(July 3, 2016 at 3:25 am)Irrational Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 3:17 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Wait, Australia has PEOPLE on it?  

Yeah, we're not all kangaroos or koalas here.

Yet.

(July 3, 2016 at 4:56 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Never understood the rant against 'career politicians'.  If need a pipe fixed, I want a career plumber.  If I need an operation, I want a career surgeon.  And if I want my country to be run effectively, I certainly don't want neophyte pols at the helm who have no idea what they're doing.

Boru

Problem with career pols is that their skills are devoted to getting elected, not runnin the country. Meaning that, all too often, they don't know what they're doing when making decisions.

(July 3, 2016 at 6:34 am)ignoramus Wrote: shoosh you!  (they don't know)

I fear we're going the way of Europe - huge unsustainable public debt. There's no reason in times of relative prosperity like now that we should have a deficit - and the fact that the ALP came within $10B of the Coalition's forecast for 2019 is really concerning. It proves they aren't going anywhere near far enough in their "cuts". The other fallacy that gets thrown about is that Labor is for "health and education". Health, Education, and Defence combined make up the overwhelming bulk of 'discretionary spending'. Foreign Aid, Research, Government Grants for example pale in comparison. The Greens would like to see much more money devoted to Foreign Aid, Research and Grants. Which we obviously can't afford without cutting Health, Education, and Defence. I think we need to look at Health and Education for cuts, as well as, and especially, Defence. If not then we're going to be in deficit forever, like European countries, and like USA, and our grandchildren, and their grandchildren will need to sacrifice their standard of living to repay it. China will be living off the proceeds of the world's debt for generations. They already have the buying power to deprive Australians of necessities - which has already happened, for example with Baby Formula. Imagine when that happens to Aussie meats...

Yep ... tell me about it...

Around the corner from my little town (Sunbury), a chinese conglomerate paid 40mil for a nice big block of land for the next expansion.

(July 3, 2016 at 3:25 am)Irrational Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 3:17 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Wait, Australia has PEOPLE on it?  

Yeah, we're not all kangaroos or koalas here.

How do you avoid being eaten by drop bears?

Which party or coalition is in favor of exterminating all the deadly snakes and spiders and box jellies and other shit that just wants to kill you?

(July 3, 2016 at 11:14 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 3:25 am)Irrational Wrote: Yeah, we're not all kangaroos or koalas here.

How do you avoid being eaten by drop bears?

We don't have to. They only go after non-Australians. Australians are cool just like that.

</smugness>

(July 3, 2016 at 7:40 am)Constable Dorfl Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 4:56 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Never understood the rant against 'career politicians'.  If need a pipe fixed, I want a career plumber.  If I need an operation, I want a career surgeon.  And if I want my country to be run effectively, I certainly don't want neophyte pols at the helm who have no idea what they're doing.

Boru

Problem with career pols is that their skills are devoted to getting elected, not runnin the country. Meaning that, all too often, they don't know what they're doing when making decisions.

Which hardly  seems like a ringing endorsement of shithead amateurs.

(July 3, 2016 at 12:14 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 7:40 am)Constable Dorfl Wrote: Problem with career pols is that their skills are devoted to getting elected, not runnin the country. Meaning that, all too often, they don't know what they're doing when making decisions.

Which hardly  seems like a ringing endorsement of shithead amateurs.

Thankfully, we don't have Trumps in Australia.

(July 3, 2016 at 7:45 am)Aractus Wrote:

(July 3, 2016 at 6:34 am)ignoramus Wrote: shoosh you!  (they don't know)

I fear we're going the way of Europe - huge unsustainable public debt. There's no reason in times of relative prosperity like now that we should have a deficit - and the fact that the ALP came within $10B of the Coalition's forecast for 2019 is really concerning. It proves they aren't going anywhere near far enough in their "cuts". The other fallacy that gets thrown about is that Labor is for "health and education". Health, Education, and Defence combined make up the overwhelming bulk of 'discretionary spending'. Foreign Aid, Research, Government Grants for example pale in comparison. The Greens would like to see much more money devoted to Foreign Aid, Research and Grants. Which we obviously can't afford without cutting Health, Education, and Defence. I think we need to look at Health and Education for cuts, as well as, and especially, Defence. If not then we're going to be in deficit forever, like European countries, and like USA, and our grandchildren, and their grandchildren will need to sacrifice their standard of living to repay it. China will be living off the proceeds of the world's debt for generations. They already have the buying power to deprive Australians of necessities - which has already happened, for example with Baby Formula. Imagine when that happens to Aussie meats...

Yep, the key to reducing government spending is to have a nation of sick and ignorant people.  Besides, if everyone is ignorant then they aren't smart enough to become doctors anyway.