Wol

Halfway through the election campaign and I've yet to see either of the main factions presenting a "Policy" as I understand the word.

Ie., statements of practical intent, overall philosophy and so on.

It appears that Australian electioneering "policy" is purely concerned with announcing a hundred million to go to this faction, a billion to that and so on.

All the rest seems to be announcing "Targets" - eg Mr Rudd's "Target" of a reduction in greenhouse emissions of so-many-percent by year xyz. Absolutely NO indication of just HOW he intends to produce this! (And of course he would be dead and buried anyway by the target date....)

So, come polling day will any of us have any idea about *practical* policies?

bridie

Apparently they have not annouced they are actually campaigning yet, and until they do the taxpayer has to fund all their little jaunts across the country....

My guess is once they have the decency to say "we are on an election campaign" the policies will come out.

Whether Rudd will manage to think up any of his own or just copy what Howard announces though is another thing...

Amazulu

They both say the same things, spend the same money, announce the same policies etc. A lot of it seems to be made up on the fly. Look at that wanker, Pete Garrett (heaven help us if he is in charge of our environmental policy) - says one thing one day and then retracts it the next morning.

It's all getting pretty boring and we still have another month of it.

bridie

Yep. boring as hell if you cant vote................

sonlymewalter

Nope - you're right wol...no clear targets, no clear dates to achieve those targets, no clear party policies.

All big salesman talk and non discript - each party vying for attention using emotive straplines. So far all we've seen is tit-4-tat arguing regarding unionist involvement, playing on the emotions of the AWA agreements.

Yep - you're on the button. The biggest bullshitter will be king

Vim Fuego

Maybe a makeover is needed?

Vim Fuego

Even the rural vote can be targetted.

smee

God, they look funny. My favorite is the mulletts, sure to get the bogan vote.

Red_V_Roger

I pay tax, I pay medicare, I am subject to the laws they make or will make about PR, etc....

But I can't vote

Wol

Yep: he bangs on about Kyoto - but fails to mention the record of many of the Kyoto signatories. Canada, for example, which signed up for a reduction has had a 27% increase in CO2 emissions...........

Amazulu

And the UK. Kyoto is a waste of time but it enables middle-class western voters feel like they are contributing to the 'effort'. Without China, the US and India any attempts to reduce CO2 mean nothing.

NedKelly

Don't worry, one vote doesn't make any difference.

Red_V_Roger

Yeah but when people around the world are dying in the fight for democracy I believe at least I should have the right. Suffragettes?

MartinLuther

I'm not sure if the UK pollies do policy any more but I'll say no more on that.

I have noticed one difference between UK and Aus politics.

In the UK the pollies promise something, they fail to deliver on it, people get upset, papers bang on about it for years. It's almost as if the people believe that the pollies are going to do what they say they are going to do.

In Aus the pollies promise something, they fail to deliver it, people go "that'll be right", everyone carries on as normal. It's as if the people know the pollies are lying and that the pollies know the people know that they are lying so they can promise anything and nobody will feel disappointed when they get it.

Vive la difference!

NedKelly

And then when they fail to deliver the people still vote the same bunch of liars in again.