So why do people like John Howard

[Mossie]

I think Johnny showed his true character by not inviting Crean to the Presdential BBQ.

What a petty little man, wanting to keep Georgey all to himself.

 

[gregg]

'never never' gst

- He went to an election explicitly stating the GST would be implemented if he won.

telstra

-Government has no business running telecommunication companies.

his determination to get rid of medicare and bulk billing

-With the aging population there is no way the country can afford "free" medical care for everyone

his refusal to honor his agreement with Costello to stand down

-That's politics for you, Bob Hawke did it to Keating as well.

his continued running down of public schools

-States run public schools

his refusal to sign the Kyoto agreement

-Any evidence if he signed it would make any difference to global warming(if it is really caused by CO2 and not just a normal historical fluctuation)

So on behalf of us all he has thumbed his nose at the environment,the poor, the desperate, and any chance of a working medical system.......

-More likely he has thumbed his nose at the left leaning interest groups

 

[NakedDeadGuy]

Originally posted by demon_dave
you should be ashamed to vote for this imbecile..........Dave

Is he an independant?

 

[Bombers 2003]

Re: Re: So why do people like John Howard

Originally posted by gregg
'never never' gst

- He went to an election explicitly stating the GST would be implemented if he won.No he DIDNT,what it said was he would consider it after a second term if the Libs were re-elected.
telstra

-Government has no business running telecommunication companies.Then why does the Singapore govt still control Sing Tel?Sing Tel is larger then Telstra and actually owns Optus in Australia.

his determination to get rid of medicare and bulk billing

-With the aging population there is no way the country can afford "free" medical care for everyone.This is the most Trite crapola u have written.1-with a "aging"population[even JWH is getting Older]"free"Medical care should be JUST That,FREE.
2Why cant a decent medicare system exist with a "aging"population?.

his refusal to honor his agreement with Costello to stand down

-That's politics for you, Bob Hawke did it to Keating as well.
But they had an agreement on Prime Ministerial succession and Hawke broke it.
his continued running down of public schools

-States run public schools.U are joshing right?,u idiot.

his refusal to sign the Kyoto agreement

-Any evidence if he signed it would make any difference to global warming(if it is really caused by CO2 and not just a normal historical fluctuation)It's more likely a geological occurance,but is it right NOT to sign Kyoto?.

So on behalf of us all he has thumbed his nose at the environment,the poor, the desperate, and any chance of a working medical system.......

-More likely he has thumbed his nose at the left leaning interest groups

The Left has more interest in the Down-troden then this "government"has,Pls name 1 minister who cares for Social Justice in this Government,And dont say Brendan "I never voted Liberal in my life"Nelson.

 

[2 jam donuts]

Classic Version:
_
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
_
The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the
summer away.
_
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no
food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
_
_
The Modern Australian Version:
_
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
_
_The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the
summer away.
_
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.
_
The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why
the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less
fortunate like him are cold and starving.
_
The ABC and Channel 9 show up to provide live coverage of the shivering
grasshopper, with cuts to a video of the ant in his comfortable warm home
with a table filled with food.
_
Australians are stunned that in a country of such wealth, this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.
_
The Democrats, the Greens and the Coalition Against Poverty demonstrate in
front of the ant's house.
_
The ABC, interrupting an Aboriginal cultural festival special from North
Queensland with breaking news, broadcasts them singing "We Shall Overcome."
_
Bob Brown rants in an interview with Yana Went that the ant has gotten rich
off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the
ant to make him pay his "fair share."
_
In response to polls, the Liberal Government drafts the Economic Equity and
Grasshopper anti-Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the
summer. And the ALP quickly passes it through the Senate.
_
The ant's taxes are reassessed and he is also fined for failing to hire
grasshoppers as helpers.
_
Without enough money to pay both the fine and his newly imposed retroactive
taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.
_
The ant moves to Asia, and starts a successful agribiz company.
_
The TV stations later show the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of
the ant's food though Spring is still months away.
_
While the government owned house he is in, which just happens to be the
ant's old house, crumbles around him because he hadn't maintained it.
_
Inadequate government funding is blamed, Kim Beasley now is appointed to
head a commission of enquiry that will cost $10,000,000.
_
The grasshopper is soon dead of a drug overdose, the Sydney Morning Herald
blames it on obvious failure of government to address the root causes of
despair arising from social inequity.
_
The abandoned house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders, praised by
the government for enriching Australia's multicultural diversity, who
promptly terrorize the community.
_
Who says we don't live in a democracy

 

[demon_dave]

Originally posted by Arks
I like hes stance on imigration. He is liberal as well. He accepts that our allience with America is very important for homeland security. Go Johhny!. Costello will be great as well.

brings tears to my eyes the way he locks those "bloody towellheads"up. He is not a liberal. He gives real liberals a bad name he is an ultra-conservative, like Bush, the biggest fallicy in Australian Politics is the name of the "Liberal" party............Dave

 

[Mossie]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s975815.htm


THIS is why I hate the little prick.
Not inviting Crean is petty BUT not inviting the wife of the soldier being honoured is disgraceful.

Howard's political Firewall has protected the little **** again!!

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by Mossie
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s975815.htm


THIS is why I hate the little prick.
Not inviting Crean is petty BUT not inviting the wife of the soldier being honoured is disgraceful.

Howard's political Firewall has protected the little **** again!!

Have you ever heard of a thing called a mistake? Even so, its hardly Howards fault the woman didnt get invited. As if he even got a chance to look at the list of invitees. Someone in his office would have constructed the invites list. You cant blame Howard for that and Im sure he would be raking whoever did the invites list over the coles. Its not his fault!

 

[pazza]

Fair amount of egg on face though Carlyp!

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by pazza
Fair amount of egg on face though Carlyp!

True. Even though its not really Howards fault.

 

[pazza]

Interesting to see the Telstra bill debated...again..in the Senate today. Can't see the Liberals/Nationals winning this time either, not on what the numbers are like and the speeches made.

 

[Mossie]

Originally posted by carlyp
True. Even though its not really Howards fault.

Thats just it though...with his Firewall nothing is ever his fault. NO ONE seems to tell him anything

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by Mossie
Thats just it though...with his Firewall nothing is ever his fault. NO ONE seems to tell him anything

When it comes to his henchman and the stuffups they have made in the past I agree with you Mossie. I would rather look at it as a smart way for Howard to stay out of big trouble as he cant possibly hope to controll all his mp's and ministers.
But on this instance with the wife of the serviceman killed in Iraq, I really believe that Howard would not have had anything to do with the invitations. It would have been written out by somebody in the department of primeminister and cabinet and Howard would have had nothing to do with it imo. You cant blame Howard for an error (granted a BIG error) that a public servant has made.

 

[pazza]

I guess that public servant will get the arse then...it's practically a sackable situation!!

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by pazza
I guess that public servant will get the arse then...it's practically a sackable situation!!

Yeah I reckon. Cant say I feel sorry for him/her either, its a huge mistake!

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Originally posted by pazza
Interesting to see the Telstra bill debated...again..in the Senate today. Can't see the Liberals/Nationals winning this time either, not on what the numbers are like and the speeches made.

Don't know - I think the Democrats are starting to get edgy about all the losses (mostly paper at the moment) that most of the Mum and Dad investors (and me) are suffering from T2.

Let's not forget Howard's plan to introduce real-interest rate rises to HECS fees.

 

[utility]

Re: Re: So why do people like John Howard

Originally posted by Tinker

I came through life, uni etc the HARD way and I got by and managed just fine.

I'm guessing you went to uni before Howard and co. changed HECS, else you may have a different opinion and financial position.

 

[The invisible mullet]

I don't think many people like Howard despite his attempts to get the battler support while drinking $100,000 of taxpayer funded wine and providing big noshups for his mates but he is a very cunning politician who is willing to play on people's fears to get elected and stay there. The fact that he is dismantling access to what have been world class health and education systems is one of the great tragedies of the moment (anyone who has spent time in the UK will be aware of the damage that Thatcher did to public infrastructure). These are the issues that next election needs to be run on. At the same time his Government policies on industrial relations, immigration and telecommunications are equally awful. hopefully history judges the Prime miniature the way he should be judged.

 

[Generalissimo]

Is it any wonder that a political party that plays on people's ignorance, gullibility and uninformed bigotry in order to get elected would attack the education system? "The Education Plan: Keeping Australians dumb enough to vote Liberal"

 

[bugman5]

Originally posted by llosis
All things being equal.....

If it weren't for this economic theorists would be out of a job.

THe point I was trying to get to was I don't think you can say the economic philosophy of the government and it;s fiscal policies etc have no effect on the state of an individual economy. I would say that they do - even though they may be hard to assess - they have an effect none the less.

Ceteris Paribas - all other things being equal

As you say, not really more than a theoretical simplification for partial equilibrium in Economics, as all other things are never actually equal, the big reason that most employers want Economists to be familiar with general equilibrium models.

As for fiscal policy, it is largely irrelevant in the global economy, simply distorting the capital market (in theory). Monetary policy is however significant, which is a big problem for a common currency for Europe, as governments have given away the only effective policy to influence their economies. Monetary policy is implemented independantly (in theory) by the Reserve Bank, but it does so at the governments bidding.

 

[bugman5]

Re: Re: So why do people like John Howard

Originally posted by gregg
-With the aging population there is no way the country can afford "free" medical care for everyone

I don't have a problem with those who can afford private health insurance paying for it, but Medicare is the most important social policy in the country. If you want to abolish it, I hope you enjoy taking out a second mortgage to pay for medication in retirement.

 

[The invisible mullet]

Affordable healthcare is a hallmark of a civilised society. The majority of people who access "free" healthcare have paid for it to some extent via the tax system.

 

[Former]

Originally posted by carlyp
When it comes to his henchman and the stuffups they have made in the past I agree with you Mossie. I would rather look at it as a smart way for Howard to stay out of big trouble as he cant possibly hope to controll all his mp's and ministers.
But on this instance with the wife of the serviceman killed in Iraq, I really believe that Howard would not have had anything to do with the invitations. It would have been written out by somebody in the department of primeminister and cabinet and Howard would have had nothing to do with it imo. You cant blame Howard for an error (granted a BIG error) that a public servant has made.

For god's sake carly! Pollies are quite happy to get their cheesey mugs all over the papers to claim credit for a succesful envelope opening ceremony, but if there is a stuff-up they distance themselves. Someone in their department acted without approval.

These sorts of things are the reason the good majority of career politicians sicken me.

Do you think for one minute John Howard was not briefed on the guest list? Or did he just stroll out to his patio, surprised to find GeeDubya chatting with Steve Irwin over a hot barbie? The amount of planning that goes into one of these events is huge, but there are a number of basics that the host should know.

Prime Minister: "Anyone being honoured at this do?"

Anonymous Public Servant: "Yes PM."

PM: "When do I meet him?"

APS: "Umm... he's dead."

PM: "OK what about his family?"

APS: "Ummm..."

Can't blame the PM for a stuff up like that? Well then you surely can't give him credit for something as complex as the state of the economy. Can you?

 

[Docker_Brat]

Originally posted by pazza
Interesting point that BrisGirl

Wasn't it during thew 1982/83, that the interest rates were already around 13-14%, with Howard as the treasurer?

Short memories in this country.

Although he is probably lucky that there has been a couple of generations of voters coming into the mix since then.. sheesh I wasn't even close to voting back in that era.

 

[TheBloods]

Originally posted by Generalissimo
Is it any wonder that a political party that plays on people's ignorance, gullibility and uninformed bigotry in order to get elected would attack the education system? "The Education Plan: Keeping Australians dumb enough to vote Liberal"

That would imply smart people voted Labour... that seems rather incongruous...