The Bloke

Didn't the UK try something similar during the Thatcher years?

glittababe

yup and the uk rebelled! Why hasn't that happened here?

>Trigger<

agree they are all pretty poor,so people just vote for the best of a bad bunch....
on a personal note I've enjoyed not having to..

The Bloke

Probably not, but take it from someone who has lived here all his life, Potty Powerpoint Pete is heading the same way as a deceased Qld Dictator(insert Premier), did by wanting absolute control of every department and rigged the electoral boundaries to ensure victory. he's even gone as far as to wearing the Aukubra hat like Joh.

glittababe

I know! So good not to have to vote, but then Beatty gets back in and I think 'if only I'd been able to vote'!!! Does anyone know the penalty of not voting when you're allowed to? I know its a fine, just wondered how much?

The Bloke

Most Australians wouldn't know how to unless you drew a picture. .

The Bloke

I think its about $30, unless you can come up with a good excuse. The best one I heard from the last State election was that one woman said that she was have really wonderful sex all day and didn't get to the polling booth.

glittababe

aye you can't argue with that excuse.....sex....voting...sex...voting.....ummmm decisions decisions

glittababe

we need to lead a rebellion........ pisses me off that aussies just sit there and take it when they don't have too. Its as if they've given up on their rights!

jad n rich

Can you stir any rebellious streak in a country where people are told it the best, we are the best, we are world leaders, over and over, its almost like brainwashing...

I think in europe, people do travel more, they see more they compare more, makes for more competitive expectations.

After the trip to the uk we were telling aussie family some of the food prices now in the UK, competition in airfares that sort of thing, rellies were getting really peed off, simply wont believe stuff in the UK could be cheaper than OZ, they heard 20 years ago, Uk was expensive compared to OZ so thats it then, thats the way it must be.

Pollyana

Normal Queensland attitude - sit back and do nothing and just mutter "she'll be right"

jad n rich

Or whining "What can you do about it" That always makes me erm try complaining, try protesting, try not buying it, try writing a letter, try running naked through the queen st mall, but dont just accept it

The Bloke

Anything as long as it's not Cresta running through the Mall.

glittababe

Agreed I've come across the same attitude at work. The aussies won't believe that the uk cost of living is cheaper! I've tried explaining that the brits simply won't pay a ridiculous amount for their groceries anymore, competition is stronger there. Its like banging your head against a brick wall and you're right about the brainwashing, altho things are changing. I've had quite a few patient's complaining about oz, the way its run and the price of petrol/dr's fees and dentists fees. They want it to go the uk way (nhs) but fear its going the US way. I have to agree with them. On a lighter note, we're off to noosa np to do some walking now that part of aus I do like!

The Bloke

One of the guys at work was going over to the UK for holidays this month but then changed his mind, said he wasn't because the cost of everything was too expensive . When I explained that it was relative to AU$(if you converted at the time), so he said the exchange rate was too low (41p to the $ at the time and still is-as it also was in 2003) so he wasn't going, even though he is rolling in money and really doesn't need to work. FFS it's just a holiday . We went in Jan-Feb, spent a fortune, but who cares if enjoy it. The only item I really worried about the cost was a new camera after mine got nicked.