Labor Party wins big in Australia (AP)
warhappy100
Active member
Bush buddies are getting kicked out of office one by one, Musharraf will be the last one to go it may be ugly exit for him.
senojekips
Active member
The fact that Little Johnnie was mates with G W didn't have very much to do with it in my opinion. Johnnie had been suffering from delusions of grandeur for some years and I feel that that he was just becoming too much of an embarrassment to the Australian public. His Industrial Relations laws didn't help him any either.
I voted for Labor, but I must say that John Howard had some very good ideas. His downfall was that like many people who are completely out of touch with the man in the street, he could not see his own shortcomings. Basically he did well, but just trod on too many toes and told too many blatant lies.
I voted for Labor, but I must say that John Howard had some very good ideas. His downfall was that like many people who are completely out of touch with the man in the street, he could not see his own shortcomings. Basically he did well, but just trod on too many toes and told too many blatant lies.
AussieNick
Forum Digger
Well you can hardly say that Rudd or any of his ministers is in touch with the man on the street. There seems to be a lot of populist bluster from Rudd, but no substance.
As for withdrawing troops from Iraq, he plans to withdraw the Overwatch Battle Group in the South, not SECDET from Baghdad, the Australian Army Training Teams, the RAN or the RAAF, and he isn't planning on withdrawing any troops from Afghanistan.... so he's pretty much giving it a token effort to get the votes.
By the way, I voted independent.
As for withdrawing troops from Iraq, he plans to withdraw the Overwatch Battle Group in the South, not SECDET from Baghdad, the Australian Army Training Teams, the RAN or the RAAF, and he isn't planning on withdrawing any troops from Afghanistan.... so he's pretty much giving it a token effort to get the votes.
By the way, I voted independent.
As a Brit, my views are irrelevant I know, but as a neutral onlooker trying to assess the the two leaders, your comment sums up the impression I was left with. Unfortunately, the populist bandwagon tends to be a bit of a vote-winner these days, we suffer from it. I hope my concerns are unjustified, because I have long been impressed by the Aussie model. They seemed to have it right.
Incidentally, at our last election, I also voted independent.
senojekips
Active member
Of course it's bluster, he's a politician. But his bluster is a lot better than the reality that saw my employer register his company in HK, effectively removing all of my legal rights regarding my employment. My base pay dropped by $12000 pa and the company stopped paying my superannuation and tax, which effectively took me from a good job to the breadline in one fell swoop. I would have had to take time off and fly to HK to dispute it (at my own expense).
When I finally pulled the pin I was owed nearly six months of overtime payments (at the normal rate 1X) The only way I could get my money was to resign as the extra pay had not been budgeted for that year. Or so I was told, then I still had to wait five months top get it.
Nah,.... there's little you can tell me about our Johnny Howard and his fair work choices. It was little short of legalised indentured labour.
AussieNick
Forum Digger
Mate I never said work choices was a good thing... and you got the rough end of the stick on that one. Can I ask what company you worked for?
senojekips
Active member
Nick, the company was called Destiny Abalone, and I worked for their Shipping division. I was the Purser* and Security Officer on their offshore growout facility here in SA. I was also virtually the owners personal representative onboard. When I left, I was one of only two Australians remaining out of a 20+ Aussie crew,... me and a female Cook. The only reason we survived was that we were very frugal with the company's spending, and we were dead straight with our work practices. The remainder of the Officers and crew were replaced with Russian Officers/Engineers and Chinese abalone farmers.
The Russkies were either very skilled or dangerously incompetent and lazy, the Chinese Abalone farmhands were for the best part great people, but required very close supervision to ensure that they did their jobs.
Never the less, it was an experience that I would not have missed for quids, unfortunately I found that if I was going to work for nothing, I may as well retire and stay at home, which i did for 18 months until I reached pension age. It was not really the way I would have chosen to end my career.
*This involved ordering, maintaining and accounting for all spares, stores, victuals and linen, computer maintenance and backup including the compilation of daily and weekly work reports, I was also the company Draughtsman, and when I could get time I kept a general eye out on the overall running of the vessel and abalone farm for the owner. I also acted as I/C the Fire team and daily medical officer for the first aid treatment of everything from minor cuts and scrapes to a injuries requiring helo evacuation. I didn't have a lot of time to myself and generally ate breakfast and Lunch in the office whilst doing paperwork, the Skipper and I ate Dinner together most nights in the duty mess and discussed the work plan. I didn't have a lot of time to myself.
Yeah,.... I was just another lazy, unskilled and overpaid Merchant seaman.:smile:
The Russkies were either very skilled or dangerously incompetent and lazy, the Chinese Abalone farmhands were for the best part great people, but required very close supervision to ensure that they did their jobs.
Never the less, it was an experience that I would not have missed for quids, unfortunately I found that if I was going to work for nothing, I may as well retire and stay at home, which i did for 18 months until I reached pension age. It was not really the way I would have chosen to end my career.
*This involved ordering, maintaining and accounting for all spares, stores, victuals and linen, computer maintenance and backup including the compilation of daily and weekly work reports, I was also the company Draughtsman, and when I could get time I kept a general eye out on the overall running of the vessel and abalone farm for the owner. I also acted as I/C the Fire team and daily medical officer for the first aid treatment of everything from minor cuts and scrapes to a injuries requiring helo evacuation. I didn't have a lot of time to myself and generally ate breakfast and Lunch in the office whilst doing paperwork, the Skipper and I ate Dinner together most nights in the duty mess and discussed the work plan. I didn't have a lot of time to myself.
Yeah,.... I was just another lazy, unskilled and overpaid Merchant seaman.:smile:
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