octave

By the way I can't find any reference to the $250 figure for solar rebates. When we got our solar there were 2 incentives. One was a state government interest free loan. Then there are STCs (small scale technology certificates. There may have been another rebate, I can't quite remember. Anyway the point is if you are genuinely wanting to get solar then just find a reputable installer, give them a ring, explain you circumstance and they will soon let you know what subsidies you would qualify for.

Are you sure about that. It may be worth rechecking, these subsidies change from time to time. If your bill is only just under this sum can't you just leave the oven on for a couple of hours a day? If your bill is that low then it is probably not worth getting solar anyway. With your low power bills the solar may never pay for itself.

My advice is if you are really serious about getting solar look for online reviews and choose a company with a good reputation. Then contact only that company That is what we did and it turned out fine. If you are not that serious then just forget it and move on. It sounds like your bills are not that high anyway.

We had a great experience with our solar installer. We did of course a lot of research as to which were the best installers in our area. They came out and inspected the site and suggested a system. Far from them trying to upsell they actually did the opposite. We were keen to also get a battery however the solar guy did the figures and told us that at that point in time a battery would not have been economically smart. He said he would be happy to install one if we really wanted them. Since installation (6years) we have had 2 faults. A micro inverter on one panel failed. This meant our power production was down by one panel. This was fixed within a week under warranty. The other problem was a failure cons to the bet. This meant that our power to the grid was still working but we just couldn't monitor on our app. This was also fixed under warranty. The thing is you just have to do your research. Solar company websites ask your address because at least here in Vic not all suburbs qualified for subsidies, it depends on the requirements of the local grid. The process was slightly complicated however the installer did most of the admin. The application for the various subsidies was a bit of a pain but worth it. My advice to anyone wanting to get solar is like with any large purchase you just have to do your homework. When a system is installed it has to be inspected by an independent inspector. Our inspector just had a quick look around and said this company always does good quality installations.

https://gosolarquotes.com.au/free-solar-panels/pensioners-low-income-household-scheme-nsw/#:~:text=Eligible pensioners and low-income,system installed on their homes.

https://techau.com.au/channel-7s-spotlight-on-evs-fails-to-identify-any-ev-maker-that-actually-uses-dirty-nickel-from-indonesia/#google_vignette

Australia makes a good over the horizon radar that Canada wants to buy. We are also good at making wine that people seem to want to buy. I can only see this as a good thing. Protectionism comes at a cost, sometimes the cost may be worth it and often not. The car industry was kept afloat by the tax payers. The world is more interconnected than ever and I believe this is a good thing. It is much harder to imagine a world war given the economic dependence between countries and people.

I think there should certainly be rules about dangerous good or goods produced with slave labour or poor worker conditions. When it comes to quality I don't always need a top quality product. I renovated my bathroom and bought a budget tile saw for around $100. Sure although it did the job well it certainly wouldn't suit a tradie. I appreciate not having to pay many hundreds of dollars. I think the fact is that the world is only getting more connected and I think this is a good thing

I think there are obviously pros and cons. We have all come to expect that a car won't cost many years wages to buy. I recall when I was young my family saving up for a considerable time to buy a new television. I do think a lot of people complain about things being made overseas where labour is cheaper but will also whinge prices going up. We want our products to be sold overseas but tend to complain when tools or electronics are made in China

Why is globalisation perceived as being bad?

It is so difficult to engage with you because you make these vague statements. If you are really wanting a meaningful discussion you might need to be more specific. Which current policies do you disagree with and how could they be made better? I read your idea about having a body to oversee medical services. Would this body be funded by the government? Would this funded by the Medicare surcharge? Would there be checks and balances to ensure that an adverse outcome that was flagged before a procedure did not become the subject of complaint against a surgeon who did everything right but the outcome was negative in line the stated statistics. Look I am impressed with people who come up with good ideas and put in the work to make their idea more than just a thought bubble.

Change does happen, yes it happens slowly but the Australia of today is not as it was in the past. I am sorry you are so unhappy but ultimately happiness is something that doesn't just happen it is something you create yourself.

Honestly GON I can't really workout what it is you want. Is your life so horrendous due to present government policies? If so which ones?

I don't believe that not voting sends a concise message to either party. There are many reasons people may fail to vote. What would be a clearer message is to go into the polling booth and not vote but write a message "I hate Eskimos" or whatever your beef is. I used to know a scrutineer for the Labor party and I know these kind of protest votes are noted It is also noted where preferences come from. If the Labor Party gets a lower than usual preference flow from the Greens this is of concern and the same applies on the conservative side. Preferences are a way if saying to a party ultimately you will get my vote however my concerns are coming from a particular point of view. If you don't believe there is anyone to vote for and you are not prepared to go into the booth and scrawl a message then perhaps for your personal happiness you should disengage. There is no sense fuming about something you can't change. You have one life, whatever the circumstances you just have to make the best if it

Technically you are not voting for a prime Minister you are voting for a local member. Your local member then argues their case within the party. If Dutton is not conservative enough for you it still makes sense to vote for the local conservative candidate if they are somewhat aligned with your beliefs. They can argue your views in the parliamentary party room. Voting for no one is pointless

This was my ride today. The TSS Earnslaw. Built in Dunedin in in 1912 and disassembled so it could be transported to lake Wakatipu by train.

No, I need to travel in style.

My transport to lunch.

Life is mostly pretty good

I forgot to vote in 2 council elections in a row. On both occasions I received a penalty notice. The notice said I could a avoid the fine if I had a reasonable excuse. On the back of the form was a long list of reasonable excuses for me to choose from. I avoided a fine on both occasions. The opportunities to vote have never been greater. I don't think I have voted on the actual election day in years. I either go to an early voting centre or vote by mail. GON I don't know how remote your residents is but you must be able you to buy food. I would have thought that these shopping trips would afford an opportunity to vote postal or early When I lived in a rural area neighbours would ring and say they were going into town and did we need anything. Where I lived the posty was happy to pick up mail. Your user name on this forum includes the word "Grumpy" maybe it is just more difficult for grumpy people to get favours.

When we choose where to live we have to weigh up the pros and cons. We lived in the bush for 21 years and enjoyed the good things and accepted the things that were inconvenient and above all we did not whinge. You can't have everything. If you enjoy your seclusion you just have to accept that it comes with disadvantages.

In the last five years, around 1500 citizens of New Zealand have been deported from Australia after being found guilty of criminal offences in Australia. It is unclear what these crimes are but I am assuming more serious crimes.

The laws apply equally to all non-citizens. However, New Zealanders have been disproportionately affected by the laws, with more than 1500 deportations of New Zealand citizens occurring since the laws were passed. Some of those deported had lived their whole lives in Australia and had never even been to New Zealand. A lot of NZ citizens are now detained in Australia’s immigration detention centres, while their legal challenges to the decision to deport them are processed. Reported cases of NZ citizens who have been deported have included those with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses who had no ties to New Zealand. Deportation of New Zealand Citizens

In my opinion, the dreadful situation in the US is partly caused by the low voter turnout. A non-vote is a vote for "I don't give a sh1t" If you don't like the two-party dominance of our system then vote for an independent. Even if your candidate does not win it still sends a message to the party analysts. In the US the Republicans benefit from a low voter turnout.