Aussies! - Election 2007

[aussieNickuss]

To Aussies that frequent this site....who will you vote for?

[Pagan Goddess]

Hi,

I'm not sure to be honest, but it won't be for Johnny. I don't follow politics at all, as I only get irate from all the lies that are being told. But Aussies have suffered a lot lately so it is time for a change.

Will it be better? Not sure?

Monika

[Tuumble]

Speaking as a pom I always find it interesting that YOUR head of state being OUR British queen. If roles were reveresed I'd find that a bit hard to accept - what do you guys think?

Is it a political issue in the election?

[Tasaio]

Originally Posted by Tuumble

Speaking as a pom I always find it interesting that YOUR head of state being OUR British queen. If roles were reveresed I'd find that a bit hard to accept - what do you guys think?

Is it a political issue in the election?

She's Canada's head of state, too. But most Canadians are unaware of it.

Personally, I'm glad we're still tied to Britain. Anything to keep us different from the states.

[aussieNickuss]

Originally Posted by Tuumble

Speaking as a pom I always find it interesting that YOUR head of state being OUR British queen. If roles were reveresed I'd find that a bit hard to accept - what do you guys think?

Is it a political issue in the election?

We had a referendum in 1999 to cut our ties with Britain, but Johnny Howard (a die-hard monarch) structured it in such a way to turn people off the idea. There was huge support for it, but having a monarch was better than Johnnies plan of a PM elected president and a few other rules.

People don't even notice/know or care about the fact that the queen is the head of state. The only thing we get out of it is a public holiday for the Queens birthday each year. Other than that, the Queen is a non-issue.

I would like us to be a republic, but with exactly the same parliamentary system we have now, minus the governor general.

[Beloved]

Anyone as long as it gets good ole Johnny out, he can take work choices with him.

[alsy]

I do not have any fixed ideas on who yet, but will decide on the day when i fill out the ballot paper.

I am not keen on supporting the illusion of a two party horse race. I say illusion, because (as i understand it) the votes of the parties outside of the two winners in each electorate, are gathered and added to the two winning parties. This gives the illusion that the two parties are more popular than what they are.

If enough people buy into that and may perhaps want to vote for something other than one of the two party horses, but fear if they do, that the opposition (1 of 2 horses) is going to get in. Of course they wont let that happen, because they have bought into the opposition mentality of the two party horse race. I am not saying that all people who vote for one of the two party horses, think in this way.

I think the two party horse race/ opposition mentality is something that corporations, and commerce can more easily manipulate to get what they want, than if people voted on the merit of individual politician's.


I do not believe that this mud slinging and attacking your fellow man, as doing any good for the country. I think the resources could be far more wisely invested in progressing this country for the good of all people, rather than lets look after only this interest group and "bugger the other lot". The working man/woman (Labor) may want more money because its not enough (or maybe just doesn't manage their money well enough), but the (Liberal) business man needs to pay expenses. (or may just be a pure bean counter, and or just greedy) Where does it end. The two can work in opposition to each other, or they can work in a spirit of mutual respect and harmony, which i believe would be more productive by doing so for both partners.
I have been mistakenly labeled as communist one time, and i assure you this is not the case. It is not really about which political party or what system. I am more about man/woman respecting fellow man/woman, and people working alongside one another in harmony, and integrity.

[JMan]

Being a Yank - interesting to read these posts on the Aussie system. What you call the Liberal party sounds like those who support small business and entrepreneurialism - capitalism. This is more in line with our Republican party, more about indivdual freedom vs. government regulation.

In the US, things shake out thus:

Democrats - the Left - Liberal - the 'Blue' States - leaning toward Socialism, One World Government. Historically big spenders, high taxation, expansive government, increased regulation, social programs, minority causes. Pro Labor-Union & regulation. Moveon.org. Al Gore, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, most of Hollywood, The Clintons, the Kennedys, Roosevelt, Carter.

Republicans - the Right - Conservative - the 'Red' States - leaning toward Capitalism, Nationalism. Historically not big spenders (until recent adminstrations breaking spending records), lower taxes & tax give-backs, smaller government, less regulation. Pro Corporation & small business. Free-market economics. NRA (National Rifle Association). Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannidy, Bush, Reagan, Nixon, Lincoln.



Copied from Wikipedia: Left (Democrats) and Right (Republican) values.
Multiplicity of interpretations of the left-right axis

There are various different opinions about what is actually being measured along this axis, and lines often blur among parties. For more detail see the main article Left-Right politics. While some of these are consistent ways to differentiate between left and right, some of these may be false dichotomies:

Public control of the means of production (left), or private control of the means of production (right).
Workers' self-management (left), or employment (right).
Redistribution of wealth and income (left), or acceptance of inequalities as a result of the free market (right).
Whether the government's policy on the economy should be interventionist (left) or laissez-faire (right).
Support for widened lifestyle choices (left), or support for traditional values (right).
Whether human nature is more malleable (left) or intrinsic (right).
Whether an individual's locus of control is more external (left) or internal (right).
Personal philosophy and liberal spiritualism (left) versus traditional religious morality (right).
Collectivism (left) versus individualism (right).
Support for internationalism (left), or national interest (right).
Support for globalization (left), or cultural and economic autonomy (right).
Belief in class conflict (left), or in class collaboration/class ambivalence (right).
These definitions are further blurred by the difference in practice of left and right policies, for example the "leftist" nationalism of Latin America, the "rightist" corporate protectionist policies of the United States, and the existence of ideologies like anarchism, which sometimes seem to fit in both left and right categories and sometimes fit in neither.