The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

... something about the kettle calling the frypan ...... ? (Have I got that right?) Huh? Things are getting seriously weird! :

Beazley inflames racism: Vanstone
Michelle Grattan, Canberra
September 14, 2006/the AGE

Minister Amanda Vanstone has accused Opposition Leader Kim Beazley of xenophobia and fanning "the racist fire".

Senator Vanstone said Mr Beazley's attack on foreign workers coming to Australia was not that of a national leader.

A national leader brought out the best in the people, but one who brought out the worst was fit only to lead a lynch mob, she said..... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/vanstone-slams-beazley/2006/09/13/1157827020243.html

Amanda is mixing the issues, equating immigration and importing labour is disingenuous.

Immigrants stay and build lives and ties to their new homes. They enrich Australia and ought be welcomed to our community.

Foreign workers are a cheap way of supplying skilled labour, cheaper than engaging in training Australia's under and unemployed. Oddly enough they are easily exploited, a convenience for the rapacious corporations which increasingly feature in 21st century Corporatism.

Yes, of course.

It's not at all odd they're being exploited, gozmo. I think that appears to be the whole point of the 457 scheme. It's good for business, like the new IR laws!

Jeez, this government!



http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/its-about-race-yes-racing-down-to-the-bottom-on-wages/2006/09/14/1157827089288.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

... but I still think Beazles' comment about "Australian values" the other day was seriously misguided & did more to alienate Labor voters than win over any swinging or conservative voters. Attempting to compete with JH on "the race card" is downright stupid & showed very poor judgement on his part.:

Crikey! More true blue Aussie pronouncements!:

Last Update: Friday, September 15, 2006. 11:00am (AEST)

New plan no problem for 'fair dinkum' migrants: Howard

Prime Minister John Howard says the Government's plan to toughen up migration requirements will not be a difficulty for 'fair dinkum' migrants. ....

.... "It won't become more difficult if you're fair dinkum and most people who come to this country are fair dinkum about becoming part of the community," he said.

"I think most people will welcome it - you'll certainly need to know a good deal more about Australia and about Australian customs and the Australian way of life." .....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1741675.htm

Interesting comments from Mick Keelty:

Keelty: terrorism not fault of Muslims
George Megalogenis
September 16, 2006/the Australian

FEDERAL police commissioner Mick Keelty has urged people to back off Muslims, insisting Islamic Australia is not to blame for terrorism.

.... Mr Keelty said he did not like the phrase "the war on terror", because it did not apply in Australia.

..... Immediately after the Madrid bombings in March 2004, Mr Keelty was rebuked by the Howard Government for suggesting Australia's involvement in Iraq had increased the threat of terror attacks on this country.

.......He said racial profiling - the contentious practice backed by Mr Keelty's former counterpart in London, John Stevens, of investigating a particular ethnic group - was counter-productive.

"I am against racial profiling for crimes because (it) risks missing the true cause of the crime and risks focusing (on) an aspect of the community that may not necessarily involve itself in the crime while the crime is being committed."

]In the interview on Wednesday, Mr Keelty explained how he has got to know the Australian Muslim community better by breaking bread with them at Ramadan. This had helped him adjust the language he uses to describe the threat of terrorism.

He said he had been guilty of using the wrong language in the past. Asked for an example, he nominated the phrase that is used repeatedly by Western leaders - "the war on terror".

"I think a statement like the war against terror is an easy statement to make. But terrorism is a crime, it's murder. It's more about a mindset and a motivation than it is about a war ... As an Australian what is so important to us, I think, is that we maintain the quality of life that we have and we continue to capitalise on the benefits of multiculturalism, that we look to be embracing of all cultures."

complete article:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20420376-601,00.html

Migrants face English test quiz:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/migrants-face-english-test-quiz/2006/09/17/1158431585587.html

:wink:
Are you Aussie Enough?- quiz:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2267689#2267689

Pauline Hanson, eat your heart out!
<shudder>:

This whole citizenship test thing reminds me of a joke I heard a few years ago;

Two families move from Pakistan to Australia. When they arrive the two fathers make a bet. In a year's time whichever family has become more Australian will win.

A year later they meet again. The first man says, "I have changed my name to Trevor, my son is playing AFL, I had a meat pie with sauce for breakfast and I'm just about to jump in my Commodore and go to the pub to pick up a slab of VB, how about you?"

The second man replies...

"F**k off, towelhead."

Anyway, Howard seems to be gearing up for the next election. In the last two he has gained votes by playing the us vs them card, this seems to be another attempt at doing so. Beazley is, yet again, doing a pretty piss poor effort at responding. The opposition spokesperson for immigration basically said;

"We don't disagree with the government but they need to provide more funding for english lessons."

Pretty lame and pointless comeback.

Yep, Adrian, I think you're absolutely right. It's all about the next election! Only 12 months away, I read the other day. (So that means it could be earlier, of course, if it suits JH!)
I predict there will be many more "issues" about true blue Aussie values in the days to come. Say nothing of a few more "terrorist" scares to make it perfectly clear just which party can keep Australia "safe". Plus a few patriotic debates that haven't seen the light of day yet .....
Anything to keep the IR stuff off the front pages of our newspapers & off talkback radio & our television screens. That is the Achilles heal of this government & right now JH & co. are doing a pretty good job of keeping the focus elsewhere. Expect more. Lots more!

Yo!

lezzles!

How nice to see you here!
What took you so long?
I hope this isn't just a fleeting visit. Come on, get involved!

A girl can get very lonely on this thread sometimes, ya know! I only continue because I'm obsessed!
Great to see Adrian, gozmo & even Ben in France, again!
More, more, I say!
What about it, Deb, hinge, dadpad, margo, Wilso? ... even goodfielder, whose gone AWOL, sadly ... If you occasionally lurk, goodfielder, I'd love to hear from you!
With a bit of luck we can get some decent discussions going, hey? The odd debate, even!
Seriously, though, it would be wonderful to get more discussion going here. Just 12 months (possibly less!) to The Next Coming Oz Election! Surely we voters can do much better this time around?
Surely?

<sigh>
Aint it true?
Kim, baby, you can't win by out JH-ing JH!
Stop it right now! The stuff about "Australian values"! It's truly awful to watch!
Many polls are regularly telling you that Labor is a goer with voters for the next election.
But that voters prefer JH as their leader.
Please, a viable alternative!

AWB tricked the UN: Federal Court judge
Caroline Overington
September 19, 2006/the Australian

AWB executives are almost certain to face criminal charges after the Federal Court ruled the Australian wheat exporter had "deliberately and dishonestly" conspired to defraud the UN.

In a decision that pre-empted the findings of the Cole inquiry, Federal Court judge Neil Young yesterday labelled some of AWB's deals with Iraq "improper" and "dishonest". ......

........ Howard government officials and ministers were repeatedly warned that AWB was rorting the UN's oil-for-food program in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 but failed to investigate.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he took AWB's word that it was not guilty of wrongdoing. ..............



http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20436686-601,00.html

<sigh>
... & those media ownership proposals!
(Say nothing of poor Auntie getting chopped off at the knees! ):

msolga,

I religiously read this thread and appreciate the excellent work you do in hunting up newsworthy contributions. My days as a political creature are over, I think. I have become so cynical about both sides of the House (and all the individuals in between).

I am in shock this week over the dumping of the State Member for Newcastle, Bryce Gaudry.

If I say what I really think I will be visited by the feds or a party hitman. Don't get me started.

Media ownership? Rupert or Jamie? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
AWB? In a banana republic they would be put up against a wall and shot.
Oops, we can't afford the bananas.
Australian values? They've all been sold down the river.

Sorry for being so maudlin..........

Not at all, lezzles. I know exactly how you feel!

Actually I'm not sure why I haven't totally switched off, myself, the whole spectacle is so disgusting & disillusioning. But then, I figure folks all over the place are equally, if not more, shat off ... imagine if you had to wake up every day knowing it was another day with George Bush as your president! Or you were a British Labour Party member trying to come to terms with what Tony Blair has done! <sigh>

The thing I can't cope at all well with is the apathy of Australian voters. I mean, there's Iraq, the appalling IR laws, the ABC, the AWB scandal, David Hicks, detention centres, the sell-out of public education & the public health system..... etc, etc, etc, etc. Yet nothing but interest rates & mortgages seems to register! I don't get it!!!!!

Anyway, disillusioned or not, you will agree that it's impossible to completely ignore this stuff, yes? So you are most welcome to post & grumble, be cynical, whatever.... anytime the spirit moves you.

Thanks for your kind words.

What's the story with, Bryce Gaudry? Why was he dumped? Haven't heard anything about it here.