Australia General Discussion

[Knives]

Newspoll is bad for Labor.

[Knives]

The Greens are such a joke of a political party, I can't even with them.

[Knives]

The Greens are such a joke of a political party, I can't even with them.

Context? No?

Just in general, but recently it's been the taking credit for things they didn't achieve - ie. Sam Hibbins claiming the new 50 trams Labor ordered as being his achievement. I'm a hack so probs don't listen to me lol.

[Knives]

The Greens are such a joke of a political party, I can't even with them.

Context? No?

Just in general, but recently it's been the taking credit for things they didn't achieve - ie. Sam Hibbins claiming the new 50 trams Labor ordered as being his achievement. I'm a hack so probs don't listen to me lol.

Nah. It's a fair enough thing to say. Most places where they have a track record, they're seen as a bit've a joke.

It just annoys me how smug they are and how little the understand the mechanics of politics. Like, they want to close Hazlewood, good so do I but they haven't offered what to do with the people who will become unemployed because of it - they really don't give a sh**t about workers. It's frustrating because they paint Labor as uncaring but the reality is they don't give a sh**t either.

[Knives]

Also, they supported the Liberal speaker in the Vic Senate over Labors guys, it just doesn't make sense. They're infuriating at times.

[Knives]

The Greens voters profiled in that article have such a basic understanding of politics. Like, you vote Greens because of their international politics!? Like what even!???

I'm expecting the ALP to conduct a major push for Bandt's seat, from the people I've spoken to they don't expect to win but if they're ever going to win it back 2016 is a pretty good environment to try.

[Knives]

I'm expecting the ALP to conduct a major push for Bandt's seat, from the people I've spoken to they don't expect to win but if they're ever going to win it back 2016 is a pretty good environment to try.

2013 was probably a better environment for them to have won, I'd think.

Not really considering Gillard was dumped and Labor was on the nose.

[Knives]

Bandt overall against Labor had a swing against him last election, which is odd considering his 7% personal swing. He'll be safe though.

[Knives]

VIC state budget is excellent, very impressed with Dan Andrews and team.

[Knives]

Bandt's faction got rolled.

[Knives]

lol I was joking guys.

[Knives]

Hope you're all excited for the budget this week!  A few things we already know:
- A new tax on Netflix and other streaming services
- Huge cuts to existing parental leave benefits, and lost tax credits for stay-at-home parents, in order to pay for investments in childcare;
- Cuts to pharmacies (particularly loss of subsidies for over-the-counter medications).

I wonder what lesson they supposedly learnt? Ugh, they're so ing useless this government. Can't wait to vote them out.

[Knives]

Watched it in a pub with a bunch of people, we were shocked at how short the speech was and how little detail he went into. Not surprising considering the health cuts, the Victorian cuts, the welfare cuts ect...

[Knives]

Budget aside perhaps the most interesting thing for me is ALP membership is up 10 000 since 2012, the highest since the 90s while Liberal membership is slipping.

[Knives]

Guys make sure you bombard anti-gay marriage Labor MPs with emails and calls about marriage equality.   

[Knives]

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

[Knives]

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".

[Knives]

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

[Knives]

I just can't with Australian immigration politics.

[Knives]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Knives]

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

No, it used to be but not anymore.

[Knives]

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

No, it used to be but not anymore.

It was when I joined - but it's a state by state thing now.

I joined in November 2014, I think since Bill has come in charge they've tried to make it easier to become a member.