Talking Politics

[Liverpool]

Can I play devil's-advocate for a minute?  

$50m to Ford might seem shocking, but to a city, like Geelong for example, then Ford is a major contributor to the local economy as well as employing thousands of workers at their Geelong and Campbellfield plants.

If the government didn't give a handout to encourage Ford's commitment to manufacturing in Victoria, who's to say they wouldn't move offshore to Asia where employment is cheaper.
The Government and Victorian manufacturing/automotive industries would be losing a lot more than $50m then.

I can understand that argument and it has legs, I might not agree with it, but I can understand it.  BUT as I said earlier, with petrol through the roof and the grrenhouse effect all but proven beyond doubt, why not tie the subsidy to innovative energy-efficient research and development?

Australia should be aiming to be a leader in the area, it would create far more jobs, and look to the long term..  But no, we'll use government money subsidise the good ol' outdated, inefficient falcon.

This government is backward looking and incapable of innovative thinking.

Yep, agree with you on that one Tigersnake....I also reckon we should look at alternative fuels.
But you can't just ping $50m going to Ford....I could turn around and say Bracks could have used the money on such research and development instead of spending millions of $$$ on a new 'fast' train, which saves...what...2 minutes between Melbourne and Geelong, or something! :
BOTH Fed and State governments need to really get serious about alternative fuels, and I believe the main sticking point is that oil is a big part of the world's economy.
If you beleive some 'conspiracy theories', then we have had technology that water can run cars now, for years, but it all gets swept under the carpet by the oil companies.....don't know about the validity of that theory, seems a bit hocus-pocus.
But then, I remember 20 or so years ago when I saw a electric-powered concept car at a car-show, and really, that hasn't gone anywhere 20 years later, has it?

 

[tigersnake]

Progress has been made. The Toyata Prius is being ironed out and becoming popular, its a petrol-electric hybrid. Toyota lost about $20K per unit for first 2 or 3 years of sales, they could afford to and they know its the direction we have to head, so they will get that investment back in spades when they have the jump on the dinosaurs GM and Ford. If the government were to subsidise similar initiatives from ford, there would be real long and short term environmental AND economic benefits.

 

[mgreen]

can we have more info on this please snake?

 

[mgreen]

hey Liverpool, it seems like you have become the Andrew Bolt of this website. Well done my friend!

 

[an_oxford_man]

hey Liverpool, it seems like you have become the Andrew Bolt of this website. Well done my friend!

;D

 

[Liverpool]

hey Liverpool, it seems like you have become the Andrew Bolt of this website.  Well done my friend!

I'd rather be compared to Andrew Bolt, than Jill Singer!

 

[mgreen]

Hey Liverpool, where do u do your drinking. I reckon that you and I should get together and have a pot sometime!

 

[Curtiger]

hey Liverpool, it seems like you have become the Andrew Bolt of this website. Well done my friend!

I'd rather be compared to Andrew Bolt, than Jill Singer!

At least you don't deny it.

 

[mgreen]

I'll be there for that beer too!

 

[Rosy]

Everytime I hear Big Kim recently he's telling us Labor WILL win the election and he WILL be the next PM. He hasn't told me how yet and despite his confidence he's come up very short before.

I reckon the timing is right for a change but Labor will have to be a lot smarter than they have in the past. I want to hear what they intend to do rather than what they think Johnny Bonsai has done wrong.

I'll be voting Labor partly as a protest against the GST but I think they really need to pull their fingers out rather than trying to win by default.

 

[jb03]

I'll be voting Labor partly as a protest against the GST but I think they really need to pull their fingers out rather than trying to win by default.

Might be time to let it go Rosy, the GST has been with us for sometime and will never be leaving.

 

[Anduril]

I'll be voting Labor partly as a protest against the GST but I think they really need to pull their fingers out rather than trying to win by default.

Might be time to let it go Rosy, the GST has been with us for sometime and will never be leaving.

Hey JB, some of us are still smarting over conscription
;D

 

[Liverpool]

I'll be voting Labor partly as a protest against the GST but I think they really need to pull their fingers out rather than trying to win by default.

Might be time to let it go Rosy, the GST has been with us for sometime and will never be leaving.

Exactly.
And I haven't heard Fat-Kim come out and say that he will abolish the GST.
So why vote for Labour because of the GST? :

 

[Ian4]

Everytime I hear Big Kim recently he's telling us Labor WILL win the election and he WILL be the next PM.  He hasn't told me how yet and despite his confidence he's come up very short before.

bloody hope so. i'm no supporter of beazley, but i'm terrified of what will happen if howard gets a 5th term after all the radical bills he's introduced this term. at least this time it will be labor running a scare campaign (justfiably) with issues such as the IR laws. voters seem to get sucked in by scare campaigns.

 

[Rosy]

Exactly.
And I haven't heard Fat-Kim come out and say that he will abolish the GST.
So why vote for Labour because of the GST?  :

I'm glad there's no GST on labour. It's hard enough work as it is.

I'll be voting Labor for several reasons but I won't bore you with them Liverpool. I don't want to be attacked by the condescending : again. :hihi

 

[RemoteTiger]

Too far out from the general election to say who deserves to be in government IMO

A year is a long time in politics and there is so much that can happen -

What if -

There is a downturn in the economy - companies begin to see profits eroding - we will then see the full brunt of the new IR laws - because it will not be management or middle management who is laid off to make sure the company increases its profits

Price of oil could be through the roof by then - won't that foul up a few family budgets

I am dissallusioned by the middle-east and why we have our boys there - like most conflicts today I would like to see it over and done - but its not and if a few of our boys give the supreme sacrifice whilst over there - how will I feel about that? Dunno at the moment!

And lastly I am sick to the back teeth about the scare campaign of terrorists and how we shoud be "alert not alarmed" - The Australian ledership I was brought up under always gave promise to a peaceful world where we played a role as the peace keeper - not as the aggressor or the victim. But how will I feel if Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne are attacked by terrorists in the next 12 months?

What role will all these - and other issues that we cannot foresee - play in the next 12 months.

We are in for an interesting year...............

 

[tigersnake]

The thing that drives me nuts about politicians, they all do it, is how when things are rosy its a direct result of their policies, but when things go bad its due to things out of their control.

 

[Jools]

The thing that drives me nuts about politicians, they all do it, is how when things are rosy its a direct result of their policies, but when things go bad its due to things out of their control.

Or because of the actions of the opposition when they were last in government. The Bracks government has persisted with this one for a few years.

 

[tigersnake]

Yeah both sides do that too. Kennett was always blaming Cain.

Kennett amazes me these days, doing some good work with 'beyond blue', yet when he was premier he gutted the state mental health system, causing a lot of trauma to mentally ill people without money or family, (and many with family for that matter). I wonder if he'd do the same if he had his time again? I'd suspect not.

Read the other day how interest rates were 18% in the last days of the Fraser Govt when Howard was treasurer. how far are you allowed to go back?

 

[Anduril]

As I recall interest rates went from 7% to close to 18% when Howard was treasurer.
He probably didn't notice as he was on the bottom of the harbour at the time.