Sink the slipper into John Howard here...

[puurri]

and watch how Janette reacts; no more kitchen cabinet!
(and a prior thread post reprising "Apocalypse Now")

[porca]

not going to sink the slipper in but, it feels so good! Woke up this morning to a new "dawn".
Dont have to go to work and feel like Im gonna get screwed, and have to like it!

[LONGINUS]

Brilliant statesman who's experience will be sorely missed in this country.

Complying with the current model of Kyoto will be very expensive for this country, a lot of industries will struggle and hence unemployment will rise but thankfully the unions will be back now to go on strike every time a business has to make a tough decision just to survive..er I mean the unions will keep us strong again. Ah well, bring on the interest rates, nothing like an impossible mortgage to focus the family unit.

Interesting times ahead.

[porca]

LONGINUS, what a complete load of crap. Stop being a sore loser and a sook.
Unions are only as strong as the people in them!
Business has to make hard decisions, yeah no penalty rates, no leave loading etc etc.
read smnmntl's reply and wake up!

[Felix]

Probably should have gone earlier and did some stupid things such as workchoices and sticking refos on Nauru but most of all being so far up George's bum on Iraq was embrrassing.

However, going in to Timor and taking the guns away from the Australian populace were certainly beyond Labor's capability. The help we gave after the Tsunami, the Soloman's peace keeping and trying to stop the traditional buggery in the outback were also OK by me. So too for stopping service providers from getting away from paying tax while product suppliers could not. Giving all the GST to the states was also OK, just a pity they didn't keep their part of the bargain and get rid of state taxes.

[One Mile Point]

He did pay back Labor debts and bring Australia to a low unemployment rate and a strong economy. No matter whose in power, by the end of their term they will fuck up, and everyone will be bitching on them. Useless

[Karlos]

Good riddance. Possibly the most divisive leader in this country's history is now gone & I couldn't be happier. Here's hoping that Rudd can deliver on all his promises. Time will tell, but I am optimistic. Things are definitely looking up.

[grazza]

Ooooh yeah.

I feeeeeeel good.
(I knew that I would now)...

[Nick Carroll]

Well at least it appears as if Bronnie Bishop's worst fears have yet to eventuate, and decent Australian Coalition-voters aren't being murdered en masse in the streets by the werewolves of international socialism.

Though, of course, perhaps they have Sundays off.

As far as LJH goes, well he's been a lesson to me at least. He seems to exude the persona of a perfectly decent bloke, clearly has a nice family whom he cares about, took the loss last night with a good attitude (though of course he'd had a fair bit of time to prepare for it).

Yet at the same time he ran a Govt that seemed capable of the most crapulous petty cruelty, happily fanning the bigotry card in order to tip the electoral scales, indulging itself in the "culture wars" while ignoring the people who'd suffered grievous loss and ongoing pain in the real world (not in the history textbooks), and bullying people who were in no position to fight back, or even defend themselves at all -- sometimes to the point of insanity. All while utterly refusing to take responsibility for the most ridiculous nonsense -- the AWB bribery, the entire Iraq caper, god, why list 'em all here.

To me Workchoices probably brought a lot of that into direct focus: except all of a sudden it appeared that instead of bullying hapless refugees, ABC staff and Aboriginals, the Govt had decided to bully a lot of ordinary Australian workers as well. Just handed the rules to employers and said "Go for it." And did it without ever laying down the ticket for people to vote on.

People had seen what happened if you were on the wrong end of the Howard Govt's power plays and they thought, "Nahh, f**k that for a joke. He's too old anyway and Kevin looks like a safe pair of hands to lob into the job."

Maybe LJH really is a decent man -- but if so, why did his Government so often kick the crap out of the underdog? Seemingly to its delight?

[LONGINUS]

Anyway... interesting times indeed. Suck shit, loser, and I hope you get an ulcer watching the latte sippers, chardonnay swillers, bleeding hearts and limp-wristed do-gooders run the country for a while

Well, opinions are like assholes I guess- everybody has one..

Iraq will be an interesting situation though, one that not even Smnmntl can sum up in sweeping generalisations, abuse and emoticons The troops may come out in 12 months or so but it's hard to picture a complete Australian withdrawl from the region for at least 5 years - I would have loved to have heard what Rudd promised Bush during their private meeting at APEC. I'm betting some of you pinkos wouldn't be as keen to fly his flag if we knew.

[Nick-W]

Totally agree Longinus.

At least this way, we know the outcome of the next election.



Its hot today, good day for a strike

[macca202]

2: Unions do lots of useful things apart from going on strike & fucking businesses over. The Coalition's scare campaign on "union bosses" has appealed to the absolute lowest common denominator of intelligence, and yet there you are sucking it right up.

Yeah its true for people, particularly the younger voters (such as myself) who know little about unions (or politics in general) could be swayed by the over the top ads like that. But at the same time, labor almost didn't even have to try to win the votes of the lowest common denominator. BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAD THEM!

[boogaloo]

Well, opinions are like assholes I guess

This is Australia mate. It's spelled arsehole here.

[Moby]

Can anyone actually give me an example of how they have been personally affected by the IR laws, I'm really interested to hear. I'm in small business and I know many others who are too and those who I have asked about this are concerned about the potentail reversal of these laws.

Given that we're at the lowest levels of unemplyoment in 30+ years, if the IR laws are changed, guaranteed business will be far more reluctant to employ.

I know one business owner who employs 12 people in mix between permanent and part time, and that person is saying that if the laws change, 2 people may have to go if there is not the flexibility left in the system that this company needs (as do it's employees) ie. 17% of one business' workforce. Small business is this country's largest employer so you do the maths.

My point is that the IR Laws appear to be the No 1 reason why people voted Labor (based on what I've read, heard and watched) so I'll be very interested to see how changes to these laws affect a record low level of unemployment.

How will Kevin handle that? Especially when those that voted for him are suddenly out of work...

[Royboys]

Peter Rudd on Allan Greenspans advice took the best of both secular ministry of powers and advised that if political ascentsion were too be obtained,
the transfer of powers between the legislate assembley would be taking stock of the skull and bones broth cuppa in the schedule corridor.
Kevin Costello's career move was effectually too put a socialistic proposal for corporate tendering practices funded by a imposed enviromental levy
recommended by the Wall Street Journals No:1 Best-Seller - "Gobble-Warming" by Al Goretex...
We of the Yellow-Party welcome the Green-Party from the Red Party and thank the Blue-Party.

[Natho]

Oh fck listen to you all. I love it when people argue politics. Everyone is an expert right?

Lets wait 2 years and then return to this thread. It will make interesting reading then.

[Felix]

and trying to stop the traditional buggery in the outback were also OK by me.

interesting turn of phrase there felix. you certainly lapped up the marketing.

'traditional' probably should have been 'ritual'.

Why do you think Fred Hollows was so concerned, as were many of us who were there?