Politics & Government 2019 Election: Australia's Shame

Who are you voting for?


  • Total voters
    78
  • Poll closed .

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Feb 24, 2013
45,365
37,740
The GoldenBrown Heart of Victoria
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Man Utd Green Bay Melb Storm
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Sep 15, 2011
31,467
47,764
AFL Club
West Coast
I don't really understand the whole Adani thing in the mind of Queensland voters. Isn't it only going to produce like 500 jobs? Would have thought the risk to the Reef, a huge economic risk, outweighed the reward. Seems like very short term thinking but I don't have the experience of someone living there.
I know we’re not supposed to be mean to our Queensland cousins right now but it does seem incredibly shortsighted. They voted for a party to give them a mine that will employ about 1000 people in a state of two million people, in an industry that is looking to automate and get rid of employees. And the only risk is to a tourism industry that employs a large percentage of Queenslanders.
 
What's the alternative? That's the system we've employed for over 100 years and our govt has been more stable than most others.

It's all a numbers game. Whichever party gets a majority will push what they collectively want to. Both major parties have different factions. If you don't want to see the Labor left or Liberal right or anyone else get in in your seat then your only real option is to vote against them and hope others follow suit.
Has it?
 

Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Queensland has the highest union membership rate of any state.
Ironically enough the CFMEU members in Qld weren't voting ALP, too many jobs were on the line.
I still don't understand it, if true.
Because the CFMEU campaigned against the LNP

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craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
I don't really understand the whole Adani thing in the mind of Queensland voters. Isn't it only going to produce like 500 jobs? Would have thought the risk to the Reef, a huge economic risk, outweighed the reward. Seems like very short term thinking but I don't have the experience of someone living there.
Out of sight out of mind. I could near guarantee if you polled those who voted for the mine that an overwhelming percentage had never visited the reef and don't have family who directly work in the tourism sector. Of course they'd all have family and friends whose jobs will be at risk when the eventual catastraphohic environmental damage occurs and the tourists stop coming but hey, they'll cross that bridge when it happens.

The Aboriginal people must think wtf are these people willingly doing to the land from which they live off.
 

Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Out of sight out of mind. I could near guarantee if you polled those who voted for the mine that an overwhelming percentage had never visited the reef and don't have family who directly work in the tourism sector. Of course they'd all have family and friends whose jobs will be at risk when the eventual catastraphohic environmental damage occurs and the tourists stop coming but hey, they'll cross that bridge when it happens.

The Aboriginal people must think wtf are these people willingly doing to the land from which they live off.
If they're able to think , they won't be saying that about Australia, as much as they would about US, China, India ,Russia.
*If* Armageddon happened
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craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
If they're able to think , they won't be saying that about Australia, as much as they would about US, China, India ,Russia.
*If* Armageddon happened
d0a75e60d0937a78642b888713d3e5cd.jpg


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Not really relevant to the Adani mine and its direct impact on the reef though is it.
 

Caesar

Ex-Huckleberry
Mar 3, 2005
29,400
15,659
Tombstone, AZ
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
I don't really understand the whole Adani thing in the mind of Queensland voters. Isn't it only going to produce like 500 jobs?
The claims ranged from 1,464 to 10,000 jobs. It's hard to say exactly because a lot of the economic modelling around indirect work created by a given project is a little bit tenuous. You also have to remember a couple of things:
  • The NT's youth unemployment rate is 10.8%. Victoria is 11.4%. Outback Queensland is 25.1%.
  • One job isn't one job. It's the possibility of a job to a multitude of unemployed workers. And that not only affects the worker but their partner, their children, their parents, their partner's parents, etc. That's a lot of votes.
  • One decision isn't necessarily just one decision. Remember, Carmichael is intended as the start of several large mines in the Galilee Basin. And what does it mean more generally for Labor's approach to mining development elsewhere?
Would have thought the risk to the Reef, a huge economic risk, outweighed the reward. Seems like very short term thinking but I don't have the experience of someone living there.
Firstly, being employed is A Big Thing and something that a lot of people take for granted. If you're worried about your immediate ability to feed yourself, support a family, keep your home - or someone close to you's ability to do that - the environment doesn't mean s**t.

Secondly, beyond the actual decision, you have to consider how this plays into regionalism (which up north arguably transcends major party politics). The votes to be gained by killing Carmichael came (or were perceived to come) from southerners. The price of those votes was being paid by an economically depressed area of Queensland. It doesn't do much to combat your average Queenslander's perception that "for the benefit of all Australians" really means "for the benefit of NSW and Victoria".

I'm not going to say I think Labor were wrong, but I do think they didn't sell the decision very well to the people most affected. For example, a more robust answer to where replacements for the lost Adani jobs were going to come from would have gone a long way.
 
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Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Not really relevant to the Adani mine and its direct impact on the reef though is it.
Yes it's totally relevant to climate change policy.
The Labor state government has squandered Billions , since the last mining boom.
It sure needs the royalties from Adani.

Feasibility reports and studies conclude there will be no consequences to the great barrier reef

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craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Liverpool
Yes it's totally relevant to climate change policy.
The Labor state government has squandered Billions , since the last mining boom.
It sure needs the royalties from Adani.

Feasibility reports and studies conclude there will be no consequences to the great barrier reef

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I get it. Liberal good, Labor bad. So tiresome dealing with idiots who treat their choice of political party like a sports team. Give you a heads up, they're all useless.
 

IKnowtheDog

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 25, 2016
9,339
7,810
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Seattle Seahawks
The worst position after an election loss is to be opposition leader, surely a poisoned chalice.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
Ironically enough the CFMEU members in Qld weren't voting ALP, too many jobs were on the line.
I still don't understand it, if true.
Because the CFMEU campaigned against the LNP

The CFMEU represents the interests of workers. If I was feeling cynical I'd say they represent the interests of the CFMEU first and foremost, but let's not go off on a tangent.

If this was 1980 the blue collar workers of Qld would vote ALP because ALP is in bed with the unions and therefore the workers would have the most power to ensure their members are getting the jobs and getting the best conditions. But it's not 1980. The ALP is (very softly) not in support of the industry that provides the jobs in the first place. Not much point having a union fighting for wages and conditions for jobs that don't or won't exist. So they voted LNP who instead of thinking 1980 are thinking 1890 and want more investment in coal mining and coal fired power. But if and when Adani goes ahead the LNP won't give a stuff how many people are employed or what their wages and conditions are. So the workers will go back to the union and the union will lobby the ALP who don't want coal in the first place.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
If they're able to think , they won't be saying that about Australia, as much as they would about US, China, India ,Russia.
*If* Armageddon happened
d0a75e60d0937a78642b888713d3e5cd.jpg


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Coal Imports by Country
  • Japan: US$25.4 billion (16.7% of total coal imports)
  • India: $24.6 billion (16.2%)
  • China: $19.6 billion (12.9%)
  • South Korea: $16.5 billion (10.9%)
Coal Exports by Country
  • Australia: US$47 billion (36.9% of total coal exports)
Small time player, big time enabler.
 

Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
The CFMEU represents the interests of workers. If I was feeling cynical I'd say they represent the interests of the CFMEU first and foremost, but let's not go off on a tangent.

If this was 1980 the blue collar workers of Qld would vote ALP because ALP is in bed with the unions and therefore the workers would have the most power to ensure their members are getting the jobs and getting the best conditions. But it's not 1980. The ALP is (very softly) not in support of the industry that provides the jobs in the first place. Not much point having a union fighting for wages and conditions for jobs that don't or won't exist. So they voted LNP who instead of thinking 1980 are thinking 1890 and want more investment in coal mining and coal fired power. But if and when Adani goes ahead the LNP won't give a stuff how many people are employed or what their wages and conditions are. So the workers will go back to the union and the union will lobby the ALP who don't want coal in the first place.
Wages won't be an issue they'll be way above any standard industry award rate of pay.
Membership numbers is what they're after I guess

But I still don't understand it as the CFMEU had a very anti LNP campaign.




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Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Coal Imports by Country
  • Japan: US$25.4 billion (16.7% of total coal imports)
  • India: $24.6 billion (16.2%)
  • China: $19.6 billion (12.9%)
  • South Korea: $16.5 billion (10.9%)
Coal Exports by Country
  • Australia: US$47 billion (36.9% of total coal exports)
Small time player, big time enabler.
You make it sound like it's a bad thing
It's good quality clean coal

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