2011 Federal Politics Thread

A fkn horrible thread IMO



I think I'll be sticking to the old and loved thread.

spot on AFL - they are a basket case, Abbott is somehow keeping them together BUT it's only a matter of time

Notice how the Liberals only go up in the polls when Abbott is out of the news Jez?  It's not a coincidence

As to your rave against Labor, pathetic

The BER outcome: Time to correct the record
by Bernard Keane

Here, in a nutshell, is the result of months of expensive work by the Orgill review team examining the government’s Building the Education Revolution component of its stimulus packages:

    * It will support, all up, about 120,000 jobs directly and indirectly, “filling a gap left in demand from the private sector and playing an important role in supporting apprentices and skill retention in the building and construction industry”.

    * The program’s impact was “most pronounced” in its first year, when it was needed most.
    * The new infrastructure is, in the review team’s opinion, “sorely needed, particularly in government schools”.

    * The review received complaints from 294 schools across the entire program — 3% of the 10,000-odd school projects.

    * The review team closely examined 57 projects, nearly all of which were drawn from “the most egregious complaints received by the Taskforce or were selected from our reading of media reports”. Seventeen of those 57 projects were found to fail the value-for-money criteria established by the review team.
    * Extrapolating that 17/57 figure across all complaints (even though the selected projects were “the most egregious”) suggests the rate of valid complaints about value for money is 0.9% of all projects.
    * The review has lowered its estimate of how much more the NSW government paid in order to deliver its projects quickly, from 5-6% to “at the bottom of that range, around 5 per cent”.

    * The total complaint rate even for NSW government school projects, which attracted more than half of all complaints, was 7%.

In short, the report is a comprehensive demolition of the campaign that has been run against the program by the opposition —  which having missed out with two independent reports now wants a third — and The Australian. That campaign has consisted of claims that the BER was providing poor value for money, that it was useless because it wouldn’t provide any stimulus until after the economy recovered, that the infrastructure was entirely unnecessary, that it was all a “debacle”.

In fact, the BER has been a gold standard stimulus program, delivering tens of thousands of jobs, when they were needed, building needed infrastructure, across a vast number of locations, with an almost derisory complaint rate even in NSW, where the government rushed the program as quickly as possible.

And what of The Australian and journalists like Matthew Franklin, who has sat in the press gallery bureau and waged a campaign against the program? Or the ABC journalists happy to follow the News Limited line and parrot that the program was a “debacle” on par with the insulation program?

Perhaps those journalists should ask the tens of thousands of men and women in the construction industry who still have jobs despite the collapse in private construction since the GFC, who are still in work despite the commercial construction sector grinding to a halt, despite new housing construction going into a precipitate decline this year. Ask the apprentices still learning on the job.

Ask their families, their partners and kids. Ask the retailers where they shop. Ask their banks. Check with them if they think it was a “debacle”.

That’s not likely to happen either. The media doesn’t like the construction industry, despite it being one of our biggest employers. Maybe it’s journalistic snobbery about manual labour. Or maybe it’s because the only yarn from the construction industry that the media is interested in is about union thuggery. Particularly at The Australian, which led the charge in favour of the Howard government’s assault on the CFMEU — an assault that led to a systematic abrogation of basic civil rights, in the form of the ABCC, and a big rise in workplace deaths.

Is it any wonder the Coalition and the media despise a program that has been critical in keeping the industry going since the GFC?



From the AUSTRALIAN

But by September last year, when it was apparent Australia would avoid recession, the government should have recalibrated the BER, the largest component of its $42bn stimulus. By then, Julia Gillard, as education minister, should have ensured that the spending added greater educational value beyond canteens and halls. Her failure to do so suggests the government was motivated, at least in part, by political considerations.

Notice how this fishwrap with ink on it neglects to mention the Libraries and Science and Language  Centres through fear of them being associated with educational value. I think the kids of today will get far more Educational Value from the following facilities than giving them copies of 'Lazarus Rising' as a true reflection of history. The following Data is from NSW ….let alone the other states.

Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21)

Primary Schools for the 21st Century is a $2.98 billion investment to build or upgrade large-scale infrastructure such as libraries, halls and classrooms and other buildings in every public primary school in NSW.
All eligible schools, including special schools and K-12 schools, will receive a funding boost of between $250,000 and $3 million, depending on the number of students enrolled.
The program will deliver long-term infrastructure solutions so that students, teachers and the wider community have access to high quality resources to support learning and improve the quality and diversity of learning environments.

Number of projects:
2,363
Construction started:
2,355
Construction finished:
1,802
Projects Completed:76%

Science & Language Centres (SLC)

Science and Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary Schools (SLC) will deliver newly constructed and refurbished science learning centres and language learning centres to eligible secondary schools across NSW.
On June 30 2009, the Australian Government announced $810 million of funding for the SLC program, including $151 million of funding for 118 NSW public schools.
The SLC program complements the NSW Government’s Building Better Schools program, a $145 million program to upgrade 800 science laboratories by 2011.

Number of projects:
118
Construction started:
118
Construction finished:
118
Projects Completed:100%

National School Pride (NSP)

National School Pride will provide funding of up to $200,000 for every eligible primary, secondary and central school in NSW to refurbish and renew existing infrastructure and undertake minor building works.
More than $287 million will be invested in 2,179 public schools across NSW.
The very tight timeframes for National School Pride, as set out in the Australian Government’s Building the Education Revolution Guidelines, are designed to deliver immediate support for local employment.
Number of projects:
2,179
Projects started:
2,179
Projects completed:
2,179
Projects Completed:
100%
(Updated 10 December, 2010)

wombleoz.

My rave against Labor?  I've called your arguments pathetic, wombleoz, because they ARE. 

You really struggle to make sense a lot of the time - I mean in the real world - in reality - that is.

This is not an attack against your extreme socalism wombleoz, I'll leave that to another day.  But, my little mate, you cannot re-write history - this is an attack (and I'm joined by many on the Labor side in this) on the Rudd-Gillard Government.

I'll tell you what will be a pathetic blob in history.
The Rudd-Gillard Labor years.

You can scream your utter nonsense until your blue in the face.  I know you always have a response - but I mean, a true, accurate and factual response - never the case, just the desperate NSW Labor style propaganda - you know, "BUSINESS AS USUAL HERE"...."NOTHING TO LOOK AT".....

You wrote that the Opposition are a basket case.

Think its fair to say, thats nonsense.  If you used your brain and look around and viewed various media on politics over the summer so far, you will have seem the negative and procarious commentary on Rudd-and to-date Gillard Labor. 

Use your brain mate.  You haven't heard of the small-target strategy?  Your saying Labor haven't used it.  You saying that there have never been leaders of Labor who have changed tact or style to win elections. 

This is politics wombleoz.  Opinion polls come and go.  Tony Abbott as he has demonstrated, is in this for the long haul.  He is a stayer.  Write him off at your peril.  I think those with brains, and the hard heads within the ALP, considering this governments weak position currently - acknowledge Abbott as a legimitate and formidable opponent.

I mean, in all seriousness, this Labor government lost its majority and butchered its first term PM.  Look at your above post about policy, wombleoz.  We hear "blocked in senate"  "took wrong approach"  "work in progress" "struggling big time".

  You for real with this desperation?

The Labor government elected in 2007 has been a monumental disaster - started with much fanfare - but crashed and burned spectacularly.

Wake up wombleoz.  Wake up to reality pal.
Don't know what realm your in.  But lets at the very least, without objectivity, stick to the facts.  Ta.

You keep rabbitting on about the BER AFL.
I'm not reading those posts anymore mate. 
I doubt anyone, except you and wombleoz, wanting something positive to browse over, are reading it.

It's always wise important to remember:
Perception is everything in politics.

I've mentioned AFL and wombleoz, very broadly (as internet posters)at my workplace............you blokes are the LAST people needed within ALP offices.  And the last people I'd want if I were in political office.

Chronic denial and foolish head in sand stuff.
Keep it real boys. 

I mean in 2007, I knew very early that the Coalition would lose power.  I still campaigned during the election, but when I discussed politics I made it very clear - the Coalition would not win and I was aware of why, politically.

Lots of discussion at Lib meetings from then on.
The whys, the hows, the what ifs, the remedies.
And move on.

wombleoz is one of the faithful, thats for sure.

I think of him, presently as akin to the captain of the ill-fated Titanic...............he stood at the bridge, shoulders back and proud.  He went down with the ship.

As will wombleoz.

won't be much of a debate if we're posting on different threads, move with the times boys - it's 2011, it's going to be a HUGE year in politics and deserves it's own thread - it's own thread with a generic title

if you read my response to the GCinvestors you will notice I bagged Labor on a few points - they have done stuff wrong, no denying it and the reason I won't give them my first preference, the party has lost it's way trying to be everything to everybody - they need to come back to the centre / centre left where they should be

however, it's not all as bad as Jez and others would have you believe - the economy is the envy of most countries, we've avoided recession despite the GFC and unemployment still has a 5 in front of it when most have 2 or more times that.  we're doing pretty bloody well just quietly.  Labor's biggest mistake is that they set expectations too high, especially around the delivery of infrastructure and then they got whacked with the GFC to top it off.  2011 is the year they have to deliver and I think, with the help of the Greens and Independents they will - it's in all their interests to have a government that achieves things and the blocking, negative, do nothing Liberals won't be in the way anymore.

I notice all you Liberal fans failed to address Paid Parental Leave, something govenments have failed to deliver on for generations that it took a Labor government to deliver - a real result for the Australian people

18 October 2001
A small, unnamed 19.5 X 4 metre wooden fishing boat that would later be dubbed SIEVX (Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X) departs Bandar Lampung with approximately 421 passengers. This dilapidated, unseaworthy boat would have been overcrowded with 150 aboard, let alone 400. (LATER, SURVIVORS WOULD REPORT THAT MANY WERE FORCED ABOARD AT GUNPOINT BY INDONESIAN POLICE WHO SUPERVISED THE LOADING.)

Some hours into the voyage the boat stops near an island in the Sunda Strait and 23 Mandaean passengers disembark into another boat, the Rukun Agung, due to fears that the horrendously overcrowded vessel will sink. The Rukun Agung breaks down and the captain Mr Udin contacts his employer, Mr Wedi for assistance. The Mandaeans are landed at Lempasing beach and later interviewed by Indonesian police before making their way back to Cisarua.

19 October 2001

3pm: The boat goes down in INTERNATIONAL WATERS, INSIDE THE AUSTRALIAN AERIAL BORDER PROTECTION SURVEILLANCE ZONE. APPROXIMATELY 146 CHILDREN, 142 WOMEN AND 65 MEN PERISH.
…........................................................................................................................................................
The Prime Minister John Howard repeatedly tells the Australian people that it went down in INDONESSIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS and so not our problem. Despite having access to a DEFAT cable that states,

THE SIEV referring to SIEVX IS BELIEVED TO HAVE FOUNDERED IN ROUGH SEAS TO THE SOUTH OF SUNDA ST WITHIN THE INDONESIAN MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
….........................................................................................................................................................

THAT IS NOT INDONESIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS. INDONESIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS ARE CLOSE TO THE BORDERS OF INDONESIA. THE INDONESIAN MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY EXTENDS DEEP INTO THE TIMOR SEA AND ABUTS AUSTRALIA. IT COVERS WHAT WOULD, IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, BE CALLED INTERNATIONAL WATERS.

The cable is a significant piece of information because it goes to whether AUSTRALIAN SEARCH AND RESCUE CAPABILITY COULD HAVE INTRUDED INTO THE AREA CONCERNED TO RESCUE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THAT ILL-FATED SHIP.

Survivers reported planes overhead that appeard to just fly past. They also reported 2 vessels that came within eyeshot but did nothing. They were eventually rescued by 2 nearby Indonessian fishing boats??

This whole episode is the biggest cover-up in our history. Imo. We partly financed and trained the Indonessians in implimenting a Boat People deterance system ( hence these  poor people were under Indonessian Police Guard in the lead up to their ill fated journey.)
This deterance was beefed up as a result of the Children Overboard incident that embarresed the Howard Govt.

The whole aerea between Indonessia and Australia was monitored and many many boats were detected and turned around, but this one somehow slipped through and our Govt denied  knowledge of it's existence. YEAHHH RIGHT.

IMO.

Thought I'd introduce someone who is very close to wombleoz's heart.

A fellow watermelon.  A proud commo.  The incoming NSW Senator for The Greens.  Her name, Lee Rhiannon.

I've got a special feeling, we'll be hearing plenty of Lee on the national stage in the latter half of this year.



I think Lee will provide a real boost to the Labor-Green Gillard Government.........

Jez is fair dinkum obsessed with Lee Rhiannon - she'll be one of plenty of Greens in parliament Jez - I for one can hardly wait. Interesting that Bob Brown came out in support of local retailers today, those bloody greens - anti jobs, anti business

Nice post again AFL - like i have said before Jez is only interested in talking about the past if it supports his argument

Big year 2011 - expect to see plenty achieved and plenty of leadership from Julia - e.g. like on paid parental leave which Jez and the others refuse to comment on [;)]

As for 2011 in Australian politics.

Bring it on.

Abbott V Gillard.

Howard Govt / Jez Melb Punter Doctrine 101

DENY EVERYTHING

ADMIT NOTHING

MAKE COUNTER-ACCUSATIONS

Sure wombleoz.

Victorian election is just a taste.  The Greens are trying to play with the big boys now - GOODLUCK!  [;)]

If you think Lee won't come unstuck in some way with your very vocal thoughts - your head is in the sand - the only newcomer Australian's will see from the Greens next year will be...........





Again........GOODLUCK!

ffs AFL.

I saw a similar cartoon with Gillard in it a few weeks ago.

Womble : These retailers have been ripping off consumers for years ...ffs

I'd also like to throw my support on this thread behind the 'Bob Brown and the Greens are a fkn liability to this nation' cause...

PS - On the issue of dams and Tony Abbott's comments today in relation to this - he has made the first move as a leader and is totally right - something real must be done to protect states (like Queensland), people and the economy from flooding. The answer is most likely far more complex than a few dams - but at least he made a positive move. At least he had a plan to start with. Gillard on the other hand has nothing constructive to put forward. She did as she always does - sneers at everyone else, talks down to the population, criticises other people but has nothing to put up herself. Gillard will go down in history as the PM with no plans at all and nothing to show for her time as PM except rorts and failures.

Maybe he wants a dam with a plug in it......like a bathtub.