Back again so bared for next 24 hours Scout do you think Bill would suport the Changes? look in the AWU national pages for your answer seak out his speachs before you judge.
Tax? most know we need reform would you have ALP reform or Costellos.
I LIVE politics and research it every day my views are based on very real hope that Shorten is the new way I hoped Latham was, yes I found out just how very wrong I was, months before Australia voted.
And I could be wrong again ,but do not think I am wrong in saying waiting for a Labor victory we do not have to work for and change for , could be a long wait, too long for me.
nothing matters more than that victory, that means we all have to understand while all views have value some are not execpt able to the majority,
And who really cares now about why we went to Iraq? will it change votes? we know about lies heaps of them, but it still did not count for us on election day.
Are we to run children overboard and the Iraq war again this election? will AWB be more important to Joe average than fuel prices?
Will the election fall into our lapp or must we work for it?
All who work in Australia need a Labor victory to Change the IR laws to something mid stream from what they had been and what they now are.
We can not avoid the fact some bosses do not care about fairness, its the duty of every non conservative to work endlessly to put Labor in power.

Has anyone considered that it was not necessarily his policies (although Medicare Gold seemed pretty ridiculous to me) but Latham's character that was the main reason the ALP lost out last time. I for one was quite keen to see a change of government but couldn't bring myself to vote for someone quite so crass and volatile as our PM. At one point just before the election the ALP were ahead - it just took a bit of accurate character assassination by the media to undo everything. Beazley is a better statesman but just doesn't seem to stand for anything as far as I can see. I think if someone could give him a proverbial kick up the backside, show some leadership and announce some progressive policies it would be far better for the ALP to keep the status quo than carry on squabbling the way they are. If they can't manage to work together in opposition then they don't deserve to be in government at all.

Belly, Well you just outlined why the voters Labor needs on its side won't vote for Labor. How blind can you be.

No rainer I have outlined why and how the ALP must change ,well some who suport it at least.
The left of centre votes do not need to be won, they end up with the ALP in the lower house in any case.
Its not those votes who will elect the next goverment, it it the new conservatives who once followed Hawk and Keiting but would never leave Howard for a scrambled eggs Labor party.
We are bound to move with those voters or lie at Howards feet beaten again.
We can produce better policys in tax wealfare and imagration, industrial relations and health education and defence.
Why are you threatened by mainstream rule?
constant improvement and change within the Labour movement, yes unions too is a promise not a threat.
Medi care gold? I rest my case Gillard will never lead the party.

Belly,

How can you produce better policies? I saw Tanner on lateline the other night and he wouldn't talk about the policies. He was given a crucial opportunity to mention how employers will be effected by the new IR laws.

Just in case he reads this ... he should have mentioned
a. Employers have to keep logs of employees work hours for 7 years or heavy penalties apply.
b. This not only means more paperwork for employers but MORE IMPORTANTLY
c. It means that bosses will have a log of all the hours a worker works (even unpaid overtime) and the workers can come back at them at some later time (in Qld up to 6 years)for those unpaid hours! Is working extra hours for no money slave labour?

What Australia needs is a few simple things.

1. A system to fix up the Education system ... see the list of 11 major problems here for why it is in near collapse http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4173#33904

2. Go back to having high schools and technical schools so that both Academia and the trades are encouraged.

3. The medical system needs to be dramatically overhauled.

4. Get rid of Uni fees! Our small nation needs kids to be educated and not to have a huge debt before they have worked even one day in their chosen field.

5. Major infrastructure policy.... budget to make small surpluses.

6. Take the perks away from Govt ministers... they are growing fat on our taxes... literally!

7. Fix Centrelink & the Tax system and make it fair for families and small business.

8. Develop a reasonable way of dealing with refugees.

9. Develop an exit strategy for the troups in Iraq & Afghanistan

10. Develop a new IR policy that is fair to all bot workers and employers.

11. Get rid of Beazley for a Gillard/Rudd team

12. Listen to people other than Labor party hacks ... represent ALL Aussies fairly!

Can Labor cope with these simple methods to get re-elected? Anybody got any other points I missed?

Remember your views and in fact mine may not be those of those who are needed to change the way they voted last time to change anything.
The one place we do disagree is Gillard you keep your dreams I stay with the simple fact she is unelectable.
Lets look at the other side of the IR laws workers suffer far more.
However honest country town and rural firms who pay workers well are already under presure from city invaders cuting wages and conditions to gain goverment contracts.
Even the NSW goverment via its slothfull public service are useing firms who use AWA,s to take work , and more than
$2 per hour from workers and employers who have had that work for years under EBA,s.
Its sad but true that victims will grow as time passes.