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think we can safely assume the next fed election will be 2022 ...... have at it folks
federal election 2022
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unless a state of emergency is declared by the "Chief Officer of Something or Other", parliament is dissolved and elections are outlawed as being too far too risky for the population
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so the gladys nonsense is a distraction? ...... ronnie salt offers some analysis of the lnp media strategy now unfolding .... worth a twitter a follow
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I'd be careful what you wish for. The world is a dangerous place.
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9,984 Posts
Government will be a very slow process indeed if our decision makers are to ask people rather than lead them. We get our chance every few years to vote and let them know what we want.
SME's (Subject Matter Experts?), yes but who decides who the experts are? Who appoints them? You are very trusting to put people into positions of power and just hope that they will act for societies benefit and not become corrupted. An unelected group of experts running the country because they know best sounds like the start of slippery slope downhill to me. Look at some of the "independent" corruption bodies, in Qld anyway you've got people under investigation ringing up the people they appointed as heads of the corruption body (on huge salaries) to discus matters relating to themselves under investigation. And they claimed it was all above board, nothing to see here. And that's just the one incidence that was found out about, how much more likely happens behind the scenes?
Yes equal rights for everyone, race having nothing to do with it. Sounds pretty good to me. Isn't that the very definition of equality?
Lots of groups have concerns, Vietnamese Australians, African Australians, Pacific Islander Australians, Muslim Australians, Older Australians, Disabled Australians, Gay Australians, etc, etc. Are you suggesting they all have their own "voice to Parliament".
It sounds like you are a little frustrated with democracy Kelli. And I guess it can feel a bit slow moving at times if you are on the "progressive" side of things waiting for the opinions of voters to change. It's interesting seeing the cabinet papers from 20 years ago, Tampa and 9/11. Howard soared from behind in the polls to 80%+ approval afterwards. The democratic will of the people. Mob rule maybe, not always pretty, but it swings a lot and there is always another election on the horizon in a democracy at least.
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True democracy is an ideal not the reality. If groups feel disenfranchised and discriminated against that is not democracy working properly. People are losing trust and faith in our elected officials and our judiciary system. There is increasing corruption, division, less accountability, lack of transparency and a pandering to vested and self interest that continues to put First Nation people at a disadvantage. Australia's so called democratic society and institutions have delivered injustice, poor health, poor education outcomes and incarceration for Indigenous people.
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8,310 Posts
Morrison is gone. Albo will be a rubbish PM, even worse than Morrison is already one, but will be elected easily by a domino stack of marginal seats falling.
WA will be enough alone to kill the Morrison Government. They're not voting for the Coalition when all they ever hear out of the feds is whinging about their state border being closed.
Queensland could be interesting though. No room for Morrison to pick up more seats there, as he already has every seat he can get, but their love for Labor due to the state government's COVID-19 response is probably evaporating now that the state is plague ridden and their roadmap has collapsed. Might see more seats held there than expected.
As to NSW, they would probably like to see absolutely all restrictions gone there by the federal election, so that everybody votes for the Coalition because they've managed the pandemic so well. Who knows how the next few months will go, but it's probably the state with the most hope for the Coalition, despite the last 6 months here having been so awful.
WA will be enough alone to kill the Morrison Government. They're not voting for the Coalition when all they ever hear out of the feds is whinging about their state border being closed.
Queensland could be interesting though. No room for Morrison to pick up more seats there, as he already has every seat he can get, but their love for Labor due to the state government's COVID-19 response is probably evaporating now that the state is plague ridden and their roadmap has collapsed. Might see more seats held there than expected.
As to NSW, they would probably like to see absolutely all restrictions gone there by the federal election, so that everybody votes for the Coalition because they've managed the pandemic so well. Who knows how the next few months will go, but it's probably the state with the most hope for the Coalition, despite the last 6 months here having been so awful.
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16,662 Posts
The LNP since the Howard era have been very good at lying. Re. Tampa, they used the 'babies overboard' narrative (later found to be untrue) to get that result. They do it every election, some big fat lie to leverage support.
You're right and I had this conversation in the international skybar a couple of days ago about which experts -https://www.skyscrapercity.com/thre...om-their-own-stupidity.2333412/post-176756916.
But look at what you have now, what is that representative of? You probably, which is very nice and comfortable for those in that group (actually a very small group). How SMEs the CHOs informed government with the covid response is a perfect demonstration of how it might work badly, or work well. It usually works badly when the SMEs are political hacks. See also covid response.
Also, its disingenuous to say that we get to choose every four years. You get to choose - the status quo. The rest has been slim pickings for some time now.
Also, slow process, no shit. Except when you put Nev Power in charge of running the country while everyone is distracted, things happen all of a sudden, not that any of us actually really know what has happened, other than getting 'gas lead recovery' rhetoric. That gas industry which pays no tax, has no domestic reservation, is subsidised by the taxpayer, and pays very little royalties, on what is the largest gas export industry on the planet. And we're supposed to believe it will help the nation out of the goodness of its heart? Was an ore lead recovery actually, but you won't hear this from federal govt. This is precisely why we need those independent corruption and crime commissions, desperately.
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16,662 Posts
@Aussie Bhoy I'm not frustrated with democracy, I'm frustrated that we're drifting into a failed democracy, and not enough people are even noticing. Even though history should have taught us to be ever vigilant.
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5,842 Posts
Corruption, lack of accountability, separation of powers diminishing and a lack of transparency is slowly being normalised and the public being conditioned to this is the way it is and nothing we can do about it. So spot on of Kelli we are drifting into a failed democracy.
Mmm, Albanese will need to try hard to be more ineffective than Morrison. In normal circumstances, Morrison's legacy could been far worse if he was more able to get things done, something like Howard was. Covid has made everything different, and created heroes and villains in state premiers.
Some thoughts about a possible Labor government:
1) first and foremost, any government Australian government should tackle long overdue tax reform. Labor came with some interesting ideas to the last election, only to be defeated largely because of them. I don't think they will try again unless they feel very, very assured.
2) climate change and transition to a low carbon economy. They will probably focus on that. I think this is a good thing and most likely worth my vote by itself. This is a huge task that requires dealing with a lot of moving parts: passing legislation, coordinate with state governments, implementing policy changes in the field... and possibly some tax reform. They will keep the latter to the minimum, i.e. they will not eliminate loop holes incentivising car use (which is a very, very bad thing). By the way, those libertarian NSW types are leading the way in the transition to a low carbon emission, how strange.
3) infrastructure. They will waive hands about interstate HSR. Personally, I think they would do best in supporting public transport projects led by the states. NSW has comprehensive plans for improving both urban and regional transportation that need federal bankrolling. Almost the same for Victoria (although those plans are curiously less progressive).
4) federal anti-corruption watchdog. Low hanging fruit. Fine.
5) symbolic stuff such as the Aboriginal Voice and the like. O..K..., but I hope they keep it sensible. Activism is getting a tad annoying and starting to affect good work in the university sector. True, it is much worse having the unis being funded by international student fees.
6) eduction reform, including better funding models for public schools and universities. Would be nice, but they will put that in the too hard basket.
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