So Somersoft is a safe Liberal seat , but who will win ?

[WinstonWolfe]

Quite the opposite actually. Remember the terrorist attack in Spain? It happened just before an election and the ruling party were kicked out because they sent troops into Iraq in the first place.

Does anyone wonder why Australia's troop presence in Iraq is not a hot issue during this election campaign?

or Labor's approach to terrorism?

or illegal immigrants? oh that's right, since Tampa, the stem of Afghan, Pakistani, and Iraqi illegals has virtually stopped.....despite ongoing problems in Afghanistan and Iraq...maybe the disgruntled are content to do their asylum seeking in Pakistan these days, rather then spending the money seeking it half way round the world in a non Muslim country. One has to ask whether money or religion is more important to such folk.

 

[Peter 14.7]

IMO Politics is all about Credibility.

That is why independents who get through stay until they die or resign because they have personal control of their creditability.

Howard has lost most of his and Labour fuels the fire but constantly referring to him as “cunning” AKA sneaky, underhanded, not to be trusted.

Rudd is a cleanskin and as stated earlier, Teflon coated.

If the Libs lose it will be because Howard failed to hand over to Costello, IMO.

Peter

 

[Dazz]

IMO Politics is all about creditability.

That is why independents who get through stay until they die or resign because they have personal control of their creditability.

Peter, what on earth is that term "creditability"....?? Is that some form of new plastic fantastic financing ??

 

[Michael Croft]

I suspect Turnbull will be the next leader of the Libs, IF he can keep his seat.

MC

 

[WinstonWolfe]

If the Libs lose it will be because Howard failed to hand over to Costello, IMO.

Peter

agree with you there. Howard should have graciously handed over last year.
He and the party didn't sense Howard's tiring public image. He is uninspiring, even though the party have made reasonable decisions in power. I don't think they have handled the challenge of global warming well either.

As soon as the Coalition got wind that Rudd was coming in, they should have responded with change of their own, to stop Labor getting all of the attention. With changes on both sides, the media would have had to split their focus onto two potential policy change foci, and two newish personalities; rather then making it a "more of the same vs fresh faces" theme.

 

[daviddanae]

see_change

Perhaps ...... if we meditate ...... Labor won't get elected?????

Cheers
LynnH

Iv'e just started meditating, although i dont believe it will do any good. Its back to the god ol union days we go.

 

[Peter 14.7]

Peter, what on earth is that term "creditability"....?? Is that some form of new plastic fantastic financing ??

Dont know, word spelled it that way. Your definition is probably right.

Have changed to Credibility: reputation impacting one's ability to be believed

From here it seems Labour are in and in a big way but they could lose if everyone thinks that and some decide not to vote for the winner, go green or something like that.

WW's point is a good one. Change both Leaders at the same time and it would have been an even start.

Howard trumped Latham because Mark self destructed. Rudd is a wise old staffer who job was to avoid his bosses from self destructing. He will be very hard to catch.

I wonder if Labour would be so strong is Beazley was still in the top job? I doubt it.

Peter

 

[Norwester]

DavidD,

Sorry to hear you're so full of gloom and doom.............

Maybe you should just build a fort with pointy sticks..........

Myself I'm quite looking forward to:

8 hour shifts and a forty hour week
Overtime paid, not stolen.
Being able to get issues resolved quickly instead of putting up with months of HR spin doctoring.
FIFO stopping where towns exist.
Smarmy little wet behind the ears HR uni grads sh@tting in their pants when they find out they have to *deal* rather than just state *terms & conditions*.

And a host of other things that would fill twenty pages.........

Will any of this actually happen? Of course not.............but when the AWA's come up for renewal there will be a sh@itload of money attached to keep things exactly the way the companies have it now............and I'll be the first up there with my hand out - after I've knocked back their first one or two offers of course.

Thought you would've been old enough to understand how the system works. If enough people play the system you all get want you want.

Can't wait for it to start if Rudd gets in.

Especially the sneaking out in the night and painting *Say No* on the sides of ore cars and bustops like the last time we changed over from State to Federal based workplace agreements.........

Go Dean Mighell.............


ciao

Nor

 

[WinstonWolfe]

Myself I'm quite looking forward to:

8 hour shifts and a forty hour week
Overtime paid, not stolen.
Being able to get issues resolved quickly instead of putting up with months of HR spin doctoring.
FIFO stopping where towns exist.
Smarmy little wet behind the ears HR uni grads sh@tting in their pants when they find out they have to *deal* rather than just state *terms & conditions*.


Nor

and that kinda thinkin is part of the problem Nor.

so many employees don't want to take an interest in the economic forces that decide whether a company succeeds or fail. All they want to do is what you talk about. They want their security, their 5 o'clock knock off, their super payout, and their holiday pay.

If a company goes down the gurgler due to not being globally competitive, or because Labor pulls down tariff walls, smug and ignorant employees blame the employer....or the govt.

Well I say wake up and be accountable for your own future.

The only security is in understanding what is going on around you.
No one, not the govt, not your boss, can ensure the security of your future.

If you are getting a bum deal from your HR guy or whoever, then maybe your skills are not valued enough for the boss to treat you better. You always have the option to vote with your feet or spending your downtime upskilling rather then sitting in front of the tele.

 

[daviddanae]

Originally Posted by Peter 14.7
If the Libs lose it will be because Howard failed to hand over to Costello, IMO.

Peter

I'm not convinced about this statement. I believe Costello is an extremely intelligent person, although his arrogance is a little to much to bear. I personally believe had Costello taken over earlier this federal term, Beasley would have beaten him. Just my uneducated opinion anyway.

 

[daviddanae]

DavidD,


Myself I'm quite looking forward to:

FIFO stopping where towns exist.

Very Good point

Smarmy little wet behind the ears HR uni grads sh@tting in their pants when they find out they have to *deal* rather than just state *terms & conditions*.

The spent the last 4 years learning how to deal. It should be considered Work Experiance!!

Especially the sneaking out in the night and painting *Say No* on the sides of ore cars and bustops like the last time we changed over from State to Federal based workplace agreements.........

Painting Ore Cars? I like it!

 

[Sunfish]

Originally Posted by Peter 14.7
If the Libs lose it will be because Howard failed to hand over to Costello, IMO.

Peter

I'm not convinced about this statement.

Nor I. I'm not sure if he is the rock or the hard place but Howard is caught. He knows the electorate won't cop him and (I'm putting a charitable spin here) has delayed his retirement hoping Costello drops dead and another head pops up in front of those of Abbot and Downer.

Howard must have nightmares about succession. LOL

 

[Peter 14.7]

Nor I. I'm not sure if he is the rock or the hard place but Howard is caught. He knows the electorate won't cop him and (I'm putting a charitable spin here) has delayed his retirement hoping Costello drops dead and another head pops up in front of those of Abbot and Downer.

Howard must have nightmares about succession. LOL

Don't underestimate the power of spin doctors to turn an opinon.Costello cound have been a winner. Costello has heart IMO. He smirks lets him down but that just his smile. I mean even Jeff Kennett got elected!

Unfortunately Howard has fallen into the same trap as Bob Hawke. Staying too long. When Hawke lost to Keating all public good will and elder statesman went out the window, just bitter old man.

I have seen Abbott up close and he is scary, religious right scary.

Peter

 

[Norwester]

WW,

Oh come on, Shirley you can't be serious.

I am an employee.................not a bl@@dy shareholder, and as an employee I HAVE the right to turn up on time, work (and I mean work...not bludge) as I'm paid.........and then go home on time unless your going to pay me for it. I would challenge that as an employee I am not required to act any different............

Even in the RIO employee performance system this is recognised as *meeting expectations*.

Do you really want me to love this company? Truth is I've already been down that road the first few years I was here as I thought I would give the new system a go.........and the reward is exactly nothing. By all means you can work hundreds of hours OT in a year and bust your balls. Your reward is a couple of hundred dollars and a nice letter.

IMHO their needs to be a balance. In this particular company at the moment that balance has been very one sided since the switch to Federal AWA's a few years ago and is getting worse all the time - most noticably as we move to Rio Globalised systems.

RioTinto...........yep, River of Blood that would be right

Hopefully if Rudd gets in they'll be forced back to the table and the issues will be addressed - although from their meetings I'd say labour has already rolled over on this in private.

Just talking around the traps up here the mood is actually that we should stop a bit of production (this used to be called a spanner in the works) - to make 'em do a bit of a Meerkat - the only focus at the moment is on production, production,production...and oh yeah we'll do it safely as well (sic)

Oh.........and I don't want to work anywhere else thanks. I just want these b&stards to start paying attention to their most valuable asset - their employees.

When Hamersly went over to all staff and had the biffo with the AWU and the ETU back in '92 they were right to do that. Things had gotten completely out of hand, the unions were running amuck. All staff (Working Together) was great and private contracts were great, but this has now been b@stardised by Federal AWA and previous WA State AWA's.

One of the key mission statements within Hamersly Iron was to be an employer of choice. Funny how nobody wants to work for us now - further stressing out those of that are left to keep the production process flowing.

Things particularly started going backwards when Rio took over Robe River and Pilbara Iron was formed as an asset mangement company.........we all got a lesson in understanding that synergy really means lowest common denominator.

Anyhow enough of me whinging about work and tight fisted pommy mining companies..........

So what about Rudd eh? Didn't think he really stood a chance against Howard and his workplace Bader Meinhoff cohorts....but now Im really starting to think that he might pull it off.

I'm going to start calling him Teflon.

He handled the Dean Mighell issue fairly well and has also managed to send a message at the same. I knew there was going to be a high profile sacrificial pawn at some stage but didn't actually think it would be Dean......poor b@stard. He is the only union guy that I have ever met that has truely had the interests of his members first and foremost in his heart.

Mrs Rudds misdoings managed to get redirected into how noble it was that she was sacrificng her hard work and company for her husband.........the backroom boys played that nicely.

Roll on Teflon I reckon...........

ciao

 

[Norwester]

Peter,

Jeff Kennet was badly needed to shake things up in Victoria and I think the electorate realised that...........but he just got to cocky in the end.

I consider it to be one of the ironies of my life that I actually voted for him...............and then stood up for the working man on Webb Dock.

Although that was more against that pr@ck Corrigan........

ciao

Nor

 

[natmarie73]

Pull the troops out of Iraq, will mean Australian gov. dont care about victums of Sep 11. .

OMG where on earth do you get your information from? The invasion of Iraq has absolutely nothing to do with September 11 - it is purely for oil oil and kissing Bush's butt. Sept 11 was just a convenient excuse for Bush to invade Iraq like he had been wanting to do since his daddy f@#*ed it up in the 90's.

P.S - The Australian government don't care about the victims of September 11. If you think the Australian govt cares about the citizens of another country (or even it's own citizens for that matter) you are seriously misguided.

 

[see_change]

OMG where on earth do you get your information from? The invasion of Iraq has absolutely nothing to do with September 11 - it is purely for oil oil and kissing Bush's butt. Sept 11 was just a convenient excuse for Bush to invade Iraq like he had been wanting to do since his daddy f@#*ed it up in the 90's.

P.S - The Australian government don't care about the victims of September 11. If you think the Australian govt cares about the citizens of another country (or even it's own citizens for that matter) you are seriously misguided.

Nat

If you hadn't noticed goldminers ( or should that be crapminer / vomit miner , whatever .. ) posts before , they have nothing to do with reality. I'm yet to see a worthwhile post containing any acurate info from them. I feel sorry for Liberal party that they have someone who has such a low regard for the intelligence of the members of this forum ( and the whole world in reality ) supposedly supporting their cause . Or maybe this is reverse psychological warfare by the labour party , though I don't think they're that stupid . They just have to keep their noses clean to win this one. I replied to their first post but restrained untill now with goldminers latest regurgitation .

Cliff

 

[Peter Parker]

The economic boom of the Howard era allowed me to buy a home, the disaster looming with an ALP win will send me broke and homeless.

An investing 'strategy' that is so dependent on political outcomes that you think it will fail if 'the other side' gets in sounds more a gamble than a sound strategy to me.

99% of my portfolio has been accumulated post-1996 but since it's robust enough to stand up in a wide range of economic conditions I don't allow myself to worry about a possible change of government.

Peter

 

[Michael Croft]

Ditto spidermans comments re strategy (or lack thereof) and there is always opportunity swirling around change. It's in times of change that I profit most. The 'slash your wrists' mentality of average investors has made contrarians like me wealthy. So keep up the good work, and I thank you in advance.

Change is just another average investors fear - fantasy experienced as reality.

MC

 

[BV]

The economic boom of the Howard era allowed me to buy a home, the disaster looming with an ALP win will send me broke and homeless.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Economic management is good but it needs to be done in a sensible manner.

Anyone can get surpluses due to lack of investments in infrastructure,
health and education and by selling tax payer assets.
The GST has been a good revenue earner for the gov.
But this shows that we are being taxed too much.

At the same time they are telling us how a good job they do when they are fudging the numbers.
As an example, unemployment in Australia is probably at double digit figures but when you are unemployed you can't register if you have a part time job for even for a few hours a week
or if your parents earn over a certain amount.
So a large number of unemployed people are not showing up on the statistics.

With all the cuts in education, it's now impossible to study
at higher education institutions and to not get a loan.
If the federal government don't want to spend the money there will be problems.
This is now evident with increased uni fees, higher medical expenses, exploding health fund fees,
deserted country towns, neglected country roads. higher energy costs plus pollution due to no investments in clean energy etc, etc.
Even the war in Iraq and Afghanistan got out of hand.
How long do we have to wait for our troops to come back home?
IMO these are the real reasons for the change in the polls.

cheers