Australian Politics

[E.H. Ruddock]

i'm also chuffed with not having so much money, continuing and (finger's crossed) increasing media bias, no more of these pesky tasmanian heritage forests, less rights at work, less tolerance for all these boat people that come and steal our jobs but are also all on welfare, more money and less tax for all those lovely rich people who need more power. really chuffed. so sick of all this comfortable living.

Take it to the U.S. politics thread. (minus the pesky tasmanian forest thing)

[WtOB?]

i'm also chuffed with not having so much money, continuing and (finger's crossed) increasing media bias, no more of these pesky tasmanian heritage forests, less rights at work, less tolerance for all these boat people that come and steal our jobs but are also all on welfare, more money and less tax for all those lovely rich people who need more power. really chuffed. so sick of all this comfortable living.

Take it to the U.S. politics thread. (minus the pesky tasmanian forest thing)

tony abbott is such a u.s. republican it's not even funny.

[Birds in Hell]

and im sick of these damn penalty rates!!

I don't get the impression Abbott's much of an industrial relations warrior, unfortunately.

We'll see.

[zeb]

I'm ambivalent about Abbott but I'm pretty chuffed to have Hockey

[Birds in Hell]

I'm ambivalent about Abbott but I'm pretty chuffed to have Hockey

He's arguably more socially and economically liberal than Abbott, at least.

[zeb]

I'm ambivalent about Abbott but I'm pretty chuffed to have Hockey

He's arguably more socially and economically liberal than Abbott, at least.

Be that as it may.

[WtOB?]

and im sick of these damn penalty rates!!

I don't get the impression Abbott's much of an industrial relations warrior, unfortunately.

We'll see.

oh, are you just having a joke around?

[Sgt. Crackpot]

So did any of you whackjobs vote for that leering dinosaur?

[Birds in Hell]

and im sick of these damn penalty rates!!

I don't get the impression Abbott's much of an industrial relations warrior, unfortunately.

We'll see.

oh, are you just having a joke around?

I'm 4 REAL, bro.

[WtOB?]

So did any of you whackjobs vote for that leering dinosaur?

i'm starting to think spenno may have.

[Birds in Hell]

So did any of you whackjobs vote for that leering dinosaur?

i'm starting to think spenno may have.

Oh, I didn't think that was a matter of debate: sure, I voted Liberal. I didn't vote "for" Abbott as such, of course, but for my local MP. I can't control who the federal Liberal party picks as their leader.

I voted below the line in the senate: Liberals, then Liberal Democrats, then Sex Party, then Smoker's Rights, the HEMP Party...and so on. One Nation last because, well, c'mon.

[WtOB?]

So did any of you whackjobs vote for that leering dinosaur?

i'm starting to think spenno may have.

Oh, I didn't think that was a matter of debate: sure, I voted Liberal. I didn't vote "for" Abbott as such, of course, but for my local MP. I can't control who the federal Liberal party picks as their leader.

I voted below the line in the senate: Liberals, then Liberal Democrats, then Sex Party, then Smoker's Rights, the HEMP Party...and so on. One Nation last because, well, c'mon.

any reason why you voted for liberal democrats? i don't really understand how an intelligent guy like you can vote for those two parties as 1 and 2. even with liberal in the house of reps, do you really want or trust them to have control of the senate too?

[zeb]

I find myself very surprised, spenno.

[WtOB?]

i bet he did it just to be different.

[zeb]

He didn't mention ALP or Greens in the Senate, though, so I think he's for realz.

[WtOB?]

yeah, i dont know. im confused about why he thinks that is an appropriate choice for him and his family. and why liberal democrats? does he carry a concealed weapon or something?

[Birds in Hell]

The younger me would be horrified, without doubt.

re: Lib Dems. I'm not terribly concerned about gun rights, it's more that they're really the sole libertarian party in Australian and I think it's beneficial to have someone in the Senate who'll argue against wasteful federal largesse. I don't own a gun, let alone many guns which would necessitate an entire rack.

re: Liberals generally. I don't really consider myself a libertarian but, in terms of where I sit politically, I'm broadly in favour of both social and economic liberalism. The Liberals are far from perfect, especially with Abbott at the helm, but they're far and away the least-worst option for me when compared to the ALP or the Greens.

This sort of thing is encouraging:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6710959763

Tony Abbott to champion freedom of speech

TONY Abbott plans to roll back Labor's laws that limit free speech on the basis of not "giving offence", defend religious freedom and reform the Australian Human Rights Commission.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian, the Opposition Leader said that, if elected, he would work with his attorney-general, George Brandis, to require the commission to champion, instead of restrict, the right of free speech in Australia.

This would involve amending the Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits remarks that offend others on grounds of race or ethnicity. This was the provision used to prosecute newspaper columnist Andrew Bolt.

Signalling his belief that the current law is untenable, Mr Abbott said: "Any suggestion you can have free speech as long as it doesn't hurt people's feelings is ridiculous. If we are going to be a robust democracy, if we are going to be a strong civil society, if we are going to maintain that great spirit of inquiry, which is the spark that has made our civilisation so strong, then we've got to allow people to say things that are unsayable in polite company."

...

The Abbott-Brandis position is certain to provoke a firestorm of opposition from the Labor Party and the Greens, given their deep attachment to cultural and institutional change through the application of anti-discrimination law.

...

Mr Abbott made it clear he was not defending the article in question written by Bolt, columnist for News Corp Australia, publisher of The Australian. He said the policy was to amend section 18 (c) of the Racial Discrimination Act "in its current form". "I'm not encouraging people to be rude," he said. "I'm not encouraging people to be offensive. People may suffer social ostracism, they may deserve to suffer social ostracism. But if someone has got something they really want to say then, subject to the ordinary laws of defamation, they should be able to say it."

[WtOB?]

i'm hoping anthony albanese becomes the labor leader.

[Birds in Hell]

i'm hoping anthony albanese becomes the labor leader.

At least he has excellent taste in music.

[zeb]

Albanese would be a solid opposition leader but I'm not sure if he is prime ministerial.