Oz Politics - Australian Election

Shannow · Oct 8, 2004

Obviously not posted as politics are a touchy subject on the BB, but we had our federal election today.

About 4 hours into counting, and it looks like we've got another 3 years of people saying "well don't look at me, I didn't vote for him".

more lies for Oz !!

My pereverse sense of justice is, however happy about the result. Howard will finally wear the interest rate rises that he won the election on.

Shannow · Oct 8, 2004

Follow up.

Australian Opposition Leader concedes defeat.

Howard is re-elected.

Losiho · Oct 8, 2004

Interest rate scare campaign my arse. Which party ran tv ads warning the public about Costello in the leadership ?

Sour grapes, that's all. The silent majority have spoken.

Pablo · Oct 8, 2004

I know nothing, really, about Oz 'tics.

The link posted is to some election results. Shannow - are you saying the winner cheated???

labman · Oct 8, 2004

Very happy the majority of the voters understood Iraq is a fight we must continue to victory. Thanks.

Pablo · Oct 8, 2004

Labman - based on Shannow's previous comments I suspect you are quite correct. I was merely trying to elicit a more explanatory answer, your honor.

GROUCHO MARX · Oct 8, 2004

I really think there should be no ban whatsoever on Oz politics. Maybe we could learn something.

keith · Oct 8, 2004

I thought the pro war candidate was unpopular and sure to be beaten, according to some of the locals on this forum.

We have the same problem here in the US

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
Shannow - are you saying the winner cheated???

Nothing of the sort Pablo. I think the way that Australia runs ballots is virtually beyond reproach, or fear of tampering.

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Losiho:
Interest rate scare campaign my arse. Which party ran tv ads warning the public about Costello in the leadership ?

The only political adds that were really shown up here were the Latham learner adds, and the Interest rate adds. I didn't see the one you are talking about, as I don't think labour even thought to try too hard in Calare, where Andren (Independent) retained over 50% of the Primary.

quote:

Originally posted by Losiho:
The silent majority have spoken.

I'd guess that they have.

Now they cn all go back to their quiet "Don't look at me, I didn't vote for him !"

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
Very happy the majority of the voters understood Iraq is a fight we must continue to victory. Thanks.

labman, just about everybody, regardless of political persuasion knows that we have to finish the job that we started in Iraq.

A lot disagree with the misinformation that got us there.

Pablo · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

A lot disagree with the misinformation that got us there.

Same here. I just don't know how much was bungling and how much was lies. I guess I take a bit more pragmatic approach. Someone threatens us in any manner, then we reserve the right to resolve the "problem" in any manner, at our time and choosing.

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
Same here. I just don't know how much was bungling and how much was lies.

Yep, sometimes I think I was lied to, and badly. Other times I think what a monumental cockup.

I would have thought that there would have been a few more forced vacancies had it all been genuinely erroneous. (We've also got a fair bit of prior history down here of lies/incorrect information).

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

One thing for sure is that it's going to be an interesting 3 years.

It's looking like we gave the Government control in the senate as well as the lower house.

Other points of note:
* Our Democrats (nothing to do with the U.S. Democrats) basically disappeared up their own fundimental orifices. (which they deserved thoroughly).
* Our Greens basically took everything the democrats lost. (And our Greens have some whacko ideas, like taxpayer funded sex changes, pay prisoners award rates for work in prison.)
* A new "Family First" party (Right Wing Religious Based) appeared this time, and have picked up two percent of the primary in their first outing.

JohnnyO · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Shannow:
* Our Greens basically took everything the democrats lost. (And our Greens have some whacko ideas, like taxpayer funded sex changes, pay prisoners award rates for work in prison.)

Of course.

Did they make guns legal yet?

Ron Jeremy · Oct 9, 2004

Nice to see that the majority of Aussies have a backbone.

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Ron Jeremy:
Nice to see that the majority of Aussies have a backbone.

I take it that you are referring to our P.M.s habit of sucking up to the schoolyard bully.

GROUCHO MARX · Oct 9, 2004

Shannow, I think that Ron Jeremy referred to the fairly contested election in which the citizens returned Howard to office.

Does Bush have something with which he threatened the Aussies in order to coerce them to vote for Howard?

John Kerry is using the promise of French cooperation here

to try and gain votes. Has Howard used a similar tactic?

Shannow · Oct 9, 2004

Groucho, just failed to see the correlation between "spine" and who we elected.

U.S. goes, and our government blindly follows would appear to be a lack of spine to me.

As to whether Bush made us (and I have to use us now, as it's my country who decided) vote this way. Aside from a few prominent U.S. officials in the early days who pointed out how bad it would be for Johnny to lose there's been little interference in the process.

No-one made us vote this way.

GROUCHO MARX · Oct 9, 2004

Shannow, let me start by saying I feel that you are more than a decent guy. Your posts and pm's have made me feel this way.

I don't know much (actually nothing) about politics in Oz. However, it seems that you feel that the alliance the U.S. has with Oz is an unholy one. I know you like Americans and America, so I have to rule that out.

Do you feel the interests of Oz are opposed to that of the U.S.? Or do you just feel that the U.S. an ally that is not worth the trouble?

As I stated in my previous post, it burns my butt that Kerry thinks that France is important to Americans. They can rot. Not the people, I bear no ill will, but the government. I don't believe that the French are a true ally, and anyone who would vote in our elections one way because of France is an a$$hole JMO.

Oz, howerver, has been with us, I would hate to feel that the peop[le of Oz think that their efforts are not appreciated nor would I feel good if their support is perceived to be coerced.

I think Americans feel as close to the Aussies as they do any other country on earth, at least I do.

Oz Politics - Australian Election

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