Litespeed

I think a bit of perspective is needed about the car industry. All developed countries that have a car industry provide some form of incentives either direct or indirect. Even Germany. They understand that the industrial capacity, technologies , research and development, and associated industries provide significant strategic advantage to a country for its people and economy. It provides considerable jobs in allied industries such as parts makers, exports and taxation receipts. For every one job making cars their can be 20 hitech exportable market jobs created. Even car makers that do not make a taxable profit generate considerable productive wealth for the country and taxation in Gst, wages taxes, superannuation and direct r&d, payroll taxes and so on. This is a economic sustainable model even when the subsidies might be considered. The economic multiplier effect is considerable and the best investment for industry assistance a country can generally do. A car industry is also considered vital in times of war as it allows the fast turnover into a war materials production facility. That alone makes industry assistance a very cheap military investment. Our investment was one of the smallest in the world and we got back considerable benefit. The ongoing planned assistance was planned to be well under a billion a year and steadily decreasing under the last labour government. It all came to a crashing heap when the new policy was announced and Abbott did everything possible to make sure the industry new it would be not supported in any way under his government. He campaigned in the Murdoch press how red tape and ridiculous union wages made it uncompetitive to make cars here and all the money was just a gift to foreign Car makers. At the time the world heads of GM, Ford and Toyota were in Australia to sign off on future car development and manufacture plans including many billions in investment over the long term. These included export plans for parts, engines, research and development centres for their world car products- including for models not to be made here. At the time besides making stuff for our market,...... Holden was selling cop cars in the USA, plus Monaro and Commodore and to the middle east with the Caprice as well. . and the UK was happily buying the GTS. Its HSV group was also exporting. The Current Camaro was actually developed here in Australia. Holden was considered the design center of excellence for GM and had a very big future developing cars for world markets. Ford, pretty much locally based but also a design centre for global car development hence the current Mustang was developed here. It was also a exporter to NZ and world wide for design and engines sales. Toyota besides making Camry and Corolla was the biggest exporter of Camry's for Toyota to the middle east and some other markets. It had expansion plans to double then triple production for export. All the car Chiefs said Abbott was lying and red tape, wages and such were internationally competitive and world class for overall quality and production output. Abbott made it clear he would not support manufacturing at all but would throw many billion a year to mining which rapes the environment, rarely if ever pays any tax and is going robotic. And naturally are mostly foreign owned. So Abbott killed the car industry and created a decline in the manufacturing sector on purpose. When all the data and advice was ignored and he created facts to suit his ideology. Makes a two year old look mature. So unemployment jumps, businesses close, exports are lost, skills and intellectual capital is trashed. We loose all the taxes collected and have to pay billions in restructure assistance and welfare benefits. The wages if those displaced drop for most to low skill low pay jobs. Real estate and local economies fall and everyone loses. Oh except some miners and Abbott.

You can bet Clinton would not have proposed her daughter to run the Federal Reserve. And I bet she would not insist on vetoing the "making rape in war by soldiers a war crime". Trump did yesterday because it offered to support those who are raped to get a abortion if requested. The UN were gobsmacked he even lobbied China and Russia to veto as well. Both countries that support reproductive rights. Let's not forget saying the land Israel stole from Palestine, is now recognised as sovereign Israeli land. He has already started a trade war with Europe, Canada, China, human rights. Women's rights, kicked NATO in the balls and refuses to accept international law, treaties and anything the UN agrees with. Oh and kissed Putin's are and the Nth Korean mutters balls. What could possibly go wrong?

Red, Yes your local member has provided funding for some local things over his time in power. But that is a very poor metric to celebrate, it is after all his job. Only those with a seat can do that and generally only with the party in power. What has his mob done for the country and your local area that is better than the others might be able to do is the question? Promises made by a incumbent pollie are worth less than an oppositions, ie why havent they already done it. I notice most of their policies are for spending two or three elections away. So they say trust us to do in 10 years time when they have had two terms and done little but argue and knife eachother

Dick flddler is always a good time in book, radio or film.

Exactly the same as any ute with petrol, except when you get the shires there is no petrol to burn the bugger

I think he is referring to the paternalism of the idea. In that if we get them counselled the couple should stay together and the victim is further victimised.

Hot water jackets and coils are a godsend in the cold but beware. The water is very hot and can even create superheated steam which can be extremely dangerous. The same precautions of a electric or gas boiler apply but your potential heat is much higher. It must be done with proper design and relief valves that can be accessed and serviced. Getting good natural circulation is the key, hence most have a tank in the ceiling for sufficient gravity draw and temp differential. Long term a copper tank is by far the best. Don't be scared to do it, just be sensible and use best practice. As a side note, a runaway boiler of any type can destroy a home when it explodes and goes off like a actual rocket. Good example on mythbusters.

Ah, that is for the slow roasting of drop bears. No seriously, I all depends and is hard to say without seeing the building including its substructure before it became a ruin. Debris can make it hard to tell what the real floor structure and what was underneath originally. Some were to slowly radiate heat into the floor for heat and to keep the flooring dry, many had cob floors- mud basically. It also helps in keeping the moisture seeping through the soil from around and under the building. Same goes for those built on piers with a wooden floor, it keeps under the floor dry and warms it slowly. That's a educated guess. Another possible reason is to ensure the cool cellar in the floor does not freeze in winter. Many old homes had a cool cellar in the floor in the kitchen or close to the fire. It helped regulate the temp for the food stores and provide a low moisture environment. I have seen this setup before. I would expect it is a throw back from the English times exported to Australia and adapted. The building of fire systems with dual use and even pumped water/air heating goes all the way back to the Romans who were experts and refined it to high art. I will look into further and see what I can find.

I, many moons ago was a chimney sweeper and even built fires of many designs, restored ancient stoves etc.

Open fires are very inefficient but a quality slow combustion design can be very efficient and have low emissions. Add a water jacket and you get hot water and lots of it. The best designs are multi burn chambers that have large mass and can even duct water to small radiators around the home or blown air. And naturally you can add a oven and hotplates ala kitchen stove. A thermal mass rocket stove is a good example if designed well, can be a extremely efficient converter of wood to heat with very low emissions. And it is using carbon that is in the earths carbon cycle. So its net effect on climate change is zero. Its the energy sources that rely on carbon Long buried that have fubared the climate. No I am not advocating all should be burning trees for heat. But it can be great in certain circumstances. Naturally we should be planting billions of trees for the sake of the planet and local environment. Since trees suck the most carbon in their early years then selective logging and planting of many dozens of trees for every one felled, you can actually reduce carbon dioxide in the air. But please no cutting of the oldies with holes etc. Animals call that home..

Suzuki splinter

Yep I rather play games in the bath with a big salt water croc, at least I might have a chance. Or a shark, at least you can punch the bugger in the nose and hope that discourages the bugger. Or maybe swimming lessons with Africa's deadliest animal, the hippopotamus. And that bugger is all bad attitude, it doesn't even eat meat. But just loves to kill anything that goes in the water. Any of the above is still a lot better than a snow balls chance in hell

True but he seems to pick em with lits of added plastic

And you can bet the ALP had the coatings done by the correct government department. Rather than a fly by night accounting firm that was a donor, which was so bad they got a ban. The libs pulled this trick the last 3 elections.

Yep that's the cretin. I am sure he started his mid life crisis in 1980, and is still going.

Ben the Kodiak bear at Macquarie uni is a very big boy, they are the largest of all bears. He is or was in the biology department. His head is easily 3 feet deep nose to back of skull. Would swallow a head easily. His paws were 2 feet plus nails 1 foot long and sharp like blades. No land animal would have a chance. Would make a tiger the biggest of all cats look like a house kitten. Fortunately Kodiak island is a long way from here.

Ah, Dr edelstein, that brings back memories. I remember his practice at Baulkham Hills, it had pink carpets, musk leather lounges and tacky gold mirrors on the walls and gross chandeliers. And that was the good parts. He did however have a very hot young wife with a pink De Tomaso Pantera. Pratlys pink pantera was the nickname. The quality of corporatised medicine has been downhill ever since.

Must be the Brexit version. Only a Brit would add electricity to a shower and think its a great idea.

The ALP have a much more experienced government team that the actual government.

Did they market the horse float version, No they did not. Neil I think as per normal you have the cart before the horse. You will forever get covered in horsepoo that way. But will you actually notice?

Yes they were drunk when meeting and discussing here in Australia, at meetings to plan trip to America. Drunk booking tickets, drunk having meetings at gun lobbyists, drunk asking for money from NRA. Drunk on power and treason. Naturally that means in innocence. Pauline and co have trouble with spelling and meaning. What they mistook for reasonable actions. They forgot to add the T from the Tea party. Yes that's reason with a Trumpet........., or Treason to the rest of us.

I have always seen him as the Prime Munster

Hydrogen is the future, the perfect chemical battery.

I don't think even a Babblefish could translate that.

Must be needing glasses. Dad, your son is a bitch.