"Labor was about implementing every thought bubble with no regard to the consequences. The carbon tax........."

SM, carbon pricing was thought through, from its effect on consumers, to the need for compensating them and for carbon credits for exporters. Your continuing "wrecking ball" assertion is rubbish and was back on "The carbon tax did it, oh yeah" thread.

Your bunch of cowboys make a "happening" look like an exercise in linear reasoning. What an absolute shemozzle!

PS boat lands on Christmas Is., shock horror! Where is the manic Murdoch media attack on border protection policy Labor so enjoyed/endured, or on this shemozzle of a government?

Your bunch of cowboys make a "happening" look like an exercise in linear reasoning.
Luciferase,
You mean like the morons did when people threw children overboard ?

The carbon tax should stay, with no alternative, and costs won't come down. It's not the carbon tax that is driving the cost of electricity it,s the market system they have. The cost of power changes every five minutes with risks at stake, that is driving the cost of power.

We need quality education for quality results, but when and why did responsibility for results shift from the pupils and the community to only the teachers - and as governed by their respective State and Federal overlords and the Unions pushing buttons behind the scenes?

On the one hand we have a prime focus on technology and media as learning tools - and certainly these can be extremely useful - but the effective use of these media relies heavily on sound literacy and numeracy skills.
Chicken and egg. The development of these essential skills is taking second place to 'delving' into the wonders of the media, and to gaining a 'gist' of a wide range of interesting but non-essential subject-matter.
Instead of students focusing on acquiring knowledge, their focus is directed to 'the means' - and on texting one-another or playing games online.

It is hard to believe that Asian students are gaining higher ratings in English than our students. How and why is this possible? It is an indictment, and an extreme embarrassment.

We see assemblies of Asian students singing their school or national song with pride, we see them wearing the school uniform with pride, and we see them gathering and moving in a disciplined and orderly manner - in and out of school and classroom.
Our comparison leaves a lot to be desired.
From small beginnings do mighty oaks grow, and our general social functioning almost ensures that growth will be haphazard.

Our parents have a responsibility to ensure that our schools provide the best possible grounding in the basics, and to ensure that their children take education seriously.
That's why the Abbott government wants local school boards (composed of parents, school principals and teachers) to exercise greater authority in determining school needs and direction.
No child left behind? How about giving serious and capable students a better chance to reach their potential, instead of drawing all down to the lowest common denominator?
More control and responsibility at the local level, or no amount of money will solve the problems inherent in our failing system.

Saltpetre,
we can't rely on parents to rectify the problem because we're already into the second generation of dumbed-down. It really is up to teachers to get together & for once use the power of their union to do something positive for the community rather than just fight for pay rises.
Get the union's support to lobby Governments to change some of the idiotic legislations which prevents teachers from seving out the odd dose of discipline. Stuff those parents who complain about their little crapheads playing up & disrupting everything.
The education unions could also be a great back-up for the introduction of a non-military national service.
Give something for a change istead of just taking. You'd be surprised at the dividends.

Lucyface,

Everyone is well aware of the left whingers' stance that the addition of significant costs to struggling manufacturing entities has nothing to do with the huge spike in closures. You also told us that there would be a surplus in 2012/13 and that the mining tax would pay for the $bns of handouts.

We know what you say, most of the voters, however, actually have a brain and are able to recognize this as complete BS.

We have got rid of an incompetent government who thought that all problems from the car industry to Gonski could be solved by simply throwing taxpayers' money at them. It is now time for adults to do the real work.