*The debate does not centre on whether the mining industry should be nationalised with public control deciding how profits are distributed for public benefit.*

I should hope not. We've had that debate for the last 100 years
or so and we've moved on from there, apart from a few of the
extreme left, who are usually economically illiterate. Why
should we go backwards?

Both liberal and labor accept that market economics works, workers
agree, so they generally vote for one of those parties, not the
socialist left or another extreme left party.

What has changed is the ownership of our major corporations.
Years ago they were largely owned by foreigners. Today workers
own 1.3 trillion$ in super savings, which is as much as the
whole ASX value combined. In other words, Australian workers
largely own Australian industry and if corporate Australia is
not doing well, neither will their retirement nest eggs.

Corporate Australia also has a large say in the creation of
jobs. Workers need jobs. In fact only with a healthy economy
can we afford to be concerned about social policy.

People like Jennifer will always think of more ways that
Govts could spend money, but those paying all that tax,
ie workers, have to agree. We already spend the majority
of the Federal budget on social policy. Over a billion
is wasted on just leaky boats. How much more do you want?

Blackmail is the word you left out Justin.

While the Liberals are in bed with Multi-Nationals and Mining companies, it is the media on all sides including social media that fails to inform us of the background detail when complexities such as the "Mining Tax", EST or Climate Change Tax, Pharmaceutical companies relationship to Doctors, hence the AMA, consumerism[s] and the rest.

Allow me to add NGO's and Government Departments who also look after their self interests over the "common good".

What do we have?

It is to easy to just blame, as if we still lived in the fields, with the right to blame the emperor for drought, floods or rain.

Australia is going through monumental degree's of demographic change. It is as if we have not caught up with ourselves as the world, under capitalism, and information - techologies and climate change travels faster then we.

The Mining Companies may get high respect for pushing up the value of our currency but what does that mean to Export Farmers who need our currency to come down. We are in the middle of all this. We fail to stand up for these gaps enlarging.

No, the ALP is not in bed with corporate Australia, as much as is our ignorance. We like our fuel, our energy and gadgets. We fail eachother as citizens. To "help" one another, return to community based polices where action against the non-equity growing, could change mentalities, make the difference.

The ALP has given us vision... voice and democracry... if you listen to all the noise we made through talkback, on the airwaves and throughout the time since Howard. However, we blame the government for when it stands up against corporate Australia, and the government when it cant.. even in the Senate.

We say we want less regulation in policy, law and on the internet.

What do we do in our own personal life, to make sure we can be more self - governed, so we each influence changing "the" corporations?

More below.

http://www.miacat.com/

On "fiction". I guess the way the media has treated the past weeks of this election, it is even hard to stand up and say ... we need no regulation here either.

It is easy to blame using rumor and spin. Critical thinking and problem solving is more applied.

The 2010 election is about Reform yet I hear very little about what that means or why it is required. Rome wasn't built in a day yet we expect Christmas.

Blackmail is the under-current that is the ruin of our social fabric and we are as much part of the scandal as the turmoil is about which part we make-out... it to be. Serious when we believe it.

You see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear. I see and hear this; "It would also look at more "customer-friendly" service delivery and at building closer relationships with universities and the private sector, something absent in the culture of the service in Australia."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/rudd-wants-sweeping-reform-of-public-service/story-fn3dxity-1225769254411

Across all sectors, at community levels through our life-styles. Then we have claim and influence to change the politics of money! Government has its hands tied with Reform issues as we presently make it dangerous to push Reform through Government. Climate Change in the Senate and the politcs behind the Mining Tax showed us that.

Fair must mean Fair... it involves us all.

http://www.miacat.com/

Chifley started Snowy scheme Menzies opposed as too costly, then claimed it once he opened it.
….....................................................................
Whitlam
Got the troops out of Vietnam.
Abolished the death penalty for Federal crimes.
Established Legal Aid.
Abolished University fees
Left no urban home unsewered in any city.
Financed highways and standard-gauge rail lines between the state capitals.
Established the Supporting Mothers Benefit.
…............................................................
Fraser quickly dismantled the programs.
Made major changes to Medibank.
Implemented budget cuts to the Commonwealth Public Sector, including the ABC.

Hawke – Keating`````````````````````````````````````
Deregulated the financial system.
Hawke dismantled the tariff system.
Medibank, dismantled by Fraser, was restored as, Medicare.
Moved centralised wage-fixing to enterprise bargaining
Deregulated the banking system.
Keating established the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA),
Keating's introduced the national superannuation scheme.

…........................................................
Howard dismantled the centralised wage-fixing system.
Aboriginal treaty was "repugnant to the ideals of One Australia".
Tax GST implemented,
Howard "core" and "non-core" election promises.
Without consulting Parliament committed Australia to war in Afghanistan.
Howard said that the invasion to "disarm Iraq...is right, it is lawful." Opposition to the war was between 48 and 92 %
Industrial relations changes intended to fundamentally change the employer-employee relationship.

There is a pattern, the ALP has always led nation building, and social change. Liberals tear it all down saying it costs too much, and the ALP starts all over again.
The ALP demonstrate Leadership and Management behaviours and the liberals are more in the style of Administrators.
Rudd revitalised Australian Spirit and prospects and the Liberals now want to tear it down again.
Abbott's mantra is ,too much debt, too much spent, Labor can't manage, Interest rates too high.
But of course, no figures, no facts ,no argument just assertions, gossip and unfounded statements, or inference.
Small target, no substance and exaggerate the facts as, worst ever, record debt, record this or that. No facts. No detail. No truth.
Journalist stick with scripted questions but never, never challenge the allegations being made, for accuracy or truth.

Poor bloody Australia, no one left to protect you from these no talent born to rule upper class twits.

Cool Banana's Lorry. Good Detail and Good Work.

poor lorry, sees a class war, exactly where the ALP wants him to see it - miacat leads the cheering. The ALP can do no wrong (at the moment).

The ALP has not always led nation building and social change (why do we need social change anyway?) The conservatives have not always "torn apart" the wonderful work the ALP has done.

It must be the stupid people of Australia who can't see this incredibly obvious and simplistic reflection of life - why did they keep PM Howard in government for 11 years if the conservatives were so bad?

because what you say is just not so, but it is the typical myopic view from the left

The conservatives have done wonderful nation building and typically the ALP tries to tear it apart the moment they get into power. It cuts both ways I admit it, can you?

have fun with that, it's just not worth arguing with the rusted on determined left - as the election goes on though, I expect you'll abandon the ALP as well as losing their way and pandering to the outrageous demands of ordinary Australians.