The General Election

[GrannieAnnie]

Norbie, do you rent, have a mortgage or own your home ? Hope you don't mind me asking? We bought our little 3 x 1 place 10 yrs ago and paid $89k for it, today it's worth about $375k. We don't want to move coz we love where we are, but even if we did want to, it wouldn't be worth it, because everything else in our area is more expensive. Thankfully we don't have a mortgage.

 

[norbie]

Norbie, do you rent, have a mortgage or own your home ? Hope you don't mind me asking? We bought our little 3 x 1 place 10 yrs ago and paid $89k for it, today it's worth about $375k. We don't want to move coz we love where we are, but even if we did want to, it wouldn't be worth it, because everything else in our area is more expensive. Thankfully we don't have a mortgage.

I still have to pay off a little, with $175/week. And this is why I am worried about interest rate rise because of Howards wrong economic management. I both the house from the NSW electricity commission for $ 79000, now I would get $ 250000 for it. But the catch is you want find anything else also. Most likely the same situation in WA.

 

[GrannieAnnie]

EXACTLY the same situation here my friend. Saying your house is worth $375k or $400k sounds great, but if you decide to sell, you have the cost of moving the furniture, then real estate agents fees are horrendous....we really can't afford to move. We had thought of going to Tasmania to be closer to my kids, because my son lives in Geelong and daughter south of Hobart. We could live in northern Tassie and be about half way between the kids...but....the costs of moving are too much, and we couldn't afford the same quality house as we have here. The place I'm in now is double brick, about 15 yrs old and we have an 815 sq mt block of land. Brian has a huge shed to "play in" we're within 5 minutes walk from good shops...a hospital, doctor, dentist and many other shops are no more than 15 minutes drive from us. We'd be crazy to move. At the end of last year we took out a "reverse mortgage" which gave us $30k cash. It doesn't have to be repaid till we're both dead or we sell the home. That cash has made life much easier for us, we can still get the pension, but we were able to pay off our little car (Hyundi Getz) paint the inside of the house, pay for our trip to Tassie in November (we'll be away for a month seeing the kids) get a new lawn mower and fridge and a few little things like that. It's just taken the pressure of daily living, and we still have a little in the bank. I've heard of people whose mortgages or rents have suddenly jumped $50 a week or more with basically no notice. I can't imagine the strain that puts on families. And food isn't getting any cheaper and neither is petrol..... I'm not sure if things will get any better no matter which political party gets elected..... For us personally, I don't think it will make much difference one way or the other, but I hope something helps other people.

 

[DavinMochrie]

Davin's Predictions:

Lil Johnny will lose the election. But honestly I don't think the public deserve a change. why? Because the majoirty voted him in for the last decade. They deserve everything Lil Johnny has done negatively to us.

Housing prices will plummet, and we will have a massive recession. The excessive boom times have created this need for balance. People cannot live for their mortgages forever.

[Davin thinks God should be the focus of our lives, not mortgages and capital gains on investment houses for Baby Boomers]

I am sure when judgement comes to us all, the people who called themselves Christian by label to gain favour in politics will be judged on their actions. What that judgement is, I'll leave up to God.

 

[tigercub]

It begins....

Smear Campaigns Ahoy!

Though how exactly Rudd's transplant makes him unfit for prime minister I do not understand, it's not as if Howard is in the Olympics...plus if you can do Kokoda, you're fit enough in my books!

As for Interest rates and whatnot...since when did the PM join the Reserve Bank board?

The only major issues I see with Labour reigning again is way too much money going into welfare, and not enough being done to get people (those who don't need or deserve it) off welfare. My mum works for a Disability Employment Network (DEN) povider and they're actually going ok under a Lib Gov. My worry is that a Labour PM might decide to push so much moolah into welfare payments thats less is available for things like DEN providers...

I heard the other day that November 10 is the possible election date. Around Cup day...goody

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

But honestly I don't think the public deserve a change. why? Because the majoirty voted him in for the last decade. They deserve everything Lil Johnny has done negatively to us.

Does that cut both ways? Did people deserve to suffer a few more years under Keating too?

 

[norbie]

Does that cut both ways? Did people deserve to suffer a few more years under Keating too?

And your answer is EXACTLY what I am worried about. Now the economic was pushed up and whoever winns the election it doesn't matter: there will be a tightening of the belt next year. It can't go on like this.
BUT NOW here comes the truth: Labour will most likely winn and will get the blame for the liberal stuff up of our economic

 

[DavinMochrie]

Does that cut both ways? Did people deserve to suffer a few more years under Keating too?

Well I was too young to really comment about that.

But yeah, if a people vote someone in, then the people have to take a little responsibility for it.

I believe in an active democracy.

I don't believe in continuously voting in the same guy for over a decade.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Well I was too young to really comment about that.

You're lucky

But yeah, if a people vote someone in, then the people have to take a little responsibility for it.

I believe in an active democracy.

I don't believe in continuously voting in the same guy for over a decade.

You should remember that the Hawke/Keating government lasted from 1983 to 1996, and Menzies lasted from '49 - '66 (no - I'm not that old).

But I do share some of your dismay. I live in NSW - and people keep electing Labor despite their trashing of almost every public service they could get their hands on.

 

[DavinMochrie]

The real problem I see is the 2 part system of control.

It seems to me that with only two choices, we don't have much democracy.

I also see the two parties merging closer together as time goes on.

Just as bad as each other.

I don't believe Kevin Rudd will overturn the IR laws.

I see Australia being ruled by the conservative elite and being turned into a mini-USA.

Soon we will lose medicare and have way more homeless on the streets.

Gah...maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

I really wouldn't have seen Jesus going for the IR laws, and being happy about high housing prices and mortgages and interest rates ruling our lives.

Will the nest generation after baby boomers be any better?

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

The real problem I see is the 2 part system of control.
It seems to me that with only two choices, we don't have much democracy.
I also see the two parties merging closer together as time goes on.
Just as bad as each other.
I don't believe Kevin Rudd will overturn the IR laws.
I see Australia being ruled by the conservative elite and being turned into a mini-USA.
Soon we will lose medicare and have way more homeless on the streets. Gah...maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

I really wouldn't have seen Jesus going for the IR laws, and being happy about high housing prices and mortgages and interest rates ruling our lives.

Will the nest generation after baby boomers be any better?

You are right on the two parties being like one. For me, one of the most worrying trends is the progressive outsourcing of government, and it's replacement by a "user-pays" mentality.

Government doesn't want to be responsible for anything anymore, they'd rather the private sector run things (and take the blame). In turn, they get to waste more taxes on pandering to special interest groups, and making their life easier.

As for high house prices - it's a simple supply and demand problem. We need more land released without the red tape and massive infrastructure charges (see my user-pays comment above), we need better transport to outlying areas. The bloated, useless department of housing doesn't help either.

 

[tigercub]

And your answer is EXACTLY what I am worried about. Now the economic was pushed up and whoever winns the election it doesn't matter: there will be a tightening of the belt next year. It can't go on like this.
BUT NOW here comes the truth: Labour will most likely winn and will get the blame for the liberal stuff up of our economic

Well that fits..because our economy being in such good shape in Howards early years was never attributed to the groundwork laid by the previous 13 years of Labour Gov...no of course Howard gets all the praise. *rolls eyes*

People should also keep in mind, that the recent $17billion surplus in the Budget does not mean our Goverment is particularly good or wanting to benefit the tax-payers...more likely they think a surplus looks good on paper, and this way they don't have to actually bother improving any of those boring things such as education, hospitals....etc. Howard seems to think it's his pocket money .

(found in news.com.au article)

Broken down, that $17.3billion surplus is equivalent to a one-off $1572 tax rise on every one of the 11 million taxpayers in this country.
Or, to put it another way, we all paid about $30 a week more than was needed to balance the Budget.

The surplus would actually have been more than $25billion if the Government had not shovelled nearly $7billion out the door by June 30 in the form of one-off payments to seniors and carers and a $5billion higher education endowment fund.
If the treasurer of my school canteen got her budget that badly wrong she'd be sacked, or lynched by parents demanding to know why they'd been overcharged for school lunches.
But this is not a one-off due to some sudden unforseen change in the world economy.
Would you believe over the past nine years Treasury has underestimated its eight Budget surpluses by, on average, $5billion a year? That's $454 for every wage earner every year for eight years.

Now, if a former Treasurer can't manage the budget properly as our prime minister, he shouldn't have the PM job IMO (or his old Treasurer one, come to think)

We should all be grateful we didn't end up with a Bjelke-Peterson PM! (pointless trivia; his grandson is in a small Christian rock band....)

 

[DavinMochrie]

You are right on the two parties being like one. For me, one of the most worrying trends is the progressive outsourcing of government, and it's replacement by a "user-pays" mentality.

Oh yes, this is terrible.

I worry about this too. It's a very 'American' way of doing everything. America is a great place, but we should learn from their mistakes.

 

[John Spong is wrong]

Howard is doomed. They said Howard was doomed last time (2004) but this time it is different. This time:

• Labor is united as a team and as a Party (they were badly undermined last time by, among others (and ironically), Kevin Rudd).
• The electorate has suffered 9 interest rates hikes in a row. The constant jacking up of interest rates has infuriated the electorate. Howard's battlers (aka aspirational Liberals) have abandoned him in droves since he abandoned them by failing to keep interest rates at record lows (which he promised at the last election). More than any other reason, the 9 interest rates increases have sealed Howard's fate. Forget boring, longwinded analyses by pundits going on about such topics as health, education, child care, climate change, etc. 90% of the Australian electorate votes according to a WIIFM (what's in it for me?) philosophy. And at the end of the day - with housing affordability at an all time low - people vote as to who they think will make it easier for them to make their rent/mortgage repayments (or their children's repayments if they have retired).
• Those rotten IR laws. We all know they're totally un-Australian and, well, those laws have just got to go.

Finally, I fail to understand the hostility directed toward FF on this site. I for one will be voting FF (but giving my 2nd preference to Labor).

 

[DavinMochrie]

A voter who think that the government has much say in interest rates is a fool.

Unfortuantely there are a lot of them.

Why do politicans throw around BS about interest rates, like as if they control the entire economy.

So free markets have nothing to do with it? It's all the magic powers of politicans.

Lies lies lies.......oh yes standard fair for all politicans of both sides.

 

[Neenie1]

Howard is doomed. They said Howard was doomed last time (2004) but this time it is different. This time:

• Labor is united as a team and as a Party (they were badly undermined last time by, among others (and ironically), Kevin Rudd).
• The electorate has suffered 9 interest rates hikes in a row. The constant jacking up of interest rates has infuriated the electorate. Howard's battlers (aka aspirational Liberals) have abandoned him in droves since he abandoned them by failing to keep interest rates at record lows (which he promised at the last election). More than any other reason, the 9 interest rates increases have sealed Howard's fate. Forget boring, longwinded analyses by pundits going on about such topics as health, education, child care, climate change, etc. 90% of the Australian electorate votes according to a WIIFM (what's in it for me?) philosophy. And at the end of the day - with housing affordability at an all time low - people vote as to who they think will make it easier for them to make their rent/mortgage repayments (or their children's repayments if they have retired).
• Those rotten IR laws. We all know they're totally un-Australian and, well, those laws have just got to go.

Finally, I fail to understand the hostility directed toward FF on this site. I for one will be voting FF (but giving my 2nd preference to Labor).

I don't understand the issues a few seem to have with family first either.

I would probably vote for them next election, I haven't decided yet.

I don't understand why people think the interest rates would be better under a Labour government. Please can someone explain that a bit better. Also wasn't it last time Labour was in power the interest rates were around 17%?

I am concerned that if Labour wins this, then all the states/territories seem to have Labour govt, then we will have a Labour fed govt. I don't know that that will be a good idea.

 

[John Spong is wrong]

I don't understand the issues a few seem to have with family first either.

I would probably vote for them next election, I haven't decided yet.

I don't understand why people think the interest rates would be better under a Labour government. Please can someone explain that a bit better. Also wasn't it last time Labour was in power the interest rates were around 17%?

I am concerned that if Labour wins this, then all the states/territories seem to have Labour govt, then we will have a Labour fed govt. I don't know that that will be a good idea.

No, interest rates WON'T be better under a Labor government. In fact I wouldn't even be particularly annoyed at John Howard for the 9 interest rate rises . . . but he promised that they wouldn't go up, they'd remain at record lows. He lied and that is why (along with all his other lies about Iraq having WMD, etc.) he needs to be voted out of office. The government of the day actually has little influence as to whether interest rates go up or down - it is mostly in the hands of the Governor of the Reserve Bank (who is Glenn Stevens).

Yes, last time Labor was in power the interest rates were around 17% however housing was about three times more affordable then; moreover, interest rates were around 17% when John Howard himself was Treasurer in the early 1980s.

As for having 9 Federal/State/Territory Labor governments in Australia - don't worry. Labor doesn't (and never will) control the Senate so they can't do anything too radical or outlandish.

 

[GrannieAnnie]

Maybe we should stop concentrating on just the ... BIG TWO...and think about maybe...Family First....if enough people did, then maybe something really good might happen. I've never considered voting for any other than the BIG TWO....but maybe it's time for a change of thinking. It would sure give the BIG TWO a kick in the backside.

 

[DavinMochrie]

Vote greens?

For some reason I find Family First creepy.

Perhaps it's the whole White middle class rich look of it.

Just my initital impressions.

 

[tigercub]

FF is defnitely creepy. It is basically an AOG political party. The co-founder of FF is Andrew Evans, who was the General Superintendent of the AOG Church Australia for twenty years,

They want to pay parents over $10k for having more than 2 children. Not a good idea IMO. Especially when you listen to the FF's comments..and their hidden agenda; keeping women at home.

Their ideas on internet filtering are a little ridiculous though. You cannot censor the internet. It's pointless and a little insulting to everyone who doesn't share their views on porn and other things they intend to filter.

On the flip side; Family First was the first party in Australia to nominate an Aboriginal woman,lawyer Andrea Mason, as party President. It has been suggested this was done in a bid to attract a lot of votes in SA...

I like a lot of what the Green party does, but I don't like the idea of them being in power.