Australia set for 6 months without all the political BS and maybe even some prosperity

Originally posted elsewhere, but my phone IP was banned, so instead I bring it to ATS in the interest of frank and unbiased discussion.

Why only 6 months without the political BS?

Because TPTB Down Under recognise that you cannot keep hammering the Australian people or some of the more vociferous of the population may start to become distracted from their beer and football. After three years of negative politics, Australian voters needed a respite - some time off, before they can be hammered again with unpopular legislative changes designed purely to bleed them dry or steal their freedoms.

Our very own Obamaesque Kevin Rudd was voted Prime Minister of Australia in 2007 on a platform of hope and a promise of radical positive change. Of course, it was all theatre designed to get the leftist Labor party into power where they could effect "change" as per their party policies.

Accordingly, in 2010, Kevin Rudd was knifed in the back by Julia Gillard, who was then appointed Prime Minister of Australia after a vote of Labor party members of Parliament. Note that the whole "knifing" thing was just drama for the masses. It wasn't Julia Gillard personally who twisted the blade, it was the whole party. Regardless, the time for the "Bad Cop" had arrived.

Actual radical communist Gillard was the one chosen to go all Stalin on our collective asses and push through the carbon tax amongst other things. The carbon tax is almost as unpopular as the Goods and Services Tax was during the Liberal (right wing) John Howard era. The first step in the establishment of an emissions trading scheme whose ultimate purpose is to charge money for the very air we breathe, Australia was the testing ground, to see if the population would accept it. Of course, we did. Expect something similar over the next few years in a Western "democracy" near you. The carbon tax was mightily unpopular among the non-radical-green segment of Australian society (ie 99.99% of us), but since Gillard had no mandate to rule from the people of Australia, it was a perfect opportunity for the socialists to do what they wanted - and they did.

For 3 turbulent years JuLIAR did her thing with the full support of her party, including our poor, betrayed knifee Kevin Rudd. The general public however, had had enough of the lies and broken promises of the Labor government. Mumblings on the street became roars of displeasure, so it was clear that the time of the "bad cop" had to come to an end.

Accordingly, last week the stage was set for the ever popular Kevin Rudd to have his "sweet revenge" on the betrayer who had f***** him over and "stole" his Prime Ministership. In a Labor Caucus vote designed to slip under the radar by being held at the same time as the Rugby League football State of Origin match between bitter rivals Queensland and New South Wales (Go the Maroons!!), the Good Cop was voted back in.

He had stuck the blade between Gillard's political ribs and twisted. To the Australian public who happened to catch the show on the teev, it was Gillard getting her just desserts and Rudd being given an opportunity to continue his important work as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. The excuse given by Rudd was that with Gillard at the helm the evil right-wing Liberal party would come to power at a federal election. It was Rudd's national duty as Saviour to protect us from evil lizard-man Liberal leader Tony Abbott by becoming leader of the Labor party and therefore prime minister of Australia by default.

The Liberals of course lapped it all up since they think they'll win the next election. Maybe they will (I hope not - the only politician I hate more than a Labor Liar is a Liberal one), but until that time, we're on holiday, with the very publicly-palatable Kevin Rudd at the helm.

Behind the scenes, no one on either side privately gives a toss. Those deposed from office will be able to sit on their fat parliament pensions for the rest of their lives while pursuing other interests such as reviving a lond-dead career as a rock star, Labor was able to realise their dream of taxing oxygen, the general public is over the moon because our kind uncle Kevin Rudd is back in office and the Liberals are busily planning how best to sell our very souls to big business while at the same time commissioning studies to destroy the few freedoms we have left in an attempt to usher in another quasi-feudal system with them at the top of the food chain.

Everyone's happy... except those few who see through the smoke and mirrors.

Originally posted by tomutheyounger
Originally posted elsewhere, but my phone IP was banned, so instead I bring it to ATS in the interest of frank and unbiased discussion.

Everyone's happy... except those few who see through the smoke and mirrors.

Ain't that the way it always is?

Thanks for a well-written and educational post....

I don't like beer or football...
am I still qualified to contribute to your post? I feel so un-Australian all of a sudden...

"There are no circumstances under which I will return to the leadership of the Australian Labor Party in the future".

"I don't believe there are any circumstances in which that will occur."

The papers were full of it. Joe Hockey was snubbed as ridiculous every time he knowingly mocked Rudd for denying his intentions.. he might be a pollie, but Hockey at least has the front to laugh about it in their faces.

I recall seeing Rudd, numerous times and to the point of anger, vehemently deny any intention to return to his former position. Absolutely without doubt and to avoid any confusion, inherent sneering tiresome denial.

And we're supposed to now believe anything he says?

Gillard was the same.

They're all the same.

the day they stop playing stupid bloody games, the day we have actual representatives of the people and not self serving children with the country as their toy box, then maybe it will be different. Why would we expect this however, when this stupid game has been played this way the entire time.

A pox on the lot of them and a pity on the pox.

Hey do you think Rudd will roll-back the Carbon Emissions tax? We both know that he won't. And as for 6 months free of political BS, well you see the glass as half full, I see it as half empty because now each party will start their televised ad campaigns, annoying the f..k out of us every night of the week until the federal election, trying to convince us how evil the other party is.

All political parties all over the world make promises they fully intend to break. I appreciate how much you love your beloved Kevin-07, but to think that his leadership will make such a positive difference to our EVERYDAY lives is sheer folly.

I don't believe there is a true Labour Party that exists in Australia any more. There is only

Liberal "A" and Liberal "B".

Liberal "B" (Labour) obviously knows how to betray public trust better than Liberal "A" (Liberal) since they've had 2 successful leadership challenges during their time in office.

please don't mistake my stance as being a Liberal voter, I am not. I am simply fed up with the current state of global political affairs. There is no country in the world who is improving for the better. As computer technologies improve, our civil liberties decline. As populations grow and food becomes scarce, our legislative assemblies allow food giants to implement their own protective legislation despite the growing health risks. As more and more countries become Americanised in their political election process
ie, allowing corporations to make Huge Party Donations so as to sway any future political decisions their way,
the power of the people becomes less and less and less and less UNTIL all that exists is a totalitarian police state, run by corporations.

I think I'm gonna vote No Confidence on this one, and sit back to see how long it takes for the GMO legislation to arrive. I give it 12 months.

Go BLUES.

Originally posted by Awen24
I don't like beer or football...
am I still qualified to contribute to your post? I feel so un-Australian all of a sudden...

Strewth, it's a flaming hippy.

Gedoudafit ya mungrel!!!

Football to me is like flies. It's bloody everywhere. I turn on the radio, they're talking about men kicking a bloody ball. I turn on the tv. It's men kicking a ball. I go for a walk. men in the park kicking balls. I put on the news in the morning. 2 seconds of world news, 5 seconds of local news, 15 minutes of god damned football. And they're not even playing the damn thing, they're just repeating the same god damned news, about how some tosser wont be playing because he thought the funny injection they 'sports doctors' gave him was legit.

Or how some dopey git looks like he'd be good at kicking a ball, a little bit more than the other dopey git can kick a ball. And man, that guy, he sure can kick a ball.

And then they stop the NEWS and beretts will start yapping his lips about all the guys kicking balls. And not only that, but with joy and fervour of someone about to feast on meat and wenches.

Then we get a little bit of news, but back to sports.. in case something didn't happen in the last 15 minutes. Because they're NOT EVEN BLOODY PLAYING anything at 7am.. it has to be constant.

Had someone sneer at me once, "You're not an aussie" coz I didn't jump for joy and punch a puppy when he was talking about men kicking balls and wearing bright colours. I can't be.

The only thing I hate more than spectator sports is politicians. And that's only because they appear less on the media around here.

I'm waiting for the day when they merge the two. Have footballers as politicians. Then I can ignore the entire game.

Australian politicians, pretending to work for the Australian people, when in reality their prime loyalty is to their political party. At least they get to feather their nests.

It's my personal opinion that the self-serving types in our society would be best employed in the business world, while those who are idealistic and genuinely interested in bettering the nation should be able to find a place in politics.

I also think that party politics should be removed from parliament. In fact, I think that organised political parties should be outlawed. A parliament full of independent Members who in their glorious disunity, may argue ferociously, but whose prime loyalty is to their constituents makes miles more sense than the current gaggle of liars and traitors in the House of Representatives and the Senate who are purely beholden to their political party at the expense of everything else. Screwing over the country in order to further the aims and objectives of a political party is treasonous - seriously.

Change is required. Since the current two-party system is more or less guaranteed by the Australian constitution, that very constitution would need to be modified. But who in government would put forward such an idea? No one would, not even the so-called "independents" in Parliament, since their votes can make or break policy decisions, thus giving them great power.

The status quo is assured and the more things change, the more they stay the same.

reply to post by winofiend
I enjoyed that ha ha I always thought it was more or the less the same as footy anyhow, two teams rigging the results! Sometimes even the players don't know they have been rigged. Slowly the spectators are guessing,what does that do in the end? Its all a bit like the movie the Truman show,is there a way out? Or is it better to play the game?Ah its a killer just even thinking about it.

Whats to stop Tony Abbott being elected, losing favor in the polls then being stabbed by Malcolm Turnball?

I have great hope in Rudds return, I really really do.
His mining tax (billions$) was the mining tax Australia needed.
Her mining tax (millions$) was the mining tax she promised the miners... while telling us to gulp, swallow and move on!

When Gillard was approached by the disgruntled miners and unions.. she had no qualms about cutting Rudd's throat and paying them back!

Now, that she's gone and she's taken the architects of Rudd's backstabbing..

Wayne Swan
Stephen Conroy
Joe Ludwig
Stephen Smith
Craig Emerson
Greg Combet
Peter Garrett

.. with her, I have great belief that Rudds team will unite behind him and his policies.

Chris Bowen, Simon Crean & Kim Carr all returning to their front bench posts after being relegated following the March ballot incident. Albenese being promoted and offred a chance, Penny Wong being rewarded for publically turning on Gillard.. all of them will fight tooth and nail now, none of them will complain about his manners on a flight.. they will let him run and cement their positions!

I think the people will follow him. I think Rudd's standing has drastically improved and hardened with his time outside of the PM's office. He played brilliant politics, he played the long game, he predicted how to manage the system to get back in.. and he nailed it! I respect that, he's crafty and plays for keeps!

They are politicians, we expect them to lie to us and promise the world, then struggle to deliver, that's not why no one wanted Gillard...what we don't like in our politicians, is when they do it deliberately to manipulate us and take from us.

Howard and Rudd are like the annoying school teachers who's are always right.. you don't like them, but you admit they are right. Gillard was a thief, a liar. Gillard will be taunted and heckled when seen in public, at times!.. Rudd and Howard will not.

As for Abbott, I think he regrets taunting Gillard as much and really turning up the pressure. Gillard in the PM's office assured him victory! Rudds placement back in the office has made this election 50/50. it is anyone's game!

.. edit to add. Sorry Abbott, I just dont trust you. When I look at you I see an 18th century Priest, who isn't scared of blood!

I talked about this quite a bit on facebook yesterday.

One of the things that really strikes me about our political situation is that it's just not black & white anymore. There were times here in Australia where I could say with conviction "this is the party I'm voting for, and this is why". ...but now? I can't. I just can't. I don't have any great love or hate for either candidate, and to be honest, most of the "I don't know how you could vote for Tony Abbott!" or "how could you ever vote for Kevin Rudd!?" posts that float around on the internet strike me as mere parochialism, rather than anything with real substance.

I wish we lived in a black & white political environment. I really do. At least then I could sit down, look at the policies of each party, and come to a conclusion about which was good, or which was bad, or which was better. As it is? We have a Labor party who seems utterly wrapped up in policies about things that don't really matter (carbon tax / the failed mining tax), and a Liberal party that... is just unflinchingly mediocre.

...and where does that leave us?

I have no idea who to vote for. I really don't.
I'd like to consider myself politically informed - I'm interested in politics, I'm well-read, I follow news and events not only here in Australia, but also abroad, and could have a conversation on just about anything, any time...

...but this? I'm honestly at a loss.
Do I vote for mediocre politician A, who is a great PR figure, but lacks substance, and whose party is in total disarray, or do I vote for mediocre politician B, who stands for some of the same things I do, but has the leadership quality of a neutered wet fish?

ugh.

reply to post by tomutheyounger


I heard Julia is about to release her auto-biography.

Its called the Gonski Report.

reply to post by tomutheyounger


Are you kidding me?

6 months without political BS with an election looming between now and November 30?

It's only just begun, and it's only going to ramp up from here in.

reply to post by tomutheyounger


Flagged you for pretty much summing up the entire dog and pony show that has been the labour camp for the last god-knows-how-long. I think you give people a little less credit than they're due, the amount of people I have spoken with that can clearly see this is all just a by-the-numbers game for our politicians is surprising. Perhaps the day of the casual Australian who couldn't give a rats about who is at the helm is coming to end. Good. Bring it on I say.

You're absolutely right to say the Australian public are cheering now that evil dictator witch has been ousted and the people's hero has been put at the top.

Funny thing is Abbott and his lizard-man party is they've been keeping a very low profile of late, knowing most likely he'll win by default even without making a single policy. An open and blank cheque for liberal and their policies? Uh-huh, can see that working out well for the Australian public. Work Choices anyone?

Guess now he'd better start getting off his lizard tail and start making us happy, especially if he wants to be the next PM, which I hope he never does. As for Rudd? Marginally better, but he'd better hurry up and repeal a few of Gillard's taxes, starting with Carbon and Mining, otherwise he's got about the same chance.

Hate to say it, but the vote is swinging very strongly towards either Darth or Donald Duck right now... (j/k)

Originally posted by AlphaHawk
reply to post by tomutheyounger

 

Are you kidding me?

6 months without political BS with an election looming between now and November 30?

It's only just begun, and it's only going to ramp up from here in.

Depends on what BS you're talking about.

I don't watch TV so I don't care about the political ads and news reports. In fact, since we'll be faced yet again with a choice of the lesser of two evils, I won't be participating in the electoral process myself. Having my name crossed off the list at the polling place would mean I legally indicate my tacit approval of the candidates and of the process itself. Why do you think voting is compulsory here in Australia?

The BS I'm talking about at the beginning of the original post is the damaging BS which sees us lose precious freedoms or lose more money to government gone stupid. With a federal election looming, the politicians will be as nice as pie to the electorate, even if they persist on constantly character assassinating each other.

After the November or December election, all bets are off.

I love it how people think it's all about a particular person lying to the public. The leader is not the whole and a lot of flip flops and turn arounds are because of what their political party says too...

Don't always blame the leader. Blame the whole party. Switching leaders changes nothing. It's their parties fault...

Vote for another party other than labour or liberal who seem more down to earth.

reply to post by Awen24


A neutered wet fish ! .... and the media would have us believe it was budgies he was smuggling.

.... the neutered wet fish still hasn't got a single policy yet has it?