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11
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by dodge -
This isn't disagreeing, with you Thry, but a quick look at the other side...and sorry, it's a longer post than anticipated...

I would be wary of LNP promises and totally dismissive of ON...

LNP are promising to reduce the government wages bill.  Fine.  But where from and what services are going to be reduced is the important part.  As long as the public service isn't replaced by the consulting firms, which leads to an absolute disaster - no accountability, no public service knowledge and no IP retained in the departments and a cost that is eye watering.  It is also additional cost and spending that gives no long term benefit to the state.

What are the LNP plans to replace the CFA trucks? They plan to scrap the fire services levy - so where is the funding coming from?

$5b to fix 1m pot holes - $5k each?  Really?  Better to bring back the Country Road boards and have crews do it properly, rather than privateers who can do a half-Ar34ed job, so it crumbles two weeks later.

They have just announced re-opening trains to Mildura and Dimboola at a cost of $51m.  Is that for the feasibility study? Surely after 30+ years of not running it will cost heaps more to get the tracks back up to standard, get the trains and re-furb the stations.

As for ON who want zero analysis of their policies and costings - let alone any criticism.  Easy to scream about problems, but give a costed viable alternative - everything offered so far costs - where are the savings?  I do however like their Environment policy which talks about saving Koalas and other flora.  Went to a nursery the other week to ask for a Koala plant, but they didn't have any.

SRL is a bit ugly.  It is an inheritance that whoever wins will receive.  LNP to pause and review (a favorite strategy of theirs, so they don't actually have to do anything), with a hint that it will be scrapped.  ON will scrap it.  Labor will continue with it.  Scrapping it means losing everything that has been put into it and cost of paying out contracts.  It seems as if promises are to then fund cost of living relief education etc, however, does providing this bring a better economic outlook to Vic?  Is it better to pay the cancellation or go ahead - the East West Link debate.

Law and order - if the current gov isn't meeting police recruiting targets, how are LNP going to meet theirs (3k) and ON theirs (10k military veterans)?

I really just want the answers to a few questions there are probably a few more: 
1) How are you going to help the lives of the most vulnerable in our society.
2) How are you going to responsibly ensure infrastructure is in place and maintained for the current and anticipated populations
3) What on going actions are you taking to decrease the cost of living pressures/cost of business in an operational sense ie not just providing government subsidies, but meaningful, sustainable decreases?
4) How are you going to help bring our communities back together so that reasonable debate and togetherness is achieved, rather than aggressive us v them style arguments?
12
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Quote from: Lods – on
You're all wrong.
Like the Democrats, keeping the bastards honest! ;)

I recall the lines becoming very blurred around socialist, conservative and anti-communist policy, which I think gave birth to the DLP out of ALP roots. I did learn a bit about this at school, but that's a long long time ago!

Did we have some recent invocations of the DLP allegory that turned out to be veiled fundamentalist Christianity, all linked to more radical conservatism?
14
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Thryleon -
@PaulP

Im not sure which AI bot you got your response, but here's the answer to my question:

Who is better at managing the economy, labor or liberal?

The question of whether the Australian Labor Party (ALP) or the Liberal-National Coalition is better at managing the economy is a central debate in Australian politics, with economists, political scientists, and voters holding differing views.
According to assessments by political analysts and economic historians, both parties approach economic management with distinct philosophies and have achieved different milestones depending on the global economic climate:
• The Liberal-National Coalition's Record: Proponents of the Coalition argue their strength lies in fiscal discipline, lower taxation, and deregulation. Supporters frequently highlight the Howard-Costello era (1996–2007), which delivered consecutive budget surpluses and paid off net government debt, as well as the Coalition's management of the economy through the unprecedented shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their economic philosophy generally emphasizes supporting private enterprise, flexible labor markets, and smaller government to drive growth.
• The Labor Party's Record: Proponents of Labor argue their strength lies in structural economic reform and targeted crisis management. Supporters often point to the Hawke-Keating governments (1983–1996), which floated the Australian dollar, deregulated the banking system, and introduced compulsory superannuation—reforms widely credited with modernising the modern Australian economy. Labor's management during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), which helped Australia avoid a technical recession, is also frequently cited. Labor's economic philosophy generally focuses on job creation, investing in human capital (education and healthcare), and using government intervention to reduce inequality.
Economic researchers often point out that comparing the two records directly is complex, as a government's economic performance is heavily influenced by factors outside its control, such as global commodity prices, international financial crises, and demographic shifts.
Would you like to look at specific economic indicators, such as historical GDP growth rates, unemployment figures, or how each party handles budget surpluses and deficits?

So irrespective of which side of politics you fall on, my answer is simply too much of anything is a bad thing.

Labor have had their time in the sun, but we have had a bit much of them lately and its time for an overhaul.
15
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Quote from: shawny – on
Baggers her popularity has skyrocketed on the back of people being sick and tired of the inept current mob that have ran us to the ground.
With who @shawny, they seem to me to be such a small minority making the majority of the noise! I see many analogies to Hansen and Palmer, which isn't surprising given links to Reinhart.

Out of curiosity I tried to make a vox pop at work, that is a mixed demographic, liberal, labour, national, socialist, left, right you name them we have them, certainly some communists as well. Only one person declared a vote for Hansen, a young female, and ironically a person who is an immigrant but heavily influenced by social media, the very category Hansen wants to send back to where they came from! She seemed to think voting for Hansen would help get her a house.
17
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by shawny -
Quote from: Baggers – on
Quote from: madbluboy – on
Vote One nation.

You're a funny one, MBB. Though it is important for malcontents to have their representatives. Better to have them in full view and out in the open ;)  ;D

Baggers her popularity has skyrocketed on the back of people being sick and tired of the inept current mob that have ran us to the ground.

Like her or despise her she doesn't back down and is not afraid of the backlash on tough policies that benefit all Australians even if she is labelled a racist.

Her policies on tough border control has been a major positive and a hell of a lot on non pauline likers have gotten on board. People are afraid, afraid of the crime and the state of whats happening in other Christian countries where Mass immigration was allowed is only supporting her push in popularity. 

Then you have the state of our health system, the roads, essential services, serious crime and the cost of living - none are where they should be and the current debt levels will soon have to be subsidized federally as the hole old mate and his pals left is bigger then any can get out of without help. 

Change must come.    

Geez i miss EB posts on this sort of stuff - i really do :(


18
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Quote from: Baggers – on
You're a funny one, MBB. Though it is important for malcontents to have their representatives. Better to have them in full view and out in the open ;)  ;D
I agree, but as each day passes another seems to fall, the more open they become the faster they self-destruct, which I fear will push them underground on the policy / agenda front. They will talk but with a forked tongue, hidden agendas.

Good luck getting elected in Australia then continuing to defraud the public!

btw., On many big issues, a simple majority isn't enough to pass major reform in Australia, be it Federally or by State.

My election fear is that the populist vote will be along such stupid lines and we'll end up with a dysfunctional parliament, we will be opening the door to foreign influence while the entity that is supposed to be the key holder is effectively crippled. Even worse still we can end up in an election loop.