Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

@dlowan,

Thanks, Deb.

Now that's over, I can start to be be a bit less angsty (phew!), though I'm feeling rather wilted today, I must say. But I suppose over 6 hours on the road (there & back) could also have contributed to this brain-dead feeling today.

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@hingehead,

Hi hinge

Quote:

Haven't been watching the Howard years (I have a one lines synopsis 'we're bunch of self-serving assholes') and have little interest but I'd like to know your take on who's the slimiest.

OK, here's a clue: His intitials are P.R. ....... <shudder>
I know it's hard to figure who could possibly be the very slimiest of that slimey bunch! Laughing

I watched the last episode tonight. Weird. It's like something that happened ages ago! It's actually been very interesting, seeing how the minds of the Libs' inner sanctum work. Or how they worked.

Quote:

Will the world go foom?[/[quote]

Well, things are certainly going to be different!

This notion of encouraging wild & reckless spending (by people who can't afford it & probably have huge credit card debts already) does strike me as being rather desperate! This will save the economy? I reckon those folk who've received Kevin's handouts will be keeping their loot in a sock under the bed!

Quote:
I am enjoying the brittleness in Julie Bishop, still loving Julia, and waiting to see what COAG has done to change education funding. Particularly in the area of indigenous education and of course, the Bradley report on Unis.

How long do you think Julie B will last as shadow treasurer? I reckon there'll be one of those "reshuffles" come late January & she'll find herself in something like, um ... minister for the elderly? Something a bit less tricky & less visible .... I reckon Joe Hockey (sp?) will be promoted into something more important. And that the knives will be well & truly out for Barnaby! They're gonna get him!

As for the rest, sad to say, Kevin has well & truly lost his lustre for me. I'm getting rather tired of his endless "revolutions". I wish he would stop announcing them & do more. I also wonder what the strategy will be for all the new unemployed come next year.

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Damn those emoticons & quotation boxes! They plonk themselves into any old place! Confused

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@msolga,

Conned Mrs Hinge into watching the last episode last night. My synopsis was remarkably accurate. It looks like it was well put together though. And of course I gave a big cheer when Kev and Julia entered the story.

I still hate Howard. Didn't see much of PR but a glimpse of Vanstone was enough to make see red. It's kind of nice not to hate your political leaders. I think Brough was the only one to come across as bearable - but the cynical political motivation for the intervention, while not surprising, was disgusting.

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@hingehead,

Quote:

Conned Mrs Hinge into watching the last episode last night.

You bribed her with another resident critter, hinge? That would've done the trick for me. Every time ...! Wink

The thing that's stuck in my mind after last night's (final) episode was how the Lib heavies talked about the workplace legislation (What was the policy actually called? WorkChoices? I think I have actually blotted it out from my memory. Not surprising. Ugly, ugly!)

It sounded (from what they said) that the Libs had used the wrong strategy to sell it to the public. That enough promotional work was not put in for a successful outcome. It was almost as if they believed that Howard could get away with anything if the advertising was smart enough! (Hey, they got away with the GST, didn't they?) I found this incredibly offensive. And came to the conclusion that that's what ultimately brought them down. They failed to treat "Howard's battlers" (who they owed the last elect victory to) with sufficient respect to ensure another victory. I think the "battlers" well & truly understood exactly where they stood with Howard after this very nasty piece of legislation.

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@msolga,

I thought at least one of them echoed my thoughts at the time 'Why are we doing this?' I could never understand why they were reducing the workers' bargaining power at a time when labour was an in demand quantity (near full employment). It seemed to fly in the face of the free market, something western governments only do when bankers make stupid business decisions.

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@hingehead,

Quote:

I thought at least one of them echoed my thoughts at the time 'Why are we doing this?'

Because, following the previous election, the Libs had a massive majority in both houses of parliament. So if the opportunity actually arose to act on a long time JH*obsession & to screw the unions once & for all ... well why not? What did it matter if it was not part of his election platform? By this stage I think Howard actually believed he was infallible .... that he was god, or something .... The media was certainly acting like he was!

* Say nothing of other Libs, like Costello & Abbot & others. Remember Dollar Sweets?

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@msolga,

Quote:

Remember Dollar Sweets?

Nope, I'm drawing a complete blank on that.

A2K was something of a refuge in those years, I got consolation from you and Deb and the rest of our hardy band from their understanding of the issues and their disgust of Howard.

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@hingehead,

It was Costello's & Abbot's big moment ( Rolling Eyes

) in "talking on the unions" & winning in the courts. It was where they first developed their political "credentials"/credibility in the wider OZ political context. A very BIG move on from right wing university politics.

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@msolga,

Ooops, my memory is failing me! Embarrassed

Not Costello & Abbot, Costello & Kroger.

After a while they all sort of merge & morph into each other! Wink

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-sweets-of-a-famous-victory/2006/07/25/1153816182414.html?page=fullpage

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This shoe tossing thing is catching on!

Not exactly happy about the 5 per cent emissions reduction target, but .... :

Green protesters throw shoes at Rudd lookalike
Posted 42 minutes ago
Updated 25 minutes ago /ABC news online.

Protesters in Adelaide have pelted a man dressed as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with their shoes as part of nationwide protests against the Federal Government's emissions targets.

The protest on the steps of South Australia's Parliament house was in opposition to the Government's 5 per cent emissions reduction target set yesterday.

After hearing from Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and State MP Mark Parnell, the man pretending to be the Prime Minister was invited to the microphone, and protesters threw their shoes at him.

Earlier Ms Hanson-Young told the crowd there was little difference between Mr Rudd and former prime minister John Howard.

"What an embarrassment that Australia is only prepared to cut carbon emissions by 5 per cent," she said.

"Who would have thought that this was coming from a Rudd Labor Government who won their election based on the fact that they were going to be the party that took action on climate change."

Meanwhile in Sydney at least 80 people have gathered outside the Federal Government's offices in the CBD.

They say 5 per cent is as good as nothing and are calling for a cut of a least 25 per cent.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/16/2447688.htm?section=justin

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@msolga,

Not trying to be an apologist for the Rudd govt's recalcitrance but...

It strikes me that if people really gave a rat's ass about carbon footprints they could do a lot to cut their emissions by their own behaviours, like....

Use public transport more often
stop using incandescent bulbs
install solar panels
pay the green surchage on their power bills (if it's an option)
Turn their non essential appliances off a the wall when they're not in use
Get a more fuel efficient vehicle
Walk to the corner shop or at least turn your engine off once you're there (pet peeve)
Plant some goddam trees!
Buy local produce and eschew the fruit and veg chains.
Buy things with no packaging (especially avoid plastic packaging)
Eat kangaroo and avoid beef

Vote with your feet!

Just getting off high horse now - ooh, saddle sores.

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@hingehead,

Quote:

Just getting off high horse now - ooh, saddle sores.

Ah .... I suspect that the folk who are making the loadest disenchanted noises right now (& throwing the shoes!) might just be the ones who have done the most about their ownn carbon footprints, hinge?

But I do agree with you. There is much more that all of us could do. It is rather galling (sp?) to see the biggest industrial polluters almost rewarded by Kevin & co. Seems almost that "the economy" is the only thing that really matters ....

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@msolga,

First I have heard of this.

So...there's gonna be a shoe frenzy?

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@dlowan,

Quote:

First I have heard of this.

In Oz, you mean, Deb?

It happened to a Kev look-alike at a protest rally yesterday. (see my post with ABC news link, about 5 posts above.) Those Greens are mighty angry! Some folk are calling him Kevin O 5! (% emissions target)

Yep, it seems shoe frenzy's the go at the moment!

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@msolga,

msolga wrote:

Quote:
First I have heard of this.

In Oz, you mean, Deb?

It happened to a Kev look-alike at a protest rally yesterday. (see my post with ABC news link, about 5 posts above.) Those Greens are mighty angry! Some folk are calling him Kevin O 5! (% emissions target)

Yep, it seems shoe frenzy's the go at the moment!

In Oz? In ADELAIDE.

Nobody ever tells me anything.

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@dlowan,

Quote:

In Oz? In ADELAIDE.

Nobody ever tells me anything.

You would have joined them protesting & throwing shoes if you'd been told, Deb? Wink

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@msolga,

olgs wrote:

Ah .... I suspect that the folk who are making the loadest disenchanted noises right now (& throwing the shoes!) might just be the ones who have done the most about their ownn carbon footprints, hinge?

Point taken, BTW.

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@hingehead,

Please notice I agreed with some of what you said, too, hinge!.

In the spirit of Christmas! Wink

BTW, my latest GetUp email update (today) tells me:

"... Hidden in the fine print of Prime Minister Rudd's woefully inadequate 5% climate target announcement on Monday was over $130 million for an 'information campaign' to sell us his sparse climate package. ..."

Sheesh! Sounding a bit too familiar for comfort.

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@msolga,

Quote:

Sheesh! Sounding a bit too familiar for comfort.

Maybe Joe Cocker will get another check from the Feds...

Unchain my heart...

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Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

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