We will require intervention from the great unknown should Tony Abbott and his cronies
win the forthcoming election.

John Howard not being acceptable to the International community already
(even at the level of the I.C.C.) is a case in point.

Reasons cited by I.C.C.members regarding J.H. were largely based upon Howard's past support of such things as Springbok tours etc.
Basically they saw his past unsuitable for the position.

But as Pm, his plain incorrect ideology led him to support the lie perpetrated by President Bush
about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he also introduced new lows like drawing the race card in elections
e.g. children overboard, and now they use it as their central policy plank, e.g. We'll stop the boats.

The Labor party has to counteract this by saying "us too, we'll do that"
but internationally this helps to reinforce belief that Australia is a hillbilly nation.

International conventions were ignored by the Howard Gov't relating to refugee's, workplace relations etc, among others.
100,s of millions were spent on replacing history books in schools with ideologically suitable one's.
Multi millions spent by Gov't on it's own propaganda, all these things were re-inforced by the Howard years.

Add the "Son of Howard" (ideological zealot) factor and throw in a bit of religious zealot and there we have it," the Abbott Gov't".

But what will they sell to consign debt this time, there's nothing left because they sold the farm to
international business interests last time they were in power.

And their economic plan begins with giving back $10.5 billion to the big 3 multinational mining companies.

Ah, those were the days.

God help us ? Indeed... He will I'm sure.

See what is happening in America now... a great wind of renewal and awakening is sweeping across the land.

http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_15807909

8-28 is coming.

AGIR, I don't care what is happening in America.
Do you live in America per chance?

I too despair of the Abbott being in charge of anything at all, let alone as our Prime Minister.

We already had enough problems with that other religious zealot, Howard.
God help us indeed!

No we don't Suzeonline, but if you connect all the dots the U N does and their coveat's affect every area of our life today as they tell us how to think with their political correct speech.

Humanity ,soon please, must ask its self do we need Gods.
Boazy and Richie ten show me some truly weird people now think God is a conservative, an extreme one.
God for some is made of putty can be bent and twisted to their wishes.
Not following a God but leading him.
The Abbott we see now is not real he will not be that person after the election.
Win or not he will be himself, a frightening thing.
God, any of them, should not be used in politics or have any power in politics.
American religious right defames your God.
Gillard on Saturday vs God?
No her opponent is fear and lies.

Why it is that we are unable to see the way our societies have swung dangerously to the right causing wide spread fundamentalism over the whole worlds religious orders. Each are blaming the other and in the end they are all at fault. The whole Afganistan/Iraq mess that the Americans led us all into should have been enough for us to wake up, but no we are getting worse like cats on a hot tin roof we are jumping at our own shadow when it comes to anything that is a little different to us.
Australian polotics has little to offer us in the way of real leadership. We are desperate for someone to step up to the plate and lead us out of the conservative storm cloud and into the sun shine.

I'll be voting for whoever promises to scrap compulsary voting immediately after they gain power.

Suze

I do confess that if Abbot allowed his RC faith to dictate too much of his public policy, I would be having that look which fightened monkey's have (you know.. lips pulled back showing all the teeth with wide eyes and raised eyebrows -I had a Macaque as a pet.. trust me I know the look.)

At the same time, with Ms Gillard, if she allowed her atheism to dictate too much...I'd raise my concern above x 2

Regarding America, what happens there will and already does impact on us in many ways. They are BIG... we are small. But the moral and cultural tone emanates from the government.

Do you know much about these names ?

Andy Stern (SIEU- Militant Union)
Jeff Jones (Weather underground)
Bernadine Dorhn (Weather underground)
Students for a democratic society
Bill Ayers (Dorhns husband)
Van Jones (communist and Green Czar until forced to resign)
Joel Rogers (Socialist Academic brainstrust for the Left)
AFLCIO (Militant union)

When such people have HUGE input to public policy from a very left wing perspective, it effects America and us. (The unions are going 'international')

PS..I'm Aussie in Aus

Still continuing on the international theme.

Tony Abbott himself (in his book or during a speech) described the Howard Gov't as "a sort of neighbourhood watch for the Anglo-sphere"
(referring to Australia's role in our region).

He claims that he will be immediately visiting other leaders in our region upon being elected. Why to apologise for his past views and statements?.

I believe that political leadership is not the place for people harbouring extreme ideological or theological belief.
The Abbott team (for the most part) already has a track record of dumbing down this country and tarnishing the international view of this nation.

As with extreme things like "workchoices" were also on track in creating
the "serfdom" they so ideologically desire, and are still advocating the god of
market forces even after the GFC taught the taxpayer that they ultimately had to bail financial markets out anyway.

The Gov't at least has a plan for the future of sorts,
the opposition has always had it's plan for it's re-ascension to Gov't
with it's campaign of negativity and hysteria that has so far worked a treat.

We'll see if it works on Saturday.

Policarp,
Your fascination with sanitised US culture is well, interesting.

The religious movement in the US is dominated by the Tea Party....they believe in guns, racism, and a series of un christian principles.
Most of all they favour that vacuous minded dill Palin. Truly a case of Pauline Hanson with glasses and steroids.

If I were you I'd be careful about aligning myself to them if you want credibility here.

Examinator,

Al knows all about the Tea Party - you'll start him off about the glorious advent of 8/28 - brought to us by Glenn Beck under the guise of "good ol' down home values".

Not sure why there is so much angst about Abbott and none at all about Gillard.

It seems she has long since dumped any claim to left-wing ideology, and is happy wearing the same suit as Howard Rudd left draped over the back of his chair in The Lodge.

There is some vacuous delight in promoting Gillard as 'our first female PM' as if that were reason enough to vote for her.

What tripe!

The 'real Julia' has been on display since 2007, and it is an ugly sight indeed.

More 'con' than neo-con, Gillard has performed as a right wing Alsation wherever her toxic fingers have walked, allowing Taliban-like laws to continue to be imposed on building workers, destroying all hope for public education, and now siding with the ACL on school chaplains and, did you hear her demanding an Internet filter to recreate a Hoyts cinema standard of viewing for us all in her latest display of support for extreme Xtian 'values' in the Brisbane 'debate' with addle-head last night?

We need to fear Gillard being elected as much as Abbott... particularly if she does not place Rudd in the sport portfolio, where he belongs.

Dear TBC,

It's funny that you should mention these things about Gillard. I got exactly the same impression, which is why I felt that the value of my house of reps vote had been annulled even before the election. I'm in a safe Liberal seat but I think I'll vote for the Greens in both houses.

I wonder what a wise and inspiring leader would look like.

Dear thinker 2,

My husband informed me this morning that
he heard on the news that some of the
Liberal funding programs may be financed
out of the current Pharmaceutical scheme.
I hope hubbie misheard because that will
greatly affect my two mothers and all
the retired people currently on pensions.
And others, whose medicines may fall under
that scheme.

God help us indeed if Tony Abbott and Co., get in.
They keep telling us that they're going to slash
government spending, at what cost and to whom?

I am tired of the lacklustre campaign that we've
seen from both parties. Its key players have been
determined to say nothing, do nothing, and promise
nothing that would frighten voters and make them
embrace a political rival. It's no wonder that many
voters feel no connection with the sterile pronouncements
and rhetoric.

What's worse for me - I live in a safe Liberal seat,
where the candidate has made no compelling case as to
why he should be elected. But he's not the only one.
We've not heard from any of the other candidates either.
That's truly amazing because the reality is that on
Saturday voters will make a decision that's based on
what's good for them and their family. If local
candidates haven't made a compelling case to be elected,
then they've certainly failed in their jobs. The ballot
box verdict is final.

The outlook is glum!

Dear Foxy,

I'm in a safe Liberal seat also. the Liberal candidate has deluged our mailboxes with glossy pamphlets and we've only had one flimsy flyer from Labor (who's name I can never remember) - not that I'm impressed by either party. It's interesting, however, to be in a safe seat that one major party basically gives up on, as you end up feeling as if your voting choice is all but voided.
Oh, the agony choice between an uninspiring "collusion of pollies" ( bit like a "murder of crows" or a "nightmare of ravens")

I dug out a quote I once used in a letter to the editor on the Coalition of the Willing. Francis Bacon put it most succinctly when he wrote, "Nothing doth more hurt in a state that when cunning men pass for wise".

Poirot and Foxy... 'snap' on the safe Liberal seat.

Hopeless eh?

But just as galling in a safe Nat or ALP I have no doubt.

Which is why we need a Tassie system with multi-member electorates, although I am not so certain that that induces 'wisdom' to rise to the surface, but at least it allows for greater variety to have a chance to get up.

As Squeers has said before, somewhere, these goons reflect the public they deal with, so are we not our own worst enemies?

As for 'wise leaders'... some of us recall Joh being touted as that, as was Menzies, Chifley and many others, even Howard more recently... but what is really needed is 'wise electors'... and that seems unlikely to happen within a democracy such as ours, with its driving 'values' of consumerism and individualism.

Imagine a US president refusing to live in the Whitehouse.

Abbott may follow Howard's lead and stay in Sydney if elected.

"THERE are growing signs Tony Abbott might follow the lead of his political mentor John Howard and decide to live in Sydney if he's elected PM.

Mr Abbott yesterday refused to rule out basing himself at Kirribilli House if he wins on Saturday.

And he refused to give any guarantees to Australians who live outside of Sydney that he would live at The Lodge."

Nuff said.

I can't understand anyone who is interested in the future of our country voting green in the upper house. That is a simply a recipe for bad government, no matter who gets in to government.

If you have a party whom you favor, give them the chance to implement their policies, by giving them control of both houses.

This last government has been bleating, continually about obstruction in the upper house, but that is a bit of pot, kettle & shades of black thing. They were probably worse, when they were able.

Regardless, if you think Gillard is capable of being PM, give her the chance to govern.

I hate the idea, but I would much rather that than she "sort of governed" controlled by a bunch of minor ratbags, be that they Green, Democrat, Independent, or worse, A mixture of the above.

Get real. Vote for a government, & then give them a go. If they stuff up, all on their own, then chuck them out next time. If you make it impossible to govern, by having the upper house second guess all their legislation, don't blame them if you get stupid decisions.

Dear Hasbeen,

You sound like my husband.
He's been saying the same thing
all week.

Finally, it's beginning to make sense
to me as well.

He's opposed to the Greens because
according to him, they're inflexible.
It's either their way or nothing.
And he'd hate to see them have all
the power in the Senate. Then the
elected Government couldn't get
any of their programs through.

Food for thought.

Foxy... the Greens may get 'the balance of power', not 'the power'.

Given the similarity between Gillard's right wing fancies, and Abbott's equally terrible life perspective, the two major parties will sail all the bad policy they want, through the Senate.

It will only be when they disagree, that Brown's Greens will have a role to play.

Given the appalling campaigns, the lack of policy, and the similarity between the two parties, I suspect Rudd would have been no worse off now, than Gillard is.

Frankly, Gillard and her henchmen achieved nothing much at all, execpt to bring the ALP into disrepute.

Still, I loathed Rudd, and am happy to see him gone.... but really, given that Gillard was his deputy, who really failed... him, the blind man who had too much faith in himself, or her, as his deputy, who should have spoken up, along with all those other Cabinet drones, if she truly thought there was something amiss?

The two major parties deserve to be punished... vote Green 1, and then your preferred 'poor choice'.

Australian politics need a shake up.... let's do it on Saturday.

ALGOREisRICH,

"A great wind of renewal and awakening in America?"

Rubbish!

They had their renewal a couple of years ago as we did.

What's happening there is just a reactionary nostalgic return to the Bush era of two years ago - a result of the relentless conservative media propaganda and self-interest from the likes of Murdoch, who failed to stop Obama being elected by mass support. They're shafting him too and setting up fundamentalist groups like the "Tea Party" to harness and channel all that manufactured unrest.

Likewise, the same forces are trying to push us back to the Howard years - only a more extreme right-wing version.

Back to balaclavas and dogs in the workplace, the slashing of public services, a regressive tax system, the plunder of public assets, middle-class welfare, 2 unwinnable wars, xenophobia, overt racism and massive social division.

It will be even uglier.

Enjoy.

Dear Thinker2,
For God to help us a number of criteria must first be met.
1. Believe that He is.
2. Repentance or i80 degree about face.(turn from Our twisted ways)
3. Be baptized for forgiveness of sin.
4. Ask for and receive God the Holy Spirit.(He leads us into the truth not mans opinion)
As God is a gentleman and has given us free will it is still our choice. He does not impose his will on us as some I will not name.
The nature of God is good. The nature of man is twisted and that is why when we try to untwist our nature it always comes back. Without a heart transplant we still have the old wicked twisted heart of selfcentredness. God is no longer unknown for the name he has given us to call upon is Jesus. Just a few facts that you may be unaware of

Apologies to Ritchie 10 , I was being vernacular and somewhat flippant I guess
by using such terminology as "god help us".

And Foxy, I too live in a safe Liberal seat and therefore, I too am unable to make my viewpoint felt electorally.
It seems there must be a lot of us out here.

Hopefully that will transfer to wins in marginals and ultimately prevail tomorrow, in an otherwise grim situation.
Fingers, toes even eyes crossed over this election.

The question for me is can you re-elect a Gov't that has so badly misread the mood
of the electorate?.

The answer is "yes you can", because the alternative is a return to the Howard Era and some more progress in reverse ! ,
at a time when (on the street), your going to need more support from your Govt then you've ever needed before,
with more world financial difficulties looming on the horizon.

Truth is if you re-elect the Govt, they owe you big time, after stumbling first term and need to get it right this time.

Therefore re-electing the Govt empowers the voter more than hoping that introducing
a 5 year old to a stick of dynamite will fix everything.

Electing an unknown factor (such as Abbott) at this time is best is sheer folly.
Romantic nonsense. Even Abbott himself warns us "that we'll know what we'll
get with him". Ain't that the truth !.

As I said Foxy, fingers crossed because "this cant be happening".

I'm hoping on Sunday morning I will wake up and this will all
just have been a bad dream

Dear thinker 2,

A big hug from me to you.
You're not alone in your thinking.

Surely the voters can't be that gullible
or have such short memories that they'd
want a return to the Howard era.

Fingers-crossed from me as well, that
the voters will get it right this time.
Tony Abbott is a no-go zone.

Dear Nairbe,
You are so right. God told us not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because it produces stinken thinken, which leads to division and death. Jesus came and introduced the kingdom of God, a new creation with the mind of Christ with the washing of the word producing a God faith, which leads to unity and abundant life. Belly you are stuck in the paradyme of the knowledge of good and evil and you only see the differences, so swallow your pride and admit that there may be more ways to skin the cat than you know. I do not know everything but I don't reject new ways out of hand and I am always finding new ways to meet my changing circumstances as I now have a physical impairment. Elected representitives are there to represent all the people not special interest groups ( winners and losers ). Taxes are paid to provide services for all not to provide a barrel of pork to entice votes. Until you get the revelation that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God your mind will remain rusted on to the paradyme of division.