You're no doubt checking my blog for news and pictures of my 3 ladies and slightly offended that at a time like this I could post a political rant. In my defence Anna has asked me to since she can't be there like at the last Australian Federal Election to hand out how to vote cards for the Liberal Party in North Fitzroy!
Little Johnny is finished, perversely he is the victim of his own success. A whole generation of Australians my age and younger have never known the struggles of 10+% unemployment, 17% mortgage interest rates and unions holding the country to ransom. They take everything we have now for granted.
If he wins, which he wont, he will be acknowledged as the greatest political campaigner the world has seen in modern times.
Kevin Rudd does seem a sensible, intelligent, articulate chap who would make a good Prime Minister if it wasn't for the rabble surrounding him in the Labor Party.
Naturally, 'The Age' is campaigning desperately for the left.
I had to laugh yesterday when I read two articles side by side on their website; one was Julia Gillard defending her de-facto over abandoning a child he fathered in his teens, serious drink driving convictions and dodgy business practices, 'Tim is not in Politics, he is not a public figure, any criticism of him is totally out of line.....Australian politics is in the gutter and has reached a new low....blah blah blah' was her predictable response. The next link was to an article by none other than John Hewson, the whole piece dedicated to criticising Jeanette Howard over the more serious charge of being 'insecure and shy'. I guess it's different?!?
Anyway, Vote No.1 Little Johnny Howard.
10 comments:
Matt, maybe you should take up reading The Australian http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/.
Perhaps their writers and readers have forgotten the treatment of refugees, Workchoices, AWB scandal etc. In may opinion for the good of the Liberal Party, Little Johnny should have handed over the leadership six months ago. Maybe Maxine McKew will deliver the final blow.
Hey Matt,
Firstly - how absolutely amazing to see footage of you guys as parents!! Sophie and Kate already look so active and gorgeous!
Secondly - Yes it is true that many young people have grown up in an environment of low unemployment, low interest rates and a generally good Australian economy.
But - this period has also been one of unprecedented western driven consumerism and greed largely at the expense of those in poorer countries, ignored human rights abuses where it suits Australia's trade arrangements and a very unwelcoming immigration situation.
Last night, after seeing the film "Bomb Harvest" I discovered that the liberal-controlled senate recently failed to pass a bill to ban the Australian use of cluster munitions which have a 98% likelihood of killing civilians.
Hmmm. What kind of a good life is this?
Matt, surely a man of your depth can come up with a more meaningful criterion for assessing a government than the material wealth they generate for individuals. Or is that what life is all about? Surely there’s more to the picture than that!
How about complicity in a wide range of abuses of human rights?
How about inhumane treatment of asylum seekers?
How about fostering racism in Australian society for political gain?
How about the Tampa and truth overboard?
How about double standards on the death penalty for Australians and people from other countries?
How about active support and participation in a misguided politically-motivated civilian and civilisation-destroying war in Iraq?
The list could go on. I can’t say for certain that the alternatives are better, but surely these things are enough to put you off actively promoting such a government on your blog.
Ironically it looks like our unfriendly immigration policies mean that Australia now has a labour shortage which has already started to push inflation and interest rates up. Maybe even if money is the only important thing we would benefit from being a little less heartless.
I share J Ho's bold vision of yester-year.
Last night, after seeing the film "Super-size me" I discovered that the liberal-controlled fast food chain McDonalds,recently failed to pass a bill to ban the Australian use of pickles, which have a 98% likelihood of being thrown on the roof. Hmmm, What kind of a good life is this?
By the year 2010 no Australian child will be living in poverty.
Matt, surely a man with your understanding of social order, cannot tolerate such a narrow criterion for assessing a government, such as the strength of economy-killing militant union memberships. Or is that what life is all about? Surely there’s more to the picture than that!
How about complicity in a wide range of abuses of human rights - such as having to catch public transport when the BMW is getting serviced?
How about inhumane treatment of private school rowing teams?
How about fostering racism in Australian fox hunts & polo games?
How about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers missing out on the Super Bowl again?
How about double standards on unionised construction sites the death penalty for non-members?
How about active support and participation in a misguided politically-motivated civilian and civilisation-destroying handouts to those whose right it is to be looked after by the Govt - like dole bludgers.
The list could go on. Don't even get me started about the quality of pistol ranges in our private schools?
Poor old little Johnny! The comments (without even mentioning the emails people sent me) look as bad as the opinion polls.
Any Government that holds executive power for over a decade will be damaged by scandals. Of course this doesn’t excuse them, truth overboard was appalling, but it doesn’t mean that the Labor party would do a better job of running the country.
In the UK the Labour Government has been re-elected after the ‘dodgy-dossier’, the suicide of David Kelly and ‘Cash for Peerages’ which saw Tony Blair being the first PM ever to be questioned by police. Don’t even get me started on scandals that hit both sides of politics in America! If a scandal equals removal from office we’d have a new Government every three years and never get anything done.
I couldn’t agree more with Gav that life is about more than generating material wealth for individuals but the trouble is, I think the Government has done a pretty good job at the things that do matter, or more precisely creating an environment where the Australian people can pursue the things that matter.
The point of my post was that based on the state of affairs at the moment any incumbent Government could normally expect to breeze through re-election since rightly or wrongly Australians have generally tended to vote on domestic issues.
Workchoices is LJH’s attempt to keep Australia competitive – across the world labour laws are being liberalised. I don’t buy the line the left peddle about refugees. The war in Iraq was a mistake and we should admit it. I agree that double standards on the death penalty are hypocritical.
Human rights are invaluable, the trouble with ‘Human Rights’ is, in my work as an MP’s researcher I constantly read letters where they’re used to justify late term abortion, the state being obliged to provide vegan shampoo in prison for a convicted paedophile (yes, for real), the European Human Rights Act preventing the Government extraditing convicted terrorists after they’ve served a prison sentence, not being able to criticise Islam and homosexuals being able to adopt children.
‘Human Rights’, when they’re used as a weapon are usually at odds with my Christian convictions, the opinions of the majority, common sense or all three of the above.
For real thoughtout, innovative and lateral views that will blow your mind listen to http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/restoringthebalance/listen/mp3s/rtb_20071019.mp3
This just got real kids.
Sorry, that link should read
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/
restoringthebalance/listen/
mp3s/rtb_20071019.mp3
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