Johnny
The Labor party is ... holistic ? sheesh mate. My observation is that both/all parties seem to be there for the vested interests of those who support them, which is one fundamental problem of democracy, in that it panders to sectional interests rather than the interests of all.

I do like some of Labor's approaches, such as the Dental initiative which my own family benefited from, and which the Libs scrapped.. BADDDDD LIBERALS ! But then again, we struggled terribly with 17% interest rates at the time we were trying to buy a home.

I think we have more disposable income now, with 7% interest rates than we gained by free dental.

I'd rather see the budget surplus allocated to Health and education that tax cuts giving me a bigger wide screen Tv (If I had one)

I would MUCH rather be able to get the elective surgery or be treated in the emergency room within an hour instead of 4 than have a bit more disposable income.

So, on the issue of global warming. Labor is most likely to pay attention to those segments of the community which a) Support them and b) make a lot of noise. i.e. if they can see political milage out of it, they will go for it. Then what ? aaah.. then the real agenda kicks in.. Labor flavored consultants will be given huge contracts, Labor flavored this mob and that mob will benefit from other contracts.. of course the Libs are no better, not the greens or dems. They all have their weaknesses as far as I'm concerned.

Family First is yet to be tested, but while their main focus seems healthy, I can imagine that even this well intended goal could become politicized in due course. *sigh*

I think this is one reason I love Christian fellowship so much. Sure we have the occasional spat and political blue within groups, strong personalities etc...goes with the territory whereever humans are, but overall, the love and joy I feel in that context is quite something to be felt.

Bd, except for your last paragraph I agree. I believe, when John Howard was treasurer, we had 21% interest rates.

Political parties are from the same mold, family first is showing where its priorities lay already. Not with the people or families, but with its vested interests.

Add up the members of political parties throughout Australia, you'd be lucky to have more than 2-300000. Most labor members are unionists. Without the support of unions, labor would be extinct. If you removed corporate support from all parties, they'd disappear.

What we have to work out is why at voting time, people like slaves just go and vote for the status quo. Its either the people lack intelligence, are so heavily indoctrinated to not be able to think for themselves. Or are to lazy, greedy and self interested to do anything but expect others to do what they refuse to do.

As our politicians are from the upper elites of society and have no experience in life other than from a school or university. Is it any wonder our society is in such turmoil and the priorities of our leaders are firmly focused on themselves and the corporations that support them. Nothing will change until w can get a party thats actually for the real future we want, and no the future that will give politicians what they want.

The budget should've been orientated to our future in the form of real infrastructures and direction, to cope with our changing environment and galloping consumption. More hospitals and services are useless until the causes are attended to, otherwise the results will be more of what we have now.

What amazes me, is in life, if we lie about things we are ostracised. In politics, they lie every day. Just about every sentence is a lie, yet the populance puts politicians above all others.

People are so gullible, they accept corrupt liars as their leaders. Make people in public office fully accountable for what they say in sufferance of jail and loss of all entitlements. Then we'll see changes that'll help us

The solution to 'global warming'?: stop breeding.

BD,
I recall that in "the bad old days" when interest rates were 17% (about 13% for mortgages), interest rates were high all over the world.
Nonetheless, I was able to service my mortgage on one wage while my wife stayed at home and raised 2 children.

If I were to buy the same house today, with the same relative wages, both of us would need to work and we would probably be childless.

We get the governments we deserve. All are as self-seeking and morally bankrupt as the voters who elect them.
The only difference between Labor and Liberal is marketing.

The people who are in denial over global warming sound similar to those who were backing the pro-tobacco lobby some years ago and telling us that the all test results are "inconclusive". Meanwhile money changes hands in both directions from both sides of the "debate" and Nero keeps on fiddling while Rome burns.

The next big debate will be over the link between mobile phones and cancer - that one's not over by any means.

Admiral von Schneider,
Could I suggest you stop breathing as you are putting carbon into the atmosphere. The children not yet born have not affected the present condition.

Assuming 'global warming','climate change' or whatever you like to call it is an impending disaster,a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions as the likes of Tim Flannery claims,then surely population policy is the' elephant in the room'.
The reluctance of campaigners to seriously discuss it is aptly illustrated by the irrational response of Philo above.