Talking Politics

[Panthera Tigris]

Yes, not much has changed.

Fraser was probably prepared to take them, because it was the Libs that had sent the troops over there.

On a light hearted note. I've heard that apparently Nguyễn has actually been one of the most common surnames on the Liberal Party membership roll in a number of branches throughout south western Sydney and parts of Melbourne due to this historical connection. A lot of South Vietnamese flags still fly around North Richmond, Footscray, Springvale - and in the case of Sydney - Cabramatta, Liverpool area.

 

[AngryAnt]

And no-one can doubt the massive contribution that those Vietnamese refugees have made to Australia in terms of business and many other ways. Like pho

 

[DavidSSS]

No worries Spook. Like I say, I'm moderately conservative socially (while centre left on economics and environment). So I can see pulls from both sides of the spectrum that are working in unison to tear at the fabric of our civil society. Hence why I'm struggling to place my house of reps vote. I line up with no party. And I will vote for micro-parties and independents in the Senate, while spreading my vote all over the place after that, based on the particular candidate, rather than on party lines.

Just make sure you number preferences down as far as it takes to get some candidates elected. You don't want to waste your vote. In the end you often end up having to choose between the major parties and whoever is likely to be still in the race when it gets to the last senate seat in each state and that may be where your vote really counts. I might not like the Libs but I understand proportional representation and make sure I preference at least as far as the Libs so if it comes down to a Lib or One Nation getting the last seat my vote is still there being counted.

In the lower house, remember that your vote goes through at full value unless your choice is there at the end. You can protest vote for a candidate with preferential voting and not waste your vote.

Oh, and vote mid afternoon, much quicker - I used to be a poll clerk when I was a uni student.

DS

 

[Panthera Tigris]

Just make sure you number preferences down as far as it takes to get some candidates elected. You don't want to waste your vote. In the end you often end up having to choose between the major parties and whoever is likely to be still in the race when it gets to the last senate seat in each state and that may be where your vote really counts. I might not like the Libs but I understand proportional representation and make sure I preference at least as far as the Libs so if it comes down to a Lib or One Nation getting the last seat my vote is still there being counted.

In the lower house, remember that your vote goes through at full value unless your choice is there at the end. You can protest vote for a candidate with preferential voting and not waste your vote.

Oh, and vote mid afternoon, much quicker - I used to be a poll clerk when I was a uni student.

DS

Yes, I've worked as a polling clerk too. Actually really enjoyed it, as I was a politics/election nerd in school.

My preferences after my favoured micro-parties and independents will be split between Lib, National and ALP politicians who I actually like on a personal level. I actually know a couple of them personally, who are reasonable, pragmatic people. Others on their ticket just into divisive, partisan rubbish. The latter obviously being placed down with the idiots we mentioned earlier.

 

[Baloo]

So Palmer's party has anti-vaxers but they decided to kick out a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. I know which of those two is the the biggest risk to kids and society.

 

[AngryAnt]

So Palmer's party has anti-vaxers but they decided to kick out a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. I know which of those two is the the biggest risk to kids and society.

9/11 conspiracy nuts are nuts but harmless nuts usually, so agree.

 

[jb03]

So Palmer's party has anti-vaxers but they decided to kick out a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. I know which of those two is the the biggest risk to kids and society.

Fair call that. Is there any straight out anti-vax party hiding under a seemingly friendly name? As they will be last on my ballot (yes, even behind Palmer and Bernardi).

 

[Brodders17]

Fair call that. Is there any straight out anti-vax party hiding under a seemingly friendly name? As they will be last on my ballot (yes, even behind Palmer and Bernardi).

im pretty sure there is a 'health' party or something similar.

 

[easy_tiger]

Fair call that. Is there any straight out anti-vax party hiding under a seemingly friendly name? As they will be last on my ballot (yes, even behind Palmer and Bernardi).

All anti-vaxers do is condemn their own kids to whooping cough.

Palmer condemns workers to poverty and Bernadi condemns everyone

Id rather a vegan anti-vaxer with blonde dreadlocks as PM, than Bernardi or Palmer with even a seat at the table.

they are both complete *smile*.

 

[22nd Man]

Lets not forget The Nationals have pretty much killed The Murray River.

I am very much in favour of explicit environment issues like this ....why we have rice farming at all in Australia is beyond me. 2.5 billion people who live on the stuff grow enough to feed themselves and export it to ocassionall eaters like us. Pakistani basmati over Aussie sun long any day of the week.
Don't start me on cotton farming in near arid climates.
Land clearing that is putting koalas on endangered lists in large parts of qld and Nsw.
To me these are things we can influence for our own benefit.

 

[22nd Man]

Yes i've read a few papers that Thomson has written on the subject. And some of the academic articles he references to. I tend to agree with him on a lot of his platform.

If some names like Thomson and *smile* Smith actually ran as candidates under the SAP banner, their name appeal might bring across enough votes to kick start the party. However, they might feel at their age that their time has past. And be happier to stay in the background as advisors and/or financial backers.

I had drafted something like that about Smith then deleted it ...he Is over 75 now ... and whilst he did well from business I suspect he hasn't got palmers resources to fund a party solo. But as an ideas man and long term perspective he would stand out like a beacon in the parliament of today.

 

[22nd Man]

It is a fallacy that they all have union backgrounds. According to below only around a 1/3 do from recent statistics. It is actually the LNP that has more MP's that were political staffers or party officials. See below.

https://theconversation.com/factcheck-qanda-have-90-of-labor-mps-worked-in-trade-unions-104226

That is also bad. Never used to be the liberal way. And has definitely contributed to their shortcomings today. So a pox on anyone who has only ever worked in the political system and then goes into parliament (and I don't count working in a bar while doing a law degree a working class experience)

 

[22nd Man]

Agree, PT. The whole system is *smile*ed. My first preference at the last several elections has gone to the Reason Australia Party (formerly Sex Party, Fiona Patten's mob). I actually voted yesterday, and numbered all 82 senate boxes. It was damn hard trying to decide who to put last out of Pauline Hanson's Ignorant Racist Party, Corey Bernardi's Malicious Xenophobes, Fraser Anning's Fascist *smile*wits, or Clive Palmer's Divide Australia And Don't Pay Your Workers Criminal Swindle.
Oh, 22. Lazy and inaccurate, friend. Shorten's colleagues are the ones who put him in the leadership after party members voted for Albanese, and have been rock solid behind him for six years. They're not dumb enough to lose all that credibility by trying to roll him in office. I'm with DS, he'll be a better PM than Opposition leader.

Your union faction statement is tired, cliched and outdated. Plibersek was never a union official. Her talent was seen early and she was elected at 28. She has more than proved herself a capable and forward-looking legislator. Ditto Penny Wong, who notwithstanding her earlier career as a lawyer, is a deadset star and will be a huge asset as Foreign Minister. I could go on. Bowen, Albanese, Burke, Chalmers, Rowland, and more. Talented, capable people, many of whom were part of the last ALP government, which took over an economy ranked 9th in the world, took it to 3rd the next year despite the GFC, then 1st in 4 of the next 5 years, which it was when the true Libtards took over in 2013. Last year we were ranked 21st thanks to the absolute hacks and clowns of the LNP.

As STC says, name anyone of talent in the Coalition. Morrison knows the cupboard is bare, that's why he's trying to run a presidential campaign, barely mentioning his colleagues or party.

The Tories are not only useless, they're nasty, arrogant and out of touch. They need their heads kicked in. Politically.

Plibersek was born in Sydney to Slovenian immigrant parents. She has degrees from the University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University, and before entering parliament worked as a staffer for Senator Bruce Childs

Not a union official but a political animal from the day she enrolled at UTS. I do however think she has a lot of credibility... And is a great asset for the ALP. But talent doesn't preclude one from calling in favours once the election is won. I didn't say they will roll Shorten just that they will manipulate him..as you say the talent is way more smart than two kill Bill.

My old man was as working class as they came but had a strong preference for the right of poltics yet he said John Button was the best minister we ever had. PS he had dealings with Shirtens old man and his observations of him make it easy to understand why bill chooses to use his mother as a campaign weapon.

 

[22nd Man]

Assuming Labor wins (as being touted) will there be a change of policy re Dusty's Dad?

Do we know what Labour's stance on this is?

Would help Dusty's footy IMHO if Mr Martin was allowed back in.

(apologies if this has already been discussed here previously).

They are aiming for 200000 extra on family reunions so Mr Dusty might be a chance.

 

[22nd Man]

On a light hearted note. I've heard that apparently Nguyễn has actually been one of the most common surnames on the Liberal Party membership roll in a number of branches throughout south western Sydney and parts of Melbourne due to this historical connection. A lot of South Vietnamese flags still fly around North Richmond, Footscray, Springvale - and in the case of Sydney - Cabramatta, Liverpool area.

But none of those areas return Liberal parliamentarians...

 

[22nd Man]

Just make sure you number preferences down as far as it takes to get some candidates elected. You don't want to waste your vote. In the end you often end up having to choose between the major parties and whoever is likely to be still in the race when it gets to the last senate seat in each state and that may be where your vote really counts. I might not like the Libs but I understand proportional representation and make sure I preference at least as far as the Libs so if it comes down to a Lib or One Nation getting the last seat my vote is still there being counted.

In the lower house, remember that your vote goes through at full value unless your choice is there at the end. You can protest vote for a candidate with preferential voting and not waste your vote.

Oh, and vote mid afternoon, much quicker - I used to be a poll clerk when I was a uni student.

DS

I worked in a booth for 4 or 5 elections ..same booth and a lot of the same staff...amazing how much you got to know Them despite seeing them once every 2 years ..we had more frequent elections back then.

 

[22nd Man]

All anti-vaxers do is condemn their own kids to whooping cough.

Palmer condemns workers to poverty and Bernadi condemns everyone

My limited knowledge of vaccination is that it is sort of one in all in. For every person not vaccinated the risk to all is increased. So we cannot just sit back with immunity and watch Brunswick and Nirth Fitzroy succumb to a plague of measles.
Bernardo can't hurt me. But I don't think I can dodge hep B or whatever the bad one is.
short of Clive sitting on me I am pretty confident he won't be of any more than nuisance value.

 

[22nd Man]

Fair to say, I'm right of you socially, although I agree with much of what you say on "Pauline Hanson's Ignorant Racist Party, Corey Bernardi's Malicious Xenophobes, Fraser Anning's Fascist *smile*wits, or Clive Palmer's Divide Australia And Don't Pay Your Workers Criminal Swindle." That said, left-wing cultural marxist candidates in the Greens (and any from the ALP-left faction engaging in similar) will be placed in the same mix as the above right wing *smile* whits on my ballot.

You'd probably disagree with me, but of any of the more conservative parties, I've actually started preferencing the Democratic Labour Party quite highly in recent years (although they don't have that much of a presence in my state - very Victorian centric it seems). Admittedly they are a bit further to the right than me (and dogmatically so) on a couple of social issues (abortion, euthanasia). But if one is to look at their overall policy platform outside of these couple of issues, it's actually not too bad. They do care about the welfare of people, but from a more socially conservative perspective. I actually didn't mind listening to some of what Senator John Madigan and their Vic state MP, Rachel Carling-Jenkins had to say. Sure they are devout Christian people (most commonly, Catholic), but their conservatism certainly doesn't come from a place of malice, like that of the others you mention. Their membership base is actually very diverse ethnically, if the pool of volunteers I've seen is any indication.

The good old DLP... "Show Clyde he can't be trusted vote DLP." That jingle still rings in my ears from before I could vote. That being the DLP v ALP

Some great people I know were DLP to the core...Catholic, ultra conservative socially, union officials (dare I mention factions and Vic safe seat carve ups to spread the talent) and economic near socialists.

But the DLP split was a big factor in keeping Labour out of power for two decades federally and in Vic.

Trouble with Madigan despite being the sole DLP senator he resigned from the party...who was he in dispute with ...his own shadow?
And didn't cArling Jenkins jump ship to Bernardis set up?

These minor party types have no stickability.

 

[jb03]

All anti-vaxers do is condemn their own kids to whooping cough.

Palmer condemns workers to poverty and Bernadi condemns everyone

Id rather a vegan anti-vaxer with blonde dreadlocks as PM, than Bernardi or Palmer with even a seat at the table.

they are both complete *smile*s.

Hmmmm dunno. Palmer and Bernardi are buffoons but antii vaxers are outright dangerous.

On the anti vax topic, terrific episode of VEEP this week where anti vax has a large impact on the plot

My limited knowledge of vaccination is that it is sort of one in all in. For every person not vaccinated the risk to all is increased. So we cannot just sit back with immunity and watch Brunswick and Nirth Fitzroy succumb to a plague of measles.
Bernardo can't hurt me. But I don't think I can dodge hep B or whatever the bad one is.
short of Clive sitting on me I am pretty confident he won't be of any more than nuisance value.

Agree with that 22

 

[joegarra]

Vaccinations save lives , fact. Arguing against that is like saying 1 plus 1 isn't 2! As for Rachel Carling-Jenkins, I have so many stories from the last state election when we were both candidates for Werribee. Most I can only tell privately