The Federal Politics Thread

[Nathan]

Now here's an interesting little policy to drop just two days before an election.
The Liberals plan to introduce an opt-out internet filter.

http://www.zdnet.com/au/australian-oppo ... 000020270/

[dsriggs]

Now here's an interesting little policy to drop just two days before an election.
The Liberals plan to introduce an opt-out internet filter.

http://www.zdnet.com/au/australian-oppo ... 000020270/

Oh, fantastic

[Waewick]

Now here's an interesting little policy to drop just two days before an election.
The Liberals plan to introduce an opt-out internet filter.

http://www.zdnet.com/au/australian-oppo ... 000020270/

it has been denied by Turnball

[rhino]

it has been denied by Turnball

Turnball . Yes, that was amusing. He announced it, then promptly turned around and said they would move away from that policy and denounce it. I suspect it was one of Tony's "Captain's Decisions" that he failed to discuss with his Minister for the Internet, who actually has a far better understanding of things than his Captain does.

[Waewick]

bloody bizzare policy that is for sure.

I'm voting independent anyways..hopefully they keep the Libs honest,

[monotonehell]

bloody bizzare policy that is for sure.

I'm voting independent anyways..hopefully they keep the Libs honest,

I hope you're also voting below the line. All the preference deals been done this election are bizarre and often counter to what people would think.

[monotonehell]

I thought I would review the election commitment costings as per the much touted "Charter of Budget Honesty Policy Costing Guidelines – 2012". Remember that?
http://electioncostings.gov.au/

Interesting.

ALP costings: more than I can be bothered counting (70+)
Greens costings: more than I can be bothered counting (70+)
Coalition costings: zip, zero, nada, not a sausage (0)

So much for being able to balance the books. "Bullet proof, trust me, " is what a con man would say.

Looks like I'll be voting Greens this year and preferencing Labor higher than the Coalition. I'm not cool with what Labor has done, but in a two horse race they are the better bet. Too many of the Coalition's policies are potentially damaging to the Nation and judging by the complete lack of budget honesty, not thought through.

It's a sad state of affairs when our choices are bad or worse.

[rhino]

Reckon I will be following your lead there, Mono. You pretty much summed up what I was thinking.

[[Shuz]]

Likewise,

I was going to give Labor my number 1 on the HoR ticket, but reckon I will give it to either one of the minor parties, the Greens or Palmer United so that they get the $2.49 in funding, but then direct the second preference to Labor, so that they might change their policy direction on a couple of matters - i.e. rather than investigate High Speed Rail, actually go ahead with the construction of it, that sort of thing. There was a good comic that went around on social media a couple of weeks ago that explained the preferencing system but I've no idea where it came from.

Senate allocations are a complete mindfuck, but I've already had a quick think about it and worked out roughly which parties will go where, with the exception of deliberately preferencing some of the oddballs like Sarah Hanson Young and Cori Bernardi down last with the fundamentalist Christian groups - Australian Christians, Family First, Rise Up Australia, et. al.

[monotonehell]

There was a good comic that went around on social media a couple of weeks ago that explained the preferencing system but I've no idea where it came from.

Shuz is voting below the line. Me so happy. BTW I posted that comic in response to you being a Dingo
http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/for ... 42#p118442

Senate allocations are a complete mindfuck, but I've already had a quick think about it and worked out roughly which parties will go where, with the exception of deliberately preferencing some of the oddballs like Sarah Hanson Young and Cori Bernardi down last with the fundamentalist Christian groups - Australian Christians, Family First, Rise Up Australia, et. al.

There's a couple of websites which allow you to make and print your own how to vote card from home, so you get a chance to google the names you don't recognise to see exactly how insane they are http://www.belowtheline.org.au/ is one.

[Aidan]

Likewise,

I was going to give Labor my number 1 on the HoR ticket, but reckon I will give it to either one of the minor parties, the Greens or Palmer United so that they get the $2.49 in funding, but then direct the second preference to Labor, so that they might change their policy direction on a couple of matters - i.e. rather than investigate High Speed Rail, actually go ahead with the construction of it, that sort of thing. There was a good comic that went around on social media a couple of weeks ago that explained the preferencing system but I've no idea where it came from.

If that's the case I suggest giving your first preference to the Greens, as they need the money whereas Palmer United is probably the best funded party in Australia already!

High speed rail does need to be investigated before it's constructed, otherwise we'll pay billions more for an inferior route.

Senate allocations are a complete mindfuck, but I've already had a quick think about it and worked out roughly which parties will go where, with the exception of deliberately preferencing some of the oddballs like Sarah Hanson Young and Cori Bernardi down last with the fundamentalist Christian groups - Australian Christians, Family First, Rise Up Australia, et. al.

Why do you consider Sarah Hanson Young an oddball?

Are Family First really fundamentalist? if so, they've done a good job of hiding it!

Are Rise Up Australia really a Christian group? My impression so far has been that they're a clone of One Nation.

[Aidan]

Forgot to post this link earlier: Crikey's guide to porkbarrelling.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/09/04/a-c ... -election/

SA gets less money from the ALP than any other state or significant territory.
And from the Liberals we get than half that, unless you include the money for upgrading South Road that they'd pay for by cutting funding for upgrading South Road.

[Waewick]

well, I voted below the line.....

[dsriggs]

So there's a chance that Xenophon might bring a second into the Senate with him. Add that to Sarah Hanson-Young getting back in & it looks like South Australians might be holding the balance of power for once

Still a lot more votes to be counted though, obviously.

[rhino]

Well, if anything good came out of Saturday's election, I think that the Australian people have told Labor that they're fed up with the infighting and want a clear leader, and I think they've/we've told the Co-alition that we really don't trust them with an outright mandate, and there are going to be checks and balances on everything they are proposing. Possibly we'll get a stronger more united Labor party out of this, and possibly some of Abbott's ideals won't make it though Senate scrutiny.

It will be interesting to see if we really do get a double dissolution if the carbon tax scrapping and a few other things don't get through. Our new opposition need to get themselves sorted soon, just in case.