willedoo

onetrack, I'm assuming W.A. Day marks the date of formation of the colony if I'm right. Qld. Day which marks the date of independence is next Saturday but we don't as yet have a public holiday for it. It's a big mega sport and event day. The Premier has floated the idea of making it a public holiday so we might have it marked as a holiday next year.

I know where they've all gone. I can just about see them from my place.

There you go Nev, there's a post for you that's not generalised. Very specific I woud say.

Yes, correct. I'm giving generalised opinions and not expecting them to be taken as anything more. I prefer making general observations rather than picking sides and pushing one particular political wheelbarrow.

Nev, I'm a 4th. generation Queenslander so what you're saying is no news to me. It might be to others on the forum. I think by now most know what the LNP is. I started explaining it here on the forum two or three years ago when forum members were mistakedly referring to the Federal coalition as the LNP and you've mentioned it many times as well.

I knew a lot of bricklayers that went to Newcastle for the reconstruction work. One of them told me that a lot of the cavity brick walls that fell down had almost no wire brick ties left due to rusting away in the salt air environment. Whole sections of walls weren't tied together.

onetrack, are you typing that with your mudboots on? I've been looking at the weather over there.

When it comes to big majorities I always think of our classic Queensland example of how a government with a huge majority can totally stuff up and lose government. Point in case is can-do Campbell Newman where an opposition numbering seven members beat him and formed government. There's no such thing as an unbeatable majority if the voters decide they want to wield a big stick.

It looks like someone's buttons are being pushed.

A couple of years to go. I can't see the next election seeing Labor with a huge majority like they have now. Current polling estimates give them a majority of one seat, and possibly a minority struggling to form government. A lot could change in two years. It's hard to see the coalition position getting worse and I don't know what Labor could do to win back heaps of voters. By election time in 2028, Labor could have incumbency working against them combined with an unpopular PM. If Labor's polling figures drop to an election losing low point in a year's time it could trigger the infighting and implosion we saw in the Rudd/Gillard years. Musical chairs for PM and Albo getting the royal boot. Both Labor and the Coalition have previously found out how that behaviour pans out. A big majority doesn't mean much if there's a big enough swing on.

One Nation has hit a high point in their opinion poll figures in the latest Redbridge poll, leading Labor on primary vote intentions for the first time. On primary voting intentions, One Nation is up four points to 31%, Labor down three to 28%, and the coalition on 20%. The Labor drop is within the 3.5% margin of error, but as the pollsters pointed out, there has been a steady downward trend in the Labor primary vote for some time now and broadly across polls. Labor is still in a winning position on a two-party-preferred estimate, leading One Nation by 51% to 49%.

Yes, it's hard to see it at this point. They'd need to employ some experienced professional operators to organise the party structure for a start. Their problem is that to become a large effective opposition, they'd have to evolve and become basically what their new supporters are currently fleeing from. That might make some of them do the reverse trip back again. One very recent poll asked a hypothetical question on voting intention if Pauline Hanson announced her retirement and left the party and the One Nation vote almost halved.

I can relate to life on a submarine. At work we had dongas with two to a room, bunks 500mm wide and 0.6 square metres of floor space per two man room. But at least we were out of them for sixteen hours every day.

It's well worth it. I'm a bit biased as my all time favourite movie genre is submarine movies, but for any technically minded person it's got heaps of interest. They were a British design if my memory is correct.

onetrack, have you been on the HMAS Ovens? I did the tour when I was over there eleven years ago, very interesting inside.

For a while now the national conversation has all been about the rise of One Nation. That's where most of the coalition votes are going so the fate of the coalition will all depend on how ON tracks in the next two years until the election. If ON keeps growing or even stays at current polling levels, then the coalition is dead and the vacuum will be there for a new centre right party to emerge. If ON trips up or fizzles out early enough, then the coalition still has time to rebuild before the next election. For the coalition to have any chance I think ON would have to be in significant decline by the end of this year. Problem for the coalition is time is getting short. If ON stuffs right up early enough, we're back to the two party status quo; if they keep rolling on, it's a three party system coming - Labor, One Nation and whatever party emerges as the centre right replacement for the coalition.

It seems like we've got a long history of defence acquisition problems. I guess it wouldn't be an easy job trying to figure out something way into the future and finding the money for it.

I think the original deal was two used subs and one new one, now it's changed to three used subs.

At 90 degrees it's easy to judge. At distance you can hold your arm out and spread a couple of fingers from base to tree top and flip them sideways to see where the top will land. Or if closer use a stick. Even eyballing it is better than nothing.

I've seen Merino rams with gigantic chokos from brucellosis where they were dragging on the ground and covered in burrs. It looks painful and they were so bow legged they could hardly walk. You only see it in rough country where the sheep are hard to manage and some have virtually gone feral.

No wonder that tapir has that look on his face, dragging his pecker trough the prickles like that.

Except for the last part. Soviet war losses don't have much to do with our relationship with the U.S., but the forum wouldn't be true to form without thread drift.

On the subject of blowing things up, back in the 1960's a mate of mine used to get gelignite from the local hardware store when he was a teenager. He used to make up a story that his dad had sent him in for it and he'd use it to blow fish when mullet were running. I can remember one of his dad's mates had half a hand missing from doing the same thing.

Back in the pre-registration, pre-license days there were a lot of problems in country areas with gun hoons causing trouble. It wasn't the locals, who were mostly farmers and all the locals were responsible firearm owners. The problem was with idiots passing through and shooting at road signs, farm sheds, livestock and wildlife. It didn't happen all the time but enough to be a problem. One of the saddest things is they used to shoot koalas up in the trees. I lost my best horse that way, intentionally shot by idiots travelling through. She was my pride and joy at the time, a tall black and white piebald mare, half thoroughbred. She was a beautiful looking mare and riding her was like sitting in an armchair it was that smooth. A once in a lifetime horse just like that once in a lifetime dog some people get to own.

Yes Nev, we have wandered off topic.