It's funny, we are unique - I echo your sentiment that whoever wins will not impact greatly on my lifestyle. I have a 'safe' job in a city where I will be unlikely ever to afford property. Neither government is likely to threaten my employment, and neither government is likely to improve my chances of property ownership.

Groceries continue to grow less and less affordable (albeit at a slow rate) - I have serious doubts that either government will change that. I earn too high an income to receive any welfare, and am unlikely to be a pensioner any time soon, so neither government's social justice policies will impact greatly on me. Besides, I fork out the money to insure my income, so if I did suffer some misfortune I would still have a buffer before I was forced to rely on the state for my upkeep.

Our climate may change or it may not. Our government (on either side) will likely dither around for some time before taking any action or deciding not to take any action - long enough to be replaced and let their successors make the decision.

The reality is that we go from one government to the next and my life doesn't change. I would love to have empathise with people who do suffer from government policy, but the reality is that I am too sheltered in my cosy little world to fully appreciate what they go through. The sad (or happy) reality is that there are many, many people in our country who are in the same boat. In my short life, no government has done anything tangible for or against me.

I'm sure there are many passionately political people on this forum who will criticise me for this, but I think it's only fair that, before I engage in any real debate, I lay out the bare bones of my political apathy.

Still, true, getting a kick out of this thread.
Still wondering at the tall tales, how can these interest rates so much lower the Howard's are Labor sin?
Work choices rechtub dislikes unions/workers it is so clear in every post.
Do most understand some truly hard up low income workers still struggle under 5 year agreement forced on them under work choices, no pay rise for 5 years no over time, some early ones took public holidays and even sick leave.
Fair go Aussie means nothing to some.
Here the hate of Labor is on display, the fallacy that Abbott can be trusted ,the sheer silliness of manufacturing evidence that does not exist.
Have no doubt in reliance on spin, hate, lies in blindness to the real state of federal conservative politics we see the real joke.
rechtub and his like stand on the bank of a near dry farm dam, big game gear in hand they look to take home a big fish.
So far the best is a pair of old warn out boots containing the total conservative policy list MUD.

How can low interest rates be sin ? :) come come Belly old mate...surely you of all people know by now that it doesn't matter howwww good things are under the incumbant party..it's all 'SIN' to the opposition :)

pelican,

In case you hadn't noticed, Labor's IR policy is not all that different to the coalition. Isn't there also a guy facing a gaol term for having a union meeting at lunch time? Come on.

If I didn't know better I would think you were a Labor spin master with your work choices fear campaign here. I didn't think anyone actually believed that stuff. Are you Moving Forward pelican?

The effect of Work Choices really saved a lot of jobs in the financial crisis. Lots of people just had their hours reduced for a year or so rather than more people being sacked. Rusted on Labor and union people would never admit it though.

The way I see it, the coalition is there to balance the books and be mean bastards for 3 terms, then Labor will come in and help people who deserve a break for a term or two until we run out of money, then the coalition will come back again. It's the cycle of Australia. Both of them are needed, but we can level out the stupidity by making it 1-1. It means no party will ever suffer from the arrogance of the Howard government or NSW Labor.

BTW: What was wrong with the Greens at least getting an emissions trading infrastructure in place and then trying to get the targets and subsidies changed later. Pragmatic baby steps, not idealistic absolutism as Richo said. Right now they have sweet FA. He brought up other examples in the past where they'd done the same thing but I cant remember them.

PS: I've always put Liberals last in every election, and I think Abbot is a buffoon, but I just may put them second last this year :-) I would have voted for them if Turnbull was leader. I want someone who's achieved something in the real world leading both these mobs of career baby kissers.

How much dog whistling must Julia do for you to believe she's not really like that but just doing it for political expedience? Not that that is any justification anyway. I'm just wondering how lefties can think the Rodent is Racist, but Julia is just walking both sides of the street.

It might actually be worth expanding on this a little, Boaz.

>>How can low interest rates be sin ?<<

Ask the Japanese, who have suffered low interest rates for some considerable time now. It hasn't actually done much good for their standard of living, their unemployment rate, or their broader economy.

Or, closer to home, ask a pensioner who has saved all their life, and now wants to live on the interest rather than spend their capital..