Political Debate?

[Southy]

Are we being ripped off by the current voting system?

I ask because in our constitiution it states that our Government is to be 'directly chosen' by the people, but last time I looked we had a preference system that means governance is not 'directly chosen' because every time the Libs came into power it was by a highly converluted preference sytem, that has proven election after election not to work.

Am I over thinking things, should I just give up and start digging my hole?

 

[salty]

Come around and drink beers with me and my huge framed Kim Beazley picture

 

[Southy]

that is something I gotta do man, just fucking fuck off out your way for a night

 

[Goreripper]

Jesus Southy, why don't you ask something hard? I'm sure there's cunts on the bench of the High Court who can't answer that one. I'm sure that in legalese 'directly chosen' probably translates to 'the right to vote' or something like that though.

 

[Shannow]

Yep, using preferences, and allowing the Govt to see who voted where, and change the electoral boundaries is a rip-off.

One that we get to pay for too.

 

[Sydo]

Cheer up boys. You'll get another shot at glory in a couple years once Beazley is booted again.

 

[Goreripper]

In favour of who? From everything I've read this week Costello and Howard have just written themselves a Get Out of Jail Free Card with this Budget, so it'll be 2010 before Labor has any chance, and by then we'll all be working for $1.50 an hour and have to rob a bank to take our kids to the doctor when they get the sniffles. If you think I'm kidding, try living in a community of 70,000 with only one bulk-billing GP, who only sees you if you make an appointment. So if you're sick, you have to queue in hospital for at least four hours before you're even seen by a nurse. Then chortle with glee when the local Liberal MP makes an announcement in the paper that bulk-billing rates in the district have just increased by 70% since "the last survey". Which was probably in 1971.

 

[Sydo]

In favour of who?

I really don't know.
Is there anyone how could step up from state level?

 

[Spiff]

Peter Beattie would be awesome at a federal level, but he's shot himself in the foot in Qld with the energy and health problems of the last few years. Dunno about the other state leaders.

The third star of the Beaconsfield thing, Bill Shorten, was this week being talked up as Labor's saviour, but I can't see that happening for a few years yet.

 

[Winmar]

Shorten's certainly gunning for a political career. It's only a matter of time before he's given a safe Labor seat.

This country's a joke. I'm hoping to move in 2008, if all goes well.

 

[Goreripper]

Shorten has years to go. Carr would have been awesome, if he'd retired from State politics in 2001 and gone up against Howard last time. Now he doesn't care. I reckon, if Kennett can make a comeback, Paul Keating should too.

 

[Winmar]

Keating would do no worse than any of the recent Labor leaders have. Kim will lose again; Gillard would perhaps be worth a try ahead of him. Unless Kim can get stuck in on IR around election time. Hmmm.

 

[serenesorrow]

This country's a joke. I'm hoping to move in 2008, if all goes well.

Whereabouts are you planning to goto?

I've been toying around with the idea for the future although most of the places I would want to goto would require me to have a lot of savings initially - or to work for an Australian or other similar overseas company to make any sort of decent living there.

 

[Winmar]

England.....not that it's Utopia or anything, but I like it there a lot. I'm a British citizen, so residency is no probs. I wouldn't mind going back to Indonesia sometime either, but I'd rather do something other than teach English next time round.

Where do you think you'd like to go to?

 

[Southy]

Hutt River Provence, that might be a good move.....

Keating should come back he'd win too, we need someone strong, and willing to speak for the WORKING MAJORITY, not the fatcats at the top of the ladder who are happy to grind us down, and work us till we die.

And Gorey, I live on Southside Brisbane, in a Suburb called Acacia Ridghe, I feel your pain bulk billing wise mate, in every local, state and Federal Medicare survey we are the worst off area, simply because it is a very hard working class suburb with one bulk billing doctor and a hospital 10 mins up the road with an always full waiting room, because no one here can afford to pay for medical care.

Look after the worker, and the worker will look after your country, what ever happened to that phrase?

 

[salty]

I don't even know where a bulk billing doctor is ANYWHERE near me. It sucks.

I'd like to see Beattie have a crack in the federal arena. I reckon he'd do well.

 

[Sydo]

I must say that I do not know of a single doctor anywhere near me who DOESN'T bulk bill..

 

[Goreripper]

You're very lucky Sydo. That's the situation I had when I lived in Sydney. Now that I don't anymore, it's fucked. Xena has to have a gyno examination, and there isn't a single specialist between Penrith and Bathurst who bulk bills so she's either going to have to go to Westmead or pay nearly $300. This is the legacy of Howard's "initiative" to get more people onto private health care so the Medicare budget didn't blow out. That would be fine in itself if private health care was affordable, but it isn't. The rebate you get is OK, but if it wasn't so expensive in the first place you wouldn't need a rebate. Why is it that I can insure my car for $35 a month, but it costs $135 to insure my own health, even when I haven't been sick in years, don't smoke and exercise regularly? I'm so healthy they should pay me.

 

[Southy]

 

[Winmar]

Yeah, good point. There's a bulk billing doctor near me, but only one that I'm aware of. The NHS in England craps all over our system. Mum gets most of her dental work done there because here's it's ridiculously expensive, thanks to our mate Jonny H.

I'm listening to a song called Money Talks by Living Colour, and it rings true even more now than it did when it was recorded 16 years ago.