Australian Election 2007

[Ahknaton]

Australian PM launches election campaign, promising tax breaks for first-time home buyers

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/asia/AS-POL-Australia-Election.php

The Associated Press
Published: November 11, 2007

BRISBANE, Australia: Prime Minister John Howard launched his uphill campaign for Nov. 24 elections against the popular opposition Monday with a pledge to provide massive tax breaks for Australians saving for their first home.

The plan would allow tax-free savings account for prospective, first-time home owners and cost 1.6 billion Australian dollar (US$1.4 billion; €977 million) over three years, party documents said.

Pinning his hopes for the parliamentary election on the radical promise of government help for prospective home owners, Howard also said future government budget surpluses might be channeled into accounts to help young Australians enter the housing market. He did not give details.

"I can also announce today that a re-elected coalition government will, subject to economic conditions and the state of the budget, look to make contributions from future budget surpluses to these tax-free home savings accounts," Howard told 1,700 people at his ruling coalition's campaign launch.

Home ownership is a national obsession in Australia and an increasingly elusive dream for many of its 21 million people after 10 successive quarter-percentage point interest rate increases since early 2002.
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The rate has been raised six times since Howard last went to the polls in 2004 — promising to keep rates at record lows.

The latest increase last week brought the official cash rate to 6.75 percent.

Howard, Australia's second-longest serving prime minister after holding the office for almost 12 years, hopes the launch of the final campaign of his 33-year career in federal parliament will turn around his polling woes.

Howard, 68, has been trailing the opposition Labor Party's 50-year-old leader Kevin Rudd in surveys all year.

Both men are launching their campaigns from Brisbane, the capital of Rudd's home state of Queensland — a choice that underscores the Liberal-dominated state's importance to the result of the coming election.

Queensland produces much of Australia's largest export, coal, and miners' futures are uncertain as Australia plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Rudd will be under pressure to also offer help to first-time home buyers when he launches Labor's campaign Wednesday.

The Australian national newspaper meanwhile published poll results showing Howard's center-right coalition trailing center-left Labor 45 percent to 55 percent. The weekend nationwide random telephone survey of 1,694 voters has a 2.5 percentage point margin of error.

Howard used his launch to focus on his coalition's reputation as being better economic managers than Labor.

He and his Liberal Party deputy Peter Costello took credit for Australia's unprecedented 16 years of continuous economic growth.

Australia's economy has increased in size by almost 50 percent since Howard was first elected prime minister in 1996 to $A1.1 trillion (US$984 billion; €672 billion).

However, Howard warned in his campaign-launch speech of "storm clouds that are gathering on our economy," including Australia's worst drought in a century and high oil prices.

The country's central bank left the door open Monday to further interest rate hikes after revising higher its forecasts for core inflation in 2008 and 2009.

Core inflation, a measure that excludes one-off and transient influences on inflation and is crucial to policy-making at the central bank, is expected to remain above or near the top end of the Reserve Bank of Australia's 2 percent to 3 percent target band until the end of 2009.

Core inflation will peak at 3.25 percent by mid-2008, then fall back to the upper end of the target band in 2009, the bank said in a quarterly statement on monetary policy.

The bank had forecast in August that it would peak at 3.0 percent by mid-2008.

[shanemac]

Howard or Rudd... who cares? Both are committed to multiculturalism, and letting in 200,000 mostly non-white immigrants every year. Howard is not going to apologise to the abos, so in that regard I hope he wins, but all in all, I don't really care.

If Australians really wanted to survive as a white nation, they would have voted in Pauline Hanson when they had the chance.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

You spelt Labor wrong.

[Ahknaton]

You spelt Labor wrong.
Fixed. Stupid American spelling.

P.S. You spelled "spelled" wrong :D.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

[shanemac]

Wow... this sure has been an interesting debate/spelling contest.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Fixed. Stupid American spelling.

P.S. You spelled "spelled" wrong :D.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

Sorry, spelt is a word.

[raven]

There isn't much in the way of difference between Liberal and Labor. Sucks that you Aussies are forced to vote by law though. Unless they allow you to to vote blank?

[Ahknaton]

Sorry, spelt is a word.
Hey, you're right. My mistake.

[Felix the Cat]

"Labor" isn't correct?

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

"Labor" isn't correct?

Labor is. Labour wasn't.

Even though Labour is the correct English/Australian English spelling, The Australian Labor Party doesn't use the 'u'.

[Felix the Cat]

Interesting. Never noticed this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_O'Malley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_O%27Malley)

O'Malley's other legacy was the spelling of "Labor" in the Australian Labor Party's title in the American style. He was a spelling reform enthusiast and persuaded the party that "Labor" was a more "modern" spelling than "Labour". Although the American spelling has not become established in Australia, the Labor Party has preserved the spelling.

[Ahknaton]

It sounds like some kind of cheesy team-work slogan: "There's no I in team, and there's no U in Labor!"

The New Zealand Labour party has a 'u', btw.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Labor is. Labour wasn't.

Even though Labour is the correct English/Australian English spelling, The Australian Labor Party doesn't use the 'u'.

That's because they are retarded, just like their policies.

[John Abney-Hastings]

Reluctant vote for K-Rudd due to serious concerns about Howard's human rights record. Torture/Rendition is not okay, it will never be okay, and I will never vote for someone who allows it.

[Anarch]

I'll be voting for Howard. Obviously.

[raven]

I'll be voting for Howard. Obviously.Howard is in favor of selling out Oz to third world immigration just the same as K-Rudd though. Both the Labor and Liberal parties are one in the same. I know that voting is mandatory in Oz but isn't it possible to vote Blank in Australian elections or do they force you to actually vote for a candidate over there?

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Howard is in favor of selling out Oz to third world immigration just the same as K-Rudd though. Both the Labor and Liberal parties are one in the same. I know that voting is mandatory in Oz but isn't it possible to vote Blank in Australian elections or do they force you to actually vote for a candidate over there?

We use the Australian Ballot.

Plus you can ask for permission to not vote.

[Anarch]

Howard is in favor of selling out Oz to third world immigration just the same as K-Rudd though. Both the Labor and Liberal parties are one in the same.

If so, then other issues would decide who I'll vote for. The Greens and Democrats are scum, the National Party is ok, but might as well be the rural-wing of the Liberal Party, and voting blank is stupid because you're letting someone else decide which lesser evil is suitable for you. The other issues would be: economic stability, and whether I get deployments or not. I'll vote for the Liberals. They have a habit of pumping money into the defence force here.

[raven]

Liberal/Labor is the same thing as the Republicrat phenomenon in the United States. If you open up your country to Lebbos, Chinese, etc. Australia will fail to be a country. Immigration is of central importance. Voting for the "lesser evil" means still getting the same amount of Lebbos and other undesirables running around Oz. Out of principle, I never vote when there isn't a single politician who is dealing with immigration. If Aussies who care about immigration continuously vote for Howard, there will be no incentive for Howard's Liberals to ever get their act together on immigration nor would there be any demand for another One Nation party to spring up. The end result will be more and more Lebbo hooliganism to come.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Whilst I am not voting Liberal, what irritates me is that so many people are prepared to vote Federal Labor, a party, which has never been competent enough to run the country.

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[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Wasn't everything much worse off the last time Howard was treasurer? Didn't the Labor Party actually fix everything he fucked up?

[Jake Featherston]

For what its worth, all five panelists on yesterday's episode of The McLaughlin Group agreed that Howard would be defeated at the next election.

[harjit]

I liked Bob Hawke back in the 80s, so I chose Labor.

Maybe Ak will sneak in a vote on my behalf. :D

[Ahknaton]

I liked Bob Hawke back in the 80s, so I chose Labor.

Maybe Ak will sneak in a vote on my behalf. :D
I don't vote in Australian elections, only New Zealand ones.

[raven]

The Australian preferential ballot is rigged in favor of the larger parties. That's why One Nation and such wouldn't have gotten anywhere. In order to win a seat with a preferential ballot, a party would have to be seen as acceptable to the majority of voters within that riding to get a majority within an insant run-off. And for a party like One Nation, that is very difficult. Usually parties that are "extreme", don't garner any success under this system. By looking at the case of the UK and Canada, it's much easier for a third party to win seats there seeing that Liberal Democrats and NDP respectively usually win their seats with less than a majority in the first-past-the-post.

New Zealand's Mixed Member Proportional Representation system seems like a good alternative given the fact that you still have proper constituency representation balanced by party support based on popular vote.

[Dan Dare]

An interesting piece in today's Daily Telegraph, suggesting that not only will the Liberals be trounced, but that John Howard could lose his seat owing to the high proportion of Asian immigrants in his constituency.


John Howard's fate to be decided by migrants (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/17/woz117.xml)


...Chinese and Koreans say they will vote against Mr Howard because of his comments in the 1980s about slowing down immigration and a perception that he was slow in condemning the far-Right One Nation party when it emerged in the 1990s under Pauline Hanson, the former fish and chip shop owner.

Mr Howard, 68, may also be damaged by a suspicion among some immigrants that he favours Australia's traditional ties with the United States and Britain over Asia and is uncomfortable with Australia's multiculturalism.

Wilson Fu, the secretary of a Chinese senior citizens' club, said his 800 members were likely to vote Labour. Chinese voters are impressed by Mr Rudd's command of Mandarin, which he learned as a young diplomat in Beijing.

[raven]

Even when Howard accepts the mass immigrant flood, the migrants don't accept him anyway. It's useless to try to get the Asian immigrant vote. Howard should aim to cut immigration. He has nothing to lose from the Asian immigrant constituency that wants to vote Labor anyway.

[Kodos]

I think you HAVE to vote in Australia, so vote for a diffrent right wing party.

Left wing parties are always bad... period, no exceptions for any reason. Voting left wing is saying "I want government workers, immigrants and other layabouts to steal everything from me because Im happy as a slave".

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

The Australian preferential ballot is rigged in favor of the larger parties. That's why One Nation and such wouldn't have gotten anywhere. In order to win a seat with a preferential ballot, a party would have to be seen as acceptable to the majority of voters within that riding to get a majority within an insant run-off. And for a party like One Nation, that is very difficult. Usually parties that are "extreme", don't garner any success under this system. By looking at the case of the UK and Canada, it's much easier for a third party to win seats there seeing that Liberal Democrats and NDP respectively usually win their seats with less than a majority in the first-past-the-post.

New Zealand's Mixed Member Proportional Representation system seems like a good alternative given the fact that you still have proper constituency representation balanced by party support based on popular vote.

There I was thinking that just ticking a box was rigged in favour of the larger parties, as proven by the US system where people who want to vote for a small party vote instead for the major party they dislike the least, knowing that their vote for the smaller party will probably "not count" anyway.

[Jake Featherston]

the US system where people who want to vote for a small party vote instead for the major party they dislike the least, knowing that their vote for the smaller party will probably "not count" anyway.

I prefer to vote for what I want and not get it, rather than to vote for what I don't want and get it.

But I am in a small minority of American voters in that regard, alas.

[raven]

That's how I vote as well. When there isn't a candidate I like, I just simply won't vote. Had Ron Paul supported the illegal aliens, there's no chance in hell I'd endorse him even with all of his other positive policies. Immigration is my litmus test and all the other good stuff is icing on the cake.

[John Abney-Hastings]

Whilst I am not voting Liberal, what irritates me is that so many people are prepared to vote Federal Labor, a party, which has never been competent enough to run the country.


Oh yes, because the exact same people ran Labor in 1983 as today :rolleyes: Whereas Howard is the exact same person who as Treasurer presided over the highest interest rates ever. At the last election Howard promised to keep rates down, since then they have risen six times.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Wasn't everything much worse off the last time Howard was treasurer? Didn't the Labor Party actually fix everything he fucked up?

No. Not at all. The words 'Labor' and 'fix' don't go together in the same sentence.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Oh yes, because the exact same people ran Labor in 1983 as today :rolleyes: Whereas Howard is the exact same person who as Treasurer presided over the highest interest rates ever. At the last election Howard promised to keep rates down, since then they have risen six times.

He promised to keep them at record lows, not the lowest ever, this fib is based on recent ALP propaganda. The highest interest rates were presided over by the greatest treasurer ever: Paul Keating and his recession that we had to have. And Rudd trying to buy the vote of parents and youth by promising each school student a laptop as if they are the ones in needs of enrolling into a Computers First Course at their local community college. Why doesn't he just waste more of tax payers money and throw in an I-pod as well. Meanwhile, HECS will remain for University students? Great Education policy their by the ALP. If they can't win me over on the progressive and traditionally ALP areas of policy, they are never going to win me over on economic management.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Local community college? Are we still talking about Australia here, or the US?

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Local community college? Are we still talking about Australia here, or the US?

If you haven't heard of local community colleges in your town, than we may as well give up the whole debate.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

If you haven't heard of local community colleges in your town, than we may as well give up the whole debate.

I've never heard of a private school referred to as a local community college.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I've never heard of a private school referred to as a local community college.

Neither have I.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Neither have I.

I have never heard the term community college used in Australia. More often than not, college here refers to a private school.

[Ahknaton]

I have never heard the term community college used in Australia. More often than not, college here refers to a private school.
Here's one:

http://www.macquarie.nsw.edu.au/

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Here's one:

http://www.macquarie.nsw.edu.au/

Here's another, Macarthur Community College and a Beginner's Computer Course; the type Kevin Rudd and company ought to attend, rather than transferring their inadequacies onto computer savvy children who already know how to use a computer without the aid of tax-payer funded laptops. :rofl:

http://www.macarthurcc.com.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Macarthur.woa/wa/subCategory.shtml?ID=47

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Here's another, Macarthur Community College and a Beginner's Computer Course; the type Kevin Rudd and company ought to attend, rather than transferring their inadequacies onto computer savvy children who already know how to use a computer without the aid of tax-payer funded laptops. :rofl:

http://www.macarthurcc.com.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Macarthur.woa/wa/subCategory.shtml?ID=47

The funding for laptops for seniors in high school is not to teach them how to use a computer.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The funding for laptops for seniors in high school is not to teach them how to use a computer.

Which illustrates the waste in tax payer's money.

[raven]

Is Labor crazy enough to buy a laptop for every senior highschool student? This is some retarded BS. Even if they buy lower-end laptops, it's still a big waste of money. Most students would buy into it because they think "alright, a free laptop!" but then they forget to ask how it's being funded (our taxes). It's easy to be a leftist when you're a student because of the little tax you pay.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Which illustrates the waste in tax payer's money.

Get out of the 18th century and into the 21st. Today everything is done on computers and effectively using a computer as a study aid, to write assignments, etc, gives you a leg up in today's world.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Is Labor crazy enough to buy a laptop for every senior highschool student? This is some retarded BS. Even if they buy lower-end laptops, it's still a big waste of money. Most students would buy into it because they think "alright, a free laptop!" but then they forget to ask how it's being funded (our taxes). It's easy to be a leftist when you're a student because of the little tax you pay.

I'm pretty sure education is a right in Australia and thus it needs to be funded through taxes.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Get out of the 18th century and into the 21st. Today everything is done on computers and effectively using a computer as a study aid, to write assignments, etc, gives you a leg up in today's world.

They already use computers to do these things and have done so for the best part of at least a decade.

Your viewpoint merely illustrates that you and other ALP types are living in ignorance of the actual competence and nature of work done by students.

The fact that students are so dependent on the Internet to plagiarise assignments and research goes a long way to showing what problems education in the 21st century faces. This is an education challenge along with ensuring that children are still able to read and write in cursive, to perform high-order mathematical operations so that they may become writers of software and computer designers, and not merely proficient users of foreign written software programs on foreign made computers; this is the educational revolution that government needs to ensure is catered for, and to ensure that they can communicate and leave school knowing what adverbs, and nouns are and how to use them, unlike what we have now.

Have the ALP revolutionize that instead of dumbing-down the standards, and giving out laptops.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I'm pretty sure education is a right in Australia and thus it needs to be funded through taxes.

Does that include Catholic parochial schools, Anglican schools and Jewish schools? The word on the street is that there are certain Catholics, Anglicans, Jews and others who send their kids to these schools and also PAY TAX, or does Labor believe that these tax payers have no rights in your fair labor viewpoint?

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

They already use computers to do these things and have done so for the best part of at least a decade.

Your viewpoint merely illustrates that you and other ALP types are living in ignorance of the actual competence and nature of work done by students.

The fact that students are so dependent on the Internet to plagiarise assignments and research goes a long way to showing what problems education in the 21st century faces. This is an education challenge along with ensuring that children are still able to read and write in cursive, to perform high-order mathematical operations so that they may become writers of software and computer designers, and not merely proficient users of foreign written software programs on foreign made computers; this is the educational revolution that government needs to ensure is catered for, and to ensure that they can communicate and leave school knowing what adverbs, and nouns are and how to use them, unlike what we have now.

Have the ALP revolutionize that instead of dumbing-down the standards, and giving out laptops.

Believe it or not, Australians students perform at world's best levels.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Does that include Catholic parochial schools, Anglican schools and Jewish schools? The word on the street is that there are certain Catholics, Anglicans, Jews and others who send their kids to these schools and also PAY TAX, or does Labor believe that these tax payers have no rights in your fair labor viewpoint?

What does that have to do with anything?

[raven]

They already use computers to do these things and have done so for the best part of at least a decade.

Your viewpoint merely illustrates that you and other ALP types are living in ignorance of the actual competence and nature of work done by students.

The fact that students are so dependent on the Internet to plagiarise assignments and research goes a long way to showing what problems education in the 21st century faces. This is an education challenge along with ensuring that children are still able to read and write in cursive, to perform high-order mathematical operations so that they may become writers of software and computer designers, and not merely proficient users of foreign written software programs on foreign made computers; this is the educational revolution that government needs to ensure is catered for, and to ensure that they can communicate and leave school knowing what adverbs, and nouns are and how to use them, unlike what we have now.

Have the ALP revolutionize that instead of dumbing-down the standards, and giving out laptops.What's wrong with doing research on the internet? It's easier to get peer-reviewed journals online that way rather than physically sift through journal articles in the library in order to get what you need (which is a lot more time consuming and tedious). Plagerism from online sources is easily caught and in my college there is a no-tolerance stand against sources like wikipedia (which many students had a habit of using as a source). I agree with you that giving out laptops isn't a good solution though.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

What's wrong with doing research on the internet? It's easier to get peer-reviewed journals online that way rather than physically sift through journal articles in the library in order to get what you need (which is a lot more time consuming and tedious). Plagerism from online sources is easily caught and in my college there is a no-tolerance stand against sources like wikipedia (which many students had a habit of using as a source). I agree with you that giving out laptops isn't a good solution though.

Yeah, there are sites out there that universities, high schools, etc, can use to run an assignment through and it can tell you how much of it is plagiarised. As I said, it's the 21st century and we need 21st century education.

[Алекс]

mass enfranchised 'democracy' is garbage, the parties least disagreeable to me are UAP and the Shooters Party, but it seems as though Labor cannot lose. Australia will rack up the Marxist totalitarian taxes and laws, centralise power more and turn away from the Anglosphere toward China and Asia in general. While loosening immigration laws to brown out the population.

Here are the odds http://www.sportingbet.com.au/uipub/sport.aspx?l1id=34&l2id=189195

Labour is 1.3 which in imperial is 3/10 I suppose.

It's not as if there could actually be any actual changes due to the election, what a stupid sham for morons. All this is a childish soap opera.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

mass enfranchised 'democracy' is garbage, the parties least disagreeable to me are UAP and the Shooters Party, but it seems as though Labor cannot lose. Australia will rack up the Marxist totalitarian taxes and laws, centralise power more and turn away from the Anglosphere toward China and Asia in general. While loosening immigration laws to brown out the population.

Here are the odds http://www.sportingbet.com.au/uipub/sport.aspx?l1id=34&l2id=189195

Labour is 1.3 which in imperial is 3/10 I suppose.

It's not as if there could actually be any actual changes due to the election, what a stupid sham for morons. All this is a childish soap opera.

Centralise power more? It's Howard that wants to do that.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

6 SHUTTLEWORTH, Dale Family First Senior Account Manager
5 DUTTON, Peter Liberal Member of Parliament
4 CORNWELL, Brad LDP Dept Child Safety
7 WOOD, Connie Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) Medical Receptionist
2 NIELSEN, Howard The Greens Consultant
1 McNAMARA, Fiona Australian Labor Party Union Officer
3 KERIN, Peter Democrats Student

[Алекс]

Centralise power more? It's Howard that wants to do that.

The government wants to do that so whether Tweedledum or Tweedledee is elected, that will be what happens. However Labor will do it faster.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

The government wants to do that so whether Tweedledum or Tweedledee is elected, that will be what happens. However Labor will do it faster.

Labor will do it faster?

The Liberals are the ones saying they're going to hold the states to ransom (withholding federal funds) if they don't do what they want.

[Алекс]

Labor will do it faster?

The Liberals are the ones saying they're going to hold the states to ransom (withholding federal funds) if they don't do what they want.

the current government does that already so not really a big deal

The further left the party the faster it will centralize.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

the current government does that already so not really a big deal

The further left the party the faster it will centralize.

Obviously you have no clue about Howard and the current Liberal Party.

[Mark]

Bush ally fights for survival in Australian vote (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/australia.election/index.html)

[Captain Sharkey]

mass enfranchised 'democracy' is garbage, the parties least disagreeable to me are UAP and the Shooters Party, but it seems as though Labor cannot lose. Australia will rack up the Marxist totalitarian taxes and laws, centralise power more and turn away from the Anglosphere toward China and Asia in general. While loosening immigration laws to brown out the population.


Kevin Rudd speaks fluent Mandarin. The media never mention it here either. Gotta protect their man's (at least I think he's a man) image http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHUD10tVgFg

Rudd's chinese propaganda video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptccZze7VxQ
LOL

It's not as if there could actually be any actual changes due to the election, what a stupid sham for morons. All this is a childish soap opera.
When Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party was around, the apparently diametrically opposed enemies Liberal and Labour made a deal with each other to preference her last, despite a large overlap in her and the Liberal Party's supporter base. Furthermore the liberal party actually set up a slush fund to finance legal campaigns against her, eventually having her imprisoned for some electoral technicality. Australia, the land of the free, and Political Prisoners.

[Ahknaton]

Kevin Rudd speaks fluent Mandarin. The media never mention it here either. Gotta protect their man's (at least I think he's a man) image
I've heard it mentioned a few times in order to sparkle up his image as a friendly, tolerant multiculturalist. I don't think it should be considered a bad thing in itself, after all it does show a bit of culture and learning, but it's obviously being exploited to attract Chinese voters. I don't understand the power of this. I mean, if I were a naturalised Westerner living in Japan (using Japan as an example because they don't have democracy like ours in China), I wouldn't vote for some guy just because his English was more fluent than his opponent's. I live in a substantially Asian (mostly Chinese) suburb of Melbourne and everyone is real pro-Rudd here.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

China is the next up coming power..... whether it happens tomorrow or in 50 years. Plus they are currently Australia's largest trading partner. Surely speaking their language is a plus.

[Dan Dare]

Trading partner as in Aussies busying themselves digging big holes in the ground and having the contents carted off to China to facilitate the production of yet more ghastly consumer tat for export to the West?

Is that really the limit of what Australians perceive for themselves as their role in the world?

[Anarch]

Liberal/Labor is the same thing as the Republicrat phenomenon in the United States. If you open up your country to Lebbos, Chinese, etc. Australia will fail to be a country.

I hate to be a prick about it but don't you think you're preaching to the choir here?

Immigration is of central importance. Voting for the "lesser evil" means still getting the same amount of Lebbos and other undesirables running around Oz. Out of principle, I never vote when there isn't a single politician who is dealing with immigration.

I honestly don't give a shit about how you vote. Well, you're not even in here, for one. Nothing makes me more angry than having foreigners tell me how my own country should be run - an American disease, I've noticed - though last night I had the joy of meeting a Canadian who did the same thing. Don't tell me what's going on in my own country, please.

If Aussies who care about immigration continuously vote for Howard, there will be no incentive for Howard's Liberals to ever get their act together on immigration nor would there be any demand for another One Nation party to spring up. The end result will be more and more Lebbo hooliganism to come.

Not quite. Howard has done a fairly good job of shifting the political climate to the more and more conservative side. A consequence of this is that when something of 'exceptional' importance comes up, the system has to shift further right in its solution, or whoever in power faces trouble in their political support.

China is the next up coming power...

Haha, no it's not. It's population is aging faster than it's growing, and tens/hundreds of millions of Chinese are reaching retirement age. Effectively, the Chinese economy will choke, and do so in a far worse way than how we will.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

Trading partner as in Aussies busying themselves digging big holes in the ground and having the contents carted off to China to facilitate the production of yet more ghastly consumer tat for export to the West?

Is that really the limit of what Australians perceive for themselves as their role in the world?

I'm thinking that if they're our biggest trading partner we're doing more than just shipping ore to them.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Looks like Labor is on track to win... and Howard may lose his seat.

[Ahknaton]

It's official. John Howard has conceded the election to Kevin Rudd.

[Ahknaton]

Australian Labor Party claims victory

By Bernard Lagan, Sydney

A poll for Sky News Australia predicts that the Labor Party, under leader Kevin Rudd, has won the Australian election.

It also appeared that John Howard, Australia's conservative Prime Minister for the past 12 years, would lose not only the election, but also his suburban Sydney seat. The loss would make him only the second sitting Prime Minister in Australian history to be lose his seat in Parliament at an election.

The Sky News exit poll taken in 31 key seats predicts a two-party preferred result of 53 per cent to Labor to 43 per cent to the Coalition

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) election experts said shortly before 11pm last night that the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, would be Australia's new Prime Minister. ABC predicted that the Labor Party would gain 22 extra seats in Parliament - six more than it needed to form a government.

The ABC said John Howard's Liberal-National Coalition government which has been in power since 1996 would lose at least 20 seats in Australia's 160 seat Parliament and be voted out of office.

Australia's former Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, said Mr Howard was the only serving Australian Prime Minister to have lost his seat since Stanley Bruce in 1929. He said that like Bruce, Mr Howard had been voted out because he had reduced workers' rights.

"It's a delicious irony and repetition of history," Mr Hawke told ABC television's election night panel.

By 7.53pm, after almost two hours of counting and before polls had closed in Western Australia, the Australian Electoral Commission had awarded 53 of the 150 House of Representatives seats to Labor, 26 to the Liberals and six to the Nationals, with one independent. A further 64 seats were undecided.

Australia's defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that it seemed the Howard Government would be voted out of office.

"At this stage it's looking very difficult for the Government," said Dr Nelson.

Finance Minister Nick Minchin held out some hope for Mr Howard in his Sydney seat of Bennelong.

"It's not looking good but I would point out... that postal votes are going to play an interesting role in this election,'' Senator Minchin told ABC TV.

Communications minister Helen Coonan says early voting figures are very disappointing for the Howard government.

Coonan told the Nine network it seems the early figures will be very disappointing... particularly in NSW, where it's starting to look like the Labor Party will do very well.

She's admitted at this early stage the government's very hopeful of holding on in Victoria... but things mightn't be going so well in Queensland.

But she says there's a lot of votes to come.

However Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger has told Nine if current trends continue, the government is in very serious trouble.

Labor frontbencher Stephen Smith says he believes the federal opposition will win the election.

"I think we're going to win this election campaign," Mr Smith told ABC TV at about 6.15pm local time, as the first of the votes were being counted.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I've heard it mentioned a few times in order to sparkle up his image as a friendly, tolerant multiculturalist. I don't think it should be considered a bad thing in itself, after all it does show a bit of culture and learning, but it's obviously being exploited to attract Chinese voters. I don't understand the power of this. I mean, if I were a naturalised Westerner living in Japan (using Japan as an example because they don't have democracy like ours in China), I wouldn't vote for some guy just because his English was more fluent than his opponent's. I live in a substantially Asian (mostly Chinese) suburb of Melbourne and everyone is real pro-Rudd here.


Rudd's daughter is also married to an 'Australian' Chinese. Hopefully now trade relations can improve. I've been eyeing those chinese made $2 widgets from the Chinese $2 shop and I want more of them.

[Anarch]

We're off to join the dark age, the wonderful dark age of Oz...

[shanemac]

Great... Labor wins... next up an apology to the abos.

[harjit]

Rudd's daughter is also married to an 'Australian' Chinese.
Interesting.

I'd imagine powerful and prominent white families tend to be more uptight about race-mixing when it involves their daughter. Although I have no idea how much of an "establishment man" this Rudd guy is, or his image or his style.

I viscerally never liked John Howard and am glad he lost his own seat. Australia and Canada should always be left wing. :whip:

[Felix the Cat]

Why was Howard unpopular?

[Kodos]

It's official. John Howard has conceded the election to Kevin Rudd.

You're fucked. New Labor Australia style.

[Count Sudoku]

You're fucked. New Labor Australia style.

What difference does it make that Labor won? The Liberal party was just as committed to white ethnic cleansing.

[Dan Dare]

I'm thinking that if they're our biggest trading partner we're doing more than just shipping ore to them.

In 2006 Australian exports to China totaled around $ 27 billion, consisting of $ 23 billion in merchandise and $ 4 billion in services.

Merchandise exports consist almost entirely of primary products (61%) such as ores, coal, wool and cotton, plus manufactures and 'others' (25%) including semi-finished products such aluminium ingots, steel plate and frozen meat.

The principal component of services 'exports' are the fees obtained from the 90,000 plus Chinese students

These were the ten largest exports to China in 2006. Figures in $A billion.

1 Iron ore 7,639
2 Educational fees 2,361
2 Wool 1,327 1,378
3 Copper ores 1,209
4 Other ores 804
5 Coal 598
6 Cotton 373
7 Non-ferrous waste 356
8 Nickel 353
9 Hides & skins 319

Source (http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/stats-pubs/trade_eastasia.html)

[raven]

I don't see what's the big deal about a Labor victory. Liberal is the more competent party but they're still selling out your nation to third world cheap labor to the delight of big business just the same. If Australia becomes a third world shithole, it doesn't matter how good Howard's economic policy is. The nation will turn to shit anyway once it becomes a third worlder's nation and you know it.

[Ahknaton]

As usual, most of the campaign & coverage consisted of empty slogans, like "it's time for new leadership" and "Kevin Rudd is the face of the future" and stuff like that. Climate change and Workchoices (individual contract negotiations that reduced the power of the unions) were the big issues. The War on Terror barely featured in the campaign at all.

[Алекс]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7111479.stm

The pledge to pull 550 combat troops from Iraq in a phased withdrawal will concern the US, although the White House congratulated Mr Rudd on his victory.

"The United States and Australia have long been strong partners and allies and the president looks forward to working with this new government to continue our historic relationship," its statement read.

bad news for Australia

[Felix the Cat]

Getting out of Iraq is good, surely?

NZ stayed out from the start, IIRC

[Алекс]

obviously that's good, but in the big picture Australia distancing herself from the U.S.A./U.K. makes her vulnerable to being munched up by the giant yellow Chinese pacman.

[whydoyouwanttoknow]

obviously that's good, but in the big picture Australia distancing herself from the U.S.A./U.K. makes her vulnerable to being munched up by the giant yellow Chinese pacman.

We're not distancing ourselves from them. We're still staying in Afghanistan.

[Ahknaton]

We're not distancing ourselves from them. We're still staying in Afghanistan.
Australia is staying in Iraq as well. If you listen to Rudd, he says he's going to withdraw Australian COMBAT troops from Iraq (who make up only around a third of Australian military personnel there) and replace them with a greater number of troops in security and training roles. It's basically a con.

[Anarch]

I don't see what's the big deal about a Labor victory. Liberal is the more competent party but they're still selling out your nation to third world cheap labor to the delight of big business just the same. If Australia becomes a third world shithole, it doesn't matter how good Howard's economic policy is. The nation will turn to shit anyway once it becomes a third worlder's nation and you know it.

Contrary to your perception, there is more to keeping this country decent than just keeping it white.

[Ahknaton]

One thing that kind of surprised me during the election night coverage was how the Liberal commentators (e.g. Jeff Kennett) were constantly harping on about how John Howard had given Australia the best years of prosperity "since White settlement". It's not a big deal but I was kind of surprised at that phrase - one which would probably be taboo in New Zealand because it frames the nation's origin explicitly as a White colonial enterprise. Of course that's the truth, but it's not one that is freely spoken.

[Captain Sharkey]

One thing that kind of surprised me during the election night coverage was how the Liberal commentators (e.g. Jeff Kennett) were constantly harping on about how John Howard had given Australia the best years of prosperity "since White settlement". It's not a big deal but I was kind of surprised at that phrase - one which would probably be taboo in New Zealand because it frames the nation's origin explicitly as a White colonial enterprise. Of course that's the truth, but it's not one that is freely spoken.

Did you like Kennett's new Moustache LOL I thought it was a nice touch, getting in touch with his inner Adolph.

[Count Sudoku]

Contrary to your perception, there is more to keeping this country decent than just keeping it white.

Because bringing in more blacks and muslims will definitely improve things.

[Ahknaton]

Did you like Kennett's new Moustache LOL I thought it was a nice touch, getting in touch with his inner Adolph.
Hehe. Yeah, that certainly wasn't lost on me. The other Liberal guy almost lost it when Peter Beattie (who one journo referred to as "the balding former Premier of Queensland") started laying it on thick about Maxine McKew beating Howard in his home electorate. Can't say I like McKew too much myself. Quotes of hers from her Wiki page:
People have a nervous collapse when I've actually broken through and got someone to say something honest. It is either regarded as a gaffe, or people say they must have been drunk, or publicly musing aloud, or they didn't realise the tape was running, or I must have had oral sex with them under the table. I find it absurd.
Can't say I can imagine many guys would fancy dipping their wang into her gaping toothy maw. Gross.
Women do give up something. It's biology..... Let me tell you what I gave up. I wanted my career. And so I never had children.
Great family values.

[Anarch]

Because bringing in more blacks and muslims will definitely improve things.

Where did I advocate importing more foreigners? Fucking broken records, you guys are - you and Raven, anyway, harping on and on about coons and Muslims and chinks and spics. Inflation, the housing crisis, foreign intervention, political reform - you offer nothing in the way of policies or ideas except bitching about imported humans. And in a political environment where little can be done directly about it, you advocate doing nothing at all instead of acting to enhance your own life or advocating people enhancing their own.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Where did I advocate importing more foreigners? Fucking broken records, you guys are - you and Raven, anyway, harping on and on about coons and Muslims and chinks and spics. Inflation, the housing crisis, foreign intervention, political reform - you offer nothing in the way of policies or ideas except bitching about imported humans. And in a political environment where little can be done directly about it, you advocate doing nothing at all instead of acting to enhance your own life or advocating people enhancing their own.

Well put.

Personally, I think the Coalition was becoming too complacent after 11 years in power. I'm hoping the Liberals can gain a new focus from a change in leadership. Turnbull seems like a man who could lead them to victory in the next election, although it will be interesting to see who wants to step up to the plate early on (seeing as Costello doesn't want it).

[Captain Sharkey]

Made me laugh....
A woman in a hot air balloon realises she is lost. She reduces her altitude and spots a man fishing in a boat below.

She shouts to him: “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but now I don’t know where I am, or which way to go to get there.”

The man consults his GPS and replies: “You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 10 metres above the ground elevation of 115 metres above mean sea level. You are at 34 degrees, 34·97 minutes south latitude and 150 degrees, 34·52 minutes east longitude.

She rolls her eyes and says: “You must be a Liberal voter!”

“I am,” says the fisherman. “How did you know?”

“Well,” answers the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’re not much help to me! If anything, you've delayed my trip.”

The man smiled and replies, “You must be a Labor voter.”

“I am,” she said, “how did you know?”

“Well,“ he says, “you don’t know where you are, where you are going, or how to get there. You’ve risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s all my fault.”

[Dan Dare]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/11/22/urudd.jpg



Short propaganda philosophy tells tale of mighty Rudd ascension (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptccZze7VxQ)

[Count Sudoku]

Where did I advocate importing more foreigners?

Good for you if you don't.

Fucking broken records, you guys are - you and Raven, anyway, harping on and on about coons and Muslims and chinks and spics.

Ha, funny you should mention Raven.

Inflation, the housing crisis, foreign intervention, political reform - you offer nothing in the way of policies or ideas except bitching about imported humans.

All those issues are relatively unimportant compared to ethnic cleansing and race replacement. Besides, if the government didn't bring in so many goddamn wogs every year there wouldn't be a housing crisis, a water shortage and as much deadbeats and deadweight dragging the country down fiscally (or at least as much).

And in a political environment where little can be done directly about it, you advocate doing nothing at all

Since when do I advocate doing "nothing at all"? Anyway, one thing I do advocate is not voting for any party that favors mass non-white immigration. Fuck Howard and his bullshit about being "tough" on muslims. Go vote for some fringe party or write one in even if it doesn't exist.

instead of acting to enhance your own life or advocating people enhancing their own.

I can't do both?

[raven]

Where did I advocate importing more foreigners? Fucking broken records, you guys are - you and Raven, anyway, harping on and on about coons and Muslims and chinks and spics. Inflation, the housing crisis, foreign intervention, political reform - you offer nothing in the way of policies or ideas except bitching about imported humans. And in a political environment where little can be done directly about it, you advocate doing nothing at all instead of acting to enhance your own life or advocating people enhancing their own.Everything else will come crashing down if you allow Australia to be turned into a third worlders' shithole. I never said demography is the only thing that determines prosperity. But having a shitty demographic will inevitably lead to everything else going up in smoke. I do talk about economic and other topics of policy (in fact I've written in length about my libertarian-ish leanings on a number of matters). Just because I feel that demographics is the most crucial issue doesn't mean that I think everything else isn't important. And if demographics isn't so important to you then why do you bitch about Lebbos and Chinks in Oz (which you have done extensively) when you vote for a party that supports their mass immigration.

[Captain Sharkey]

Absolutely perfect LOL

Stairway to Kevin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68fy7QxBXFg

[Cadavre Exquis]

Absolutely perfect LOL

Stairway to Kevin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68fy7QxBXFg

Haha, Chaser!

Brilliant! :rofl:

[Sulla the Dictator]

What a disaster this election was. :(

And after all Howard did for Australia.

[Anarch]

What a disaster this election was. :(

And after all Howard did for Australia.
Indeed. We'll be leaving Iraq shortly, and I'm awaiting news as to what Kevin is actually going to do about the workplace reforms. Interesting times...

[John Abney-Hastings]

the Senate results are a disaster. Legislation is going to take forever to pass, if indeed it passes at all.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

the Senate results are a disaster. Legislation is going to take forever to pass, if indeed it passes at all.

A blessing in disguise?

[shanemac]

I think K Rudd is doing a pretty good job so far. I'm just apprehensive about how much feminism they're going to implement, and also of the fact that Labor are going to apologise to the abos.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I think K Rudd is doing a pretty good job so far. I'm just apprehensive about how much feminism they're going to implement, and also of the fact that Labor are going to apologise to the abos.

A good job so far? Parliament hasn't even sat since the election, so there have been no debates and no new laws passed and/or amended. The only thing Rudd has done has been to have Australia sign the Kyoto agreement. That's not a 'good job'.

[shanemac]

A good job so far? Parliament hasn't even sat since the election, so there have been no debates and no new laws passed and/or amended. The only thing Rudd has done has been to have Australia sign the Kyoto agreement. That's not a 'good job'.

Well, he's made a pretty good impression on TV interviews and that kind of thing. He's done very well in the PR game, which is 90% of the pollies' job.