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The Forum > Article Comments > Should Australia's Liberal Party be more conservative? > Comments

Should Australia's Liberal Party be more conservative? : Comments

By Chris Lewis, published 14/7/2020

However, for the most part, the best way conservatives can contribute to influence the mainstream political parties is to keep utilising public forums to inform the public of its ideas.

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My initial response to your heading, Chris, is: why do we expect an entity called a LIBERAL party to be conservative? Everywhere but Australia, 'liberal' means left or socialist. Our political nomenclature is as weird and as unlikely as our kangaroos. I remember John Howard trying to convince Arnold Swarzenegger, governor of California at the time, that he, Howard, was not socialist. Since Howard, the party has steadily marched to the Left, and they are not remotely conservative.

Conservatism is dead, in Australia, and pretty much globally. In the UK, Cameron and May were jokes, and Boris Johnson has turned out to be a Lefty squib. Even Donald Trump is not conservative in the true sense of the word.

I think that you are right saying that there are not enough conservatives in Australia to warrant a party. Believe me, it's pretty lonely where I am. The humiliating rejection of Bernadi's Australian Conservatives was indicative of Australians' attitudes, even though the personality of AC's founder might have been a factor; he is still unlikeable out of politics.

Pauline Hanson? Not really a conservative, and laughed at by people who can't handle simple sincerity and courage. Mark Latham might have made a go of it, but isn't much use in state politics. Clive who?

The Liberal party should not "be more conservative" because it is not built for it; it is Labor lite, particularly since Turnbull and Morrison 'got at it'. Australia will remain politically imbalanced until it finally reaches rock bottom. Then, we might have to face something altogether different. 1930's deja vu is already in the air and being openly discussed, ironically by some of the very people who will be responsible for the backlash.
Posted by ttbn, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 10:46:36 AM
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No! The liberals are indisputably, already a conservative party, in assumed liberal cloaks/clothing!

What we need in the election-winning middle ground is a fiscally conservative and socially progressive party, not controlled by outside forces, i.e., those with the deepest pockets or loudest voices always raised in vociferous dissent! Or those (the latter the same folk) with a collective IQ roughly equal to the ambient temperature?

Ought be able to enunciate future policy while strapped to a lie detector, given how low their honesty in policy pronouncements etc, has sunk?

We need a party that does not pick and choose winners but puts all options on the table. And then let the market decide!

And needed if it wants a coherent energy policy fit for purpose and in a not for profit paradigm, so we can use it as the social amenity it ought to be, to rebuild our wrecked economy from the ground up as one that favours (great depression style) cooperative capitalism.

If only to put the nation back to work as expeditiously as possible! And where the rebuilt economy will of necessity be automated to the enth degree! And completely divested of the robber barons, commission sales and paper shuffling, profit demanding middlemen!

The new economy will be largely online and as a consequence able to direct market from source. And given the above able to compete for "fair" market share with all comers! Indefinitely!

Any new manufacturing models need to be completely self-contained inside a single site, with only basic raw materials outsourced, for very obvious if unstated health issue reasons and because it's the lowest cost production model but particularly as co-ops!

Finally, the conservative elements on the hard right need to retain control of our borders and defence. And where they are likely to excel? But removed from legislating against love! Given they don't actually feel or understand it?

Every human extant on the planet has a birthright to contentment and compatible cohabitation with the choice of their heart! We are not and must never ever be, heartless Nazi-look-alikes! Besides, that's economically counterproductive!
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Tuesday, 14 July 2020 11:00:42 AM
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any true conservative would have to battle constantly with lies, misinformation, treachery and hatred from the abc 24 hours a day. Tony Abbott was one of the most decent blokes in Australia and look how the degenerates treated him. Turnbull was one of the sleaziest ever in Parliament and was loved by the swamp. Along with Bishop, Turnbull was happy to sell Australia out to China and he still boast of his 'achievement' of perverting marriage. Turnbull was a strong backer of the gw fraud and will go down as the worst ever Liberal PM.
Posted by runner, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 12:56:16 PM
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How long can one justify the existence of a belief until it runs out of steam. We can write about what we do, how we go about doing it, where we do it but never why we do it.
Could it be because we have been caught up too much in the cancel culture
In short the Liberal Party believes in individual freedom and free enterprise and when conservatives hold those beliefs then why do conservatives allow themselves to be shifted from their grounds of culture.

Unless we as conservatives do not believe what we espouse is the true belief of a conservative
Posted by Papa3, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 1:35:01 PM
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With Citizens becoming more insipid by the hour, it becomes irrelevant which way the NLP is leaning !
The handful of responsible citizens are outnumbered by the above & it's only a matter of time before the handful can no longer maintain the hangers-on.
Had Labor been in power since January this year, we'd be commenting on the misery & crime etc in this Country !
Posted by individual, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 1:43:56 PM
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Chris if a desire for boarder protection, & a major reduction in immigration are conservative values, then your whole idea does not hold water.

If such values are more widely held, even in progressive breasts then perhaps Oz is no longer conservative.

This would not be surprising after decades of high migration, just how many fair dinkum Ozzies are there left in the country. Not many if the disgusting number of bludgers we now have is any indication.

In fact Oz may be not only too far gone to the dogs to save, but may be too far gone to be worth saving. One thing is for sure, the vast majority of recent blow ins are unlikely to ever put any effort into saving anything, other than themselves.
Posted by Hasbeen, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 2:29:09 PM
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The article ignores that (especially in NSW) branch stacking and other skulduggery has allowed a takeover of the Liberal Party by the so-called moderate faction. Additionally, the Liberal party in SA has been wringing wet for decades. All his has led to the party being dominated by the liberal left (moderate) faction since the demise of Abbott.

Eventually bad policies that hurt voters in the hip pocket (e.g. the thrashing of of electricity industry, rising debts due to Covid19 panics, expensive submarines and frigates) will come home to roost and voters will see sense.
Posted by Bren, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 2:54:23 PM
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Although this website does not refer to Australia it does provide an interesting perspective on how Western countries (particularly the Anglo-sphere) got to where they are, and what if anything can be done about it.
http://www.economicsfromthetopdown.com
Posted by Daffy Duck, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 4:53:14 PM
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Australia’s Liberal party should be more conservative and I am confident that there are plenty of conservatives waiting for the Liberal party to be, once again, worth supporting and not be just a mob of Labor lite MPs masquerading as Liberal Party MPs.

I do not consider that the Liberal party will recover from the most unjustified back-stabbing of outstanding Tony Abbott by disgraceful Turnbull, Bishop, Pyne and others.

I voted for the Liberal party all my very long life, except for when Turnbull was unjustifiably PM. I did vote for Morrison at the last election as he was the least worst available, whether I will vote Liberal party again, who knows. They are going to have to show they are worth voting for. Losing very good Matthias Corman is very bad for us conservatives.

We badly need a Donald Trump to make Australia and the Liberal party, great again.

Most media have and are very seriously damaging our good futures, particularly when they campaigned very hard against John Howard and Tony Abbott and just look at the huge mess most media have got us into. The Coalition needs to de-fund the ABC and use that $1billion plus - the ABC very unjustifiably gets - for useful health and education needs plus sell off the very valuable land and buildings held by the ABC and use the large proceeds to help reduce the huge debts the ABC has helped get us into with their very pro Labor and Greens promotions and very anti-Coalition activities. As many people will be very pleased to have the ABC gone as those that will be unhappy to not have it as their tax-payer funded media arm. PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 5:45:47 PM
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I'm not sure that Australia's Liberal Party should
be more conservative but it should be more inclusive.
It should have greater ethnic representation. It should
also enunciate the values that defines the party and
apply these values to issues that concern wider groups
in the community.
Posted by Foxy, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 6:17:28 PM
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"As many people will be very pleased to have the ABC gone as those that will be unhappy to not have it as their tax-payer funded media arm".

Who are they PeterC, the 176 who voted for the pathetic Australia Federation Party in the Eden-Monaro by-election. Certainly not the other 94,478 voters, many of whom relied on the excellent coverage by the ABC during the recent bushfires to give then guidance as the disaster unfolded upon them. I can see why in a field of 14 candidates the AFP bloke ran dead last in that election.
Posted by Paul1405, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 6:19:41 PM
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I reckon we should sell our politicians to China.

Probably be able to get a cool $50 for the lot of them.
Posted by Mr Opinion, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 6:58:11 PM
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Seems to me Daffy Duck, rise and fall of empires is best judged by the extent of its foreign holdings at any given time.

The Chinese are accumulating foreign holdings at an alarming rate, compared to US foreign holdings.

Energy use factored on oil consumption, is a misnomer too. The US is independent in oil reserves.
The US, like the rest of the West, went full scale down the road of de-industrialisation by transferring industry to Asia, read China in particular.
Of course this action increased the energy consumption of China, and factored over its entire population, makes it conform to your theory of advancement, based on individual energy consumption.

Trumps idea is a natural to fit your thesis by returning energy consumption to the US through retooling US industry, and creating domestic wealth: up goes energy consumption per capita, and bingo, the American empire is on the move upwards.

Simultaneously though, Chinese energy consumption is falling exponentially, and appears to be declining.

It's difficult to put too much credibility into the energy equals rise and fall of empires theory alone.

Dan
Posted by diver dan, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 7:53:50 PM
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Hi Paul 1405, perhaps some of the older voters who reportedly decided not to vote as usual for the Liberal party in the Eden Monaro election would vote to get rid of the(ir) ABC Cheers PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 8:06:03 PM
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In John West's 1854 'Union Among the Colonies' (Gregory Melleuish - 2001, p6) he
[West] writes: "Those who are dazzled with the idea of unrestricted and responsible government in little colonies have seen only one side of the medal. They have not yet seen family compacts in their full bloom; they have not yet beheld an Attorney General, armed with the power of the majority, hunting its enemies into the meshes of the law; they have not yet witnessed nepotism, with greedy hand and jealous eye, seizing the public as spoil... " These words ring true 166 years later. The pedigree of the Liberal Party weaves an interesting tapestry through its history. David Bird, in his book 'Nazi Dreamtime' (2012) writes at p6..."Although Australian's like the rising young Nationalist R.G. Menzies could continue to admire Mussolini's 'leadership' and to admire him from afar this 'Caesar and Napoleon combined' as another lawyer called him, there remained a local vacancy." (At p8) "...former AIF officer and solicitor Eric Campbell...came into prominence as a potential strike-breaker on the Sydney waterfront in 1925. Associated with the Old Guard in Sydney from November 1930, Lt Col Campbell thought a more activist, confrontational style of politics, more attuned to the psychology of the already legendary 'digger' was necessary to counter the populism of Jack Lang's Labor government. Accordingly the New Guard was born in February 1931 in a blaze of publicity...The New Guard would prove to be the most virulent form of Australian fascism between the wars..." A fascist leader is obsessed with power and control for its own sake and will do whatever it takes to grab and maintain power. This suggests a strong streak of psychopathy. Psychologist Lyn Bender asks in 'Independent Australia', 13 May, 2014, “What if Abbott and his cronies are just a bunch of psychopaths?” She makes a startling case that they probably are, mentioning indicators from Abbott, Joe Hockey and Scott Morrison. http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/what-if-abbott-and-his-cronies-are-just-a-bunch-of-psychopaths,6472
Posted by Albie Manton in Darwin, Tuesday, 14 July 2020 11:33:31 PM
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Hi PeterC

There is little support amongst Australians for "getting rid of the ABC" other than from the hard right and some extreme sections of the private media, the foreign owned Murdoch camp in particular. Looking to fund other services such as health and education with ABC savings would be better achieved with cuts to inefficient military spending. plenty of fat there. Although to conservatives the military is some kind of sacred cow never to be touched.

"older voters who reportedly decided not to vote as usual for the Liberal party" do you have evidence for that claim, and who did they vote for, no mass exodus to the Australian Federation Party, or is it the 176 voters you are referring to?
Posted by Paul1405, Wednesday, 15 July 2020 5:48:47 AM
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Patriotic Australians do not blindly support the ABC !
Posted by individual, Wednesday, 15 July 2020 1:13:56 PM
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Thenks Individual. The ABC is a traitor to Australia and our futures and should not be funded by the tax-payer. Cheers Peter C
Posted by PeterC, Wednesday, 15 July 2020 3:05:54 PM
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Hi PeterC,

As a conservative are you in favour of the Morrison government handing taxpayer money out in a socialist way, so called stimulus. Example $750 of taxpayer money is this week being once again given to aged welfare recipients. In 85% of cases last time the aged welfare recipients simply "stashed the cash in the bank" it failed to stimulate the economy what so ever. What is your opinion, and what is your parties policy on such handouts?
Posted by Paul1405, Wednesday, 15 July 2020 8:48:10 PM
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Hi Paul1405, this is part of what I have said in a previous post:-…
……….I voted for the Liberal party all my very long life, except for when Turnbull was unjustifiably PM. I did vote for Morrison at the last election as he was the least worst available, whether I will vote Liberal party again, who knows. They are going to have to show they are worth voting for. Losing very good Matthias Corman is very bad for us conservatives.

We badly need a Donald Trump to make Australia and the Liberal party, great again..........

There is no doubt in my mind that Labor and the Greens would throw much, much, much more borrowed money around and damage Australia and our futures much more than Morrison is. It appears to me that the funds Morrison is handing out is badly needed to try to keep Australia going and in a recoverable position.

Also to add to my previous comments about the very, very great disgrace that is the greatly over funded Lefty/green ABC, I comment that the ABC should NOT be tax-payer funded but funded by subscription from those that want it so that the great number of people like me who do not want the ABC are not burdened with COMPULSORILY helping to pay for it. I expect the ABC would disappear - and good riddance to it - if it had to survive from subscriptions from viewers.
Posted by PeterC, Wednesday, 15 July 2020 9:23:16 PM
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Peter, I think the ABC would survive, but would not be as grandiose with its spending habits and scope.

I am firm believer that you can always lift your game from scarcer resources, as long as there is enough.

AS SBS proves, the ABC would attract advertising.

I also assume that more affluent ABC viwers would part with some donation money, but who knows.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 16 July 2020 6:33:36 AM
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Hi again PeterC,

I hate the terms left and right, blame the French for that, it implies there is some great disparity between those of the extreme when there is not. I much prefer the tags progressive and conservative, certainly as applied to Australian politics. Having spent over 40 years as an active member of political parties I have some understanding of the thinking of the "voter". A clear cut example, the question of gay marriage, why an overwhelming yes vote? In the mind of the average voter, there was nothing of a moral dilemma, simple the voter no longer harboured any animosity towards gay people, and there was no impact from the result on the voter personally, so people had no problem voting yes.

Why the popularity of the Liberal and Labor parties with the voters, its not their differences, its their similarities that polarise in their favour. There is no great divide between the two main parties, its more a matter of emphases rather than any great philosophical difference. There is lots of tinkering around the edges at times, but very little change in direction is evident as a result.

To say, "We badly need a Donald Trump to make Australia and the Liberal party, great again" Trumps politics of the personality would not go down well with the average Australian voter.

"I comment that the ABC should NOT be tax-payer funded but funded by subscription" That's a desire of yours, but has little traction with voters. I as a pacifist could say; that Australian militarism (euphemistically called defence spending) should NOT be tax-payer funded but funded by subscription" Again a totally unacceptable idea to put to voters.
Posted by Paul1405, Thursday, 16 July 2020 7:36:06 AM
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Paul1405,
I'm curious, how do pacifists stay alert to the need to defend themselves ?
Posted by individual, Thursday, 16 July 2020 8:03:47 AM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvz8tg4MVpA

Here is Margaret Thatcher spelling out one of the fundamental principles and a defining difference between conservatives and "progressives". (Liberals vs Labor)

Conservatives will spend only what is absolutely necessary to achieve the required ends and the $1500 /fnight was calculated to keep the wolves from the door while peoples productive work was hindered, while progressives want this to continue indefinitely. In the GFC Labor sprayed money around with a fire hose, Liberals would have spent a fraction and achieved the same result.

Similarly welfare with regards to a safety net, education and health care are not the sole preserve of the socialists as having a healthy educated population that can be productive is the cornerstone of capitalism.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Thursday, 16 July 2020 9:38:53 AM
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Hi and thanks Chris. I still do not think the ABC will survive on subscriptions only and without tax-payer funding. eg:- the ABC has not had a conservative presenter or similar in a prominent position for possibly 30 or 40 years or more. Remember also that the Coalition is a large proportion of the community as it wins most elections and I expect many or most of these people-like me - are disgusted with paying $1billion plus of tax-payers money to the Labor/green disgraceful ABC which consistently promotes the Labor/Greens and denigrates the Coalition side of politics. I personally do not believe anything that comes on the unreliable ABC. For people to advertise on the ABC they would need to know that the ABC was actually reaching much more than the Labor/green cohort. Cheers PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Thursday, 16 July 2020 11:14:10 AM
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To add to my previous comment I say that it is likely that some people watch the ABC to avoid advertisements so that if the ABC takes advertisements they will likely then lose viewers. Cheers PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Thursday, 16 July 2020 11:21:59 AM
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Peter, fair enough points.

However, SBS achieved its best ever ratings last year.

I actually prefer SBS these days, even with the ads.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 16 July 2020 11:45:46 AM
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I love programs like - "Who Do You Think You Are",
"Insight", "Where Are You really From", the documentaries
and movies on SBS and then on the ABC - "Back Roads",
"Four Corners", "Q&A", "Media Watch", and much, much, more.

Life would be so boring without those networks.

70 - 80% of Australians think highly of their national
broadcaster and find it a most trusty new source.

And the price we pay per person is a pittance and value for
money. Of course this doesn't mean that we have to agree
with everything that's on those networks but to disagree
with everything would also not be rational.
Posted by Foxy, Thursday, 16 July 2020 1:01:01 PM
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Yes, and SBS proves that the ABC can survive with much less public money.

IMO, SBS is superior to the ABC.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 16 July 2020 3:35:23 PM
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IMO, SBS is superior to the ABC.
Chris Lewis,
Yes & no. Their programming is clearly of a healthier mentality but their racial stirring is immoral !
Posted by individual, Thursday, 16 July 2020 4:24:29 PM
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"In the GFC Labor sprayed money around with a fire hose" to use a favourite of SM's BOLLOCKS! At the time the Coalition was totally befuddled by the GFC, they would have been content to do as they are doing now, acting the drunken sailor whilst plunging the economy into a deep recession with no definitive plan to stimulate employment, or revive business. The off the table, then a fortnight later, on the table 'Jobkeeper' demonstrates the LNP's total lack of planning, come September they will be introducing their replacement for 'Jobkeeper' and 'Jobseeker'...the 'Jobkiller' program!

The ScumO' mob is going to plunge Australia into a one trillion dollar black hole, which we will not recover from in any of our lifetimes.
Posted by Paul1405, Thursday, 16 July 2020 4:55:34 PM
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Paul, debt levels will be so high, i doubt any major country will ever pay it back.

I would expect a lot of write offs in coming year
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 16 July 2020 5:06:12 PM
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The ScumO' mob is going to plunge Australia into a one trillion dollar black hole, which we will not recover from in any of our lifetimes.
Paul1405,
Yep, that black hole is called the Public Service which began multiplying faster than breeding rabbits during & following the Whitlam years ! I believe you're part of it Paul ?
Posted by individual, Thursday, 16 July 2020 6:47:04 PM
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Outstanding John Howard & Peter Costello had Australia's debt paid off and $22billion available in surplus funds but thanks to the strong media campaign against John Howard we got Labor's Kevin Rudd & Julia Gillard who soon spent the surplus funds and gave us a great big huge debt which outstanding Tony Abbott was paying off until the media campaigned hard against him also and gave us Labor/Green dud Turnbull who amongst other things paid at least $100billion for dud diesel submarines we MAY get in 20 years time. And most media and the disaster that is the ABC wonder why we have deserted them and many so called journalists have lost their jobs. Cheers PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Thursday, 16 July 2020 8:39:49 PM
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Paul1405,
So, how do Pacifists prepare for ambush to their cosy lifestyles apart from denouncing those on whom they inevitably call on in the event of crisis/conflict ?
Posted by individual, Friday, 17 July 2020 7:30:12 AM
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Paul,

Once again you are lying through your teeth. The Liberals knew exactly what they would have done in the GFC as much as they have done exactly what was needed in the covid crisis.

Labor's fiscal management in the GFC was amateurish at best largely because they tried to tie their ideology in with their spending.

For example:

The $9bn $900 cash splash was spent almost exclusively on white goods that 80% went to China and was at best a sugar hit.

The $16bn spent on School halls took so long that most of the buildings were built after the crisis, cost 2x as much as they should have and built shoddy buildings that were in most cases not needed.

The Pink batts was slow to start and missed the worst of the crisis and poor installation burnt down 700 houses and killed 4 workers.

Etc.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Friday, 17 July 2020 1:55:31 PM
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Shadown minister, here is another piece supporting Labor wasting money on poor programs

Building the Education Revolution: Another Case of Australian Government Failure?

Chris Lewis, Brian Dollery & Michael A. Kortt

Pages 299-307 | Published online: 25 Mar 2014

Abstract

Since the 2007 federal election, the Australian government has implemented a plethora of new programs, many with dual economic and social objectives. A significant number of these initiatives have not only proved unsuccessful, but have also been criticized for their implementation and subsequent administration. This paper examines the Building Education Revolution Program, which commenced in 2009 with the objective of stimulating employment growth and improving school infrastructure, through the analytical prism of the government failure paradigm as well as the literature on “hollowing out” and decentralization. It is argued that the BER Program represents a “case study” of how governments should not pursue large-scale public expenditure programs.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Friday, 17 July 2020 3:38:45 PM
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and, another piece that made myself loved given that a professor wrote to the VC and stated I was an anti-Labor scholar

A Recent Scandal: The Home Insulation Program

Chris Lewis •
Published 2012 •
Political Science

The policy debacle that was the Rudd Labor Government’s Home Insulation Program (HIP) cannot be disputed.1 First, four young Australians died installing insulation in homes before the program was cancelled on 22 April 2010. Further, about $1 billion (approximately 40 per cent) of the $2.45 billion cancelled scheme was, in the end, used to cover its costs, including safety and quality inspections for about 200 000 homes fitted with ceiling batts or foil (Berkovic 2010f). As of 10 December 2010… CONTINUE READING

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3717/ec0db0976cd60dfb4b295307f8b16003406c.pdf
Posted by Chris Lewis, Friday, 17 July 2020 3:43:45 PM
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During the GFC, Australia was one of only three developed nations to avoid recession. At its peak, in 2008-09, stimulus spending was about 1.8 per cent of the size of the Australian economy.

By comparison, Mr Morrison's response to coronavirus will be worth an estimated 3.3 per cent of Australia's gross domestic product this budget year — and 6.1 per cent next year- ABC Posted Sunday 5 April 2020. The economy is already in deep recession, something Labor was able to avoid.

Despite a massive injection of borrowed cash the likelihood is the Australian economy will fall off a fiscal cliff before the end of this year. With a real unemployment level of 15%, soon to hit 20%, the Morrison government has no plan, no policy for recovery, nothing to offer what so ever.
Posted by Paul1405, Friday, 17 July 2020 4:17:41 PM
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'Despite a massive injection of borrowed cash the likelihood is the Australian economy will fall off a fiscal cliff before the end of this year'

why should we worry Paul? According to your saint Greta the earth only has 11 years left anyway.
Posted by runner, Friday, 17 July 2020 5:07:53 PM
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Paul, no matter who is in govt, finding the magic balance between the economic and social goals will be an extremely difficult task given the virus.

I don't see Labor finding it any easier.

The only reason why Australia avoided a recession in response to the GFC was through spending (and a whole lot of debt)
Posted by Chris Lewis, Friday, 17 July 2020 6:28:25 PM
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In addition, Aust economy benefited from international stimulus packages, including from China.

Situation due to virus is whole lot differet, and probably much worse.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Friday, 17 July 2020 6:55:40 PM
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Hi Chris, thanks for your several informative comments including this one....." another piece that made myself loved given that a professor wrote to the VC and stated I was an anti-Labor scholar "......These words and actions by the professor further strongly confirms my view - including what happened to Prof Peter Ridd - that most of the faculty ( Professors, administration & staff )in the Unis are mostly Lefties and like the ABC should be defunded until the Uni faculties are roughly half conservative and half Lefty. What hope for a good sound future when our education and uni system is doing its best to ensure we are all Lefties. We do not want or need to become like the huge disaster that the Democrats have become in America, even without including reports that way back when the Democrats formed the terrible ku klux klan, damaging/hanging etc the African-Americans. Cheers Peter
Posted by PeterC, Friday, 17 July 2020 8:40:38 PM
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The defenders of the Rudd Govt's handling during the GFC tend to overlook one critical fact.
The Rudd Govt. didn't inherit the left-overs of a Rudd Govt !
Posted by individual, Saturday, 18 July 2020 6:56:20 AM
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Australia's relatively easy passage through the GFC was entirely due to the net zero government debt, the strong banking system and strong economy that the Liberals left in 2007.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Sunday, 19 July 2020 5:23:51 AM
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Hi Chris, in no way should my criticism of the Morrison's governments handling of the economy be interpreted as an endorsement of the alternative. As far as I am concerned ScumO' and Albo are in the same boat. My membership of the NSW branch of the ALP terminated about 25 years ago, I was never expelled, but it wasn't accepted again 2 years back when I moved to Queensland, I didn't hide the fact of previous membership, I can only assume they have long memories. My wife is an ALP member, Although she is not overly impressed with Albo, she prefers Penny Wong. In the past 25 years I think I have only preferenced Labor over Liberal two or three times, and that was in Federal elections, not state. Although I always gave a good Labor mate a preference vote at council elections, that's all he ever wanted to do, be a local councillor, and he was good at it, very civic minded. Then the ALP done the dirty on him for no particular reason about 3 years ago, put him in an unwinnable 3rd on the ticket when he ran 2nd at pre-selection, they would rather put a state MP's friend in at 2, after years of loyal membership, that's what you get from the ALP. I told my friend to resign and run as an independent, and we would get him re-elected with Green preferences, but he was just too loyal.

"I don't see Labor finding it any easier." too true.
Posted by Paul1405, Sunday, 19 July 2020 6:58:29 AM
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she is not overly impressed with Albo, she prefers Penny Wong.
Paul1405,
And, here I was thinking you were the one with the problems !
Posted by individual, Sunday, 19 July 2020 8:03:04 AM
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Unlike you Indy, the wife is true to her convictions. If I was you, I would take myself off welfare for life, and go it alone. Unfortunately going it alone, and you would not survive for 5 minutes without that taxpayer la grasse. Have you done your 750 buck handout this week, or like the other 85% stuffed it in the good old bank account for when the pokies get going again down at gods waiting room?
Posted by Paul1405, Sunday, 19 July 2020 9:42:46 AM
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Paul1405,
Don't give up your day job, leave trying to be funny to those with humour !
Posted by individual, Sunday, 19 July 2020 9:55:19 AM
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Peter, what is even more increadible is that the professor, after rejecting my idea of an article critical of the Home Insulation article, telling me to .... off and send my polemic rubbish to Quadrant, he told the VC he had asked asked other authors to counter my version.

However, just as the Royal Commisison agreed with what i said, so did they.

Seriously, the concept of academic excellence in humanities journals is a joke.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Sunday, 19 July 2020 10:50:59 AM
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There are reason's there are no right wing think tanks and it's not because there aren't enough believers. Every time Pauline Hansen- for example- holds a meeting Antifa makes many people especially older Australians scared about attending. And no one does anything about it. At least the police crack down on disruptive practices at polling booths. Not that I want the police to stop protests. The sad thing there are genuine philosophical issues with certain positions in modern politics that aren't being discussed because of "fear". People are afraid at work, at home, and in their communities. You have to admire the woke cultures "cancel" achievements if not their methods.
Posted by Canem Malum, Monday, 20 July 2020 2:00:58 PM
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I've always found the term 'politically conservative' to be a total contradiction in terms. Whatever has a conservative ever 'conserved'? With their hell-bent goal of monetary profit above everything else, there is precious little of our planet left to conserve. Then they have an unshakeable desire to return to some unnamed utopian period from the past that needs to be re-instated. As I often say: Gough Whitlam dragged Australia kicking and screaming into the 20th century, and Tony Abbott did everything he could to ensure we stayed there. Less 'conservatives' I say and more compassion and acceptance.
Posted by Aries54, Monday, 20 July 2020 4:28:58 PM
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Hi Chris and thanks. The behaviour of the Professor you mention is possibly only the tip of the very disturbing ice-berg that Professor & no doubt plenty of others - including the ABC & most media - are doing their entrenched very best to ruin Australia and our futures even more than they have done already. Cheers PeterC
Posted by PeterC, Monday, 20 July 2020 5:13:13 PM
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'Conservative' needs a clear definition while it changes across borders, as does 'liberal' and 'left', which are deemed to be negatives in the US, that ignores any 'conservatives' with socially liberal leanings (like the Liberal Party used to be... before blindly following the GOP and adopting US evangelical Christian nationalist baggage e.g. Christian 'rights', opposition to gay marriage, immigration restrictions, challenging abortion rights, etc.).

Further:

'Despite a number of political forces having emerged in Australia in recent decades to represent some policy positions more typical of a conservative outlook, such as One Nation and the Clive Palmer Party'

Not sure how racism and perceptions of corruption come to be 'conservative' ideals and says a lot about how low the ethical bar has been set, locally by the LNP, while promoting 'Christianity'?

Conservatism has morphed into a form white and/or Christian nationalism to mask socialism for corporate entities (and the top people) while the majority in electorates are led on by political PR of supposed conservative values and approving of harsh neo-liberal economics for following generations, including few government services or support and more private debt.
Posted by Andras Smith, Monday, 20 July 2020 6:49:12 PM
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Andras,

You have essentially given the far left's definition of a conservative which is of course complete bollocks. Conservative today typically means doing things using proven efficient methods as opposed to the often ill considered policies of the left with the "unexpected" consequences that inevitably result.

Similarly, the definition of liberal used to mean freedom to live one's life free from the interference of the state, not the highly intolerant and racist identity politics of the woke left "new liberals".
Posted by Shadow Minister, Tuesday, 21 July 2020 11:09:26 AM
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