Next Federal Election


seems nothing....
no
no
no
no
for a while now...
the 'convenience' of going digital for anything government seems the biggest crock of shit ever... if one ever actually has a problem and bothers to waste enough time to actually get to talk to a human on one of their call centres... the answer to everything invaribly is... 'go to the website'
well I did... and that's why Im seeking a human...
even the human agreed with me, the absolute uncontactability and the putting of absolutely everything on a website has become beyond ridiculous
government are becoming more obtuse and inpenetrable than trying to contact a big tech overlord...




Seems like the digital ID bill has been passed with Labor and Green's getting it up.
Maybe i missed it all but i thought it would be a bigger issue and something to not be rushed through.


No mate, it’s just the state of the status quo exerting their power.
If they don’t want something mentioned you’d have virtually no idea it existed beyond the less curtailed corners of the media and Twitter.
It’s like Q and A on our ABC having an hour long program on housing and homelessness and the most influential factor in the discussion not getting a mention.
It’s par for the course of the new censorship routine that’s been imposed after the enviable success of the CCP in China. All our political and corporate class shuffled over there to kiss the ring and realised that the society under a dictatorship wasn’t all that bad. After all they got paper bags full,of cash, they got sucked off by cute little black haired girls ( or boys )..all on hidden camera of course. They got wined and dined and then sent back home as good little acolytes of the incoming political paradigm now that democracy is getting inconveniently unwieldy and unresponsive to the needs of the plutocracy.
Globohomo Albo and Private Jet Brandt know which side their bread is buttered.
Digital ID for the plebs it is.


I think they are allowing private digital ID service providers as well who are supposedly accredited……yep no one will hack that eh……
….ID’s for sale ….get ya ID here…….wont even need to get on a boat or get a visa.
We’ll be able to make lots of new Iranian and Chinese friends with names like Brian Smith and Mario Vennetti.
Yep it’ll be 100% secure says Albo cause it’s on the internet.


Brian Smith is just a friendly stage name ;);)
https://m.


Reckon this cohort might start to stir things up as it does appear they are being screwed.
I guess some will clean up eventually with inheritance, others it seems pretty unfair.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/data-on-30-year-old-australians-s...


"appear".. are you serious? fk andy where you been ?
its been pretty fkn clear for the last decade and a half.
unfortunately change won't come quick enough for this cohort thanks to the howls of racism and vested interest profiteering.. but there is hope for their kids..


From that ABC article -
“The Australian dream is over. I think that’s symbolic of a past time. I don’t think the world’s been like that since 2001.”


bonza wrote:"appear".. are you serious? fk andy where you been ?
its been pretty fkn clear for the last decade and a half.unfortunately change won't come quick enough for this cohort thanks to the howls of racism and vested interest profiteering.. but there is hope for their kids..
Wasn't meant literally Bonza, stating the obvious.
I'm Gen X and work with high school kids so know the pressures and obstacles they are facing.
The luckier ones have somewhere permanent to live and stable family, other have to move to places well away from where they grew/ are growing up or live in cars.
Its a shitshow and the Sunny Coast has had ridiculous rises in price for accommodation and huge influx of new residents, mainly from cashed up people from the southern states.
Immigration is an issue but hardly the main cause, as it the gap between medium house price and medium wage has accelerated since 2000. You can see graph in below article.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2024/03/04/alan-kohler-cost-of-li...


And good luck if you think the LNP are the solution!
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2024/03/27/pascoe-housing-good-news


It was “an” issue part of the problem prior to albo rocket fuel immigration load. That has been my argument to people on the housing thread for the last 8 odd years who would point blankly call me a racist for saying it is part of the housing affords problem. If it is isn’t already, immigration allowed to continue at this rate will mean that it is very much a “main” cause.
Not trying to be rude but it shits me watching commentators tie themselves in knots to avoid stating the obvious for fear of hurting someone’s feelings


andy-mac wrote:Reckon this cohort might start to stir things up as it does appear they are being screwed.
I guess some will clean up eventually with inheritance, others it seems pretty unfair.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/data-on-30-year-old-australians-s...
Yeah, it's quite expensive but people will have to move around more. Not always feasible but it's also not always 2 hours away like this article stipulates.
'Harry’s been looking to purchase a home around Tascott and Woy Woy, but the houses are regularly fetching more than $1 million.'
Harry can move up the road to Wyoming and get an older, smaller house for $700k. Not some fancy area but gets him into the market.
https://www.domain.com.au/12-wistaria-street-wyoming-nsw-2250-2019037112
Or get a small unit locally for $390k
https://www.domain.com.au/2-293-295-mann-street-gosford-nsw-2250-2019100547
Maybe these options are not good for him but at least there are some options.


Thankfully Bonza I think that's finally changing.
Hanson (and media with an agenda) set the discussion back decades.


bonza wrote:It was “an” issue part of the problem prior to albo rocket fuel immigration load. That has been my argument to people on the housing thread for the last 8 odd years who would point blankly call me a racist for saying it is part of the housing affords problem. If it is isn’t already, immigration allowed to continue at this rate will mean that it is very much a “main” cause.
Not trying to be rude but it shits me watching commentators tie themselves in knots to avoid stating the obvious for fear of hurting someone’s feelings
Have you also been pushing for changes in neg gearing, CGT, and govt funding public housing. Using immigration solely isn't going to help/fix problem.
We just going to let oldies die in their nursing homes due to being understaffed?
Is the govt going to start properly funding Universities so they don't have to rely on international students to exist?
Happy with huge waiting times for hospital procedures?
If the LNP push the immigration issue as being solely due to immigration, what are they going to do if they win govt?
The Pascoe article points out some of the flaws in this argument.
For the record, I don't think we should become a big Australia, but the LNP using it for political division is not helping, especially a big part of the issue was Morrison's homebuilder grants and Howard's CGT changes in early 2000's. Again, this is displayed in graph in Kohler article.


Net zero,BOzo the clown...
perfect environment one day, SMASHED the next


The flip side of the Australian situation.
Declining population, big taxes on more than one property, crumbling real estate.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/one-euro-homes-italy-sicily-forei...


andy-mac wrote:bonza wrote:It was “an” issue part of the problem prior to albo rocket fuel immigration load. That has been my argument to people on the housing thread for the last 8 odd years who would point blankly call me a racist for saying it is part of the housing affords problem. If it is isn’t already, immigration allowed to continue at this rate will mean that it is very much a “main” cause.
Not trying to be rude but it shits me watching commentators tie themselves in knots to avoid stating the obvious for fear of hurting someone’s feelings
Have you also been pushing for changes in neg gearing, CGT, and govt funding public housing. Using immigration solely isn't going to help/fix problem.
We just going to let oldies die in their nursing homes due to being understaffed?
Is the govt going to start properly funding Universities so they don't have to rely on international students to exist?
Happy with huge waiting times for hospital procedures?
If the LNP push the immigration issue as being solely due to immigration, what are they going to do if they win govt?
The Pascoe article points out some of the flaws in this argument.
For the record, I don't think we should become a big Australia, but the LNP using it for political division is not helping, especially a big part of the issue was Morrison's homebuilder grants and Howard's CGT changes in early 2000's. Again, this is displayed in graph in Kohler article.
That’s not really a genuine question/s. It’s just your partisan politics on display yet again. Yes of course I have always argued for comprehensive reform that targets incentives & tax breaks & policy. If only your beloved labor party had the integrity and balls to do it. Spare me the “they lost an election defeatist claptrap”…
We both spend far too much time on here posting bullshit to strangers so its insincere for you to not know the ponzi argument when it comes to aged care. Immigration is not a long-term solution to an ageing population since migrants themselves also age. And as migrants grow older, larger pools of migrants will be necessary to support them… and on it goes. So when you ask are “…We just going to let oldies die in their nursing homes due to being understaffed…” I would respond with, well have you considered fuking paying them more?
I am not that naïve to appreciate that adjusting our rates of immigration to sustainable levels will not come without considerable social & economic pain. Japan offers some insight into this and I am sure people like Zen can speak to this.
The stitch in time saves nine andy-mac.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1065135/japan-automating-eld...
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/03/shrinkanomics-p...


bonza wrote:andy-mac wrote:bonza wrote:It was “an” issue part of the problem prior to albo rocket fuel immigration load. That has been my argument to people on the housing thread for the last 8 odd years who would point blankly call me a racist for saying it is part of the housing affords problem. If it is isn’t already, immigration allowed to continue at this rate will mean that it is very much a “main” cause.
Not trying to be rude but it shits me watching commentators tie themselves in knots to avoid stating the obvious for fear of hurting someone’s feelings
Have you also been pushing for changes in neg gearing, CGT, and govt funding public housing. Using immigration solely isn't going to help/fix problem.
We just going to let oldies die in their nursing homes due to being understaffed?
Is the govt going to start properly funding Universities so they don't have to rely on international students to exist?
Happy with huge waiting times for hospital procedures?
If the LNP push the immigration issue as being solely due to immigration, what are they going to do if they win govt?
The Pascoe article points out some of the flaws in this argument.
For the record, I don't think we should become a big Australia, but the LNP using it for political division is not helping, especially a big part of the issue was Morrison's homebuilder grants and Howard's CGT changes in early 2000's. Again, this is displayed in graph in Kohler article.That’s not really a genuine question/s. It’s just your partisan politics on display yet again. Yes of course I have always argued for comprehensive reform that targets incentives & tax breaks & policy. If only your beloved labor party had the integrity and balls to do it. Spare me the “they lost an election defeatist claptrap”…
We both spend far too much time on here posting bullshit to strangers so its insincere for you to not know the ponzi argument when it comes to aged care. Immigration is not a long-term solution to an ageing population since migrants themselves also age. And as migrants grow older, larger pools of migrants will be necessary to support them… and on it goes. So when you ask are “…We just going to let oldies die in their nursing homes due to being understaffed…” I would respond with, well have you considered fuking paying them more?I am not that naïve to appreciate that adjusting our rates of immigration to sustainable levels will not come without considerable social & economic pain. Japan offers some insight into this and I am sure people like Zen can speak to this.
The stitch in time saves nine andy-mac.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1065135/japan-automating-eld...
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/03/shrinkanomics-p...
Beloved Labor party? Na they are LNP lite, but at least a little less shit than LNP.
Aged care workers just got an increase in pay, long overdue.
Which party would have the balls to bring this to an election?
"" adjusting our rates of immigration to sustainable levels will not come without considerable social & economic pain. Japan offers some insight into this and I am sure people like Zen can speak to this. ""


Adjusting our rates of Immigration to sustainable levels with help FIX so much Social and Economic Pain , AM .
Sustainable Rates were , about 200-400k p/a , at the recent Peak of our recent Immigration numbers ffs .
Those rates WERE sustainable , when we were building lots of houses and some spare capacity .
Mate , 700k , is OFF the Charts !
Let all of THEM find their jobs in Aged Health Care , there must be thousands .
Half of the Aged Care Workers are spending ALL their fn time filling out forms to make up Care Hours - stop that 4 a fn while .
Surely , U want the rate Cut from 700k , NOW !
What's sustainable , 2 U , in Australia's current situation .
I will say 200k .


Pop Down wrote:Adjusting our rates of Immigration to sustainable levels with help FIX so much Social and Economic Pain , AM .
Sustainable Rates were , about 200-400k p/a , at the recent Peak of our recent Immigration numbers ffs .
Those rates WERE sustainable , when we were building lots of houses and some spare capacity .
Mate , 700k , is OFF the Charts !
Let all of THEM find their jobs in Aged Health Care , there must be thousands .
Half of the Aged Care Workers are spending ALL their fn time filling out forms to make up Care Hours - stop that 4 a fn while .
Surely , U want the rate Cut from 700k , NOW !
What's sustainable , 2 U , in Australia's current situation .
I will say 200k .
Not arguing about sustainable immigration rates. I agree it needs to be sustainable and I personally don't want a big Australia.
Pointing out which political party has the will, capability and balls to do it and bring the electorate with them because doing it will cause economic and social pain in short to mid term?


andy park having a crack at immigration on RN Drive (now SA time)
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-drive


Sorry Andy Mac
The Pain of OUR current Policy more than outweigh the benefits of a High Immigration Policy .
We have run out of houses . it's a bloody mess !
The party that embraces the Hard work and Decisions will GAIN votes , its a Vote Winning policy .
Only One Political Party has the will , the balls and the Capacity 2 sell their Policy to the Electorate .
One Nation and Pauline is NOW getting MSM attention .
Are U predicting it will B 2 Scary , for Voldemort 2 look tough , on this issue ?
I don't know about that :)
The Electorate can only Judge if Labor has the Balls to anything about it , as they are the ONE Party, with the Capacity , 2 Stop the Flood now .
January's numbers were the Highest ever , Jan numbers .
If the Final Number at the end of the Year is 600-700k again , how will the Electorate Judge Labor , numbers ?
Not well , I think .
The Electorate , NOW want to hear ALL solutions to OUR Big Mess .
I do 2 and really hope Albo CAN , get the numbers DOWN 2 a more sustainable level .
His future depends on it imho .


Milei in Argentina , is sacking 70000 Public Sector Jobs and the People are right behind him , atm .
The People think , they have been "Over Governed" !
He calls himself The Chainsaw .
The Unions are going bananas !
Argentina is desperate to reduce Inflation as its 250% , its really hurting .
Argentina was a Leftist country, with a total of 3500000 Public Sector Jobs , a huge percentage , I thought , as its population is around 45m ..
Australia has a population around 27m .
I googled how many Public Sector Jobs , we have here in Australia ,
Wait for it , 2400000 , FFS !!! 2.4 million !
A higher percentage than fn Argentina .
I like Argentina , but that is fucking ridiculous .
Imagine the Uproar in Canberra , if Dutton or Albo said , 70k were being chopped .
How much bloody money , are we wasting on Government advisers , giving Crap advice ???
It's Gazillions !
The Term Banana Republic , is starting to ring , again .


Pop Down wrote:Milei in Argentina , is sacking 70000 Public Sector Jobs and the People are right behind him , atm .
The People think , they have been "Over Governed" !
He calls himself The Chainsaw .
The Unions are going bananas !
Argentina is desperate to reduce Inflation as its 250% , its really hurting .
Argentina was a Leftist country, with a total of 3500000 Public Sector Jobs , a huge percentage , I thought , as its population is around 45m ..
Australia has a population around 27m .
I googled how many Public Sector Jobs , we have here in Australia ,
Wait for it , 2400000 , FFS !!! 2.4 million !
A higher percentage than fn Argentina .
I like Argentina , but that is fucking ridiculous .
Imagine the Uproar in Canberra , if Dutton or Albo said , 70k were being chopped .
How much bloody money , are we wasting on Government advisers , giving Crap advice ???
It's Gazillions !
The Term Banana Republic , is starting to ring , again .
Yep cut the public service and pay consultants (political donors) double, cunning plan!


AM
U need 2 check this guy out perhaps .
He is very smart , probably cunning but honest .
He seems really , different :)
The Inflation numbers don't lie .
Contempt before investigation , is not a cunning plan , either :)
I think , u might like him , he does seem 2 have the Countries interest , at heart .
Like Trump , he likes Trump and Trump likes him 2 .


AndyM wrote:The flip side of the Australian situation.
Declining population, big taxes on more than one property, crumbling real estate.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/one-euro-homes-italy-sicily-forei...
+ No work, big unemployment, anyone with brains and ambitions ends up leaving. No investments or any meaningful infrastructure projects, nothing to do, especially for young people…Everyone ends up congregating to those major economic hotspots and then you have the same problem. I lived in Europe, way worse than here on so many levels.


Yep it's a balancing act.
Right now Australia has without question overcooked it in one extreme direction.
The question is, how to back things off with minimal pain (or make things catch up if you're looking from the other side of the supply and demand equation).


AndyM wrote:Yep it's a balancing act.
Right now Australia has without question overcooked it in one extreme direction.
The question is, how to back things off with minimal pain (or make things catch up if you're looking from the other side of the supply and demand equation).
you face reality...
let 'the market' do what is supposed to do...
let the economy do what it is supposed to do...
have a japan moment... a 'steady state economy' ...where low to no growth isn't the end of the world... it just is...
japan has lots of problems, but seems to be not teetering on the edge of darkness, like the feeling is in australia...
still a cohesive society
not jumping at shadows like we are
still a high standard of living...
australia is still boasting about our '34 years without recession'
well some are...
our hopeless hubris filled corrupted complicit leaders generally...
seems the people aren't feeling it
on the current trajectory, it'll only come unstuck eventually...
too much artificial propping and priming the ponzi


A commercial news broadcast led the other day with a good news story on immigration
- meet happy personable articulate immigrant coming to study high tech skill - positive human interest angle for the virtuous, nice guy & high tech skills - is so good for the country and and dispel in one image concerns about who all these 500k + people are.
- city "boasting" high growth - growth is good to be boasted over
- property prices increasing - many are making money from this policy
- construction - jobs, jobs jobs
Warm fuzzies everywhere.
The immigration super surge has many fathers.
Globalist agendas to divide, fragment and conquer, corporate agendas to grow profits, political economic growth requirements to ensure re-election, virtuous help-the- needy warm fuzzies and of course the "my house is worth more" wealth effects.
The negative effects are sort of diffuse, spread and can easily spun as positives or blamed on somebody and something at arms length from the population surge.
No wonder we are where we are.


And... the above story was clearly very carefully crafted to press all the positive buttons. It was not some journo filling a gap in the news.
It would have been directed from on high - concerns about immigration among the little people need to stopped - here is your story line.


Great point Froggy .
There WILL B an Orchestrated Response from The Powers , 2 Nip the Recent 700k immigrant Negative News , in the Bud .
The Conductor(s) aren't even in fn Australia .
Pauline won't dance 2 This tune .
I now wonder , if Voldy WILL have the Guts , 2 take on , even Darker Powers .
I could have popped off 2 early , again ffs ?
Australia is in some fn Vortex atm , imho !


Can cut out the AEC by mandating unaustralian sports rorts.
If only all parties would campaign under the AFL banner...
No more Right (vs) Left...( Bring back...Us (vs) Them )
AFL : "Had a bloody gutful of yer Elections...ya can stick 'em up yer Bum!"
"Just give us all yer money...or else we'll pull the trigger!"
AFL : "Unless Qld and Tassie Vote how we say, we'll boot them outta the Commonwealth!"
Slightly less fucked over Footy Boof States : "Is that a promise!"
Vote #1 AFL or else we'll rip the roofs off yer houses!
Aussies : "Think yer a bit fuckin' late for that mate!"
PS : Sorry! Should never joke about that!
tbb / Neighbour's Carport Ceiling collapsed yesterday...{Kaboom!} Holy Shit!
6m x 1.2m Ceiling sheet come down...lucky no one got hurt or cars underneath.
Sure! Blame it on climate change...
Not joking...tbb is a Plasterer > continual moist weather hastened it's demise!


all sounds a bit familiar...
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/canadians-are-fked-secret-rcmp-re...
but seriously... the way these reports talk of 'misinformation' and 'conspiracy theories' ...it's like the last 7 years didn't happen...
it really is bizarre
do they really lack that much self awareness / objective capacity?


sypkan wrote:?si=pOMN19BtBE9FO2CEall sounds a bit familiar...
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/canadians-are-fked-secret-rcmp-re...
but seriously... the way these reports talk of 'misinformation' and 'conspiracy theories' ...it's like the last 7 years didn't happen...
it really is bizarre
do they really lack that much self awareness / objective capacity?


TBB
I love your sense of humour , but the AFL would do a crap job and are shit scarred of US supporters , here in Melbourne .
They can be a REAL Ivory Tower MOB , that on occasions , just have NFI .
We are ALWAYS having 2 pull them , back into line .
The Top guys and girls , get paid 2 much and think their pooh doesn't stink .
Their only important job , is deciding the Draw and a fn Computer does that 4 them .
We Spectators and Members of individual Clubs , RUN our Game .
The AFL are very quick , 2 Right any Wrong , we highlight .
We would Storm AFL House , if they didn't .
It's NOT the AFL's job , to RUN our game .
They manage the process , 4 us .
They do love 2 stuff around the with the fn Rules way 2 much , just want 2 look busy , probably .


I have mentioned before , how the Big Banks in Australia , don't Lend Money , to the Gas and Oil sector , due 2 ESG concerns .
Just read on Zero Hedge , that some guy from UBS , Interjected a comment , into a Meeting with US Regulators .
"Banks are Living and Lending on ( fn ) Planet Earth , not Planet ( fn ) NGFS ( Network for Greening the ( fn ) Financial System ." .
The meeting would have gone quiet , for a second , or two .
I never met Judson Berkey ( I worked in Oz but would have liked him :) and added the fn's in to add a Pop effect .
ESG is now slowing the US Energy Sector , as well .
Maybe fn ESG , hasn't peaked and I popped off 2 early , again , again .
It's a BIG worry imho !


Albo appoints new Governor General of AFL Stadiums.
Charles : "My Kingdom for a half decent Flip Lid Stadium!"


You couldn't make this stuff up, Albo and Bowen both need to go from Canberra to the Hunter valley to promote a green energy thing, but instead of using basic common sense and sharing a private Jet, instead they both take a private jet each.
"The PM and two of his senior ministers have been urged to do one thing after coming under fire for using two private jets to fly to the same event.
Anthony Albanese has been urged to offset emissions from his controversial jet use after it was revealed that he and two ministers chartered two private planes to attend the same clean energy event in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Mr Albanese, Climate Change and Energy Minister and Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic all flew to the region from Canberra on Thursday to announce a $1bn to support Australian manufacturing in solar technology."
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/jet-scandal-climate-minist...


That’s hilarious. I don’t know what to say. Build us a bullet train so you don’t have to fly at all. Jeez.


Well the good news from that is we are building solar panels in Australia.
There will be some jobs as these plants are mostly robotic but the offshoot business will be great as long as it’s an all Australian project and not an overseas company put in charge which has been happening too much of late.
Got to give credit for this project and any like it.
I wish people would stop protesting wind turbines as well because they are awesome. Just pretend your in holland if you don’t like them.


They don't like hail.


We need 24/7 Electricity , is Called bloody , Base Loads Power !!!
Drove past a Fleet of Wind Mills , yesterday .
Light wind and 3 of the 12-15 , weren't spinning at all .
The Highway then has Big Power Lines ( Transmission ) , running parallel , towards Sydney .
A Huge Power Stand , every 300 - 400 meters , holding UP the Lines .
I have been 2 Holland Opti , it didn't LOOK like this .
The Sun doesn't shine , 24/7 , its not Hailing 2day , yet , but no sunshine , but a bit of wind ( friggin onshore ) .
How about we START with a 24/7 Plan and then , maybe , try and look like Holland , 400 years ago ffs .


Solar panels on roofs not paddocks…easy to fix no waste of green space.
Wind turbines in good spots….and there’s lots.
Bio gas powered back up generators in suburbs running off local waste gases.
14.7 million petrol and diesel cars running off gas ….soon to be bio gas and diesel.
Engineers as consultants not pen pushers doing deals with China for B grade electric cars ….the toxic dumps will be full of them one day…
Build A grade ones here…..and bio LPG gas electric hybrids as well as LNG gas cars seeing as we already have 300 years supply.
Soon your home and Sunday cafe brekky will be cooked on bio gas so encourage gas uptake as there is no modification of equipment.
Any politician in an energy portfolio not looking at renewable clean burning gases isn’t up to speed to what’s going on….you can google bio lpg and bio natural gas production stuff and visionary projects from companies like Prins etc.
Just from growing algae, …it sucks carbon like a champ and from it you get bio diesel, bio LPG and stock feed.
Cmon Labor….wheres the rest of the plan?????……and where are the independents and others that could drive new ideas?????……
driving a throwaway chinese electric car I suppose. Look at me I’m a visionary……..
Oh that’s right,… they are busy taking away peoples freedoms ….taking away how they choose to live instead of the important environmental and housing tasks at hand….
As you can see there’s no surf today.
.


They're actually farming under the panels in some areas now!


Transfer from another thread.
I was wondering if it was the chicken or the egg - did the involvement of big business drive people away from being card carrying party members or did the decline in membership open the doors for the corporations but it seems like it might have been the latter as party membership really started to decline in the 60s.
At the same time you could argue that this profound dissatisfaction with party politics has lead to a real revival in independent movements and grassroots campaigning.
Some have labelled this as being "rusted off".
This has been going on in earnest since maybe around 2013 and clearly bore real fruit at the last federal election.
Campaign models and strategies for independents are becoming so sophisticated that they are more effective than those employed by the two majors, which can only be a good thing for democracy.
One point I would disagree with in the APH "The Contemporary Crisis of Representative Democracy" paper is their claim that people are less interested in politics.
I think people are more and more interested in politics but haven't been able to work out where to focus that interest.
With on-line campaigns, crowdfunding, town hall meetings and the rest of it,
the game has irrevocably changed.
Especially since they have seen tangible results on the crossbench


Well waddyaknow.
From just yesterday.
"Voices of Cook has launched an earnest start for a search for an independent and local candidate before next year’s federal election, using the tried-and-tested model that propelled half a dozen independents into Parliament in 2022.
Promoting itself as a “non-partisan community group working to promote participation in democracy and accountable representation,” the community campaign launched its social pages in late March.
“We deserve genuine local representation,” the group’s social media page states.
“A local who knows our needs and goes to Canberra to represent us, not just toe another party line.”
Denis Ginnivan, founder of Voices for Australia and co-author of the Indi Way, said for new Voices groups to be successful, they must have a common sense of purpose, vision and strategic direction."
As an aside -
"Twelve people met for the first time at their local library in the rural and regional electorate of Indi in north-east Victoria one winter’s day in 2012, driven by a growing sense of despair about how their community was being represented.
Beginning with shared values, they formed Voices for Indi, and set about engaging everyday people.
They didn’t realise that the Indi Way — a new relationship between the community and its member of parliament — was being forged."
https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-indi-way-97817...


Optimist wrote:Solar panels on roofs not paddocks…easy to fix no waste of green space.
Wind turbines in good spots….and there’s lots.
Bio gas powered back up generators in suburbs running off local waste gases.
14.7 million petrol and diesel cars running off gas ….soon to be bio gas and diesel.
Engineers as consultants not pen pushers doing deals with China for B grade electric cars ….the toxic dumps will be full of them one day…
Build A grade ones here…..and bio LPG gas electric hybrids as well as LNG gas cars seeing as we already have 300 years supply.
Soon your home and Sunday cafe brekky will be cooked on bio gas so encourage gas uptake as there is no modification of equipment.
Any politician in an energy portfolio not looking at renewable clean burning gases isn’t up to speed to what’s going on….you can google bio lpg and bio natural gas production stuff and visionary projects from companies like Prins etc.
Just from growing algae, …it sucks carbon like a champ and from it you get bio diesel, bio LPG and stock feed.
Cmon Labor….wheres the rest of the plan?????……and where are the independents and others that could drive new ideas?????……
driving a throwaway chinese electric car I suppose. Look at me I’m a visionary……..
Oh that’s right,… they are busy taking away peoples freedoms ….taking away how they choose to live instead of the important environmental and housing tasks at hand….
As you can see there’s no surf today.
.
Who is going to pay for the panels on roofs?
Do you even know how solar works on a house these days?


Ash, it’s better for Govts to put panels on homes than spend up big on energy generators. For example around 30% of all electricity generated is for hot water alone and we used to have govt subsidised solar hot water systems.
This was much cheaper for the govt than building new power plants but the scheme was dumped by a Labor lunatic named Kevin Rudd. ….and he dumped it in a day putting thousands out of work with unsaleable stock the same day.
….and yep I voted for him……I still feel the shame.
To their credit, the libs have done the maths and IF everyone is going to be burning around in electric cars charged up with zero emissions power you have to have nuclear power to do it as the base load requirement would be way too high..
I’m against nuclear power and marched in all the rallies in Sydney in the 70’s.
I remember being photographed by the spooks ha ha.
I believe in small scale power generation……what you produce is what you use. And I also believe in gas powered transport. It burns clean you just need to produce it clean to make it renewable.
The world distance record for a prime mover was in Europe 1700 klms on one tank of natural gas….burns clean and we have lots…that’s how your veggies should get to woolies.
Plant the trees back…the developers are wreaking havoc with no controls especially around coastal towns….Govts do nothing…..local councils maniacs.
If you not living in a coastal town right now you have missed the boat GO WEST.
Start developing treeless unused farmland instead and plant trees on those blocks for homes and have off grid onsite sewerage.
The Labor party are as usual running a program with no real plan. The idea of net zero is good but completely unachievable on the current trajectory.
We don’t need expensive chinese battery systems on homes either as the good old battery banks work fine and are easily upgraded.
To me, small scale everything with everyone responsible for their own energy generation and consumption is the future along with high tech gas powered transport using LPG, LNG and eventually BIO gases…
And put the trees back…. Tony Abbott was smart enough to put the trees back but the plan was scrapped by Labor and the Greens…
…..they would rather a mechanical method rather than a natural one…
And now they are importing and dumping 600,000 more souls a year on us to house and energise.
Makes you wonder doesn’t it…..whoever you vote for, make sure they are the ones thinking the whole thing through…….right now I see no plan anywhere.


Hello Opti
I think your view on Energy , Uplifting !
Sensible , simple and effective !
Most areas in Australia , only need a Small Scale Gas Plant or 24/7 source of Energy .
Mega Cities , like Melbourne , need at least 3 imo .
Stuff Wind Mills and Nuclear .
Stuff Electric Cars , 2 .
I find it hard enough charging Up myself and my fn phone , already .
Mass Solar Panel use in Melbourne , doesn't make sense , 2 me , like Water Tanks .
Better 2 have One Huge Dam , than a gazillion Water Tanks in every home , that need replacing .
And Bloody Trees , Natives , should B planted Everywhere , by kids !
A National Schools Program .
A Simple Plan , that Tony thought a good idea ( another Captains Choice that got thrown out ) and I do 2 !
Might as well put this up in the politics subforum, to spare the front page. It's 18 months away or so, but here we go.
This is how Dutton wins:
https://www.afr.com/politics/enter-the-liberal-party-working-class-heroe...