Election 2010: Who will you be voting for? and why? (Constructive forum responses)

2010: Who will you vote for?

  • Liberal

    Votes: 34 40.5%
  • Labor

    Votes: 19 22.6%
  • Nationals

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Democrats

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Greens

    Votes: 13 15.5%
  • Independent (as in non-aligned individual)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Invalid (blank form or scribbled pesonal comment - ie waste of time voter)

    Votes: 8 9.5%
  • Warnie

    Votes: 9 10.7%

  • Total voters
    84

Arete

Likes Dirt
Now all the older intelligent rotorfarkiners will know I lean to to the left. I work in University academia, in particularly in biological sciences with something of a conservation focus, and political agendas which I passionately support tend to be neglected by conservative governments.
However Labor has been a thorough disappointment. After such a long period under a Liberal government with the Howard years, wholesale re direction of political attention and policy was needed to restore what I see as balance to the sociopolitical spectrum. Instead we got grandiose words and symbolic actions and pretty much zero actual actions.
The implosion of the Turnbull administration and subsequent wresting of control of the party from the more moderate elements of the Liberal party by the more conservative elements has left the alternative to Labor a party which actively and unapologetically opposes a lot of ideological values of mine. It is yet to be seen as to whether this eventuates in policy but I would be shocked if the current controlling elements of the Liberal party did not oppose the things I want from my government. Hell, 6 months ago even all the vocal conservatives here thought Abbott was a liability due to his radically conservative social views and policies - $10k for stay at home mums is as far as I'm concerned the tip of the iceberg in terms of retroactive social policy.
So, I'm left with the option of voting for a party who ideologically I agree with but doesn't actually do anything they say they will, a party which I fundamentally disagree with, or a third party who will not be elected. As a result I will be voting Greens for both upper and lower houses. I now I won't get a greens MP, but a Green balance of power is important to me especially with the possibility to the ETS being resurrected - if we're going to do it, it needs to be effective which will be unpopular with industry. If they have to make a deal with the Greens it might actually do something to reduce emissions rather than simply be a political tool.
I will be putting Liberal dead stone cold last on both - with the usual "who do I not want in" scaling of the nutbag one trick parties/independants.
I will be voting absentee from another country as funding cuts by both Labor and Liberal federal governments in research funding have pushed me out of Australian institutions if I want to get ahead. If either party actually put money into rather than took money out of scientific research (which has decreased relative to inflation outside of medicine for 15 consecutive years) they'd have my vote in a heartbeat. Makes me sick hearing both L's bang on and on about this being a "smart" country while telling the scientific community to fuck off overseas.
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
And above all, Tony Abbott is an avid cyclist and multisports enthusiast. I can't believe RB isn't loving him for that reason alone!
.
A moron on a bike is still a moron....

While I am disappointed in Rudd we were on of the only developed countries to not to go into recession.
Can we really expect all election promises to be kept when the GFC pulled a crap load of money out of the coffers and redirected priorities?

Seeing Rudd get fired up on the 7.30 report was good, he needs to drop his "I'm every bodies friend" demeanor and get busy "leading". Personally I think Gillard needs to take the lead to give labour a bit of balls.
 

RCOH

Eats Squid
My name is Andrew . I'll be a first time voter at the next election.

I studied economics in school, and am now studying economics concurrently with my law degree. Voting Liberal just makes sense to me.
I voted once, i didn't win, i'll never vote again.
So what are we left with?
A nation of God fearing pregnant nationlists
Who feel it's their duty to populate the homeland
Pass on traditions, how to get ahead religions
and prosperity via simpleton culture
 

ozz

Likes Bikes
First time voter, poor apprentice tradey.

I cant decide whether the greens or labour should go dead last.

If krudd hadn't inherited such a decent surplus from howard, would he have been able to impliment any of the (questionable at best) stimulus packages he did?
 

ozz

Likes Bikes
And 5h1f7y, i dont think someone's oppinion could conflict more with mine; if its socialism your after why not go to a country with a socialist government. I think australia needs more freedom, not less.
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
First time voter, poor apprentice tradey.

I cant decide whether the greens or labour should go dead last.

If krudd hadn't inherited such a decent surplus from howard, would he have been able to impliment any of the (questionable at best) stimulus packages he did?
if I were to over charge and under deliver I'd be considered a rip off merchant.

When Howard did it he's an economic genius.

I just fear Rudd will go down with Houston in being awesome at being able to lose the seemingly unlosable
 

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
If krudd hadn't inherited such a decent surplus from howard, would he have been able to impliment any of the (questionable at best) stimulus packages he did?
Would Howard have had a surplus at all if he hadn't had the resources boom?

Why didn't he use wisely it by investing in infrastructure instead of being blatantly populist and buying votes with tax cuts?

Funny that folks are quick to equate socialist with no freedoms when the Libs have a track record for locking refugees away for years at a time, refusing to follow a harm minimisation approach on drugs, hopping on board a war with a questionable moral basis, turning a blind eye to the incarceration and torture of their own citizens, banning RU486, bringing in the NVE rating for films... Ah yes, freedom under a Liberal Gov't, gotta get me some of that.

I don't think any of us are promoting May Day parades or even "no ticket no start". There's a middle to this bell curve you know.
 

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Oh dear....is about all i can say.

It is funny how true labour voters see the liberals for the money hungry pigs they are!

Studing law....i would expect you to vote liberal

Living on the Northern Beaches in a Million Dollar Mansion....I would expect you to vote liberal

Being rich and not wanting drugs legalised.....another classic just let those poor people get poorer.

Maybe i should vote for Nationals, after all Farmers in our country are so poor!

pfft what a stupid subject
And this is why I am against compulsory voting. The people who accuse others of being some sterotype or another are typically the "close minded uninformed parrots for what their political masters tell them (read: idiots)" themselves that they rail against and denigrate at every opportunity.

Perhaps I could interest you in the book in my car at the moment. Its called a street directory, look up Killara, note the massive gulf between where I live and the Northern beaches. Then find yourself a copy of the cencus and land valuation data from the Ku-Ring-Gai council area... once you find where the average person has their million dollar mansion, tell me, I'd love to see it. I guess you're just living in the past (you know before the cold war ended) because when I look out my window, all I see is Medium-High density apartment blocks.

Have you ever been to a University? Given the drivel coming out of your mouth I sincerely doubt it - but I could be wrong. I stand out like a sore thumb in my law course as a likely liberal voter. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good story, will you? Your mate Joseph Stalin didn't.

Also, don't legalise drugs, because it protects to an unfair distribution of income??? I don't think you realise quite how dumb you sound... because words cannot describe it.... it is just the stupidest thing I have ever heard. ever. true story.

Perhaps you don't have the life experiance I had. When I spent 12 months living in Vancouver working a below minimum wage job at a Junior School - I saw what happens when you legalise drugs in a first world country. It isn't pretty. It is the most horrible thing I have ever seen. Addicts on every street corner. Areas in the middle of the city where Average Joe won't go because despite their being more police in a 6 block radius of this place than any other area in the country - it still ISN'T SAFE. Only one of us is ignorant on this particular issue, and I assure you, it isn't me.

And 5h1f7y, i dont think someone's oppinion could conflict more with mine; if its socialism your after why not go to a country with a socialist government. I think australia needs more freedom, not less.
Sums it up nicely.

First time voter, poor apprentice tradey.

I cant decide whether the greens or labour should go dead last.

If krudd hadn't inherited such a decent surplus from howard, would he have been able to impliment any of the (questionable at best) stimulus packages he did?
You know what the difference between Australia and the rest of the OECD countries was before the GFC. We had a 1% of GDP government surplus. 24 of the 27 other country had defecits ranging from 5% to 11% of GDP. Look at the state of their economys, look at ours. I think its pretty clear who we can thank for spending 10 years eliminating 97bn of labour debt and preparing our economy to whether this storm.
 

Middo

Likes Bikes
Some people just seem to equate anything that isn't total free market capitalism as being communism....... Back to the 1950's we go!
 

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
Like those in the Liberal party who screamed that we should choke of all gov't spending as the GFC loomed?
 

Middo

Likes Bikes
Like letting free market greedy bankers & economists run free (self regulate) and cause the GFC?
 

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Like those in the Liberal party who screamed that we should choke of all gov't spending as the GFC loomed?
Those particular people in the Liberal Party aren't running the Liberal party anymore... seems Parliamentry democracy does work
 
Last edited:

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
Seems Abbot isn't running the Liberal party either...

So who and what would we be voting for?

With the Libs track record on "non core promises", they're just as much of a crap shoot as Labor.
 

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
With the Libs track record on "non core promises", they're just as much of a crap shoot as Labor.
Truth be told, I don't disagree with you.

Perhaps this is where a little leadership insecurity is a good thing.

If Abbott tries to renig on a promise he'll promptly be axed... perhaps we'll see a lot more promises kept after this election than normal:rolleyes:
 

ozz

Likes Bikes
Would Howard have had a surplus at all if he hadn't had the resources boom?

Why didn't he use wisely it by investing in infrastructure instead of being blatantly populist and buying votes with tax cuts?

Funny that folks are quick to equate socialist with no freedoms when the Libs have a track record for locking refugees away for years at a time, refusing to follow a harm minimisation approach on drugs, hopping on board a war with a questionable moral basis, turning a blind eye to the incarceration and torture of their own citizens, banning RU486, bringing in the NVE rating for films... Ah yes, freedom under a Liberal Gov't, gotta get me some of that.

I don't think any of us are promoting May Day parades or even "no ticket no start". There's a middle to this bell curve you know.
In reguards to the refugees, liberal detained the ILLEGAL immigrants untill they're claims of refugee status were determined. If nothing else, it served as a good deterent.
Rudd came in, opened the floodgates, and gives all kinds of handouts to the ILLEGAL immigrants, while leaving the people escaping horrible situations legally, after having waited in line and done it properly, to fend for themselves once they get here.
Thousands of australian citizens have no roof over their heads tonight, while rudd is putting up anyone who arrives undocumented on a boat in 4 star motels and the like at our expense.

I dont know what NVE ratings are but im interested.

I'm not trying to say liberal is good, just that liberal is better than labor:p.
 

FR Drew

Not a custom title.
So your best pro lib argument is that their leadership is unstable and if they try anything dumb or back out on a promise then their party might roll them instead of the people doing it? Hmm, not selling me yet.

You know, actually, I'm thinking that a minority gov't like they have in the UK now probably has the best chance of actually delivering what they promise, because as soon as they step out of line, their partner can hang them out to dry.

Lets vote Green/Lib 40% each!

Nice if there were still any Democrats to keep the bastards honest. Sure as fark no-one doing it lately.
 
Last edited:

brisneyland

Likes Dirt
In reguards to the refugees, liberal detained the ILLEGAL immigrants untill they're claims of refugee status were determined. If nothing else, it served as a good deterent.
Rudd came in, opened the floodgates, and gives all kinds of handouts to the ILLEGAL immigrants, while leaving the people escaping horrible situations legally, after having waited in line and done it properly, to fend for themselves once they get here.
Thousands of australian citizens have no roof over their heads tonight, while rudd is putting up anyone who arrives undocumented on a boat in 4 star motels and the like at our expense.
Sorry mate but this post is full of emotion and rhetoric, and light on facts.

Leaving legitimate refugees to "fend for themselves?"

They're 'asylum seekers', not 'illegal immigrants' and the distinction is an important one.

By calling them 'illegal immigrants' you've already decided that they're not legitimate refugees that are afforded certain rights under international law. Which is convenient, cause we as a country are denying people those rights, incarcerating and punishing them without trial. Nice. Fuck you Geneva!

BTW asylum seekers have been housed in motels and such since well before Rudd came to power. Don't believe the media hype; blaming Rudd personally for things like that is petty in the extreme.
 

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
In reguards to the refugees, liberal detained the ILLEGAL immigrants untill they're claims of refugee status were determined. If nothing else, it served as a good deterent.
Rudd came in, opened the floodgates, and gives all kinds of handouts to the ILLEGAL immigrants, while leaving the people escaping horrible situations legally, after having waited in line and done it properly, to fend for themselves once they get here.
Thousands of australian citizens have no roof over their heads tonight, while rudd is putting up anyone who arrives undocumented on a boat in 4 star motels and the like at our expense.

I dont know what NVE ratings are but im interested.

I'm not trying to say liberal is good, just that liberal is better than labor:p.
Be careful as Ozz, as soon as you start calling it how it is, a whole lot of people will suddenly start labelling you a racist and a cruel proponent of denying people their human rights. God forbid you acknowledge these people are BREAKING THE LAW. K Rudd and his mates just don't have the stones to call it how it is, and in my mind that makes him unelectable.

I don't doubt for a second Tony Abbott has flaws. So did John Howard. But so long as your right 90% of the time, and willing to stick to your guns in the face of controversey. You are a more capable leader than some muppet who will backflip and reverse his policy 50% of the time.

So your best pro lib argument is that their leadership is unstable and if they try anything dumb or back out on a promise then their party might roll them instead of the people doing it? Hmm, not selling me yet.

You know, actually, I'm thinking that a minority gov't like they have in the UK now probably has the best chance of actually delivering what they promise, because as soon as they step out of line, their partner can hang them out to dry.

Lets vote Green/Lib 40% each!

Nice if there were still any Democrats to keep the bastards honest. Sure as fark no-one doing it lately.
I'm not trying to convince you of anything. The first lines of the Liberal party platform deal with each persons right to exercise their own personal choice. As a rational person, you should vote for the party that will get the best deal for you. Its my opinion that if you have a job and pay taxes 99.9% of the time the rational choice is the Liberals (or Nationals)

Its good that you raise the point of minor parties holding the balance of power. IF (and its not out of the question) the Coalition win the next election - it is almost certain the Nationals will hold the balance of power. (Keep in mind they were marginalised in Howards third term because the Libs had the numbers to rule in their own right. We will definately see a more tempered Liberal Party policy roll out if they get in - because the Nats will have regained the power they lost at the end of the Howard era. I think most swing voters will probably see that as a good thing.
 

Arete

Likes Dirt
In reguards to the refugees, liberal detained the ILLEGAL immigrants untill they're claims of refugee status were determined. If nothing else, it served as a good deterent.
Rudd came in, opened the floodgates, and gives all kinds of handouts to the ILLEGAL immigrants, while leaving the people escaping horrible situations legally, after having waited in line and done it properly, to fend for themselves once they get here.
Thousands of australian citizens have no roof over their heads tonight, while rudd is putting up anyone who arrives undocumented on a boat in 4 star motels and the like at our expense.

I dont know what NVE ratings are but im interested.

I'm not trying to say liberal is good, just that liberal is better than labor:p.
As Brisney stated - they are asylum seekers, not illegal immigrants. Australia is obligated by voluntarily signed treaties and international law to process claims for refuge from persecution. It also costs 97% less to process those claims within Australia than it does offshore. The Pacific Solution has cost over $3 billion which we didn't need to spend.
The majority of truly illegal immigrants are visa overstayers, with the largest number coming from Britain. Also, 95% of Asylum seekers arrive by plane. Should we start forcing Qantas planes to first land on Christmas Island so we can verify everyone's legal status before they get here?
Howard's handling of the asylum seeker issue was needlessly expensive, detrimental to our international image and a violation of our international legal obligations.
 
Top