The General Election

[DavinMochrie]

Now here we have it again:
look in the other Thread were a little girl must have 3 Insulin injection a day - BUT we have billions of surplus money, couldn't the Government put a few millions immediatly into research?

http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/

This is off topic, but there are other solutions, that the powers that be don't want you to know about. The above website is about a doctor who has been type 1 diabetic for over 50 years and control it with little injected insulin.

His remarkable story here: http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/book/mylife.shtml

But *sigh* no one listens.

The other day I was very disapointed from the Labour Party about their Tasmanian statement: agreed with Turnbul. Why couldn't they come out with something else to create employment, for example we havent got a Motorbike factory in Aussieland. So forget about the papermill and have our own Australian Motorbike, or our own 4 cylinder motor, shipbuilding could go to Tasmania and so on.

Great ideas!

 

[jarrol]

i'm starting to wonder if democracy has been violated. it seems no matter who we vote for, we're just voting in a different dictator role. There may be two choices, but what happens if neither of them is the best choice?

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

Well been forced to vote isn't very democratic. But if people didn't have the vote then you'd be in a position where people can abuse that. So there isn't one best system. It's just a bit unfortunate that the Democrats has declined in power so much and there isn't someone to take the balance of power in the Senate (other than the libs/labour)

 

[tigercub]

i'm starting to wonder if democracy has been violated. it seems no matter who we vote for, we're just voting in a different dictator role. There may be two choices, but what happens if neither of them is the best choice?

Then give your preference to a smaller party, such as Greens, Democrats or an Independant.

That way, we will avoid a repeat of the current Dictatorship of a Government, in which Liberal has waaay too much power and can pass pretty much whatever laws they want without the counsel of others.

 

[2writeabout]

Churchill is quoted as saying about democracy "it's not perfect but it's the best option out of what is currently in operation in the world".

Let's think about what our amazing country might look like if it was something other than the form of democracy we currently live with. Think about the political system in Burma or Pakistan or India. Whilst we can be critical of what we have ( a sound principle of a democracy) I encourage you to create ideas for ways forward rather than being only negative and critical. If you want a change in the system then what might you do to assist such a change occur. Remember too the saying "bad things happen when good people look away'. Did anyone watch the SBS program on democracy in Liberia on Wednesday evening? Brave women in a scarred and hurting country.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Let's think about what our amazing country might look like if it was something other than the form of democracy we currently live with. Think about the political system in Burma or Pakistan or India. Whilst we can be critical of what we have ( a sound principle of a democracy) I encourage you to create ideas for ways forward rather than being only negative and critical.

I certainly agree that we take our system for granted. I think it's partly because we have had it easy and so we don't take much interest in politics. We also let people and politicians get away with too much - from political rorts to the constant throwaway phrases (children overboard, Kyoto treaty) that clog the news.

 

[norbie]

and so we don't take much interest in politics.

Yes, I agree this is Australias bigest problem: people study our politic not enough. Otherwise what happened with the last Senate election? a cathastrophe: lower AND upper house the same party. The senate suppose to be a house of review, of controll.
So we should not complain about not being democratic - WE STOPED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS OURSELF! So please in the election make sure that the senate will deffently NOT be the same as the House of Parliament. Get the third biggest party, the greens in the senate maybe a good idea.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

Won't be a problem this time - I'm predicting a Labour victory, but it will be close and certainly close enough to rule out any big swing in the Senate.

 

[Neenie1]

I don't know who is going to win.

Goldsoldier, didn't everyone predict a Labour win last election? And look who won by a landslide.


I must admit I am still undecided on who to vote for.

The IR laws lost my vote to Howard but I am not convinced a Rudd vote is going to be better.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

They did, and it's going to be closer than everyone thinks - but I've just had it with the Liberals, and I think a lot of people are too.

 

[KristyAnne]

So the latest Howard stunt:
"Mr Howard says if he is re-elected he will hold a referendum within 18 months of his return to office, to include a statement of reconciliation in the preamble to the Constitution."

I am personally sick of all of the eleventh hour political stunts the liberals are pulling. Honestly, the man made similar promises nearly ten years ago, and failed to follow through. Does he actually expect people to believe that his sudden resurgence of enthusiasm has nothing to do with the looming election?

Has this caused anyone to instead vote Liberal? "Wow, he really does care, what a nice chap"

I actually feel slightly insulted. How stupid does he think Australians are?

 

[norbie]

But don't forget our bigest problem: the liberals have fare more seats in the house and I realy don't know if the swing to Labour is enough to make up for all this.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

I only have one thing to say to that - vote labor!

 

[CelticRose]

Howard just makes me fume! I hate how he lies & thinks people won't remember all that come election time...but then he did get in last time.

 

[KristyAnne]

Howard just makes me fume! I hate how he lies & thinks people won't remember all that come election time...but then he did get in last time.

I have a theory about that. It was during Oktoberfest (either the last election or the one before that). He deliberately planned it that way, so anyone who would normally have the mental capacity to know better, re-elected him. So, the drunk vote won him the election

If he calls an election this month, it will only confirm my suspicions

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

I have heard the most awesome sermon last night and I will do up a voting guide inspired by this sermon after lunch from this series of books I read on how to vote for Christians in Australia for the 2007 election. It was composed of around (I think) 49 authors and consists of 66 books.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

If you have half an hour listen to this sermon which I think would be really helpful. It's not about elections as such but it's still a very useful sermon on that topic. The topic is the "secularist challenge"

http://www.therubicon.org/?p=344#more-344

I think the biggest thing I got out of the sermon is that God loves this nation - he loves Australia and all the people within it. It's not always obvious who he wants us to vote for or what we should do in a secular society.

I think looking at the OT it does show a story of a nation does it not? I loved the bit where the major points out in Deuotronomy he sets about a legal framework for a holy nation. One that honours God honours family, life, people's possessions and relationships, is truthful.

In Leviticus, does not God set down rules to protect the enviroment, provisions for the poor and enslaved (the one I can think of is Leviticus 25) The slaves were freed every 50 years, the poor were provided for. In Micah 6:8 he does sum up: (paraphrased from memory) "what does the Lord require of you? to acts justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"

Any of these secular views - and often selfish views are in my opinion destructive. What makes a nation prosperous? Surely if we believe in the living God then the answer has to be that God blesses a nation and he can just as easily destroy economies. When there are sections of our society being oppressed (in Australia) when there are people trafficked (in Australia) what are we doing about that? Nothing.

Not a single damn thing, people don't even want to know and a lot of Christians don't even care because somewhere along the line the gospel became about "me" instead of about God and "others"

I'm not going to tell you who to vote for but I just pray that my fellow brothers (and sisters) would take God into consideration when they vote.

 

[John Spong is wrong]

I only have one thing to say to that - vote labor!

Amen brother!

 

[John Spong is wrong]

i'm starting to wonder if democracy has been violated. it seems no matter who we vote for, we're just voting in a different dictator role. There may be two choices, but what happens if neither of them is the best choice?

That's why the role of the Senate is more crucial than ever - plenty of minor parties to vote for.

 

[norbie]

agree with our dear Friend from the Salvos: there is a great worry for all Australians: The new secular party, who is against any religion.
So be careful don't make a mistake on your ballot paper - this party must be eraded very quickly.