Tony Abbott has done it. He has stopped the boats.

[Skani]

Shame England didn't proceed the same way and make everybody vote.

 

Don't agree with that. Why should people who don't know and don't care influence who is elected? The poor standard of politicians in this country is an unfortunate result of compulsory voting.

[Paul1Perth]

Well you clearly do!. Personally I think it's absurd that a male Prime Minister should appoint himself as Minister for Women!. He'll be Science Minister next, because he forgot to appoint one of those as well! I've just had flashbacks to those Harry Enfield sketches from the early 90's lampooning 1930's public information films which exhorted women to "Know your place!" Maybe the 1930's, or at least the 1950's is where Tony Abbot wants to take us back to, Mum at home with the kids, whilst Dad is the head of the family and makes all of the decisions?

 

Nah, I think we've got a government that's already bit too full of middle-aged White males, supporting the interests of well, middle-aged White males. I suppose that's great if you're a middle-aged White male, but a bit sh*t if you're not. :wink:

 

Well seeing as it's the days of equality I reckon we should have a mens minister too then. How silly is this getting now.:laugh:

[Paul1Perth]

Julie Bishop seems to be doing alright as Foreign Minister.

I don't suppose Julia Gillard needed one either.

 

No one ever said know your place, so don't misrepresent me or Tony either.

My point is a capable woman will not need a women's minister to get her into cabinet, and if I was a woman and only appointed to fill a quota I'd be insulted.

 

That's a matter of conjecture. Personally I think she's crap and never been any good in anything I've seen so far. I agree with you on people should just get in on merit though, male or female and not just be there because of numbers.

[Paul1Perth]

Freckles it's a hard one but they should not be in PNG. I don't agree it is the other detainees who make it dangerous - it's PNG residents. There are already thousands of asylum seekers out in the community in Australia on bridging visas and there are more getting put out in the community every day - have you seen any evidence of them running amok?

 

Didn't you see the news footage and the reports of riots and damage to property? That happened a couple of days before the guy was killed and they were expecting more unrest.

 

They've had lots of riots and injuries from fights and detainees who don't like each other "running amok" in Christmas Island and other centres too. Just that in PNG the locals are a lot more feral and you are a lot more likely to get on the end of a blunt instrument if you upset them.

[Paul1Perth]

Don't have time to go in search of any media reports, but have to say the electoral system here is a joke - no ID required when you turn up to vote, no linked system to check your name off, just hundreds of big printed books, no specific polling station you have to go to - I was astounded that there isn't a better way here yet. I could have easily (had I been that way inclined) voted as many times as there are different polling stations near me, or voted on behalf of a neighbour or friend! Even in remote and primitive African states, there is an 'inking' to show once someone has voted. Nothing like that here. Really needs to be looked at. Whatever the Electoral Commission brief is, I don't think they're meeting it very well.

 

On a similar vein, did you see the poll in the Brisbane Times I think it was yesterday about whether people agreed with Abbott about there being too many National Parks? The No's way out in front for about 8 hours, until about 3 hours before the end of the poll then suddenly thousands - and that was literally thousands - of yes votes came in which completely reversed the result. Looked very very suspicious and stank of a bit of political trolling!

 

Easily explained. The No vote would have been from all the out of work rent a crowd greenies in the daytime. The Yes vote would have had to wait till the workers got home and read the news.:wink:

[Paul1Perth]

Don't agree with that. Why should people who don't know and don't care influence who is elected? The poor standard of politicians in this country is an unfortunate result of compulsory voting.

 

At least we can blame our voting methods. What are the other countries going to blame?

[Diane]

What country are you in. When you go and vote, you line up, your name gets crossed off the electoral roll by the staff and you proceed to a booth to vote. You can only vote once, if you do not vote , you get a fine. Shame England didn't proceed the same way and make everybody vote.

 

Incorrect I'm afraid - there is nothing to make you vote at all - all you have to do is turn up and get your name crossed off, whether you vote or just draw a picture of a willy on your voting slip is irrelevant.

 

There is nothing to identify you on your voting slip, so if you went to several different polling stations and got your name crossed off in a book (or your neighbour's name - one of our neighbours was away last election and had I been so inclined I could have voted in her name as many times as I liked) the votes would still count as there would be no way of identifying them to discount them. And it's not like someone stands at the door and crosses off your name as you come in, so that everyone in that one polling station is crossed off in the same book even - I think there were about ten different people with a book each last election at our local polling station.

 

In England if I remember correctly, you have an assigned station to vote at, your name is on one list which is held at the door. People enter one by one and get checked off. A much , better system and easy enough to introduce here I'd have thought, even without going the computerised route.

[Guest Ptp113]

It is the Electoral Commission which reported it recently:

 

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/some-australians-voted-more-than-once-in-federal-election-aec-20140226-33g7l.html

 

I've experienced one election where names were marked off on computer: it must have been the last state Tasmanian election?

Obviously this is the way to go providing, as already pointed out, electronic security is high and there is a back up system in case of failure of the main network.

 

Thank you. Nice to get confirmation but as I only post with empirical data to back me up not really necessary.

[Guest Ptp113]

Don't agree with that. Why should people who don't know and don't care influence who is elected? The poor standard of politicians in this country is an unfortunate result of compulsory voting.

 

And the bumbling pollies in Blighty aren't of an even lower standard?

[Guest Ptp113]

That's a matter of conjecture. Personally I think she's crap and never been any good in anything I've seen so far. I agree with you on people should just get in on merit though, male or female and not just be there because of numbers.

 

She managed to upset the Chinese big time in the first few weeks. As they say in Canberra "she must be good on her back as she's hopeless on her feet".

[Ausborn]

Incorrect I'm afraid - there is nothing to make you vote at all - all you have to do is turn up and get your name crossed off, whether you vote or just draw a picture of a willy on your voting slip is irrelevant.

 

There is nothing to identify you on your voting slip, so if you went to several different polling stations and got your name crossed off in a book (or your neighbour's name - one of our neighbours was away last election and had I been so inclined I could have voted in her name as many times as I liked) the votes would still count as there would be no way of identifying them to discount them. And it's not like someone stands at the door and crosses off your name as you come in, so that everyone in that one polling station is crossed off in the same book even - I think there were about ten different people with a book each last election at our local polling station.

 

In England if I remember correctly, you have an assigned station to vote at, your name is on one list which is held at the door. People enter one by one and get checked off. A much , better system and easy enough to introduce here I'd have thought, even without going the computerised route.

 

I get what you are saying about people can write as they please on the electoral forms. I don't get what you are saying about being able to vote more than once. Your name is crossed off on the electoral roll once you turn up to vote at that polling station. AlwAys takes them ages to find my name .If you were to vote at say 3 Polling stations, your name would be marked down as voting at each, and when the conformation of your vote is made they would pick up you have voted more than once. I wasn't at the front of the line when they handed out the brains but surely this would be picked up on wouldn't it. If it's happening I agree it's wrong. I've never experienced it.

I also much prefer everyone from all walks of life having their say by having to vote. Makes more sense to me than just a selected class of society having there say. We only have 23 million people in Australia , I think everyone should have a say here or it could end up a very biased election . I'm glad I vote , we got rid of labor that was sending this country down hill , now the libs have to pick up the mess made by them , ONCE again.

[Guest Ptp113]

I get what you are saying about people can write as they please on the electoral forms. I don't get what you are saying about being able to vote more than once. Your name is crossed off on the electoral roll once you turn up to vote at that polling station. AlwAys takes them ages to find my name .If you were to vote at say 3 Polling stations, your name would be marked down as voting at each, and when the conformation of your vote is made they would pick up you have voted more than once. I wasn't at the front of the line when they handed out the brains but surely this would be picked up on wouldn't it. If it's happening I agree it's wrong. I've never experienced it.

I also much prefer everyone from all walks of life having their say by having to vote. Makes more sense to me than just a selected class of society having there say. We only have 23 million people in Australia , I think everyone should have a say here or it could end up a very biased election . I'm glad I vote , we got rid of labor that was sending this country down hill , now the libs have to pick up the mess made by them , ONCE again.

 

AEC say it's happening a lot. Talk of Australia Card type ID being raised again.

[Parley]

She managed to upset the Chinese big time in the first few weeks. As they say in Canberra "she must be good on her back as she's hopeless on her feet".

 

Ooh we mustn't upset the Chinese

[Paul1Perth]

I get what you are saying about people can write as they please on the electoral forms. I don't get what you are saying about being able to vote more than once. Your name is crossed off on the electoral roll once you turn up to vote at that polling station. AlwAys takes them ages to find my name .If you were to vote at say 3 Polling stations, your name would be marked down as voting at each, and when the conformation of your vote is made they would pick up you have voted more than once. I wasn't at the front of the line when they handed out the brains but surely this would be picked up on wouldn't it. If it's happening I agree it's wrong. I've never experienced it.

I also much prefer everyone from all walks of life having their say by having to vote. Makes more sense to me than just a selected class of society having there say. We only have 23 million people in Australia , I think everyone should have a say here or it could end up a very biased election . I'm glad I vote , we got rid of labor that was sending this country down hill , now the libs have to pick up the mess made by them , ONCE again.

 

There has been stories in the media over the last few days about people voting multiple times and their votes being counted. I think by the time someone has gone through all the data and realised people have had more than one vote it's too late to do anything about it. Overall the number of times it's happening isn't going to make any difference to the outcome so they just wear it.

 

Don't know that I agree with

 

we got rid of labor that was sending this country down hill , now the libs have to pick up the mess made by them , ONCE again.

 

I've seen the same sort of argument used here and the UK and been round along time. I've seen decent and terrible governments of both sides, some have a lot of luck, some have none at all. I don't think there's much to choose between them tbh. If I saw the economy and standards of living improve every time the liberals/conservatives are in and Vice Versa every time Labour/Labor are in then I'd be right with you, but you don't.

 

I've heard nothing but bad news on the jobs front and economic front since the libs have been in this time and they are STILL blaming it on the last government. Don't know how long they are going to be able to get away with that.

[Ausborn]

There has been stories in the media over the last few days about people voting multiple times and their votes being counted. I think by the time someone has gone through all the data and realised people have had more than one vote it's too late to do anything about it. Overall the number of times it's happening isn't going to make any difference to the outcome so they just wear it.

 

Don't know that I agree with

 

 

 

I've seen the same sort of argument used here and the UK and been round along time. I've seen decent and terrible governments of both sides, some have a lot of luck, some have none at all. I don't think there's much to choose between them tbh. If I saw the economy and standards of living improve every time the liberals/conservatives are in and Vice Versa every time Labour/Labor are in then I'd be right with you, but you don't.

 

I've heard nothing but bad news on the jobs front and economic front since the libs have been in this time and they are STILL blaming it on the last government. Don't know how long they are going to be able to get away with that.

 

mate i I look at what labor did to the mining industry introducing the taxes. I know of no one in the construction or mining industry that ever votes labor in this country. The last few times the libs were in construction starts booming and mining had better opportunities. Their seems to be more focus on construction industry when libs are in. Look at brissie now. 2 years ago construction wasn't doing well here. Already it's picked back up and people seem to have more confidence. Sales are the best with the companies I know since last time libs were in. I realise what's going on in manafacturing at the moment and I agree with many of these companies should not be bailed out . Not much point. Yes lots of jobs might be lost but why focus on industries that just are not sustainable in the economy here.

My aunt in the uk was a mayor of a certain Suffolk town. Quite a big one. I witnessed what happened there with labor in as well. She is still a big part of the labor party. They just seems to be spend , spend , spend. I feel more confident with the liberals approaches to certain things. Each to their own but. I've said before I'm not politically minded. I just go with my instinct of what I've witnessed here for the last 35 yrs. I lose no sleep over it all. Sometimes I feel the governments are worse than criminals with what they get away with in every country across the world.

[Paul1Perth]

mate i I look at what labor did to the mining industry introducing the taxes. I know of no one in the construction or mining industry that ever votes labor in this country. The last few times the libs were in construction starts booming and mining had better opportunities. Their seems to be more focus on construction industry when libs are in. Look at brissie now. 2 years ago construction wasn't doing well here. Already it's picked back up and people seem to have more confidence. Sales are the best with the companies I know since last time libs were in. I realise what's going on in manafacturing at the moment and I agree with many of these companies should not be bailed out . Not much point. Yes lots of jobs might be lost but why focus on industries that just are not sustainable in the economy here.

My aunt in the uk was a mayor of a certain Suffolk town. Quite a big one. I witnessed what happened there with labor in as well. She is still a big part of the labor party. They just seems to be spend , spend , spend. I feel more confident with the liberals approaches to certain things. Each to their own but. I've said before I'm not politically minded. I just go with my instinct of what I've witnessed here for the last 35 yrs. I lose no sleep over it all. Sometimes I feel the governments are worse than criminals with what they get away with in every country across the world.

 

If that's true, about no-one in mining and construction voting Labor they have lost their grass roots support and would never get in again. I know a few people in mining and construction here and I reckon there are still a few voting labor.

 

I think the Labor party had it right with the super profits tax. They should have never backed off from the title as that really let people know what it was about. Why should the likes of Rio and BHP complain all year about how much Labour costs them in Aus, not sustainable, they are all going to quit Aus and go make massive profits in Africa, Brazil, Russia, Canada, India or whatever country pops into the management teams heads. Then they go and post record profits every year, just about all of it made here and then write off losses they made in India and Canada against profits made here, so they pay less tax here.

 

It's just plain wrong mate they can afford and should be paying a lot more taxes than they are and they, obviously, want this government in 'cos they will make even more profit and pay less taxes under them. Taxes that still have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is me and you.

[Guest]

Wacko greenies make me mad as hell.

 

 

How come?

[Guest]

Well seeing as it's the days of equality I reckon we should have a mens minister too then. How silly is this getting now.:laugh:

 

 

Not really Paul. Women comprise around about half of the electorate, and have historically had to battle hard to secure anything close to the pay and conditions of their male counterparts. If you have a cabinet of say 12 ministers, and only one of them is a woman, then I'd say you have a problem with the representation of a significant minority of the voting public. When you factor in that Tony Abbott has boasted about his "not bad-looking daughters" (so women are just decorative then Tony?), has dismissed abortion as "an easy way out" (for women) and has described women as "physiologically unsuited to lead" then I wouldn't be too confident about women either maintaining or advancing those hard-won gains on his watch.

[Parley]

Just curious but is your misspelling of Tony Abbott's name deliberate ?

[Guest]

1. We are a resource based nation. Hampering this is stupid. I'd also suggest the important things like recycling, water use, reducing city pollution (Perth has LPG buses, electric trains and good public transport), and green energy (solar panels on every other house) Australia is pretty good at.

2. Don't know about that, and don't really care. One would assume it's a loss-leader.

3. What?! Have a role just for women? What about Indians, Jews and Gays etc.? Why not have a minister for those 'minorities' too?

4. It's a good policy. No queue jumpers. Especially when jumping the queue you put your lives at risk, and are then found to not be an asylum seeker, but an economic migrant.

 

 

1.Is it wise to allow loggers to have unprecedented access to Tasmanian forests or permit dredging which threatens the Great Barrier Reef?. These are national treasures, but once they're gone they're gone. Agree with you on the solar panels though, they're a great idea.

 

2. The hand-out to Rupert Murdoch could be construed as a massive "thank-you" for his assistance in savaging Labor during the 2013 election and in not putting his policies under too much scrutiny during the campaign.

 

3. I think a Minorities Minister might work well in terms of devising policy initiatives which seek to promote social inclusion and challenge bigotry. Does the current administration have a Minister for Indigenous Affairs?

 

4. Well, plenty of posts on this thread articulate better than I could how vicious and inhumane the current policy is, but I doubt us Sovereign-Borders sceptics are going to win the battle for hearts and minds here! :smile:

[Guest]

Just curious but is your misspelling of Tony Abbott's name deliberate ?

 

Fixed it for you!

[Paul1Perth]

Not really Paul. Women comprise around about half of the electorate, and have historically had to battle hard to secure anything close to the pay and conditions of their male counterparts. If you have a cabinet of say 12 ministers, and only one of them is a woman, then I'd say you have a problem with the representation of a significant minority of the voting public. When you factor in that Tony Abbot has boasted about his "not bad-looking daughters" (so women are just decorative then Tony?), has dismissed abortion as "an easy way out" (for women) and has described women as "physiologically unsuited to lead" then I wouldn't be too confident about women either maintaining or advancing those hard-won gains on his watch.

 

So Tony had a bit of a brag about his not bad looking daughters, which I think is pretty fair and he gets (so women are just decorative then Tony?). I don't think for one second that's what he meant and you turned an honest comment and a bit of a proud statement from a Dad into something that made it sound as though he was having a go at women.

 

Thought Julia Gillard did that pretty well but she made too much fuss about it in the end and it made her look and sound like a whinger.

[Parley]

I'm sure you know as well as I that the tax rebate payed to Murdoch was as a result of his successful high court challenge to the ATO's tax assessment.

The high court ruled that Murdoch's claim was valid under the tax legislation.

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with Abbott and actually relates to tax returns of many years ago.

[Guest]

I'm sure you know as well as I that the tax rebate payed to Murdoch was as a result of his successful high court challenge to the ATO's tax assessment.

The high court ruled that Murdoch's claim was valid under the tax legislation.

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with Abbott and actually relates to tax returns of many years ago.

 

Right-O, so not an electoral bribe then?. Sorry Tone, sorry Rupe, go back to making the world a better place!

[Paul1Perth]

I'm sure you know as well as I that the tax rebate payed to Murdoch was as a result of his successful high court challenge to the ATO's tax assessment.

The high court ruled that Murdoch's claim was valid under the tax legislation.

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with Abbott and actually relates to tax returns of many years ago.

 

I didn't know that Parley so maybe Endless didn't either and just thought it was a handout to a mate.