Vash the Stampede

Believe it or not, I don't actually vote. Never have; never will.

But in general, I do like what Howard is doing with the country.

In general...

Hutch

For someone who takes no part in the democratic process - you sure have a lot of opinions, Vash! :scared:

kiwichild

I'm going through withdrawl symptoms Roll on next year when hopefully the prices will be back to somewhere near affordable is all I can say but really you'd think Australia could import some of those lovely South American bananas to fill the shortfall.

I'm sure they could organise a fruit disease inspection at customs if they got off their ass. Smacks of politics to me: banana growers not wanting to risk the market being opened up. But a limited import situation would help ease things though I guess growers don't want to compete with selling a vastly reduced stockpile at regular prices as they would lose financially. Realistically there should be some level of insurance coverage for them or government compensation so they aren't left having to incur huge losses and maybe even be forced to walk away from the industry

Vash the Stampede

It's the best way to be, mate...

kiwichild

I have to agree. Most who get passionate about politics even if not party members, I would think would vote at least. Care to share your reasoning for not voting Vash? It intrigues me, to say the least, coming from someone like yourself. Could it be that you don't really have that much faith in the current political system/choices here?

Vash the Stampede

I think that if Australia is the only country which has no form of banana disease, our interests will be best served by maintaining the status quo. Why risk losing our exclusive status?

The emphasis should be on banana exports, not banana imports. Let's sell those bendy little buggers to the world!

BTW kiwi, I'm amazed that you haven't spotted this thread yet...

Vash the Stampede

Religious conviction.

I don't have much faith in the political process anywhere, mate.

kiwichild

I have, and I have replied to it

kiwichild

Are we sure that this claim that Australia is the only disease free banana state is accurate? I appreciate the need for strong protection against the possibilty of introducing such problems, but how much is fact and how much is propaganda? Surely Australia can import fruit (it does with oranges, apples, etc) and keep standards high.

Infact generally speaking, I am not in favour of importing any product to such a degree or at such very very low cost that it adversley affects domestic growers, but we do! Orange growers and onion growers in WA have been dumping/burying their produce because they can't compete. Some say 'viva la free market' I say it is foolishness for any nation to put itself in such a situation that it potentially ends up having to rely on another nation for it's food supply.

Yep definitely export them when supply is plentiful, I agree. Though some might say this would then make us a "Banana Republic" LOL

Margaret2

Don't often (infact never) get involved with these threads, but you've just touched a nerve, people who don't vote should keep their mouths shut, sorry vash, but I can't believe you don't vote, in my family that is just about the worse crime you can commit,
Am away to hide now

Wife Beater

We normally buy a shedload of bananas each week but we were not prepared to pay the $10/kilo that they are asking for them this week, it is just scandalous and daylight robbery. Works out at somewhere near $2 per banana. :scared:

just import them and be done with it I say.

sme

Perhaps they have all gone the way of Ranci's banana

Ialibu

Most commercial bananas around the world are genetically the same. Any disease anywhere will affect the crop worldwide.

Bananas aren't native to Australia so we do not have a reservoir of anti-disease pathogens or bug eaters that will counter anything introduced (Just keep reminding yourself of the Cane Toad that Qld farmers brought in the 1930s to solve a minor problem, unfortunately the Toads were ground dwellers and the Sugar Cane bugs were located up the stem. Obviously that subtlety was lost on the Queenslanders ). Thus the bananas grown here are extremely vulnerable to anything from anywhere. Hence the no import rule. Furthermore the Philippines is a native home to bananas and has several diseases that are native to there.

Another thing to consider, although it seems beyond most people, is that if we do import bananas and some bug or disease will get in because from what I read those wanting to import bananas stated that they would leave it up to the Filipino's to do the treatment prior to departure. It will take years and years to breed up another variety of banana after our present variety is trashed. I feel that it is better to go without or have a lot less bananas for 12 months or so than go without or have a great deal less for some years.

And Yep, they grow Bananas from Coffs Harbour up. So why that particular area supplied 90% of the East Coast market is beyond me.

Vash the Stampede

Sorry to hear that mate, but the sad fact is that big corporations are the ones who write the rules these days; our votes hardly count for anything except to decide which bunch of bastards will be screwing us for the next four years.

Count up the number of disastrous decisions that the Blair government has made since coming into power (ie. war on Iraq, war on Afghanistan, etc.) and see how many you were given a chance to vote for.

I'd be surprised if you can find more than one.

Now, what does that say about the value of the democratic process these days?

Wendy

I have to say, I have only ever voted once in my life.


this is part of the reason why.