When you next speak with him, please urge him to proceed with this. Even if each party that I know that is defaming him decides to settle for $5,000 each, he will have enough to pay all his legal bills, and still have change.
On (10) - I suggest this matter is pursued by the Ashbygate Trust as part of the Ashbygate investigation.
On (12) and (13) - This issue, if true, will be devastating to the whole LNP campaign. He cannot play The Good Catholic card with the punters if he’s humping the drunk driver on the sly.
It’s not over yet.
And there are electorates out there that actually like Abbott for those Catholic values, so the LNP would be hoping that it isn’t true.
The problem with that list is that I fear we’d be hard up to get more than two of them actually done. Numbers 1 and 16 seem the most possible, and then only if we can get Bob Brown to agree with Rudd, which seems unlikely. He may even be a republican!
However I’ll chuck in a few recommendations that might work.
1. Ban bank transaction fees and cap superannuation fees on all accounts.
2. Cap utility bills to prevent rorting that has been occurring.
3. Announce HSR between Melbourne, Canberra Sydney and Brisbane to commence immediately and roll out over ten years. Use a component of unskilled refugees to build it with.
4. Ban foreign ownership of land except as part of a joint venture.
5. Reinstate the MRRT and place a moratorium on fracking.
6. Take the money from PPS schemes and put it into free dental services and ending hospital waiting lists for all.
All of these are populist some blatantly so, many will piss off Queenslanders and a few people in WA. The thing is that they’re calculated to win overwhelming support in every other Southern and Eastern State, and that is more than enough to win.
I remember as a kid in England, cars with loud speakers would drive around while the candidates inside the car would spruik their wares.
I propose that a fleet of cars around the country be filled with recorded sound bites from the likes of Abbott, Pyne, Hockey, Joyce and my personal favorite Abetz and driven around all day loudspeakering the local constituents to death.
The shrill hysterical voice of Pyne from one vehicle being followed by “does this guy ever shut up” behind him.
I mean some of that stuff from MK Ultra has got to have a use for the left. Turned Bradley Manning into wanting to become a big girl’s blouse, Pyne is half way there already.
Joe Hockey’s recorded voice “no I’ve had enough I couldn’t eat another bite”.
“shit happens, shit happens, shit happens” followed by another Tony Abbott car, a la John Cage, “seventy seconds of silence”.
I volunteer to drive as long as there are ear plugs provided, or tie me to the bonnet like Kirk Douglas in Jason and The Argonauts.
hilarious!
Jason and The Argonauts:
“Ulysses” but your post was very droll!
Leave Bob Ellis alone! In times like these we desperately need something to laugh at.
Banned for life.
Yes! Another tick on my bucket list!
You have my warmest congratulations.
Well done Bob. I suggest to just ramp it up a bit. It’s everyone for him or herself now. You know that.
We both know all your stuff is satire and always has been, okay (wink, wink)? There is always a post-election narrative and a paying future to be had - or ensured. The Gillard forces are gathering, the Super Volcano is rumbling louder every day and Shorten for one (your old pal) is on auto pilot - as you can see.
Who knows, we might (probably will) see what was denied to us until just AFTER the 2004 election day: a total psychological meltdown on national television of the ALP leader. I had a welcome break from having to watch the political dross today but when I saw the revue of the day and especially of THAT press conference, it was put down the glasses, unless something remedial is done – and quickly – or the only bets worth having is what actual day it happens.
Worst of all, as you KNOW all too well, the normally-supine press gallery is turning into a shark attack unit and until they all get a bite of the carcass the new bloodlust can’t be satisfied. SO “The Future” is all that counts. As I said, it’s everyone for him or her self from now on.
Dear idiot Once, I regularly send comments to Bolt critical of him or the Liberal party and these are never posted. Like the Murdoch cultists that he is Bolt doesn’t ban people he just doesn’t post anything thats critical of him, Murdoch or the Liberal party.
same here - i gave up, on a cost/benefit measure. i wasn’t interested to go troll:
I agree Andrew, and as a committed liberal voter, only one thing concerns me about Abbott ………..
I can’t understand why you or Dali can’t get posted on the Bolt blog. I suspect some others who post here DO get posted there. The problem is that his moderators are light on the ground and many dont get a run.
BUT there are plenty of political automatons who often get a run (many Regulars, in fact - mobys too actually) and for you to say you never get posted, it suggests to me that you never actually READ the posts that do get a run or you wouldn’t bother to write this at all.
That’s, unsurprisingly, a naive view.
Sure alternate voices are published by Bolt, but they are swamped and shouted down by Liberal dogma before you can say “Hayek was wrong”.
Rarely are the EXACT questions addressed, even more rare is the concession to a legit point. As I mentioned earlier to Once, its all about the language and the particular viewpoints. For example, people STILL refer to BER as a colossal waste and discount Orgill wholesale. Others spent exactly 20 posts shitting on Indo boat buyback but spent 650 posts attacking Rudd’s position on Education. Questions about broadband mire into inane technicalities and the real question of Liberal costs, STILL UNNAMED, fall away.
That is NOT debate, that is the careful, premeditated construction of an overarching narrative whose sole purpose is the fulfillment of the Liberal agenda. It happens on EVERY tabloid, every populist radio/tv and is exploited to the full by the likes of Laws and Jones who not only reject alternate views but actively abuse their contributors.
If I were Bob, I would do this: allow every Liberal poster the opportunity to argue/debate/explore an issue sensibly, maturely. At the first hint, the merest breath, of evasion or mantra, kick them out permanently. A full IP address ban. Nothing less.
Bob’s blog, aside from a few of the hosts more provocative idiosyncrasies, is a wonderful place for discussion.
Your CONTINUED presence here is proof of that.
So, when there is not enough dissent on Bolt’s blog for your taste its because Bolt bans dissent.
When there is dissent on Bolt’s blog its all part of some grand conspiracy to pretend that dissent is allowed. Which will some how win the election for the Liberals.
Sure.
Yes, Forums like Bolt’s, Jones, Laws, et al are specifically designed to allow for SOME dissenting voices so that they may be ridiculed thus confirming the (self fulfilling) attitudes of the listeners.
Its a tactic as old as propaganda itself.
Grow up once.
And it creates an environment of opinion that tends to colour EVERY topic.
For example: You expect me to believe that the BER was shite because Laws, Bolt and Jones said it was?!??!!
You buy that line?
Dont be scare to say so. Millions did.
And so now we have the consensus view that the BER was shit.
I can tell you FOR A FACT that the overwhelming majority of principals, teachers, parents and kids thought it a wonderful success.
So, who is right once?
Bolt, Jones and Laws, or my daughter and her teachers?
Sure.
At the risk of being ridiculed as a sycophant Judd that post is simply breath taking
Judd August 31, 2013 at 9:01 am
ditto
(syco no.2)
Awww gee fella’s
that’s awful nice of ya.
If there was a patch of dust about I’d be sure kick it around a bit.
midnight at the oasis - kick up a little dust… ?
Clyde Spitz
Mark Swimz
Bob Brown as GG is great idea. Either way we need a full scale war against Murdoch and his media. The aim of the war will be to destroy and eradicate every vestige of the Murdoch media in this country, forever.
Bob Brown as GG is probably a worse idea than P.Hollingsworth. Am all for a neutral person as GG or maybe a Bill Hayden/Paul Hasluck type. No ideologues in the GG role please.
Is John Howard an ideologue?
Yes he is and I wouldn’t want him in the role either.
better not vote Lib then
I wasn’t planning cobber
whoops ‘planning to’
not a fan of the free press, then?
Free of what? Is it free if one man can dictate its entire agenda?
The monopoly must be broken up.
Do we learn nothing from history?
I learnt that free speech is vital for the protection of democracy.
What did you learn?
simple: as it is now, speech is only free if you have enough money
there’s free and then there’s beserk; it’s a fine line, and it takes an octagenarian alien billionnaire to
walk itown it.Rudd could win the election by announcing in his campaign launch speech a free national childcare scheme. The best and simplest way to do it would be to say that every public primary school would provide free after-school childcare till 5.30 or 6.00pm. This would win all the at-risk seats in western Sydney and much more besides. It’s so obvious that I hope and believe it’s already in the speech. If it’s not, then the ALP are so effing stupid that they deserve to lose, and I will feel better about it when they do.
Costings Pat? Labor doesn’t need any more last minute poorly thought-out announcements. Talk up the great record of the last 6 years instead…
Yes, all those eighteen million people who hate, really hate, their new school halls.
Name one. Name three.
People may appreciate a school hall without appreciating:
1) That its construction was botched.
2) That it cost far more than it needed to.
3) That the debt to pay for it will mean higher taxes or reduced services down the track.
4) That principals who criticised the program were hounded for doing so.
5) The blatant politicisation of the opening functions for the halls (although this was apparently started by the Liberals).
Name three, cunt.
Just three people.
Who hate their own school halls.
Name two.
Don’t call me a cunt you sexist old drunk.
If you sober up read my post again and try to understand what I wrote.
I’ll give you a clue. Its written in the very first line of my post that you obviously did not or could not read.
Your first line is a distraction.
Answer the specific question:
name some people who think the BER shite.
Over the past few years I’ve found none.
How about you?
Well, I think they’ll need a bit more than the record to run on. And sure, he’d have to provide indicative costings and some idea of how it would be funded. The Libs could then either ignore it, in which case millions of working mothers would believe it and vote Labor; or the Libs would attack their costings and it would be the story of the rest of the campaign. Win-win.
then why is The Economist editorialising that “Mr Rudd gets our vote, largely because of Labor’s decent record,”
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/the-economist-backs-kevin-rudd-for-second-turn-20130830-2svda.html
I guess because the editor of The Economist isn’t overly influenced by the Murdoch Press. It’s a good record, but governments don’t get re-elected on what they’ve done, even if just about every achievement hasn’t been made into a double-edged sword. The only thing the govt can boast about without inviting an equal and opposite reaction is the NDIS, and Abbott’s defused that by making it bipartisan. Labor has to have something in the immediate future to talk about. Sadly, it probably is too late now for childcare. It would have been much more effective than the costings attack, which is confusing and is boring everyone shitless.
today’s confused and shitlessly bored will be the first to scream out “who the fuck put these people in power” when Costello does his audit (half done already) and the cuts to jobs services and programmes begin….
oh, but not the mothers on the sunlounge near the pool, texting their taxpayer funded nannies about their babies, all named George or Tony, with the odd Quentin thrown in.
The Economist should have some influence on Australian corporate business managers.
It is very noticeable that so little attention is paid by Australian media to the Economist story so far.
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21584343-kevin-rudd-just-about-deserves-second-turn-lucky-no-more/print
At least the Age did one.
Any hope that this would be a policy-based election sputtered out
- when Wendy Deng and Steely Dan walked out on the Old Man of the Mountain;
- when Michael Kroger began rowing his boat ashore up Janet Creek;
- when Diva Gina dropped 5 sacks crammed with dollars from her private jet into Andrew Bolt’s swimming pool;
Since then, the Labor party have been constantly photoshopped into a vermin tribe of traitors who have gnawed at the social and economic foundations of the white master race that once had at its head, the relaxed and comfortable, ghost of the fifties John Howard and his bride Loretta Young.
So, who will even care that The Economist ,whose natural home has always been the Liberal-National coalition, has thrown its support behind Kevin Rudd, declaring that the Labor Party’s “decent record” in recent years makes it the best party to face the challenges of the future.
In an editorial due to be published on Saturday it acknowledges that it has broken with tradition and endorsed Mr Rudd, although “the choice for voters, frankly, is not great”.
“The choice between a man with a defective manifesto and one with a defective personality is not appealing—but Mr Rudd gets our vote, largely because of Labor’s decent record.” With deficits approaching, “his numbers look more likely to add up than Mr Abbott’s”, The Economist says.
Aside from that, it has a reasonable record, the editorial says, pointing to Labor’s management of the economy and introduction of popular social programs including the national disability insurance scheme and the national broadband network.
Tony Abbott “does not seem an instinctive fan of markets”, the editorial says, and had not explained how he would pay for a federal scheme for paid parental leave, one of the few key policies he has announced.
“His social conservatism does not appeal to us: he opposes gay marriage and supports populist measures against Afghans, Sri Lankans, Vietnamese and others who have attempted to get from Indonesia into Australia in rickety craft that have drowned thousands in recent years. Indeed his promise to ‘turn back the boats’ seems to be his only foreign policy,”
top post, informative.
Alright Judd, here you go.
I have no verdict on the buyback plan as I have yet to see detail. I can understand the goal is to remove the temptation of these fishermen selling their boats to the people smugglers and its a nice goal in theory.
But you have to get the economics spot on to ensure there’s no possibility of rorting (or that it doesn’t end up being a complete waste of cash). We shall see what happens.
Broadband, I think has been massively overblown. Labor’s plan is behind schedule and over budget. And I look at my situation (24 megabit ADSL2+) and ask myself why I would want that connection ripped up to give me something I dont need, on a more expensive plan.
Many people in the cities would be in similar situations. We’re well serviced already by the major telcos. The bush needs better connections to be sure, but I think the one size fits all model that the ALP advocate is flawed. Their original 2007 plan of a $4.7 billion FTTN setup was a much more efficient plan. You can fill in the gaps as the need suits.
The Coalition plan is closer to that original plan I believe.
There’s not any major differences on health or education to be discussed as far as I know. Both sides want the same thing. There may be differences on overall funding levels, which are an unfortunate side effect of having to balance the budget- I would point out that these things certainly should be prioritised over other types of spending- including PPL.
PPL should be abolished- Everywhere. That especially includes the taxpayer funded public service which already has the generous terms of Abbott’s PPL plan. Imagine the savings.
If you want a kid, pay for it yourself.
Now put your money where your mouth is. Liberal policy has been discussed. Now let’s discuss Bob’s.
Unless of course your only motivation is scruitiny of the opposition’s policies and no examination of those from your own side…
But someone as interested in policy discussion as you wouldn’t be engaging in such childish misdirection tactics would they?
So hop to it. Tell me what you think of Bob’s 16 ideas.
Fuck Bob’s sixteen points. I’m interested in them only as polemic. Some are good, others I’m indifferent to.
What I’m interested in are your arguments.
“I have no verdict on the buyback plan as I have yet to see detail. I can understand the goal is to remove the temptation of these fishermen selling their boats to the people smugglers and its a nice goal in theory.”
You should have a verdict on the boat buyback because it forms a central plank of the Libs asylum seeker policy.
It is a disaster. Find me one sensible commentator who supports this act of economic/policy madness. The less said about it the better.
Platitudes about “theory” are useless. Unless you were one of those who thought that every one of Labor’s ideas were wonderful, in “theory”.
“Broadband, I think has been massively overblown. Labor’s plan is behind schedule and over budget. And I look at my situation (24 megabit ADSL2+) and ask myself why I would want that connection ripped up to give me something I dont need, on a more expensive plan.”
NBN Broadband is, after the BER, my most favoured policy/initiative of the last few years.
I’ll say this as succinctly as possible: Ultra fast broadband IS the future. Full stop. There is as much point arguing over the benefits of it as there was arguing over the advantages of electricity to gaslight, of cars to horses. Let’s put that aside and spare any Liberal Luddites their blushes.
Specifically to the question of money: tell me how this sounds to you - The Liberals have promised to “demolish” the NBN, which costs 3/4 as much as the NBN, will need prohibitively expensive ongoing maintenance, and will be inadequate within 5-10 years and which WILL NEED upgrading BEFORE it is even finished?!
How’s that Ethan? Sound like a plan to you? Ask Malcolm.
By its very nature it will outcost the NBN.
Find me a credible commentator to refute that point.
“There’s not any major differences on health or education to be discussed as far as I know.”
Yes, it appears the Liberals have pinched several of Labor’s policies - Dental and mental health immediately come mind. Well done guys!
In education however the Liberals have revealed themselves as class warriors par excellence.
The removal of the School kids Bonus is a nightmare for families, single parents, and for kids/schools. It is a step backwards in both social and education policy. I think there are about a million or so families eligible and on average the loss will equate to about $900 a year. I personally can’t see the justification for it.
Labor also has in place about 14billion over the next 4-5 years earmarked for the Education portfolio. The Liberals have given no such undertaking.
“PPL should be abolished- Everywhere. That especially includes the taxpayer funded public service which already has the generous terms of Abbott’s PPL plan. Imagine the savings.”
I agree with you here. It is a preposterous scheme. I took great joy last month in watching Abbott tie himself in a wicked knot when he said, in a (sic) quote from Lincoln that “It’s important to be sure that government is doing only those things that people can’t do for themselves.”
And this coming from a guy who wants to give women $75 grand to have children?!!?
You see Ethan, this is one place where Bob and I differ; he thinks Abbott a clever, thoughtful and decent guy. I think he’s a deeply conflicted, inarticulate, insensitive backroom political brawler fit only for the kinds of smarmy brutal dealings caricatured in Yes Minister.
“Now put your money where your mouth is. Liberal policy has been discussed.”
No it hasn’t. It been glossed over by 2 casual observers who have neither the time nor the knowledge to sufficiently expose the full horror that the coming years will bring.
Waffle, waffle, waffle and more waffle.
Erase it Bob, before it spreads.
You’re an intellectual lightweight and coward Doug.
Maybe he is suggesting Bob’s post is waffle.
If Bob announces that you are banned for life I expect two things to happen :
1) You will fuck off and not come back;
2) You will be erased.
There is no point engaging in that case.
Clearly neither has happened, and it seems that you are to be engaged.
Now, what is the main thrust of your intellectual argument?
Enlighten us with your perspicacity and erudition.
You’ll have to take a number Doug. Im still waiting to hear the ‘economic advantages’ of Fraudband.
we could be here for quite some time.
Strangely enough, fluffy white pooch is attacking my ankles on another thread, seeking to defend the burqa, of all things. He actually thinks it will support democracy, pluralism and individual freedoms to allow Muslims to oppress their own people (ie women) in the name of religious freedom (oops, no racism apparently, though WTF race a Muslim is is beyond me. I can convert tomorrow and anyone then denying my right to have my womenfolk wear a burqa is then ipso facto a racist!!!)
Sona si latine loqueris
honkus honkus
http://techau.com.au/turnbull-finally-admits-his-nbn-upload-speed-will-be-4-6mbps/
Sorry, should have said it’s worth reading the comments under this article
Thanks for the link Kris.
Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have Ethan address the issues that we’ve raised on this subject.
What should we do whilst we wait?
Read ‘War and Peace’ slowly?
We could do shifts for the wait. I’ll take over when I’m home from clubbing, OK?
Ok, I’ll keep spinning the turntables till u return.
On the decks tonight we have some new hernan cattaneo, Dave seaman, nick warren. But we’ll kick off with a blast from the past, back to 1998 and Sasha’s amazing lush mix ‘San Fransisco’ cd2.
Enjoy.
See you at 6am.
DQ, are you actually conversing with this troll…?
Zakly - we need DQ’s insight and yours; don’t do the trolls’ work for them - ignore taunts and goads
Bob, you can accomplish 10 through to 13 yourself within the same day.
Bob’s 16 steps to victory are obviously carefully considered and unless adopted immediately by the Labor Party strategists questions must be asked about their motives. Perhaps there is a deliberate plan to lose this election in order to be rid of Mr Rudd forever.
Suggestion (1) is pretty bad. I don’t know if it would win the election but keen as I am to see Abbott lose I don’t think it would be worth it.
The ALP heroically lost in 1966 but in doing so established ALP dominance over the Australian political agenda for a generation. Imagine if they had supported the war as the half-smart shortens of the day advised….
Another way Labor can win is by telling the truth about who is poor and who is rich in Australia, and then by proposing to tax the rich harder and to stand four-square beside the poor, even against the interests of many of Labor’s own most visible supporters
Take this Australia Insititute discussion of the health insurance tax surcharge
Hockey’s claim about who is rich and who is poor:
“Now, the thing about private health insurance is it’s lower income people that work really hard to hang onto their private health insurance, because it gives them choice and it gives them a sense of security about their healthcare. And they’ve been punished by a lot of changes that Labor has made.” Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey.
The Australia Institute’s fact check concludes:
“The Australian Tax Office publishes taxation statistics showing that 85 per cent of individuals who submitted returns had a taxable income of less than $80,000 in 2010-11, the latest year available. Since only 15 per cent earned more than $80,000 and so it is unlikely that many more would have earned $84,000 by 2012-13.
“The median taxable income in 2010-11 was $49,100.
” ‘Low income’ is a vague concept, but it is clear from the tax office figures that the means test on the PHI rebate and Medicare levy surcharge puts the changes well beyond any reasonable definition of low income earner.”
To which I add:
One of the reasons ‘low income’ is a vague concept is that Labor doesn’t have the guts to tell the truth and name the rich (and many of its supporters have a personal interest in hiding from the truth)
All very well fluffy, but the immediate howls of “Labor is playing the class warfare card” and the like drown out any such attempt at information.
The electorate have been brainwashed by the “Aspirational” bullshit of the conservatives for the last thirty years, to such an extent that even Labor MPs seem to subscribe to it.
The progressive side of politics need to do a much better job of educating the electorate and the forthcoming electorate, and I think we need to play a long game here. Re-education won’t happen overnight.
At the moment, we need to keep up morale and trust that enough of the electorate retain a grasp of objective reality rather than the propaganda from the feral media and the conservative spin doctors.