Dear SOG,

Then, you can understand my concern.

Australians deserve a little more respect
from any political leader who wants to lead the nation.
Just because "they all do it," doesn't mean that
they have to continue to do it - that's a rather lame
excuse for inaction and pressure for change needs to be applied.

Lexi, I once told Belly that my political philosophy falls near democratic socialist. Belly thought I meant National Socialist as in the old German Nazi Party and has thought of me as a goosestepper ever since. I do not "follow" the coalition or the current crop of Labor pollies.

But after watching Labor for two terms I have come to the conclusion that they are hopeless individuals with no viable agenda excepting the retention of power and control. They have to go regardless of what Abbott is or is not.

Dear SOG,

We see things differently and as the recent Nielsen
poll showed - opinion polls trump policies
every time and influence voters.

As one political commentator stated:

"Sunday's announcement of $1 billion jobs plan was
a solid policy aimed at improving Australia's patchy
record in home grown manufacturing and the
commercialisation of innovation. The policy included
a welcome re-allocation of R & D funding away from
giant mining corporations. A policy recommended by
the Business Tax Advisory Group and towards small and
medium enterprises, as well as an extra $500 million
investment in so called "Innovation precincts."

"In addition there was $350 million in new funding for
venture capital, through the Innovation Investment Fund."

Yet few in the media or the community are taking notice of this
because shortly after the government's policy was
announced, Nielsen released their opinion poll and as I
stated earlier - in contemporary mediascape polls
trump policy every time.

Worse than the figures themselves however, was the effect
that the bad poll exterted on the media cycle, and on the
government's attempts to communicate its jobs and
innovation policy.

Politics is a tough game - not for the faint-hearted.
And for some its not easy to sift the sheep from the goats.,

Lexi>> "Sunday's announcement of $1 billion jobs plan was
a solid policy aimed at improving Australia's patchy
record in home grown manufacturing and the
commercialisation of innovation.<<

Lexi all the talk about job creation in the manufacturing segment is futile. The whole of the first world has lost manufacturing to cheaper climes. When the "plan" to move manufacturing to second and third world nations was vaunted the only obstacle was each countries protectionist policies. The Lima Agreement and all the subsequent free trade agreements mean we will never manufacture any quantity of anything here any more.

Both sides of politics have signed off on this, we have been betrayed and any bullsheiser talk of "making it better" means nothing while product can be dumped onto our market.

http://themasthead.org/kevin-rudd-low-profile/

Kevin Rudd pulls on his invisibility cloak
MORNINGSIDE, QUEENSLAND — Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd continues his low media profile despite ructions in the Labor Party over his leadership ambitions and Julia Gillard’s untenable approval ratings.

Mr Rudd was en route from a press conference on his Freedom Of Information request into his potty-mouthed leaked video, when he was hastily confronted by the Nine News crew who appeared at a pre-arranged time and location.

“I’m just a happy little Vegemite doing my job in full support of the Gillard Government,” Rudd told Nine News.

“I’m dressed as a sauce bottle @MTV Harlem Shake film shoot,” he later tweeted.