I think the acid test for outcomes is this; while people who can work are given the option of paddling a surf board all day long as a substitute to working for a living, while fruit and vegetables lay rotting in paddocks for lack of pickers, the Government has demonstrated again its actual impotence at decision making geared around fear of voter unpopularity.

Some of the suggestions for our future direction coming to light from Government in recent days, are nothing more than fanciful knee jerks, such as supporting manufacturing. All the irresponsible short sighted Governance of the past continued to send whatever could be stuffed inside China on that one.

Are we now to ignore the fact that sensible people were crying loudly about the dangers of over dependence on China as having a bad ending, and here it is!

Are we also to ignore the total waste of parliamentary time devoted over a three year period to same sex marriage as a priority to debating the future if Australia and Australians, (what ever that factor is, who knows the answer to that one anymore).

And now we face a future with the major fraction of the economy swinging on real estate speculation while half the population are stumped to death under @ landlord boot.

Q. How can any Australian, (whoever that is), show loyalty towards a future which has Government priority set in concrete towards speculators?

A. It’ll be a fail. Get ready for some hard times, especially those under its boot, as Jacqui Lambie not so eloquently pointed out by rejecting proposed university funding reforms leaving those with less less.


Dan

I see one danger that the present soft reaction to the rules put on
the public for the Covid 19 pandemic has encouraged the idea that
similar rules could be applied to global warming.
eg $1,000 fine for driving your car to work when you could have gone by bus.

Some have already made these suggestions.

The China virus has clearly shown that not one Australian politician - anywhere, in including Queensland - is up to the job. At every election until the fools get the message and step aside, voters should refuse to vote for anyone of them. Turn up to avoid the undemocratic fines, get marked off the roll, and continue out the exit door. Or, if you can be bothered, mark the ballot paper with 'NONE OF THESE'.

Qld Labor intend to borrow enough money to get us completely out of debt !

"Qld Labor intend to borrow enough money to get us completely out of debt !"

If Qld voters believe that, Anastasia will be home and hosed.

The economy, climate or covid? Why does it have to be one or tuther?
When we can do all three! First is covid, given it is seven times more prevalent than official testing currently reveals.

Because a healthy unfettered economy requires a healthy workforce, who can go to work without super-spreading a killer virus.

And done by checking all who transit across borders, through transport terminals/airports sporting and entertainment venues, shopping centres/supermarkets etc. And via multiple queues and the now validated Salivia test that produces a reliable result in fifteen minutes.

With those testing negative allowed to proceed, those testing positive sent home for a mandatory two weeks self isolation. Those breaching those orders hit with a fifty thousand dollar fine!

After two weeks, they should no longer be contagious, but would still need to wear a mask, wash hands, and where possible, practice social distancing, as should we all, given this also limits the spread of other viruses as well.

The economy is turbocharged by the simple expediency of addressing climate change! This requires the acceptance and embrace of nuclear energy. N, not conventional, but rather MSR thorium and power prices below 2 cents PKWH. The fact that it's carbon-free power actually addresses climate change! Is lost on those who reject the safest, cleanest, cheapest, dispatchable energy on the grounds of An unexamined menu of unfounded, fatuous, fallacious (flat earther) (the sky will fall) fear/and or, because it would offside a particular, powerful vested interest or political puppet master! And if the cap fits?

We need to electrify the economy to not only turbocharge it be have it leap from the grave, roaring, snarling and snowballing.

Graphene highways will allow fully electric vehicles to drive from Darwin to Denellaquin, without stopping for anything other than rest or comfort.

This is our future! Delaying the inevitable on spurious political grounds or because you don't have permission from your handler, is not only, not on, but the dumest thing you can do for the state or the national interest!
Alan B.

Dan. Eloqently put mate!
Alan B.

Dan I think you are letting your ideology get in the way of clear thought.

Out here in the tree change sticks, I know a few landlords. Many around here sold a house in the city, bought 2 or 3 acres out in the sticks, built a retirement house, no mansion, & used the cash thus freed to buy a house or even 2, [poor fools], in the outer suburbs of some city. These were usually new build, promoted as a "superannuation" investment for those too old to have any of that.

OK so they were a bit dumb to fall for the pitch, but the figures appear good enough to have fooled many accountants, who were asked to advise on the proposition. By the time they have paid exorbitant council rates, & landlords insurance premiums & maintenance, there is not much retirement income, although it may be a good investment for their grand kids.

Even those who started years ago, with time increasing their equity can not access any of it, as they can't get anyone to refinance them. Far from having a mythical jack boot on someones neck, they are stuck providing accommodation for someone, & getting little for it. Just one bad damaging tenant, or a small run of costly maintenance repairs can see some of these people eating beans on toast for months.

I saw through the plan, but many did not. Far from having a jack boot on some tenants neck, many feel they are under the jack boot of the landlords & tenants act, & can find no way of economically getting out from under.

To my mind, any one offering housing for rental is a mug, caught by an attempt to secure their retirement. I would only invest in industrial or commercial premises rental, but right now, with our restrictions, that probably means you can't afford the beans to go on the toast.

Deb Frecklington has attacked the Queensland Premier on slow re-opening of the State borders- especially with N.S.W.; and stated that the Premier should exercise her "authority" to over-ride the Chief Health Officer. As she has shown many times in the lead-up to the State election on 31 October, Ms Frecklington does not know the basics- and puts her foot in her mouth every time she opens it. Even if Deb Frecklington becomes the Premier, Dr. Young would still be the Chief Health Officer. Even if she was not, the replacement would still be the only person who has power to act on the matters where the CHO is empowered: vide Part 7A, Chapter of the Public Health Act (Qld). Likewise the Police Commissioner, the State Emergency Disaster Co-ordinator and a number of public servants hold powers that a Premier or Minister cannot over-ride

@Alan B.

"Thorium" nuclear energy? is a high cost, high development risk technology that is untried commercially.

Cheaper collectors of fusion nuclear energy, converting this energy into electricity, is far preferable.

This means more solar cells and large batteries, capturing the Sun's fusion energy, will save sunny Queensland.

For crying out loud ! What's wrong with people ?
Aircraft carriers & submarines have been nuclear powered for half a century without a glitch & people still aren't convinced ?
The only thing that makes nuclear power plants unsafe is when they're on land & too big where they are susceptible to earthquake & tsunami as we tragically witnessed inRussia & japan.
Have many small plants that can be controlled & isolated at short notice. Why not do what they do in Russia, deploy de-commissioned nuclear powered ships & use them until better technology is guaranteed ! They can be moored safely in rivers, away from towns & why not put small floating plants into lakes or large ponds further inland ? As technology become more readily available they can be swapped or put aside & mothballed.
We need to start realising that water is the most stable base for such plants. Use it !
Cooling won't be a huge problem either with water all around.

hasbeen

Yours is a view. Mine is a view from a different perspective.
I criticise the official Government business model for domestic housing which divides a nation firmly into two categories. The haves and the have nots.

Your preferred model is not doing so nicely on the median view ATM, with Queensland coming up trumps for the highest proportion of mortgage defaults and deferrals.
Ask why.
Your model, cry as you might about the suffering of the landlord, has a crude simplicity to it which, if costs increase pass them on to the tenant.

Your model is a fail for this reason, it has an imperative for its success built on ever escalating house prices: Great for the landlord, not so great for the tenant,
It has an imperative to maintain overpopulation as its motivator, and it relies on a large base of potential tenants desperately attempting to house themselves and their families.

There is an example of this on the central coast of NSW. the vacancy rate is point three of one percent.
One vacant renter was exampled recently with a crowd of two hundred potential tenants
lined up to view it.

Move to cheaper areas you would say. Firstly there is a thing called a job. If your fortunate enough to have one of those, then you also have a need to live within reasonable distance of it.
Secondly, the housing gold mine syndrome has moved to regional areas long ago.
Buy a house in a regional area and the best of luck trying to sell it at the overpriced it has become.

I’ll conclude with etc etc.

Dan

Slightly off-topic: I'm all in favour of a strict lock-down until there are no more cases in a particular region, but I must say it was beautiful to hear a jet coming in this morning - and then another one this evening.

But of course, this is South Australia, which has had a sensible anti-virus policy from the outset.

I hope that people in other states can have the same experience.

Joe

Here in FNQ we're being flooded by camper vans & caravans. I wonder how long it'll be before the first COVID-19 case gets reported.
Saw some pretty unsavoury characters prancing around the markets this morning.
Judging by the huge number of trailer boats on our roads, the rivers & reefs are in for a massive flogging by all those environmentalists moving in.
Dogs too are brought in large numbers.

"Your model, cry as you might about the suffering of the landlord, has a crude simplicity to it which, if costs increase pass them on to the tenant". Dan.

Are you suggesting that landlords with returns even lower than bank interest should go into a loss mode, to provide housing for someone who doesn't do it for them selves Dan? That hardly seems a reasonable situation.

I have lived on a boat, in a tent, in a tin shed, with news paper jammed into the corrugations of the tin to keep the sand flies & mozzies out, & another with shade cloth & old indoor/outdoor carpet for walls, but I have always managed to provide myself with a roof. I believe people should take responsibility for themselves & provide themselves with accommodation before they stretch the budget to booze, tobacco & petrol.

Personally I don't think it is asking too much that people provide their own housing, before they expect someone else to provide it for them. There are plenty of fruit picking jobs on offer, with accommodation as part of the deal. If people refuse to do the jobs crying out for workers, they in no was deserve subsidised housing.