Ha Ha - this is why compulsory voting is so important! So that at least we know when someone is voted out it was by MOST people.

Your analysis sounds like typical self-centered-small-business philosophy - so long as you get rich stuff the workers. Why has the gap between rich and poor actually accelerateted over Coward's time in office? Money was not, as you say, pouring into EVERYONE's pockets, was it...Becuase the GDP does not actually filter down to the masses. Besides that, the reason the the Aussie economy has done so well over the last decade is becuase of Paul Keating's move to a global economy - the move that cost so much money when instigated that it got the poor bastard crucified. That's the real 'sheep' aspect of Australian society - everyone's too concerned about the NOW to look ahead.

Work Choices was patently evil. 18th century shit. Only a right-wing extremist could see it otherwise. Or an employer (same thing?). It has not yet been finished off becuase, as I said before, it takes more than a few months to undo what had been done by Coward. The Liberal Party spent ten of their eleven years blaming Labor for everything. They were 'fixing' the mistakes. Why can't KRudd say the same thing now, when it's only been a few months? Double Standard.

My own brother is the most glaring example of the 18th C ethos of WorkChoices. 'Full-Time Casual'. Full-Time work (often 7 days a week), full time wages, casual rights (ie none). No holidays. No sick pay. 16 hour days. And he has worked for this prick for 5 years, so he's no fly-by-night employee. It should NOT be legal to treat employees like that. But it was made legal by your mate. Trust me, he rang the 'Helpline' lol.

Now, the alcopops. John Howard changed the taxing system of alcopops nearly ten years ago, to make them considerably cheaper. Social commentators said at the time it would increase binge-drinking. Liberal philosophy: If it's good for business it's good for society. Umm, no. Care to explain why a slab of Jim Beam cans is actually cheaper now than it was in 1988? Are they TRYING to keep the underclasses drunk??? Most other things have gone up by at least 100% in that time, but not grog. Hmmmmmmmm. Grog needs to go up.

What about the whole 'sorry' thing? It's been our shame for soooo long, and yet Lil Jhonny was never going to do it. Too worried about 'having to pay'. That's like a hit-and-run mentality - if we don't acknowledge it we'll be alraight. Ha. Having spent a lot of my youth around Ceduna, Penong and Yalata, I have massive empathy for the plight of our fellow Australians, and I think we do owe them something - our care for a start. You are aware, I assume, that the 'White Australia' policy was a Conservative Party policy? There wouldn't even be any immigrants, let alone native people, if those arseholes had their way! That draconian attitude, along with work-choices was the nail in the lying bastard's coffin.

Anyway, it's obvious you are a Liberal voter, and I'm staunchly Labor - there's little chance of reconcilliation (pardon the pun).

The good thing about us (aussies) is that we can have opposing political philosophies and still have a yarn together

PS: I haven't taught drama for years now; I teach VCE English, History and (shock horror, I'm sure) Economics this year.... I dunno where you got that from anyhow, are you stalking me????????????

i'm a swinging voter -!! surprise!

if big simon C had been sitting in the seat he would have got my vote - but he wasn't so i put my money on big pete Costello shoving johhny aside - but that didn't happen. Wayne swan? get real

btw - maxine mckew only pushed johnny out because of preferences - johnny wiped her out with primary vote - she isn't expected to retain the seat come next election - another example of democracy over-ruled by celebrity

do you ever see HER walking around in the morning sunlight in green and gold trackkies, huh?

that little dessicated coconut was a walking champion - he would give anybody a hug, even the chaser dressed as the grim reaper with a scythe - you haven't seen the journos kicking up about KRUdds security minders pushing photographers out the way?

what a miserably humourless bunch of pricks labour are.

history lesson for the history teacher is in order - apparently because i voted lib i must be racist -

"You are aware, I assume, that the 'White Australia' policy was a Conservative Party policy?"

Billy Hughes disagrees with that (lordy, who was he?)- also a lot of other people

http://www.abc.net.au/100years/EP2_1.htm


and so should you. Unless we can agree to call the labor party a conservative party. There's an historical argument that claims racism as founding and unifying the labor party - not the workers love of karl max

They certainly teach things differently in mexico (that's victoria for non-aussies)

I am certainly not for saying a silly word like sorry to the stolen generation. pay them money if you feel that way - and I do - the poor bastards deserve it.

I'm not defending work choices - what labour has to defend is why they haven't abolished it as they promised you they would -

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/740/38306



yr brother is lucky he didn't work for KRudds' millionaire missus - she underpaid her staff

umm i am all for alcohol - and so is the rest of australia - the cheaper the better. the rum corps and all that - what i was going on about the alcopops was in KRudd's hypocrisy - the guy gets pissed as a nit at a lapdancer club - because "that's what all guys do" then turns around and declares binge drinking one of the greatest evils of society.

but i luv the sheer evilness of the lib front team - I can't wait for brendan to be shoved hard down a stairwell - big pete cos to walk all over malcolm's ambitions and sit at the throne like the lord he is.

dream team front bench - pete cos, tony abbot and his werewolf ears, julie bishop with her reptilean gaze and jaw, chris pine with with his petulant chin.

KRudd, swan, gillard, albanese ("please don't call me names or I'll cry") and tanner wouldn't stand a fucking chance - it' would be like watching predator vs the wriggles.

pete cos resurrected as lazarus - labor is already shitting themselves

bring it on.

and i don't have to hope its raining in melbourne - it always is

Billy Hughes had to do what KRudd did - defend a patently evil policy so he could get in and address it. Remember what Garret said during the campaign?

Saying sorry is an important symbolic aspect of reconcilliation. It's what my aboriginal friends were asking for. For their whole life. It had to be done. It was in no way silly. I'm saddened by that thought.

Check the senate reports from 2006 - you'll notice that the Liberal Party were going to raise the tax on alcopops becuase they'd realised they had made a mistake.

I simply wish that people would give the Govt half-a-term before evaluating their performance... that's why I asked if you were from the Libs. Laws that were made take time to reverse. That was my point, remember, that Aussies turn fast on the people they elect

Before the Labor Party was formed, the only way to get into power was to be rich and connected. Oligarchy, basically. It [labor] was a reaction to the establishment.

simply saying "Sorry" - and thats all that has happened - has now effectively dumped the indigenous cause in the bin where it will stay under Labor- and any other following govt.

these people don't only need jobs they need their basic health before they are annihilated. They need reparations to create lives of their own. What the hell is happening in central and outer fringes of suburban aust for them? They live like dogs with little hope for any future.

Saying sorry has put a brake on the machine where nothing further will be done - "oh, don't you remember we said "sorry" back in 2008?"

Your glib dismissal of Hughes' - and the beginning labor party's - endemic racism is pretty outrageous for a High school history teacher.

"Before the Labor Party was formed, the only way to get into power was to be rich and connected. Oligarchy, basically. It [labor] was a reaction to the establishment."

But how times have changed - Do you actually know how much KRudd is worth? He is married to a millionairess for chrissakes. He is the fucking establishment - that's why he has not revoked work-choices to keep his mates in the mining industry happy.

Does the name "Brian Burke" mean anything to you? One of labors greatest products. No richness and connected-ness there eh?

and so what if the libs were considering to tax alcopops - so you are saying that labor is now following liberal party policy?

and john was exactly right - it was "me too" all along.

I am over and out on this thread - you can say whatever the hell you like from here on - I can't really seriously accept such a blinkered view of facts.

I did not agree with you; I said so, questioning your motives. Remember, I know NOTHING of you. Dunno where you are, dunno who you are. You seem to know a lot about me (due to my being open about who/where I am) and you decided to make it a personal attack. Freedom of Speech applies to others besides you.

Basic tenet of studying history - historical interpretation. History is not a science...

Facts? You pass off random forward speculation as facts???

Your glib dismissal of the sorry statement reeks of racist sentiment. Have a look back at the way you spoke of the aboriginies as if they were a separate species. Please do.

Make it personal if you wish (as you did with your first attack on my sensibilities), without actually responding to anything. I don't know why you had to be so vicious?

You need to learn to get your point across without the nasty personal attacks - it simply makes you look mean