Politics Australian Federal Election

Jethro

Captain
Coming down to the wire folks with 10 more seats in the balance, this is two days after polling.

Coalition (our Republicans, conservative Monarchists) 68 seats
Labor (our Democrats, fractured) 67 seats
Green 1 seat
Xenophon Team 1 seat
3 others.

Senate, even more filled with lunatic fringe parties, try Governing that lot.

With Labor in the lead in five of the remaining seats, and Xenophon looking good in another a hung House of Reps looks the most likely outcome.
 
I must admit that I am very unfamiliar with Australian government. As far as I know it is similar to the core values of the USA? I imagine there is a founding declaration and a statement of rights? Since there are elections, it is surmised that the people vote persons to represent their common interests.

I'm jaded in my understanding of foreign governments because of the misrepresentation and corruption of my own government. Our people have lost the founding essence of what made our country great. I have no idea if that is an issue in your country. What you write and the fact that you write it is implying that you feel something is wrong with your government as well.

Not seeing the daily affairs of your people nor being bombarded by your local NEWS and media it is difficult for me to grasp the severity of issues presented to you. I ask you:

Do you feel the NEWS and media in your country have their own agenda, separate from the will of your people?

Do you believe that your representatives actually represent the will of your people?

Do your election candidates publicly disgrace themselves to the nation?

Does your government have power over the people or do the people of your nation have the power?

Does your government actively impose their will onto other nations?

Do you feel you are part of your nation or just another number?

The people in my nation seem to be distracted from life. Lost in daily delusions of grandeur and letting a select few dictate national concerns. Our media distracts and deflects the real issues and plays on personal greed and a need for personal glory. Our politicians are greedy and think they are all powerful. Our people allow this to happen, some even encourage it.

Enlighten me...
 
Well Tom slightly complex here. Australia is made up of six states and two territories, each of which have their own Governments, with the overlords located down in the Nation's capital Canberra in the Federal Government. We have a constitution but it is more to do with state power vs federal power and less to do with citizen rights, something our previous Government used to remove on the quite a lot of freedoms and open speech.

Your questions.

News media is owned by a few people, including Murdoch and for sure they run to their own agendas. Surprisingly the most trust worthy is the Government owned ABC, equivalent to the Brit's BBC. Once again our previous Government went to great lengths to slash their budget and reduce reporting.

Our representatives represent their parties and certain pressure groups, representing the people is something they mouth every election and then forget at any other time. For example 80% of Australians agree that mixed marriage is a good thing, the Gay community have been trying to get that past through the Fed Gov for over 10 years.

Some candidates are excellent, Penny Wong for example, others are a fracking nightmare ... mixed bag.

Power is in the Government, Aussies by and large area apathetic to what is going down, "slogans for bogans" as we say.

Nope we don't have the ability to project power into other countries, as opposed to what our Foreign Minister thinks.

Dude I'm a Kiwi, this is all foreign land to me mate :smiley:

And yeap huge lose of belief in the political system in Australia, mainly amongst the youth and surprisingly the right wing rednecks up North. The two major parties have tried their best to suppress the minor and micro parties only to see the total vote going in that direction increase this election.

Results in Coalition returned with a one seat majority, bring on a by-election, and an increasingly hostile Senate.
 
slightly complex here. Australia is made up of six states and two territories
The way that the USA is Supposed to be is:
Each Community has a Local government.
Those Local communities have County government.
The Counties have State governments and
State governments have Federal government.
There are 50 states that have multiple Counties each and each County has multiple Cities and Towns.

The reality is:
There are two 'parties' in the USA,
The Elite and the Workforce.
There are 'Elite' in every level down to the smallest community.
They control the governments while hidden from public view.
The 'Elite' may or may not be 'persons'. Many 'Elites' are 'Entities'
'Elites' allow the 'Workforce' to have the illusion of freedom when it satisfies their agendas.
They do this by manipulating the public's opinions via their controlled media releases, withholding or granting services or instigating unrest.
The 'workforce' gets so caught up in their daily stress they fail to notice how they are being controlled.
It is easier to live if they just 'go with the flow' and 'The Flow' is what the 'elite' dictate.

There is a growing awareness happening in the 'workforce' party of my country.
They are beginning to realize that the 'elite' are the minority. The 'elite' know the 'workforce' is growing wise to them. They have been instigating control methods at an increasing rate. While most of the 'workforce' still fall for the manipulation there are growing numbers that are seeing the ruse.

There is a change coming to the USA and it is not an election. If the 'elite' do not back down, there will be a war. The more they push, the worse it will get. Their best option to remain in control is to give the 'workforce' more liberties and benefits. They need to reign in the unrest. Regain control. The problem with that is they refuse to relinquish their power over the 'workforce' in any way. When the masses get tired of warring among themselves, the focus will be on those actually responsible.

The Puppets are becoming Pinocchio and Pinocchio is pissed.
 
Sounding a bit socialist there Tom :whistle:

The situation we are facing here, and no one seems to be trying to figure the root cause, is our youth are increasingly getting disenchanted with no system, large unemployment, low wages, low education options. This is currently being put down to on line activities etc with no asking what is the root cause for low youth tertiary enrolment, low morale, and low job hunger.

We have gone from a system with universal health and education options, with the last Federal Labor government trying to bring in universal dental, to a system where public health is being eroded yearly and user pays being the prime movement behind higher education. In short, lets mortgage the future to pay the current bills, brought about large due to Coalition governments selling off profit making public entities :hungover: By and largely Aussies are stupid and are becoming more and more venal due to the change in the political climate.

Like most Countries, New Zealand, U.K, etc we are waiting around for a third party to emerge that actual wants to govern for the people and not for interest groups. My predication for the future, Australia is rooted with the Chinese overlords on the horizon. Thinking seriously about selling up and going bush, like a lot of people have done, leave the coast to the property developers, foreign investors, and big business.

There's a whole bunch more problems bubbling away, NSW (my state) has just woken up to the fact that we are going to be drastically short of tradespeople this year and in coming years, why? - well the State government's own advisors could report the money being ripped out of the education system and user pay process has meant a lot of working class and middle class kids that would have taken up trade, educate out of poverty Bro, are no longer doing so and are happy to simply hang out. Once again no future, I wonder where this will all lead, no silver stars for guessing increased crime and violence.
 
Sounding a bit socialist there Tom
I'm not even sure what that actually means. I'm just telling as I see it is all. Personally I hope to be dead soon so it really doesn't matter to me. I'm just sick of media and the complacency of the general populace. Its like sense has left town.

our youth are increasingly getting disenchanted with no system, large unemployment, low wages, low education options.
I remember when I was a young adult. I had a skill set with a degree but still could not find a decent paying job. Unemployment was really high in Pennsylvania, I had no health coverage and it seemed like the govt did not care about me. Military service got me thru my young adult life and having the responsibility of raising a family pushed my career into overdrive. I stayed in overdrive until my body gave out.

waiting around for a third party to emerge that actual wants to govern for the people
The fundamental ideal of this is that the people have to let the governing entity know what it is they want. That entity must be rooted in a cause for those people and not for a cause for itself. Interest groups are groups of entities united under a common cause. If the majority of those interest groups are populated by corporations then the uniting cause is for making money for themselves and not for the public's best interest. There is no money in governing for the people. In fact, it costs money.

Thinking seriously about selling up and going bush, like a lot of people have done, leave the coast to the property developers, foreign investors, and big business.
That is how many in the US feel. I believe it is the wrong way to address the problem. Sure it might make a person feel better in the short term but when we allow power to gain more power nowhere is safe from their influence. Eventually they will find a way to gain more power even in the remote locations. Its like moving to a different room because the other room is on fire. If you don't put the fire out, you will eventually get burned.

are happy to simply hang out
This too is a temporary thing. Eventually, those wasted youth that you refer to are going to grow up. They will get families and feel a need to be responsible parents. Some will succeed brilliantly while some will fail miserably. The successes will become the elite and the failures will become the workforce. It is happening all over the world right now. The media will reinforce those attitudes subtly and the people will gobble it up without question.

"If you buy this product you will be happy"
"This show tells you how you should live"
"You should have everything you desire"
"Wealth makes you happy"

I could go on and on with the subliminal and overt messages that the media support. People buy into these ideals because it is easier and comforting. Reality is harsh and indifferent. People are afraid to look reality in the eye. They like the sugar-coated perceptions that the media deludes us to think. It makes them feel safe but life is not safe. Life is just life, you have it till you are dead.

Once again no future, I wonder where this will all lead, no silver stars for guessing increased crime and violence.

Increased crime and violence is a given. How about slavery without knowing who the slaves are? How about a sense of false security? Perhaps excessive self-importance? The feeling of being manipulated but not understanding why or who is manipulating whom? Stagnation of creativity? Loss of scientific discovery? Rampant disease? Racial separation? Religious persecution?

I can list many things that will happen because these things are happening right now in my own country. You say that your youth are stagnated right now. Eventually they will become rebellious. If the right ones make their message known to the right people there may even be a civil war. That is the future I see in my own country. Not a civil war of freedom and civil war of the classes.

Try to remember that all governments are run by a select few people that manipulate the masses to give themselves more power. Its not the way a government should be but it is the reality.
 
Okay to sum up, our Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball called a snap Fed election cause he couldn't get his legislation through a hostile senate. In the wash up his majority in the House of Reps has been slashed to one and the Senate is even more hostile. Nice one Malc :woot:

And in the recent Northern Territory election the Libs had an 18% swing against them and are hard pressed holding even safe seats :cool:

In case anyone is wondering I'm from the left side of politics, the dreaded Socialism :einstein:
 
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