What has Happened to Australia??

So here we are, we have had quite a good time throughout the Howard years but thats fading now.

I'm a swinging voter and take an avid interest in politics generally. However with the latest Government in power there just seems to be no brainpower at all driving the policy decisions being made.

Of course with a lack of thought comes an awful lot of our money being wasted,so much so that the only policy that this government will dig its heels in on is TAX.

Carbon Tax, alchopops tax (which never worked) but of course will never be repealed. Home Insulation anyone??? its ok its only 1.2 billion wasted there.

How about some digital boxes anyone???? its ok because we won't have to release numbers on that untill the next finacial year and by then we will dazzle the voters with another epic policy disaster.

Look I cant staqnd Tony Abbott he is like a Christian Brother through and through but we are about to see America fall there is no doubt about that now. So we will loose the super power protction it has always afforded us.

As well with America's collaspe comes major economic turbulence the likes of which most people haven't seen before. Although Tony Abbott is not my favourite person I am sure he is surrounded by good financial managers.

In the end Australia needs to get away from personality politics, does it really matter if the guy or girl looks terrible, annoys you with their voice or rubs you the wrong way??? Its about putting someone there who can do the best job for Australia. Its pretty clear to me that if we continue with this current government we are heading for a lot of trouble, anyway thats my thoughts, I would like to hear yours.

 

Good day mate and welcome,
although I agree that the current government has done many mistakes, I do believe that the dark times began with John Howard.
In an era, where we earned (*)(*)(*)(*)loads of money not through the Liberals being in power, but only due to the China economy boom well feeding us.
During that time nothing was done to propell us into a positive, substainable future.
Since the mid 90ties, aggresion and violence are on the forefront like never before in our beautiful country. Prisons have long reached full capacity, and not by our late immigrants. Nothing was and nothing is done to conquer this problem.
Many people have become very selfcentered, and in todays downunder I do certainly miss some values.
The US might go down the drain, and who knows who else.
The war on terror cannot be won, as we do everything not to understand the source of the problem. We only follow the leader, no questions asked.
There will come a time and we have to pay for all that...
As we are dealing a lot with international visitors, it looks like the negativity is taking over the world. Its not only an Aussie problem.
I can see a positive future, but it needs politician to make tough and at the same time clever decisions to deliver a bright and autonomous future.
Autonomous not only energy wise, but in an intelletually context as well.
Abbotts has (IMHO) no way near the brain capacity to do so, and Gillard is not much better, but better she is.
Unfortunately Labor appears to be a bunch of people, who really don't follow an idea through. Roof insulation was and is a very good initiative, but poorly accomplished.
You are right there, money is less well looked after under Labor then under the Libs.
But as natural disasters are more and more reminding us that we might have to change course on a bigger scale, the political future will and has to change anyway to come up with solutions.
The Libs don't have answers, nor do they want to have them. So here we go, who should lead our nation?
Kind regards m2catter

 

Gentlemen

I'm afraid all the good and positive points you mention will never happen.

Our politicians are too busy trying to make the other guy look bad instead of talking about what really is good for the country and the people of Australia.

When was the last time an opposition stood up and said to the government of the day, this policy is good for the people of Australia and we will support it.

Even if the government of the day comes up with something good the opposition will always oppose it regardles of whether it is for the common good.

Our politicians have become well paid jesters with only one interest surviving the next election and filling their pockets.

Not one of them is worthy to be in the position they are holding.

Since they spend billions of dollars on financial managers and what not, that means average Australians could also do the job.

I recon we should get rid of all the moguel businessmen and women, all the doctors and lawyers and bring back average Australians in our parliaments.

That way they will not be passing down taxes willy nilly because they would now how it will affect the general population.

Someone should ask Julia Gilliard or Tony Abbot how much bread and milk cost these days.

I would bet my bottom dollar they wouldn't have a clue.

 

M2Catter i like some of your comments but it seems to me that maybe your thoughts are heavily influenced by the party system

DumbandDumber I like your thoughts on more Average Aussie's in parliment for sure. I think the legal fraternity has a lot to answer for in this country. Thank you both for your comments, Whatever happens its clear that the current government can't be our best chioce for Australia.

 

I wish there was a major party that was libertarian. Both major parties at the moment are authoritarian.

 

What we need is people to govern the country.

Not govern for the popular thing at the time.

Who cares what they are called.

 

I care when both major political parties think that their job is to govern us by giving us laws based on their own sense of morality instead of letting me do whatever the (*)(*)(*)(*) I want as long as I don't hurt anyone who doesn't consent.

 

Fair enough, agree.

All i said was i didn't give a (*)(*)(*)(*) what they call them selves.

 

It's not what they call themselves, it's what they are. They would probably even take offense at being called authoritarian and pretend that they're just going by community wishes or some such bull(*)(*)(*)(*).

 

Under 5% unemployment, a strong Aussie Dollar, inflation under control, recovering nicely from natural disasters - all looks pretty good from an American point of view.

 

The economy contracted for the first time since 2008 this March quarter due to the natural disasters. The next quarter is expected to show growth again so looks like we're going to dodge another recession, which we haven't experienced since, gonna say 1991. Pretty sure it was 1991.

 

Yep - worst GDP contraction in 20 years, but mostly attributable to the floods, cyclones, earthquakes, etc. - I'd say the underlyling economy looks much better than most of the rest of the world.

 

Well we are the only Western nation to not go through recession in the last few years.

 

Yes the loops managed to waste enough money that some of it had to do some good

I worry about our diversity, heavy dependence on minining. As long as the "developing world" keeps churning through the coal and oil and gas and steel i guess we'll be right.

Personal debt is an issue.

Still in a bubble i recon.

 

I believe that is incorrect, IF (and nobody does) population growth is removed from the equation. Finding figures that don't include population growth isn't easy though.

If it's done per capita, we went through a recession apparently:
http://www.crispinhull.com.au/2010/03/13/higher-population-equals-poorer-housing-rba/

 

Inflation is a sticky one as it depends on how it is measured. I can say that the cost of living increases here are very painfull. Housing affordability is very bad. Increasing homelessnes and house repossesions are up a lot and my bet is they will get a lot higher.

Even with the high dollar cost of things like food is crazy. We are from the UK and find the grocery bill to be about 3x what we paid in the UK.

A lot of people in WA who are not in resources are seriously hurting and even those of us in mining are far from well off.

We, like most other miners have been recruiting geologists from the UK and they just arent willing to come over any more as its not financially worth it. I am one who did and am now looking at going back as although we love Oz, its just a poor deal financialy.

 

Right on.

Costs too much to live in this country, over taxed, over governed, too much waste fed and state.

Cost blow-outs are like "ho-hum another billion"

 

What verystormy wrote is exactely right. Life has become too expensive, despite our strong A$.
There are more and more people we know or heard off, who want to move back to where they came from, because they cannot afford to live here in WA, especially as they are not working in the mines.
We should listen to them and start thinking, never hearts to receive a wake up call....

 

We're all poorer now. why? Hawke and Howard.
the word is neoliberal, and it's policy effects can be seen in one measure, the gini coefficient. it is a measure of income inequality.
0 is perfect equality and 1 is perfect in equality - one person has all the money.
we're at 0.331, the highest it's been since 1927 in Australia.
it the early 1980s it was about 0.23.

With the taxes decreases, services such as health care, infrastructure, education all loose funding and become more available to the rich, and those who pay for it thus more money is spent by the poor on essential things without the rich subsidising essential services for the weakest in society.

Thus, we've all become poorer and now we have the politics of cost of living, because of the 2 major parties neither can improve it with their current policies - the greens have the labor pre80s policies can can, but there's little hope that labor will adopt it's old polices of ending inequality of income and assets.
http://on.fb.me/ipVbk8

 

Incorrect. In fact by most economists a figure of 5% is actually considered to be full employment, certainly there is a shortage of skilled labour in Australia and in WA at least we also have a shortage of unskilled labour.

The amount of people on work for the dole programs was miniscule at the most. Do they even run these programs anymore?

Well Im calling BS on this one, not in my living memory anyway. I can remember when it was about 1.10 to the US though but that was when the dollar pegged by the government. Not sure if you are aware but our dollar actually floats these days. Its valuation is largely set by the investor market.

Youre in la la land on this one as well. The Federal reseve bank is not foreign owned or managed and neither are the majority of the Banks in Australia.

 

No, you prove your statements. Until then, BS.

 

I remember the Australian dollar was fteching $1:25 US dollars in the 1970's.

When Keating floated our dollar it was reduced down to half its value agaist the $US dollar.

If the Australian government doesn't own its own Reserve bank then who does?

Does the Australian government have to borow money from the Australian reserve Bank with interest?

Does anyone know?

 

I believe we need to make governments more accountable. Both parties have rapidly declining memebership which is concerning as real people at the grass roots will not be utilised in the leadxership of the parties. It will only be individuals from the party machine who are a bunch of YES men and women

We have some much potential in this country but we can't give up on our politcal system as to date it has brought many positives such as a stable economy and society for the past 100 odd years.

 

Yes we whinge a lot but you are right, our economy is fine, it just goes to show that any group of fools can run the country, make terrible policies, and the sale of our resources will carry us through.

 

I think it is ridiculous that Australia is going around the world supporting the US and others fighting wars to impose democracy, liberty and freedom on other nations when the system here seems to be broken. At the last 2 elections I've fronted up at the polling booths only to look at the candidates and what they represent only to realise that there is no one for me to vote for because both candidates suck. I am a small business owner and have always voted liberal but how can I vote for a party that doesn't believe in global warming, even if global warming doesn't exist do the people in power really believe that we can keep over exploiting and wasting our natural resources without destroying the planet. So yeah I can vote Green but then because of the preference voting system that we have here my vote would then end up going to labor. Even if the greens did get the numbers to win the country would be bankrupt within a year because of their crazy socialist/welfare policys, seriously are there any economists in the Green party, it would be nice for everyone in Australia to have a private school education but who the hell is going to pay for it. Our current Prime Minister likes to talk about good old Australian values like mateship and honesty when she is the complete opposite of Australian values. She stabbed her good mate Kevin in the back, she lied to the independants to get what she wanted in a greedy power grab, I quote 'Me running for prime minister is about as likely as play forward for the Bulldogs'. And I'm sick of hearing Julia talking about our soldiers who have played a huge role in defending the country and earning the respect and support of our allies, my grandfather fought at Kokoda Juila did yours? Please do us all a favour and hand over power to somebody reputable you've almost bankrupted me and I will soon be joining all the other builders who are leaving the industry, you don't have to bankrupt the country and be remembered as the worst prime minister of all time quit now before it's to late we don't need any more insulation schemes or vote winning cash handouts.