What is happening in Australia?

Am I the only one who is having a hard time understanding the 'people' aspect in Australia?

Two events have happened in the past 4 months in Perth WA.

1. Day light savings
2. Extended Trading Hours

Now I am neither stating my 'pro-con' for either, To be completely honest it isnt something that will majorly effect my life, but I understand some people out there, it will have a significant effect on.

So, since I have been alive, I can remember 3 public votes on Day light savings.
EVERY single vote, the 'no's' had the majority.

That being said not by much, Ie 51-49 but regardless.... there were MORE no votes than yes votes.

So explain to me, after the public voted 3 times in a row, and turned down the debate... why have the government decided to introduce it WITHOUT A VOTE?

I mean, clearly there's a MAJORITY over the decades that have said NO to day light savings.
But now, they have forced it on the community without a VOTE.
Doesnt this seem odd to some people? Shouldnt they of atleast PUT it to another vote?
We've now got this for 3 years, and then they are goiong to decide wether to keep it or not...

well jesus.. the public could of told you in 1 day wether we want it again, instead now they have forced it on us.

secondly, is the extended trading hours for Perth.
Once again, they put this to a vote of the public, and once again the public said NO. We do NOT want sunday trading.
PErth just doesnt have the population, or the economy for the companies, and small businesses to profit from sunday trading. Its un-reasonable.


BUT NOW? after we voted NO, the RIPPER government here in Perth is once again putting extended trading hours on the agender,
www.abc.net.au...





What happened to the days when the peoples vote MEANT something?

Why now, do they even bother putting it to the people, when they clearly will enforce it if they want it ?

When you said trading hours, I thought you were talking about a stock or other financial exchange.

Anyway, I think what you speak of is a worldwide trend. The U.S. has increased the number of weeks daylight savings time is to be observed, and I don't think we've ever had any restrictions on shop hours except for liquor stores, which have been lengthened too recently (at least in NY). In Europe, where limits on shops' hours has historically been more common, they are also dropping such limits -- I know the shops in Amsterdam are open for far longer than they used to be.

Agit8ted, can you please link me to a story on the daylight savings thing ?
Sorry I got a little confused in what you were saying, are they trialing NO DST with ending it in mind or making some kind of change to the hours or something ?

Everyone I know loves DST and I miss it, they don't observe it in Japan and it sucks having such short days all year round.

Not so much what they implemented is what im saying..

im more saying that..


2 issues affecting the public, which the public voted NO on, both times the government has decided to ignore the vote THEY put forward, and implement both aspects anyway.


Whats the point of a vote?


www.waec.wa.gov.au...

Doesn't really bother me. We get DST here as well every year, and the only effect i feel of it is that i have stupid arguments with friends in QLD about the time then realize they are an hour different.

Agit8d Chop,

I hear where your coming from mate - personally I dont mind the daylight savings coz if we didnt have it, sun rise would be at 4:30 am and set at 7:45pm, getting the extra usuable hour makes a difference, especially if you work long hours.

The sopping hours business, I think the government is forcing it through because it makes it more business friendly, as in the mining companies dealing with head offices on the east coast, I reckon the mining companies said jump and the government said how high.

But your real point, what is a vote worth? Ask the US voters who have been robbed twice now in elections. Voting is just a way for the government to make the people "think" that they have an opinion and power to change things when really that power has been taken from them long ago.

Democracy used to be a government for the people by the people, but since it has become, a government for the rich, run by industry. People are just sheep who will change their opinion by the way we fudge things in our favour.

Kick em all out I say!!!

As a permanent nightshift worker i personally love daylight savings. Gives me that little bit extra daylight to spend messing around with the kids after ive slept through the day.
I'm over 40 and i cant remember ever being asked to vote on Daylight savings and most people i know love it.
Was the vote your talking about only for people in W.A.

Extended shopping hours is also being pushed here in Sth Aust and once again as a nightshift worker i dont have a problem with it, it gives me more options. I think you'l find that the amount of shift workers as a whole has increased over the past 20 years and tourism is also used as an argument for deregulation of trading hours.

Imo it's all good.

Thanks MM, good to see someones understanding what im trying to talk about.


Daylight savings in my mind, isnt good for WA.
IT puts us OUT OF tune with our trading partner ' Asia ' the sun doesnt go down until 9:30 PM which means when im doing my shift work 2am - 11am... Its impossible to get to sleep at 5pm when the suns up.

As for the shopping hours, it may work in the eastern states, but WA just DOESNT have the population or the economy to support it.
Small businesses will lose out big time.
I remmeber working for Coles supermarkets on Sundays during school holidays...
Being u pay workers extra for working sunday, plus the bills of power, water rah rah rah, the very limited customers coming through meant it wasnt worth it to be open.

But again

WHAT GOOD is a PUBLIC VOTE ??
When the government can implement it even if the public vote against it ?

Originally posted by mojo4sale

Was the vote your talking about only for people in W.A.
Imo it's all good.

Correct,

the West Aussie government put daylight savings to a vote 3 times.

every time the public voted NO.

But they implemented it anyway.

The west aussie government put extended trading hours to a vote.

the public voted NO.

but now, they are putting implementing it back on the agender.

Originally posted by Agit8dChop

Two events have happened in the past 4 months in Perth WA.

1. Day light savings

Yep cooler mornings,longer hot afternoons.It doesn`t get dark here till about 9pm

2. Extended Trading Hours

Where have i been? first i`ve heard of it,other than the Prem saying Sunday trading will be brought in,even though it was voted against??

So, since I have been alive, I can remember 3 public votes on Day light savings.
EVERY single vote, the 'no's' had the majority.

doesn`t it feel good to be listened to?

So explain to me, after the public voted 3 times in a row, and turned down the debate... why have the government decided to introduce it WITHOUT A VOTE?

They said it is/will hurt WA`s economy,not just that Perth is busting at the seams because of its economic boom,where people are having to wait in lines sometimes for hours at shops post offices etc so i assume their saying this will give some relief.

well jesus.. the public could of told you in 1 day wether we want it again, instead now they have forced it on us.

Yep and we`re getting used to it being that way,not just us though.

PErth just doesnt have the population, or the economy for the companies, and small businesses to profit from sunday trading. Its un-reasonable.

Here`s where the money is,here`s where the people are coming.Perth is booming the average house now is $450-$500k up with the most expensive place to live in the world.

Young people coming through cannot afford housing,rental properties are going through the roof,somethings about to snap i think.

Hold onto your hat Agit8dChop its going to get bumpier.

GPS777 is right,

I read in last sundays herald sun, that the cost of houses in perth is just about to overtake that of Sydney. Mate, unless you gotta good paying job in the mines or elswhere, how the hell are you gonna get a house in Perth?

Those who have owned houses for a few years now will clean up and profit heaps, but those coming into the market will not be able to afford it, therefore you will see a mass exodus of young people leaving perth and going to other parts of the country that are cheaper.

Cant be good for the perth economy in the long run as the old people will eventually die out without a small younger population to replace them, hell, you'd be lucky to afford rents there now.

Hyper inflation isnt good for the perth economy and one day when the mining boom goes bust, perth will become a ghost town like those of the wild west days.

Then because it'll be so sudden, people will sit back and think - what the hell just happened?

The house prices in Perth have been through the roof for over a year now.
It is a joke, Its out of reach for a single person earning $50,000 now to get a house..... even rentals are through the roof.

But they have said the housing boom is going to end this year.

and your right, if the chinese stop buying our natural resources, perth is screwed.. and so are all the people who have $500,000 mortgages for a 3x1 suburban house that was worth $200,000 2 years ago.

I refuse to get a mortgage or house now, Its just unrealistic.

But Sunday trading isnt needed. People voted that they WOULDNT shop on Sunday. Small business will suffer.

Ok on track now, sorry, I did know what you were talking about, just wasn't sure if it was just for Perth or all states who observe DST (was distracted and apologize for posting before I straightened myself out)

Now while I am as angered as you are at what you have reported here of the governments actions, frankly I am not surprised. They do what they do because it fits their agenda, not because it is beneficial for the people.

Don't see the Sunday trading thing working either, it didn't work where I am from in Melbourne and the big companies were even holding their doors open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week ... but it was a flop and most put an end to it pretty quickly. Just don't support them! That's all you (and everyone you can get on board) can do, they will eventually start closing their doors.

My family lost their business to that BS so I can understand the anger of the people.

Agit8dChop I'm surprised they even gave you a public vote, I thought that the state government in Perth was supposed to be as corrupt
as the old Queensland Government ( back in the Joh Bjelke Peterson days.)

Like another poster said, if it's part of their agenda they'll go ahead and do it anyway.
A public vote is just to keep up appearances I would imagine.

We've had extended trading hours and daylight saving here in Melbourne
for years and to be honest I can't remember if we ever voted on it or not.

Originally posted by Melbourne_Militia

Those who have owned houses for a few years now will clean up and profit heaps

True to a point,if you have an investment property cha ching! if you built or bought even a few years ago to get a slice of the boom you would have made a pretty packet.
But to sell and buy again will have got you no where if you stay in Perth even if you owned your house for a few years.Those would have to leave to the country or to another state to profit from the boom.

but those coming into the market will not be able to afford it, therefore you will see a mass exodus of young people leaving perth and going to other parts of the country that are cheaper.

Cant be good for the perth economy in the long run as the old people will eventually die out without a small younger population to replace them, hell, you'd be lucky to afford rents there now.

Spot on,not only that but some may not be able to afford to move interstate the people who have been struggling with rents as they were and more becoming homeless,crime rates will probably rise as well.

The best thing to do is build if your able,but only if you can get the land.up to 200 people in some estates or land realizes have to go in a ballet for a block.
Though would hate it if the interest rates rise and you were already at ones limit and it wasn`t a fixed rate.

Hyper inflation isnt good for the perth economy and one day when the mining boom goes bust, perth will become a ghost town like those of the wild west days.

Thats a long long way in the future and probably around the same time most countries run out not just WA.

P.S. any Perthites Geralton is a good place to invest now in property if your willing to live approx 5 hrs north of Perth.



[edit on 10-1-2007 by gps777]