Australian politics - Where next?
Nov 25th 2007, 9:47 pm
#46
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,316
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
You misunderstand. The reason i think it's insane is nothing to do with the time taken - it's just that no-one has even heard of the majority of the candidates or "parties", so the only way of making a valid vote (below the line) is to number dozens of candidates that will give their preferences to parties you may well be totally against.
An insane way of using "democracy".
An insane way of using "democracy".
It's as sane (or insane) as first past the post or preferrence voting. It's definitely more sane than appointment or accident of birth.
Having said that I prefer the Victorian system for its upper house which is similar but you only have to mark a minimum of 5 candidates (but can mark as many as you like).
Nov 25th 2007, 10:04 pm
#48
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: London - but only until I can afford to move back to Sydney
Posts: 938
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
OK Here's my take on what happened and what is going to happen.
1. Howard had very little to do with low interest rates the world has been through a decade or more of low interest rates Australia has just been fitting in with the flow the same holds true for recent rises (although the tax giveaways will have contributed to a couple of rises as will the new tax breaks we are going to get).
2. The economic boom has had little to do with Howard as well it's all about the resources boom Australia seems to have little else going for it economically. When China / India have an economic blip Australia will be stuffed regardless of who is in power.
3. What usually holds true in elections is that oppositions rarely win power the governing party looses power. In this case I think that the Workchoices legislation is what lost the coalition power. Regardless of the economic benifits of having flexable it is certain to upset those at the bottom who will be affected by these rules and they will vote accordingly.
4. My view of what will happen with the new government is that the unions are i for a dissapointment. No political party is going to want to be held over a barrel the unions have already been weakened so I suspect that they will get some of what they want but not all. I also think that Labour will be unlikely to wreck the economy after all they are now in the game of retaining power and if they do allow the unions to strike and create huge inflation then they will be booted out in quick time. Basically I think more money will go to education and health but I really don't think we will see any majour difference.
1. Howard had very little to do with low interest rates the world has been through a decade or more of low interest rates Australia has just been fitting in with the flow the same holds true for recent rises (although the tax giveaways will have contributed to a couple of rises as will the new tax breaks we are going to get).
2. The economic boom has had little to do with Howard as well it's all about the resources boom Australia seems to have little else going for it economically. When China / India have an economic blip Australia will be stuffed regardless of who is in power.
3. What usually holds true in elections is that oppositions rarely win power the governing party looses power. In this case I think that the Workchoices legislation is what lost the coalition power. Regardless of the economic benifits of having flexable it is certain to upset those at the bottom who will be affected by these rules and they will vote accordingly.
4. My view of what will happen with the new government is that the unions are i for a dissapointment. No political party is going to want to be held over a barrel the unions have already been weakened so I suspect that they will get some of what they want but not all. I also think that Labour will be unlikely to wreck the economy after all they are now in the game of retaining power and if they do allow the unions to strike and create huge inflation then they will be booted out in quick time. Basically I think more money will go to education and health but I really don't think we will see any majour difference.
Nov 25th 2007, 10:15 pm
#50
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,316
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
It's all going to be okay if jad n rich's predictions are as accurate as her polling prediction for Queensland. 
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...96&postcount=1
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...96&postcount=1
Nov 26th 2007, 2:00 am
#52
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
Incidentally - interesting article in The Guardian today by the Australian novelist, Richard Flanagan. Yes, I realise that all you right-wing chaps and ladies will immediately poo-poo it as propaganda produced by a newspaper that's a thinly veiled organ for the Communist Party... but since the Daily Mail appears to have been accepted into the fold, here you go - Rudd hardly comes off lighty ...
Snippet:
Then something strange happened: history changed and the times no longer were his. His ever lonelier support for the Bush administration's adventurism looked increasingly foolish and possibly dangerous. The very climate of Australia was transformed. Every mainland capital city now has a water supply crisis so severe that people have been murdered by neighbours for watering gardens. Yet in the midst of a once-in-a-thousand-years drought, Howard remained until late last year a climate sceptic. His supporters dismissed global warming as they had so much else - more hysteria from the left. But it wasn't: it was the world and the world had changed.
How odd then that, by voting in Kevin Rudd's Labor party, it seemed in many ways that Australia was simply replacing one older short man with glasses with a slightly younger short man with glasses. Where Howard was a reactionary radical, Rudd is a religious conservative once described by a fellow Labor MP as "about as interesting as carpet".
How odd then that, by voting in Kevin Rudd's Labor party, it seemed in many ways that Australia was simply replacing one older short man with glasses with a slightly younger short man with glasses. Where Howard was a reactionary radical, Rudd is a religious conservative once described by a fellow Labor MP as "about as interesting as carpet".
Nov 26th 2007, 3:07 am
#53
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,316
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
The stockmarket seems to be reacting quite well to the news.
Nov 26th 2007, 8:17 pm
#54
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,316
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
It's all going to be okay if jad n rich's predictions are as accurate as her polling prediction for Queensland.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...96&postcount=1
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...96&postcount=1
However her prediction that the Queenslanders would give him a big thumbs down and his win would come through the other states was the opposite of what happened. Without the incredible amount of seat changes in Qld, Rudd would not have got the job. Certainly the 2 seat changes (possibly 3) in Victoria didn't do it.
Nov 26th 2007, 9:35 pm
#55
Oxford - SEQ August 07
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Little Mountain, QLD.
Posts: 377
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
Incidentally - interesting article in The Guardian today by the Australian novelist, Richard Flanagan. Yes, I realise that all you right-wing chaps and ladies will immediately poo-poo it as propaganda produced by a newspaper that's a thinly veiled organ for the Communist Party... but since the Daily Mail appears to have been accepted into the fold, here you go - Rudd hardly comes off lighty ...
However, if do you read the comments, you get a far more accurate picture of just how things stood and stand amongst ordinary Australians. The general consensus seems to be that Howard wasn't that bad, did some irritating things, stayed too long, and got kicked out. Rudd on a crest of a wave, but probably won't be much different.
That's how i read it anyway.
Nov 27th 2007, 6:46 am
#56
poole ,dorset . love it
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,281
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
I read that article, and it was quite rightly savaged by the people making comments under it, for it's lazy journalism.
However, if do you read the comments, you get a far more accurate picture of just how things stood and stand amongst ordinary Australians. The general consensus seems to be that Howard wasn't that bad, did some irritating things, stayed too long, and got kicked out. Rudd on a crest of a wave, but probably won't be much different.
That's how i read it anyway.
However, if do you read the comments, you get a far more accurate picture of just how things stood and stand amongst ordinary Australians. The general consensus seems to be that Howard wasn't that bad, did some irritating things, stayed too long, and got kicked out. Rudd on a crest of a wave, but probably won't be much different.
That's how i read it anyway.
At least with howard the country felt on an even keel [my opinion] but from my perspective Rudd is an unknown and i cant see any of his changes helping the young get their own homes .
Nov 27th 2007, 4:07 pm
#57
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 42
Re: Australian politics - Where next?
Rudd, like Gordon Brown and Hilary in 08. Have been handed poisoned chalices. The faltering global economy is out of their hands, so when the recession hits domestic voters will blame them nonetheless. Expect each to serve a single term.
