Australian Politics thread [merged]

[Smokey]

Not half as disgusting as allowing thousands of people to drown by inviting queue-jumping immigrants to sail illegally to our country.

It's not illegal to seek asylum and if people are desperate enough they will choose to risk their lives for a chance of a better life. I'd guess it's easy for some Aussies to demonise others around the world when we're fortunately born into and living in a first world nation and can turn a blind eye to 90% of the rest of the world that isn't . Hate the people smugglers by all means that peddle lies and false promises to these people for $$$ but it's laughable a lot of Aussies blame, hate and are afraid of desperate people, often families, on rickety barely-seaworthy fishing boats who make up up to around just 7% of our total immigration intake (even when they are "flooding" in). It's so much about "border security" that our pollies on both sides waited years before trying to stop thousands of boat people arrivals until conveniently doing so just prior to an election when they were well behind in polls and needed a political circuit breaker . It's also so much about "border security" that the vast majority of these boat people have been eventually allowed into Australia as opposed to say arrivals via plane where the majority are found to be illegals. If there wasn't any political mileage from the boat people issue, the pollies wouldn't care. In time, future generations will look back on this period in Australian history with shame.

The great irony is cutting back significantly on foreign aid is more likely a genuine border security issue, at least in the mid-to-long-term, as one of major purposes of foreign aid is to help create and preserve stability and promote progress and development in third world nations so they don't regress into lawless rogue states that would pose a real direct threat to Australia and our interests.

Except the overwhelming majority aren't refugees MT, they're illegal immigrants.  I have all the empathy in the world for genuine refugees and believe we should do all in our power to support and protect them if they come to us for help but I can't buy into the premise that a person who has the means to leave their own country with their whole family and pass through numerous other countries that could and legally/visibly do offer the same sanctuary as ours but instead continue on regardless to our shores is in fact a genuine refugee.  I think the do-gooding nature of our country as a whole is being exploited to a great extent by people who have the means to pay for passage and are singularly selective about their destination.  They are queue jumpers, not refugees, and we need to accept that fact in order to apply the correct method of dealing with them.  Come to our country by all means but don't hide behind the skirts of genuine refugees and don't ruin the protection we provide to those who really need it.  And if you think that cutting back on foreign aid exposes us to increased border security threats then you would have felt right at home in the days of the domino theory - 'let's fight the reds in Vietnam to stop them getting here'.

[WilliamPowell]

Anyway what's everyone predicting in terms of seats?

Lib/Nats 92
ALP 58 (being generous)

Rudd to lose his seat

Shorten to take over as leader

Minor parties to have control of senate

Another election in 12 months

 

[Hellenic Tiger]

Here's my prediction.
Lib/Nats 102
Labor 47
Greens 1

After early counting its not just a landslide the whole Rudd ALP mountain crashing into the sea.

[tiger101]

If they had split the room it would havent been an issue but they are using one third of the room to service 2 electorates

Not good enough

AEC staff being clueless doesn't help

AEC Bloke says to me "where do you live in Altona Meadows?" I said "I'm in the Gellibrand electorate mate, no need to ask" his reply was "no your street what's the name of your street?"

Said "no need mate, I am in the Gellibrand Electorate can I please just go to get my name marked off and vote please?"

He said "No you have to tell me you street"

What the? Errr no I don't.

Clueless and he's getting paid good tax free dollars to be a moron today 

Isn;t your address along side your name in their book. I didn't really pay attention and look this morning. Are you sure they aren't allowed to ask for your address incase their is 2 people with the same name,

Not talking about going to the table and getting your name marked off, have to confirm your address sometimes no problem with that

I am talking about the moron at the door, who questioned ever person as they walked in to determine if they had to go the Lalor queue. He's job was to help people who were unsure not ask every single person what their street was. I know what bloody electorate I am in dont need this moron wasting my time

My misunderstanding. I agree he sounds like a complete moron. They are there to help when asked upon.

[Chuck17]

Well the darkest days of Australian politics is ending tonight

Well done Tony, the great white hope of Australia politics

[🏅Dooks]

Well the darkest days of Australian politics is ending tonight

Well done Tony, the great white hope of Australia politics

Ha you reckon the darkest days are over? The guy is a moron just like Rudd, minus about 30 IQ points.

One term Tony

[Chuck17]

He is the Messaih

[WilliamPowell]

Looking forward to the sooking in 12-18 months when people aren't happy with some of the cuts they make or when we have to go back to the polls because Tony calls for a double dissolution because he refuses to accept the Australian publics decision regarding the senate

However, they will get a 2nd term easily. But they wont control the senate

[🏅Dooks]

He is the Messaih

Fingerpaints in brown only. He is fooled

[dwaino]

RIP secular Australia 

[mightytiges]

88 to 57 is the current prediction with two still doubtful. On the cross benches, Clive Palmer is likely to win his seat while Bandt, Wilkie and Katter are back.

A convincing win to the Coalition but it could have been a lot lot worse for Labor.

Looking forward to the sooking in 12-18 months when people aren't happy with some of the cuts they make or when we have to go back to the polls because Tony calls for a double dissolution because he refuses to accept the Australian publics decision regarding the senate

However, they will get a 2nd term easily. But they wont control the senate

We all know how it works. The new Government comes in and we get the usual "oh the situation is worse than what the previous Government had said it was so we'll can't do everything we promised yet but don't blame us, blame the previous Government".

As for the Senate, the numbers are saying the Coalition can get control of the Senate after July 2014 by doing deals with non-Green minority parties such as Clive Palmer's party (Former NRL champion Glenn Lazarus), Nick Xenophon and the DLP senator John Madigan.

[mightytiges]

Not half as disgusting as allowing thousands of people to drown by inviting queue-jumping immigrants to sail illegally to our country.

It's not illegal to seek asylum and if people are desperate enough they will choose to risk their lives for a chance of a better life. I'd guess it's easy for some Aussies to demonise others around the world when we're fortunately born into and living in a first world nation and can turn a blind eye to 90% of the rest of the world that isn't . Hate the people smugglers by all means that peddle lies and false promises to these people for $$$ but it's laughable a lot of Aussies blame, hate and are afraid of desperate people, often families, on rickety barely-seaworthy fishing boats who make up up to around just 7% of our total immigration intake (even when they are "flooding" in). It's so much about "border security" that our pollies on both sides waited years before trying to stop thousands of boat people arrivals until conveniently doing so just prior to an election when they were well behind in polls and needed a political circuit breaker . It's also so much about "border security" that the vast majority of these boat people have been eventually allowed into Australia as opposed to say arrivals via plane where the majority are found to be illegals. If there wasn't any political mileage from the boat people issue, the pollies wouldn't care. In time, future generations will look back on this period in Australian history with shame.

The great irony is cutting back significantly on foreign aid is more likely a genuine border security issue, at least in the mid-to-long-term, as one of major purposes of foreign aid is to help create and preserve stability and promote progress and development in third world nations so they don't regress into lawless rogue states that would pose a real direct threat to Australia and our interests.

Except the overwhelming majority aren't refugees MT, they're illegal immigrants.  I have all the empathy in the world for genuine refugees and believe we should do all in our power to support and protect them if they come to us for help but I can't buy into the premise that a person who has the means to leave their own country with their whole family and pass through numerous other countries that could and legally/visibly do offer the same sanctuary as ours but instead continue on regardless to our shores is in fact a genuine refugee.  I think the do-gooding nature of our country as a whole is being exploited to a great extent by people who have the means to pay for passage and are singularly selective about their destination.  They are queue jumpers, not refugees, and we need to accept that fact in order to apply the correct method of dealing with them.  Come to our country by all means but don't hide behind the skirts of genuine refugees and don't ruin the protection we provide to those who really need it.  And if you think that cutting back on foreign aid exposes us to increased border security threats then you would have felt right at home in the days of the domino theory - 'let's fight the reds in Vietnam to stop them getting here'.

[1965]

Thought you might all like to see who will be running the country from now on

[tiger101]

65 you need to accept your a one eyed ALP supporter and majority of the country didn't agree that Gillard and Rudd was great prime ministers.

[1965]

65 you need to accept your you're a one eyed ALP supporter and majority of the country didn't agree that Gillard and Rudd was  were great prime ministers.

I'll just tidy up your grammar and...

Not pro Labor but Anti Abbott and Rudd and Gillard were both good Prime Ministers.

It was the combination of them both wanting the top job that killed Labor.

Disunity is death.

Will watch with great amusement when Tony has to navigate a Senate where the Loonies have control.