Dear rehctub,

Not good enough.

We all are aware of the role of government. However
you don't seem to be aware of the role of the Opposition.
It isn't simply good enough to consistently point out what's
wrong with the government while offering and nothing else - at least
not if you want people to vote you into government come the next
election. Only an idiot would vote for people who do not put
forward alternative proposals and views and only condemn.
So again I say to you - put the Opposition under the microscope -
hold them up to account - and see how well they fare.
Criticising is easy - offering new ideas is much harder.

Lexi,

To claim that it is the job of the opposition to develop policy is not only unrealistic given the lack of access to treasury and other departments, and hypocritical as Labor in opposition did very little.

Also labor then pinched some of the policies that the coalition put forward such as welfare to work.

No, the only time the opposition needs to reveal its policies is when there is a serious prospect of an election. Until then the main purpose is to hold the present government to account, which they are doing admirably.

"Only an idiot would vote for people who do not put
forward alternative proposals and views and only condemn."

Lexi I don't think that for most of us advertised policies make a giant difference in voting intents, in my case it's more about past performance and general philosophy of the party. Abbott does not fit to well on either count but a better fit for me than Labor.

Too often the devil is in the detail, a policy might look great as an outline but be poorly implemented or become one of those non-core policies that just does not happen. Both sides have been guilty of all of that.

R0bert

I am fully aware that the role of the Opposition is
to assess and test government actions and policies
and expose any weaknesses however I still feel strongly
that they are also obliged to put forward alternative
proposals and views. This bunch currently on the front-
bench in Opposition only seem to be capable of condemnation
and nothing more - and for me at least - they have not given
me one good reason to vote for any of them.

Howard invented the concept of "non core policies" to avoid keeping election promises R0bert.

Howard created the casualization of the workforce Rehtcub. Now it turns out that this casualization is causing the destruction of regional towns and causing job losses in manufacturing through the market power of duopolies in food, for one. The effect of mining in regional area's devastating the living standards of the locals, another . In addition Consumer and Industrial participation by the state, is all but non existent since Howard.

Actually unions are trying to recover the losses of entitlements and real wages Yabby, lost during the ideological Howard years. The balance is still not restored in my view. Mining magnates using money they haven't paid in tax to advertise on TV with stomach turning and misleading propaganda about their value to our country, is truly appalling .

Wayne Swan is right SM, the Coalition has always been "in the pockets" of big business, only more than ever at this time. Today they conspire with them from the opposition benches. Without consideration for Australia's best interests or future.

They (the LNP), have policies Lexi. It's saying no to anything our Govt suggests, whilst saying yes to anything oligarchs want in private. With the election of Abbott we risk plummeting down the abyss of a Russian model of democracy as pointed out today by Bob Brown.

The Victorian Gov't is a good example. Riddled with sweetheart (and downright dirty) deals pledged in secret prior too the election. It's very concerning and largely un-reported by the Murdoch Press, speaking of oligarchs.

Someone has to represent the people or we are stuffed. Someone has to call the bluff of the magnates or we are doomed. The Abbott Coalition wont do it unless instructed by people like Palmer, Murdoch, Forrest and Rhinehardt .

Gillard Labor, the Independents and the Greens are at least heading in the right direction with spending on public infrastructure and services and despite all the negative spin have managed to get things done.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/BHP-Billiton-unions-Qantas-Rio-Tinto-Queensland-mi-pd20111121-NSRGY?OpenDocument

Err not so, Thinker 2. Unions want their old power back, which
means virtually running the place, despite the 6 figure salaries
paid.

Years ago, this kind of thuggery nearly turned us into a banana
republic. Perhaps we'll head back again that way, the way things
are going.