Australia General Discussion

[Hifly]

The union campaign at the next federal election is going to be massive. Bigger than 2007.

What makes you say this?

People I know who work for unions and campaign for unions, the way they're talking about what will happen during the election talking it up like it's their biggest campaign ever. It's noticeable in marginal electorates atm union campaigns are very active in Deakin atm and an election hasn't even been called. I was talking to a union guy this morning who basically summed up the campaign as "Vote for anyone but the Liberals".

What?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The union campaign at the next federal election is going to be massive. Bigger than 2007.

What makes you say this?

People I know who work for unions and campaign for unions, the way they're talking about what will happen during the election talking it up like it's their biggest campaign ever. It's noticeable in marginal electorates atm union campaigns are very active in Deakin atm and an election hasn't even been called. I was talking to a union guy this morning who basically summed up the campaign as "Vote for anyone but the Liberals".

I'm not seeing as much of this.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Is New South Wales the Australian version of Florida?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33044098

At least bulldozer rampages usually only cause property damage.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Hockey manages to stuff up yet again. Apparently the answer to the housing affordability crisis in Sydney  is... people need to start getting higher paid jobs.

The answer was there all along.

[Talleyrand]

Morris Iemma is apparently going to jump into federal politics. If only it were a different ex-Labor Premier...

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/morris-iemma-sets-sights-on-federal-parliament-with-run-for-barton-seat-20150601-ghe8i8.html

[warandwar]

What is wrong with this person?

(I guess it's not out and out proven that the traffickers were paid off, but I don't see why Abbott would respond the way he did if they weren't.)

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

'Stop the boats' is possibly the Abbott's governments only popular 'victory'. He cannot sully that, and the Liberals dependence on overly simplified sloganeering has left no room for nuance.

[BaconBacon96]

I wouldn't be surprised if Abbott's obsession with boats and national security in general might be what destroys him.

[Knives]

I mean they haven't 'stopped they boats' they've paid people to turn around.

[Ebowed]

Good news for people smugglers - come to Australia to collect your paycheck!

[Knives]

I just can't with Australian immigration politics.

[Talleyrand]

Guys, it's time to roll Shorten.

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2015/06/15/newspoll-51-49-to-labor-6/

His approval is 28% and his disapproval is 54%. o_o

[Talleyrand]

In other news, that was also the last Newspoll ever.

From now on, Galaxy will be doing the polls.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Guys, it's time to roll Shorten.

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2015/06/15/newspoll-51-49-to-labor-6/

His approval is 28% and his disapproval is 54%. o_o

And on Ipsos he's back ahead of Abbott as PPM. Something for everyone.

[BaconBacon96]

Labor is pretty much stuck with Shorten unless he resigns under these new rules imposed by Rudd.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Could the upcoming Royal Commission roll him or is that all going to be hot air?

[Ebowed]

Could the upcoming Royal Commission roll him or is that all going to be hot air?

my prediction atm is hot air, from what I've seen so far.  Right now I'm still coming to terms with the fact that the Labor party that I once championed myself was also guilty of paying people smugglers.  Jeeeesus christ.

Tonight a deal was announced by the govt with the Greens, btw, for $2.4 billion in savings by making cuts to pensions for the wealthiest, with increases for lower income brackets.  A pleasant surprise.

[Knives]

I don't agree with the changes to the pension and I'm surprised the Greens do.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I don't agree with the changes to the pension and I'm surprised the Greens do.

The Greens have been dudded. Their support was based on a vague idea of considering superannuation in the tax white paper. The Government has said there will be no changes in this, or the next term. So they're including it, with no specific actions behind them.

[Knives]

Also, with the Greens PV increasing in the past weeks they've given ammo to Labor by linking the Greens to the Libs, it doesn't make sense politically or economically.

[Ebowed]

I don't agree with the changes to the pension and I'm surprised the Greens do.

The Greens have been dudded. Their support was based on a vague idea of considering superannuation in the tax white paper. The Government has said there will be no changes in this, or the next term. So they're including it, with no specific actions behind them.

I dunno about that, the Government has generally lied a lot about virtually everything already, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were pension cuts in a post-election budget

Also, with the Greens PV increasing in the past weeks they've given ammo to Labor by linking the Greens to the Libs, it doesn't make sense politically or economically.

This is purely speculation, but my (admittedly biased) take is that the Greens can probably use an example of collaboration with the government, and I supported the changes without realising the super commitment was even a part of it, so the usefulness of that promise isn't super relevant to me.  The Greens are launching a full scale attack on both major parties over treatment of refugees and it helps to provide another issue where there appears to be strong disagreement with Labor, I suppose.  Who knows though really.  Why do you disagree with the pension changes?

[Knives]

I don't support the changes because they aren't fair. A person who own their own home and has like 400k in invested will lose access to the pension when their super would pay out at most 20k a year. A for what? Some will get $30 an extra every fortnight and govt will save 2.5billion - it doesn't really seem all that 'fair' to me. People who have worked their entire lives with the assumption that they will have a part pension to support them are having the rug pulled out from under them. As well as this, there are more obvious and fairer savings that could have been made and the Greens support this under the assumption that the Govt will work on Super reforms but that just isn't going to happen.

[Ebowed]

I don't support the changes because they aren't fair. A person who own their own home and has like 400k in invested will lose access to the pension when their super would pay out at most 20k a year. A for what? Some will get $30 an extra every fortnight and govt will save 2.5billion - it doesn't really seem all that 'fair' to me. People who have worked their entire lives with the assumption that they will have a part pension to support them are having the rug pulled out from under them.

The more I hear this line of reasoning the more alienated I feel.  Was watching Question Time yesterday and was not enjoying the way Labor is handling this at all.  The price of homes being what they are, we'll never be able to afford a house here; we don't entertain it as a serious concept.  If you own a home and have 400k invested, good for you, I hold no animosity towards you, but I also don't think you're really being hard done by.

[Knives]

I don't support the changes because they aren't fair. A person who own their own home and has like 400k in invested will lose access to the pension when their super would pay out at most 20k a year. A for what? Some will get $30 an extra every fortnight and govt will save 2.5billion - it doesn't really seem all that 'fair' to me. People who have worked their entire lives with the assumption that they will have a part pension to support them are having the rug pulled out from under them.

The more I hear this line of reasoning the more alienated I feel.  Was watching Question Time yesterday and was not enjoying the way Labor is handling this at all.  The price of homes being what they are, we'll never be able to afford a house here; we don't entertain it as a serious concept.  If you own a home and have 400k invested, good for you, I hold no animosity towards you, but I also don't think you're really being hard done by.

It's not necessarily hard done by, it's just if you want to be fair as the Greens are claiming, this isn't what needs to be done. There are countless more effective and fairer changes that could have happened if the Greens hadn't given in - the changes probably wouldn't have passed otherwise forcing the Govt to look elsewhere. And people keep claiming that they're clamping down in assets but this affects anyone with a superannuation for couples if they hold about 280k in super they'll see their pension cut which is literally countless people who are not as the Greens claim 'rich'. A super at that size is unable to sustain a couple for their retirement and now they're having what would make them capable of living a decent life cut. It;s ing over the middle class essentially whereas there are countless saving things that could be done to affect those that are actually rich.

[BaconBacon96]

Is it true that in order to join the Labor Party one must also join a union?