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Federal Election 2013

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Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...lcolm-turnbull-voters-say-20130719-2q87x.html

Personality over policy again (I'm not discounting your opinion Bh81).
That's about the nicest thing anyone has ever said about Turnbull's personality.
Turnbull looks more like a PM than Abbott - he has gravitas; KRudd is doing a good job of showing that Abbott is a flat track bully, arguably lacking in the fundamentals - to mix a few sports metaphors.
I was standing in a certain location as it emptied itself of its state and commonwealth officers in their employer provided cars thinking to myself this FBT thing will hit the governments hardest of all.
Lo and behold:
what Kevin Rudd has actually done is to attack vast sectors of the government payroll system
 

Bruwheresmycar

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...lcolm-turnbull-voters-say-20130719-2q87x.html

Personality over policy again (I'm not discounting your opinion Bh81).


People forget that one key reason Liberal are so popular right now is because Tony Abbott has spent the last 3 years appealing to the paranoia and xenaphobia within all of us. Malcom would struggle to pull that off, or stoop to that level in the first place.

Plenty of these people who'd rather Mr Turnbull lead the opposition into this election probably took Tony Abbott's scare campaigns hook, line and sinker.

It's amazing.
 

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Thoughts on Rudd's asylum seeker policy?

Personally not a fan for numerous reasons, primarily;
1. PNG does not have the economy or infrastructure to deal with the sudden arrival of mass people
2. Surely there's enough social problems over there without the need for ethnic diversity and the issues that come with refugees.
3. Are conditions in PNG any better than those in Malaysia that were seen as 'inhumane' last time around? - this will attract UN attention that will require Aus gov. to contribute additional aid and services.
4. PNG locals are welcoming but they won't put up with shit from refugee's - violent crime is rising and this tense situation won't help it.

Having spent years in New Guinea and witnessing the economic and social issues that the country has endured I can't see how this is positive policy making. As a influential middle power in the region we need to take responsibility and actively find a better solution. I fear that the Australian general public won't be educated on the true effects of this policy or the politics involved and will just simply vote for Rudd's personality and campaign.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
light we are light years past sensible policy on asylum seekers. Both sides of parliament are pandering to the red necks in our society and spending huge wads of our money on what amounts to a trickle of people coming into our country. A much more sensible policy would be to chuck a GPS tracker on there leg and make them work in some place instead of 413 (or whatever number it is) visa holders and garnish their wages to pay for the searches to prove they're refugees.
 

ACT Crusader

Jim Lenehan (48)
light we are light years past sensible policy on asylum seekers. Both sides of parliament are pandering to the red necks in our society and spending huge wads of our money on what amounts to a trickle of people coming into our country. A much more sensible policy would be to chuck a GPS tracker on there leg and make them work in some place instead of 413 (or whatever number it is) visa holders and garnish their wages to pay for the searches to prove they're refugees.

So how do we create a disincentive for people in getting on dodgy vessels to travel in treacherous conditions just to try and get into Australian waters?

That has nothing to do with "red necks" "western Sydney" or "invasion".

It has everything to do with safety and welfare of individuals and in some instances children.
 

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
I am just not convinced that PNG is any safer than the places they are seeking asylum from. This news will bring riots and protest all over the country, I give it a few weeks before we hear the humanitarians jumping up and down.
 

matty_k

Peter Johnson (47)
Staff member
I am just not convinced that PNG is any safer than the places they are seeking asylum from. This news will bring riots and protest all over the country, I give it a few weeks before we hear the humanitarians jumping up and down.

Did you see the news before you posted this?


Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
I reckon that this attempt by Mr Udd to demonstrate that he has a decisive spine will spectacularly backfire. After many millions of Taxpayer $ have been wasted.

He is as supercilious as Aunty Joooolia ever was.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Can someone identify a single principle for which KRudd stands that will not give way to popularism? and before you all jump in telling me Rabbit's no better - that's fine: no one claimed he was a man of principle!
Its hard to justify policy backflips on the basis that they are needed to protect this country from the alternative PM when the result of the backflips is that the policies from which they a trying to protect us are implemented anyway.
Can it get any lower?
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
So how do we create a disincentive for people in getting on dodgy vessels to travel in treacherous conditions just to try and get into Australian waters?

That has nothing to do with "red necks" "western Sydney" or "invasion".

It has everything to do with safety and welfare of individuals and in some instances children.

I have no idea! Just like every other person involved in the matter.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
If there was an easy solution to the Asylum Seeker/Boat People issue, it would have been implemented a long time ago with bi-partisan support. Most Jurisdictions around the world struggle with refugees/asylum seeker policy so we are not Robinson Crusoe.

In our case, the situation is made worse by the sea gap which puts the final journey to the "promised land" into the hands of Mother Nature and "others".
 

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
In our case, the situation is made worse by the sea gap which puts the final journey to the "promised land" into the hands of Mother Nature and "others".

You think this would be a deterrent in itself.


I'm all for Australia adopting asylum seekers provided the solution is universal, effective and efficient. We have a vast country and a growing economy that can handle population growth provided it is in the right areas. The issue we face is a society that does not tolerate racism, unemployment and que-jumpers. Make asylum seekers spend a minimum 3 (could be up to 5) years in PNG learning english and the basics of democracy and western society. Once they meet the minimum requirement and pass citizenship tests/language tests and screening, allow them the option to move to Australia, provided they spend time in rural communities.

The vast majority will enjoy the PNG lifestyle once accustomed to it and I'd argue many would prefer staying provided they have employment. For those who choose to migrate to Australia after the designated period relocate them to rural towns and provide employment in agriculture or services - obviously training required but I have no doubt these refugees are capable of being educated. What better way to learn the Australian lifestyle than a year or two working for the community. This would require additional rural schemes encouraging employment of refugees however we are already doing this for Aboriginals and TS islanders so it wouldn't be groundbreaking policy.

I'm of the opinion that the biggest issue with refugees is language barriers. I personally don't feel comfortable walking down to my local bakery/bottle shop and not being able to have a conversation with the employees because for whatever reason they refuse to learn our language or just simply do not enjoy conversation about cricket or anything else. Perhaps that is a generalisation but you get what I mean.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
Have you been to New Guinea! You realise Port Moresby is recognised as the 2nd most dangerous city in the world.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
I am just not convinced that PNG is any safer than the places they are seeking asylum from. This news will bring riots and protest all over the country, I give it a few weeks before we hear the humanitarians jumping up and down.


In another report I read, the PNG PM stated they were going to take 3000 refugees and our aid was to increase by $160M to PNG.

$53'000 per person is a pretty sweet deal for PNG if Australia pays for all of their resettlement costs. But if it is open ended like Rudd is claiming and they get through another 15'000 people in the next year, $10'000 per person isn't so great.

Ether way, the numbers will quickly fall to zero once asylum seekers realise they will end up in PNG. And if PNG get their $160M in perpetuity it will have been a good deal for them.

I think Australia has a international responsibility to take our fair share of refugees, but What that figure is and whether we should be able to impose quality requirements on them needs to be discussed.

Either way, this whole issue is just a tiny side effect of the true issue which the international community appears to have no desire to tackle.......over population. From 1.65B to 7.1B in 100 years. We need to seriously look at attaching population control stipulations to any aid to 3rd world countries. But our economy appears to be totally reliant on constant population growth, so I can't see any politician actually proposing anything of the sort.
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
They say you can see the lights of Darwin from PNG on a clear night. Don't know if that is true or not. About 150ks from PNG to the tip of cape York.
 
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