Dear Arjay,

What is a Ludite? Even if we asume you meant Luddites, what does a 19th century collective of basket weavers have to do with anything on this thread?

As to Labor, who claims they are any better than what we have now federally? I don't as if you look at how all the States operate the process is identical. Arrogance and ignorance combined with a refusal to plan and prepare for our future. A common complaint from all parts of Australia.

Our only hope is to change the syle of government, not just time share with the 2 major parties. Make MP's etc. responsible for their actions and votes. Put them on AWA's like they shout is suitable for all of us. Include penalties just like all AWA's, particularly loss of Office and entitlements. Currently they collectively bargain through the backdoor. In effect a Union for MP's where they are brothers and sisters with their little snub noses deep into the trough of taxpayer $'s.

A Union? My God, John Howard is a member of a Union!

I would not worry about what a Luddite is the claim seems to be the result of high blood pressure and fear of the impending defeat of this government.
Both sides of politics like to claim those who did not vote for them are at least thick, have been conned, or are unable to think clearly.
This is of course pure rubbish, each state in Australia, including a few who have not always been well governed have ALP government.
Voters have found themselves unable to trust the conservatives.
A clear failure on the conservative side to stay in touch with its once base or any base.
The reelection of the NSW government will again highlight a problem of conservative failure.
John Howard and his infamous hit team have insulted our Parliament and before it is too late conservatives must ask can we continue this idea that Australia is a state of America and needs no policy's of its own.
And is this thug like group acting as they are, better than policy?

Arjay says that we have never had it so good, and a vote for Labor would be against our best interests. I wonder whether those people living in the mortgage belts who have not been able to manage paying their mortgages and have had their houses sold from under them; would agree. I wonder whether those people who have had their entitlements taken from them by AWAs would agree. Reith was prepared to set rottweilers onto wharfies in the past, metaphorically the rottweilers were not leashed afterwards.

The dumbest decision made in Australia for many years was to go with the Coalition of the Willing into Iraq. How much resource is being squandered by this debacle? I know that there are strong arguments about troops remaining there now, and being pulled out at a suitable and safe time. The original decision was a particularly poor one.

If Kevin Rudd says that he is a Christian socialist then I accept his word, he is both a Christian and a socialist.

Another Christian socialist is Hugo Chavez whom many in the ALP and unions appear to be fond of

http://venezuelasolidarity.org/?q=node/58

Ant people on the mortage belts are suffering primarily because our Labor State Govt in NSW is using taxes on land and development as a source of revenue.They also release land slowly to restrict supply and keep prices high.This is Labor servicing it's heartland.

When Keating was in power we had interest rates rising to 18-19% with an inflation rate of 9%.Today we have interest rates of 6-7% with an inflation rate of 3%.In real terms under Keating we were paying 10% pa for our loans and today we are paying 4% for our housing loans.To improve the poor state of our economy the Reserve Bank dropped interest rates dramaticly.The availability of cheap money pushed up the price of housing.Places like Sydney saw price escalate to an extent whereby just small rise in rates hurt people.

Now if Morris Iemma stops using housing,a basic necessity,as a cash cow,prices will stabilise and rents will stop rising.

We have to stop feeding the hungry bloated bureaucracies that squander our hard earned tax dollars on empire building,waste ,poor decisions,red tape,OH&S over regulation,workers comp rorts by both workers,insurance companies.Morris spends $14 billion pa on front line workers' salaries and $7 billion goes to the bureaucrats pa.

Where has all the money gone indeed.We are a State on our knees and Morris Iemma is in denial about facing up to the real solutions.

Oh come on Arjay you're being ridiculous now. You have the answer to mortgage problems? Are you clairvoyant or just rich?

Do you really think governments have any effect on who can afford a home? If they do then they are also responsible for every other financial problem in society. What's your decision?

Why do so many continue to laud one side of the big 2 siblings and rubbish the other. They are related and behave exactly the same. Pauline Hanson said it and I agree with her. The Australian voter is just plain dumb.

To continually choose these two parties is a demonstration of that stupidity. Are you one of those barrackers? All Labor does is wonderful and the reverse? If so then just tick any box, which you probably do now anyway. Donkeys deserve what they get. So stop whingeing and vote with your head, not your....