I could write a book about the false pretenses and lie of politicians, both Liberal and Labor, and the hypocracy of the Greens, so I will not go there.

What I would like to know now is what happens to country kids?

Years ago many one teacher schools were closed for 'economic' reasons and the kids have been bussed to school in larger centres. Are the parents now going to have to take the kids many kilometres to school and pick them up again or will the busses still run with parents paying the cost. Seems the cost of providing busses is the governments own doing. They closed the small schools and sold them off.

Another example of NSW meaning Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong!

Foxy wrote,

"Give them a chance, wait at least a few years,
and then criticize them for what they did or
did not do."

A chance to do what?

Legislate for the theft of publicly owned assets to line the pockets of corporations and investment bankers?

We gave Keating that 'chance' after he won the 1993 and quietly accepted his breaking of his election promise not to fully privatise the Commonwealth Bank and look where that led us to - 11 dark years under John Howard.

The way you oppose the pro-business anti-democratic political agendas is to oppose them regardless of who implements them. If Labor can't be dissuaded from dancing to the tune of the corporate sector, then we need to find an alternative that represents the wishes of the majority of Australian citizens who oppose privatisation and other pro-business policies and not just simply vote for the at-least-equally-pro-privatisation Liberal Party(1) as most Australians did in 1996.

---

1. To their immense credit the NSW state Liberals, unlike the Federal Liberals after the 1993 elections, did block privatisation this year on many grounds including that the NSW Government had no mandate to do so.

That the Liberals and Nationals behaved far more decently than most of the Labor MPs opposite should be acknowledged whether or not one intends to vote for them. See also Upper House Liberal Leader Michael Gallacher's speech against privatisation at http://candobetter.org/node/754#speech in article "Privatisation debate exposes Costa's hypocrisy and incompetence", "NSW Greens defend O'Farrell" at http://candobetter.org/node/761, "NSW state Opposition announces intention to block electricty privatisation" at http://candobetter.org/node/798

Banjo: << I could write a book about the false pretenses and lie of politicians, both Liberal and Labor, and the hypocracy of the Greens >>

Fair general comment, Banjo - but with respect to privatisations I think you;ll find that the Greens are the only major political party that has consistently spoken and voted against them. For example:

"Electricity retailer sell-off is bad news for households & climate

Media release: 31 October 2008

The Labor party's decision to support the privatisation of retail arms of Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Country Energy will expose consumers to soaring power bills and mounting greenhouse gas emissions, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye."

and

"Greens call for justice in disadvantaged school funding

Media Release: 1 November 2008

Greens NSW MP John Kaye is asking twenty-seven of NSW's wealthiest private schools to return 29 per cent of their state subsidies to restore Priority Action funding to twenty-seven public schools serving disadvantaged communities."

and

"Power sell-off is Iemma in Rees clothing

Media Release: 2 November 2008

The NSW Labor party has been dudded by its parliamentary leader Nathan Rees into believing his 'Plan C' power privatisation is different to his predecessor's, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: "Behind the words of unity, there is not much difference between Premier Rees' plan announced yesterday and Michael Costa's vision for handing over the electricity industry to the international utility companies and the big banks."

Etc etc.

I don't pretend to have all the answers.

If I did I'd be a man. (Just kidding).

Seriously though, my view of things is
as follows:

This current Government was elected after
12 years of inadequate performance by the
previous Government, gradually leading to
our diminished standing both on the local
and global stages.

In any Government, it takes the first full
term to set the scene, and a second term
to achieve any progress. That is why
in the US, the President is given two terms
to prove himself.

We, in this country, gave Howard three years,
then six years, then nine years, and when
we saw that he wasn't going anywhere rationally,
he was voted out after 12 years.

All I'm saying is give this current Government
equal time before criticizing.

Don't look for short term solutions.
Look at the bigger picture.

That's all I'm trying to say.

Now Foxy
With reference to the federal government which is by the constitution just a political union of the states.

Give them a chance.
they were in opposition for 12 years and as soon as they form a government they require enquiry after enquiry, what were they doing for 12 years.

The education revolution is nothing more than a fake which rudd did not mention that the states had to pay as well.

Lets have a look at clean coal,
Now i have been scrubbing some coal to get it clean but it really is a contradiction of terms and a waste of money.

Global warming, has anybody taken into account the millions of tonnes of brine water that is pumped into our oceans everyday from about 11000 desalination plants, do they care No.

Public Education,transport,hospitals as per the constitution are state not federal so why is rudd sticking his nose in, just to big note himself.

Also we shall not forget the heiner affair, and you say give him a chance,well you should ask those who he just washed his hands about, and i would say not in this lifetime.

I grew up labor and unions but during my time i have seen what they have done and no longer am I, but now an independent fighting for the people and not standing up for a party.

daggett,
I have no wish to get into debate with you but have you not forgotten that John Fahey, as NSW Premier, sold (or rather gave away) the State Bank. I think he also, in Federal capacity, had something very much to do with selling Lithgow Small Arms Factory to a French consortium.

Both the major parties have been busy selling off our assetts.

They all have forgotten about the needs of Australians in the rush to privatize and get on the globalization bandwaggon. Telstra has always been the goose that laid the golden egg, so it just beats me why anyone would agree to sell that.