Bye Little Johnny....

[perth seagull]

Join the club - just like England then !!!!

The Labor Party in Australia are more left wing than "New Labour" in the UK.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

I get the impression (from watching the news here in Australia in the last, oooh, 24 hours) that Rudd is a Blairite modernist and that Labor is shifting to the right. Not a mention of the unions in the acceptance speech, talking about Bush / US etc. "It's a Ruddslide!"

 

[perth seagull]

I get the impression (from watching the news here in Australia in the last, oooh, 24 hours) that Rudd is a Blairite modernist and that Labor is shifting to the right. Not a mention of the unions in the acceptance speech, talking about Bush / US etc. "It's a Ruddslide!"

Rudd claims to be a moderate but he is just a front as it is the other ALP politicians behind the scenes who are far more radical. 70% of the ALP have close links with trade unions. Julia Gillard (the Deputy leader), Greg Combet (ex ACTU President), Wayne Swan (treasurer) and numerous others. Meanwhile you also have Peter Garrett who is an environmental extremist. I expect Gillard is sharpening her knife at the moment and will one day make a leadership challenge against Rudd who is viewed as an "economic conservative" whose sole purpose was to get the ALP elected, but is probably too much of a centrist to be tolerated by the rest of the party for too long.

Rudd's speech was merely to calm people's fears of the ALP, we will see the party's true side in coming weeks no doubt.

The ALP are currently more similar to "Old Labour" in the UK than the "New Labour" of Blair.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

The ALP can't afford to lurch to the left... they've made promises & if they don't keep them they'll be kicked out in 3 years

 

[tedebear]

The press over here are reporting that Howard was punished for his far to friendly assocaiations with Bush, for Iraq and for some workplace reform thing...seems to tie up with what I read online in the Sydney papers. Howard has a lot to be thanked for but after 11 years I suppose its time for a change - can't believe what we've chosen to change to though...

 

[tedebear]

no, people will just spoil ballots which gets you no where. it is contradictory to force people to vote if some are not engaging in the democratic process. a much better idea would be to have a minimum turn out to validate the result, that would force the politicians to reach out to the wider electorate.

Each and every person should be involved in the democratic rule of the country. You don't vote = you don't have the right to moan. I can't see and fail to see how anything other than the entire nation voting is a democratic election. Othwise its the "I've been elected by those who could be bothered to vote who are usually the more educated" Prime Minister.

 

[Yorkie]

Each and every person should be involved in the democratic rule of the country. You don't vote = you don't have the right to moan. I can't see and fail to see how anything other than the entire nation voting is a democratic election. Othwise its the "I've been elected by those who could be bothered to vote who are usually the more educated" Prime Minister.

I agree. Those who moan and spoil their votes would only affect the first few elections after the legislation and then it would die down.

 

[The Tassie Seagull]

I know that workchoices messed up Johnny big time, but as my boss said today, if Labor get rid of all AWA's he won't be opening on Sundays anymore - not worth it, and the same will go for many other places over here

 

[tedebear]

I know that workchoices messed up Johnny big time, but as my boss said today, if Labor get rid of all AWA's he won't be opening on Sundays anymore - not worth it, and the same will go for many other places over here

What is this workchoices thing about?

 

[BadFish]

The new Labor government will be a disaster. Much like the last Labor government when unemployment was 11% and interest rates 17%. The reforms that the Howard government made over the last 11 years have transformed the Australian economy into something that could only be dreamed of 11 years ago. The ALP these days consist of trade union extremists and environmental fanatics and they will ruin the country with their crackpot lefty loony ideas.

I sick of hearing about how strong the economy is! the fact is the education and health systems are going down the pan and more importantly of all their are people living in such poverty in this country that world vision are having to ask people to sponser them. The bloke happens to be PM when there is a resources boom hapeening and takes all the credit. Why did he not use this sterength to invest in the country's infastructure, stop people starving and build for the future. Goos riddence to Bush's lap dog who has governed by fear and polarisation for at least the five years i've been here. Not to mention the countless lies he's told.

It is true that Rudd offeres little in the way of alternative. But at least he has promised to ratify Kyoto and invest in health and education. lets just see if he does what he says

 

[perth seagull]

I sick of hearing about how strong the economy is! the fact is the education and health systems are going down the pan and more importantly of all their are people living in such poverty in this country that world vision are having to ask people to sponser them. The bloke happens to be PM when there is a resources boom hapeening and takes all the credit. Why did he not use this sterength to invest in the country's infastructure, stop people starving and build for the future. Goos riddence to Bush's lap dog who has governed by fear and polarisation for at least the five years i've been here. Not to mention the countless lies he's told.

It is true that Rudd offeres little in the way of alternative. But at least he has promised to ratify Kyoto and invest in health and education. lets just see if he does what he says

Health is more of a state issue than federal. And guess which party is in control in each state?

 

[Trufflehound]

... it is ridiculous that the Queen who has got nothing in common with modern Australia should be head of state.

It is ridiculous that a Queen who has got nothing in common with modern Britain should be head of state.

Vive la republique!