If this is true, voting for kevin is just the same as voting for bonzai, only a younger version.
I can't tell the difference between the Labor party and the Liberal party anymore. Gee, the greens are looking good !
Me thinks kevin is shooting himself in the foot.
Nicholson of "The Australian" newspaper:
www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au
Nicholson of "The Australian" newspaper:
www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au
Greens threat to Labor's IR
August 29, 2007/the Australian
THE Greens have warned Labor that they will have a "mandate" to modify any industrial relations policy if they win the balance of power in the Senate at the next election.
Opposition deputy leader Julia Gillard yesterday issued a warning to the Senate that if Labor was elected it would expect the Senate to respect its mandate for its "Forward with Fairness" workplace package.
But Greens industrial relations spokeswoman senator Rachael Siewert left open the option there could be issues the party might "die in the ditch over" depending on the wording of the legislation.
"If the Greens hold the balance of power, we too will hold a mandate," she said.
"And that will centre around the fact that people want us to be there holding a strong line on industrial relations.
Why not challenge the Greens. More of a debate there! :wink::
Rudd challenges Howard to IR debate
August 29, 2007 - 8:42AM
The AGE
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has challenged the Prime Minister to a debate on industrial relations. .....
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rudd-demands-ir-debate/2007/08/29/1188067147114.html
Quote:Federal Labor is soon to announce radical changes to its industrial relations policies, including removing workers who earn more than $100,000 a year from award protection, ABC radio's PM program said on Monday night.
I would have thought that was already pretty much the case anyway - even before workchoices.
vikorr wrote:Quote:Federal Labor is soon to announce radical changes to its industrial relations policies, including removing workers who earn more than $100,000 a year from award protection, ABC radio's PM program said on Monday night.
I would have thought that was already pretty much the case anyway - even before workchoices.
But you'd be wrong - believe it or not. And the mining companies think $75000 would be better but really they'd rather blanket AWAs.
I still think AWAs hinder small business they really only favour large companies that can get economies of scale out of contract negotiation with invidividuals.
Interesting article from <wait for it!> the Australian! 
:
" .... In essence, the Howard Government has succumbed to the trap outlined by Treasury Secretary Ken Henry. It has been content to consume the fruits of the present economic boom and take the luxury of the soft option. Within this option, Dr Henry said, lurks an intergenerational tragedy that would impose an unnecessary burden on all future generations.
Made worse by the long simmering leadership tensions between Mr Howard and Mr Costello, this inaction has also come at an immediate political cost.
We now see Mr Howard struggling in the opinion polls not because of his age or because he has been in office for 11 years but because he appears to have little idea of what to do next. The electorate hasn't been listening because the Government hasn't said anything worth hearing. What is the compelling argument to vote for another term of the Howard Government? The big argument put by Mr Howard boils down to a fear of change. ....."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22329657-16741,00.html?source=cmailer
Two million Australians below poverty line
Daniella Miletic
August 30, 2007/the AGE
ONE in 10 Australians is living in poverty and faring worse on key health indicators than people in other rich nations, a report shows.
The report, Australia Fair: International Comparisons 2007
However, JH doesn't buy it. (He hasn't heard of the working poor, the ever-growing numbers of casualized workers? He doesn't know how loosely "employment" is defined in the stats.?..) 
:
PM disputes poverty report
August 30, 2007 - 10:25AM/the AGE
Australia's low unemployment rate is evidence that poverty is not rising, Prime Minister John Howard says, despite a welfare report which suggests otherwise. ...<cont>
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/poverty-not-increasing-pm/2007/08/30/1188067235727.html
Greens ultimatum to Rudd on preference deal
August 30, 2007 - 6:29PM/the AGE
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has thrown down the gauntlet to Labor, calling on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd to agree to a preference deal or risk an election loss.
Labor has been in talks with the Greens and Family First about swapping preferences for the upcoming election, where environmental issues are likely to figure prominently.
Senator Brown today issued an ultimatum to Mr Rudd to agree to swap preferences with the Greens ahead of other minor parties in about 20 crucial marginal seats.
"We've said to Labor for three months we'd do a preference swap in key marginals in the lower house if you give us preferences for the Senate," he told AAP.
"They've been off talking to other parties, including Family First.
"We're just saying now 'here it is, take it or leave it'. If you don't want to give the Greens preferences ... we'll go open ticket in marginal seats."
The Greens would not enter into any further negotiations, Senator Brown said.
An open ticket arrangement means the Greens would not specify that voters direct their preferences to any particular party.
According to ABC election analyst Antony Green, research by former Democrat senator John Cherry and the Parliamentary Library suggests that where the Greens direct preferences to Labor rather than issue an open ticket, the average flow of preferences to Labor increases by 3.5 percentage points.
Labor could expect a preference deal with the Greens to deliver the party extra votes in green-thinking electorates such as Wentworth, held by Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
AAP
Streuth! Labor is surely not even
considering doing preferential deals with
Family First after the stuff up last time?
What are they thinking? That's it! I'm voting
Greens in the Senate. And I hope they hold the balance of power! Now
that would make things very interesting!
msolga wrote:Streuth! Labor is surely not even
considering doing preferential deals with
Family First after the stuff up last time?
What are they thinking? That's it! I'm voting
Greens in the Senate. And I hope they hold the balance of power! Now
that would make things very interesting!
Me too. Mrs Hinge won't though - she doesn't want any possibility that the libs could still control the senate.
And it would be nice to have another Tasmanian feather duster holding the reigns of senate, although being Tasmanian is about the only thing Bob Brown and Brian Harridine have in common.
bungie wrote:kevin needs to be careful he doesn't do a hewson ... lose an un-loseable election. Me thinks he is on the right path.
In trying to be seen to be balanced, he is tilting too far the other way
.... or lose previously un-losable Labor supporters. Where else has the left to go but green?
