The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Power and money to thwart the democratic process > Comments

Power and money to thwart the democratic process : Comments

By Gavin Mooney and Colin Penter, published 11/6/2010

In the debate on the mining super tax, whither goes our democracy?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. All
The Missus, spare me the bleeding heart 'woe is regional Australia' story. The resources belong to the entire nation, not to any particular group.

Your memory may be failing you, but every single substanial legislative change we have made in this country - indeed in any country - triggers self-serving, hysterical and irrational whinging of rent-seekers.

We saw it with the gold tax, with Mabo, with the GST (a great Howard reform by the way). Vested interests will always fight reform and try and disguise their own interests as the national interest.

The current well-funded propaganda campaign being fought by the mining industry (in coalition with the Murdoch media) is just such an example.

The fact is the sky will not fall in. Miners will still make significant profits. Workers will still be employed. The resources are not going away. And if these companies don't mine them, someone else will.
Posted by Mr Denmore, Friday, 11 June 2010 11:06:41 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Thank you for putting forward a rational point of view somewhere in the public domain. I am quite baffled by any ordinary person who might think that Gina Rinehardt or Clive Palmer could have any conceivable interest in their welfare. Incidentally the hysterical attacks on Kevin Rudd in the media, and here, of late have little hard basis of fact with the possible exception of the emission trading scheme but even here he was faced with an intransigent opposition and a massive misinformation campaign which has virtually destroyed public support for the notion of climate change.
Posted by Gorufus, Friday, 11 June 2010 11:07:55 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
This topic is largely a no win one, now that the ideologically (fearful) vindictive have been called to erect the barricades against reasoned thought.

The politically myopic see an opportunity for more mindless partisanship with the sole objective of *political* advantage regardless of national interest i.e. a good candidate to scare the population into polarisation.

I ask, what is it that the argument actually over?
Answer: A yet to be defined, Tax. (there are still defining imponderables and vagaries).

The second issue is the WAY it's being handled....heaven forbid, shock horror, that it may have been introduced to gain some political Kudos or negotiating from the strongest position.
The first should be expected the latter mandatory.

In short what we are witnessing is *a NEGOTIATION*
Granted The Labor Government went in Boots and all, that maybe argued as over the top.

However, what is commonly ignored is that both parties are running multiple objectives.
The labor party as a secondary aim is trying to show Leadership/management (to be re-elected).

The mining companies are well aware that if this tax goes through other countries will follow.

Human nature is that we or our organizations are never happy with status quo indefinitely. *Status quo is temporary*. Show me any corporation, union, person who doesn't want more. Our entire society is based on aspiration.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (country) we have so many wantonly ignorant all with *absurdly definitive* opinions all willing to yell dissent. Based on what ? Certainly not reason or all the facts. And arguably not in the objective benefit of the country.

The author is correct in that Corporations by definition want more, Profit, power to control that profit.

Political parties seem to be all about power.
My question who is unreservedly looking after the people/country.
IMO neither really but we voted for the government not the corporations....BTW the latter doesn't have voting rights, they aren't human and don't have intrinsically, our interests at heart.
Posted by examinator, Friday, 11 June 2010 11:24:49 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
An excellent little article - succinct and to the point.

Mr Denmore: << ...every single substanial legislative change we have made in this country - indeed in any country - triggers self-serving, hysterical and irrational whinging of rent-seekers.

We saw it with the gold tax, with Mabo, with the GST... >>

Quite so. This is just another extremely well-funded propaganda campaign by the rapacious mining lobby, aided and abetted by sympathisers in the MSM and the Opposition.

One of the most ridiculous things I've seen lately is a pic of billionaire Gina Rinehart bleating about the proposed tax from the back of a truck.
Posted by CJ Morgan, Friday, 11 June 2010 11:52:05 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Gorufus, I am quiet baffled that anyone, even a hard left supporter, could ever think that Rudd could have any conceivable interest in their welfare.

After all, he has been doing his damndest to prove otherwise ever since he was elected.

Granted, Gina, & Clive are unlikely to be too worried about my welfare, but at least they are not trying to use me to promote their own interests the way our KRuddy is, they just want to dig a few ditches.

Still, unlike Ruddy, they have never done too much to harm me either.
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 11 June 2010 11:56:33 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Gavin Mooney and Colin Penter seem to mindlessly echo the Labor party line, not even pretending to view both sides of the issue in spite of the obvious hypocrisy.

Labor never got a democratic mandate from the voters to pillage the mining sector and everyone's super funds. Even before Labor announced the Super Tax, they had planned to break their election promise on political advertising to sell the tax. The democratic process is being thwarted more by continuous breaking of election promises by Labor, and by Labor's complete lack of consultation than by the miners.

The tax level on mining in Aus was always higher than average, and the new super tax will boost it to the highest in the world. This will have a serious impact on the share holders, retirement funds, and construction industry. The directors would be derelict in their duties if they simply allowed KRudd's spin to define the issue without the complete picture warts and all.

That they are having their say is actually part of the democratic process, if Kev was simply able to issue edicts, this would be autocracy.

As far as funding goes, the Labor party get millions from the unions to peddle their interests, and plenty of back handers from developers.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Friday, 11 June 2010 12:50:07 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy