Australia General Discussion 4.0: It ain’t easy under Albanese

[Agonized-Statism]

I find it interesting that cannabis legalization has remained so unpopular in Australia and New Zealand even as it's become an uncontroversial majority opinion in Canada and the United States -- can you say more about this?

Not Australian but big Straya fan. If I had to guess, it's a somewhat smaller and more homogenous population with a more quintessentially British tendency toward social engineering, less libertarianism than the US famously developed on the frontier, and less mass incarceration/prison-industrial complex to discredit a war on drugs. Being right next door to the consequences of leaving drug manufacturing and trafficking to the black market- Mexico, now partly controlled by cartels- has certainly helped change minds over here. But correct me if I'm wrong.

[Agonized-Statism]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

Hold up, Australia went Labor? When did that happen? XD

Just read he's a republican, LET'S GOOOOO

[Agonized-Statism]

Will be visiting 'Straya in December, see you guys soon 👀

[Agonized-Statism]

Will be visiting 'Straya in December, see you guys soon 👀

Which state(s) do you plan to visit?

Still figuring it out. I'd love to see it all but my purse strings (and time) are tight- correspondingly, this is something I'm kinda tagging along for, but that I had some significance in deciding as someone who's long admired and studied Australia. Would love to see some Australian Gold Rush history in Western Australia, Ayer's Rock, the Old Gum Tree, the Great Barrier Reef, etc., but like the US, most everything seems to be in the east, so I'll probably stick around Sydney.

Australia, is Canberra worth a visit? Planned cities are fun and obviously I'm the boring type who likes museums and stuff

[Agonized-Statism]

Will be visiting 'Straya in December, see you guys soon 👀

Which state(s) do you plan to visit?

Still figuring it out. I'd love to see it all but my purse strings (and time) are tight- correspondingly, this is something I'm kinda tagging along for, but that I had some significance in deciding as someone who's long admired and studied Australia. Would love to see some Australian Gold Rush history in Western Australia, Ayer's Rock, the Old Gum Tree, the Great Barrier Reef, etc., but like the US, most everything seems to be in the east, so I'll probably stick around Sydney.

Australia, is Canberra worth a visit? Planned cities are fun and obviously I'm the boring type who likes museums and stuff

this is worth visiting
If you have enough time.
It seems you would enjoy seeing the Parliament building in Canberra at least.
Darwin might also be interesting if you have interest in WW2 history. Though I'm not sure what's there in that front...

Surprisingly I'm neither more green than red (regarding the Tree of Knowledge) nor one of the kids who'd sit in the back of class drawing tanks and guns (read: future military historians, on visiting Darwin), but noted! Parliament Building is also noted but kinda sad as someone who still hasn't seen D.C. despite literally living in two Southern states

[Agonized-Statism]

What are you most interested in re: Australia?

Not to clog up the politics thread, but my aim is just to get a good feel for the country. Will unironically take pub recommendations.