Australian Federal Election 2022

[kgwilson]

2 hours ago, willedoo said:

 

 

My question is, has the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government ever delivered a balanced budget as Scotty claims?

No.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I do love a bit of sport. Mind you, I could not believe Frudenberg carried on with the rhetoric (apparently he didn't know the SA premier was going to be there).

 

[old man emu]

Frudenberg didn't even blush whilst being admonished. That's a sign of a well practised conman. I bet the SA Premier's bit wasn't broadcast on commercial media.

[old man emu]

BALANCED BUDGETS

Charles Dickens put it succinctly when he said: " Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six , result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery”. 

 

A balanced budget is a situation in financial planning or the budgeting process where total expected revenues are equal to total planned spending.   Governments may claim that they have a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year when delivering the Annual Budget to Parliament, or politicians may campaign on a promise to balance the budget once in office. 

 

The term "budget surplus" is often used in conjunction with a balanced budget. A budget surplus occurs when revenues exceed expenses, and the surplus amount represents the difference between the two. A budget deficit, by contrast, is the result of expenses eclipsing revenues. A budget surplus occurs when tax revenues in a calendar year exceed government expenditures. Budget deficits necessarily result in rising debt, as funds must be borrowed to meet expenses. 

 

Proponents of a balanced budget argue that excessive budget deficits saddle future generations with untenable debt. Most economists agree that an excessive public sector debt burden can pose a major systemic risk to an economy. Eventually, taxes must be raised to service this debt. This can result in a crippling tax bill once taxes are eventually raised, excessively high interest rates that crimp business and consumer access to credit, or rampant inflation that may disrupt the entire economy. On the other hand, running consistent budget surpluses tends to not be politically popular. Running a generally balanced budget may help governments to avoid the perils of either deficits or surpluses.

 

However, some economists feel budget deficits and surpluses serve a valuable purpose, via fiscal policy.  Keynesian economists insist that deficit spending represents a key tactic in the government's arsenal to fight recessions. During good economic times, they argue, governments should run budget surpluses to restrain private sector demand driven by excessive optimism. 

 

For Keynesians, a balanced budget in effect represents an abdication of the government's duty to use fiscal policy to steer the economy one way or another. 

 

 

 

[kgwilson]

5 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

I do love a bit of sport. Mind you, I could not believe Frudenberg carried on with the rhetoric (apparently he didn't know the SA premier was going to be there).

 

That was the moment that I was finally fully convinced that Frydenburg was a corrupt Liberal hack. I am looking forward to him losing his seat in 2 weeks time.

[Old Koreelah]

11 minutes ago, kgwilson said:

That was the moment that I was finally fully convinced that Frydenburg was a corrupt Liberal hack. I am looking forward to him losing his seat in 2 weeks time.

“Corrupt Liberal hack”.

Those three words have become a tautology.

[old man emu]

OK. Let's see what sort of bastards we are dealing with.

 

I have a mate who is standing for election in the Seat of Hughes, which is currently held by Craig Kelly, the former Liberal, now UAP member. It's been labelled a "Key Seat" that could be lost by the Liberals, although it has been held by them since 1996. The battle for this seat is turning very, very nasty. There are seven candidates, including one of Pauline's "ghosts", two independents and the others from the major parties.

 

Here's where the dirt is. You know those posters with the candidate's picture on them, "Vote for me", and party logo? Well, in the seat of Hughes, these posters have been targeted for defacing. We aren't talking moustaches and horn-rimmed glasses. These posters have been slashed with a sharp implement. Poor old Pauline's head has been cut off some. My mate went out one evening to put up some of these posters along a road that was reasonably unused at the time of night. He was doing an "out and back" run. About half an hour after he had erected the first lot of posters, he returned to fine them gone. The posters of all the other candidates have suffered the safe fate, except - you guessed it - the Liberal's. 

 

Pauline's ghost is interesting. Mystery surrounds the candidate for Hughes, Narelle Seymour. A photo and brief biographical details of Ms Seymour were belatedly added to the party's website following media scrutiny. But, One Nation has not responded to the Leader's request for contact details, and other attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful. The Australian Electoral Office said it had made contact with Ms Seymour, who was aware of her candidature and appeared to be a legitimately nominated candidate. There is also nothing that requires a candidate to be active in campaigning for election. However, clearly, that would be advantageous if you're genuinely seeking election. Maybe she's a Ball-Bearing Bird because

 

The Ball Bearing Bird, the Ball Bearing Bird
Has never been seen, has never been heard

 

The issue has impacted the campaign of Linda Seymour, the Independent candidate for Hughes with the same surname. Linda said, "From my personal perspective, it is really distracting to our campaign. We have worked hard to get our name out there and now we have to work even harder to differentiate. I am having to tell people who I am not, rather than who I am."

 

In case you don't remember the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt8-HXJ5oh8

 

[willedoo]

19 hours ago, willedoo said:

The hundred M777 155mm howitzers donated by the US, Australia and Canada should give the Russians a bit of stick. They're said to be a lot better than the Russian's 152mm artillery and will suit the open terrain in the Donbass where most of the fighting is now.

 

Photo shows two types of ammunition in use in Ukraine. The M795 is the standard round for the US Army and Marines, a bursting fragmentation round with a range around 22 klm.. The other type is the M549A1 rocket assisted projectile with a 30 klm+ range. I haven't seen any word on whether the Americans have given any M982 Excalibur GPS guided rounds. The Excalibur has been tested at 38klm with hits averaging 1.6 metres from target.

 

M795 rounds are in the rear of the photo, M549A1 rocket assisted rounds in front.

 

I was wondering where that post went. Obviously it was supposed to be in the Russia sanctions thread.

[onetrack]

Jeez, Willie - You should be in charge of the Russian Army, with that kind of post balls-up!

[Marty_d]

10 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Jeez, Willie - You should be in charge of the Russian Army, with that kind of post balls-up!

Easy now, he only lost one post, not thousands...

[Jerry_Atrick]

8 hours ago, willedoo said:

I was wondering where that post went. Obviously it was supposed to be in the Russia sanctions thread.

Has my mate, Wolfie paid you a visit lately?

[old man emu]

4 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Has my mate, Wolfie paid you a visit lately?

He's getting worse. Maybe he's teamed up with Nugget and Metho.

[willedoo]

15 hours ago, onetrack said:

Jeez, Willie - You should be in charge of the Russian Army

Yes, I could do with some new white goods. Although I'm sure there's safer ways to get them.

[willedoo]

11 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Has my mate, Wolfie paid you a visit lately?

Wolfie left a long time ago, so there's no excuse.

[willedoo]

Back to the election. Scotty and Co. are certainly poll driven like most pollies pre election. The Libs know their biggest hurdle in winning is Scotty himself, due to growing public dislike of the character. So now their mantra is 'it's not a popularity contest; you don't have to like him'. Scotty continually tells us we don't have to like him, and any of his cronies now give out the same sheep like bleat.

 

They are right. You don't have to like him. Nobody is forcing you. You can dislike him of your own free will. They are also right about not having to like the leader in order for him to be able to perform the job. Another amusing aspect of the campaign is Scotties latest brainwave - telling us that he knows he has to change if re-elected. He's promising he'll change if we elect him. It doesn't get much funnier than that.

 

I don't think too many people would be silly enough to believe the Libs will be a better government in the next term. If they wanted to do better, they could have started on that one a long time ago. The only believable options are that if re-elected, the government will be three more years of the same, or it will get worse.

[rgmwa]

Saying he’s going to change at this late stage just invites ridicule. Seems like a bad tactical mistake.

[Old Koreelah]

2 minutes ago, willedoo said:

I don’t think too many people would be silly enough to believe the Libs will be a better government in the next term. If they wanted to do better, they could have started on that one a long time ago. The only believable options are that if re-elected, the government will be three more years of the same, or it will get worse.

If they scrape back in it certainly won’t be three more years of the same; they will quickly implement their most unpopular, right-wing policies, hoping that the dumb voters will forget in time for the following election. Expect the ABC to be further castrated and Rupert Mudoch’s media to be given an even greater stranglehold on information.

[willedoo]

One of the worse cases of someone losing the plot, and shooting themselves in the foot during an election campaign, was Can-Doo Campbell Newman in the Qld. State election he lost. There were less than two weeks to go and he started banging on about how the Qld. Labor Party was being funded by the bikie gangs. If that didn't convince voters that he was a total twit, a few days out from election day, he announced that if we elected Labor members, those seats might not get promised funding if the LNP gets back in.

 

Poor old Campbell. At least he has the distinction of being the only LNP Premier this century in Queensland. Apologies for thread drift.

[Yenn]

Read The Australian and you will see what the LNP want you to see. You will also be able to read the most ridiculous letters to the editor. It really appears that the Australian voter is non compos mentis.

A woman the other day on local radio says she is voting for Clove Palmers party because she wants freedom. Would that be the sucker vote?

[facthunter]

Don't vote for him. You NOW know what he's like and even HE it now seems doesn't like himself.  Lib/Nat candidates don't want him in their electorates. What is the real Morrison? The Nasty one we've seen constantly or the Good one he has been hiding? It's a wild desperate plea and if you fall for it you are too silly to find your way back to your Village or tell  day from night. Nev

[Yenn]

If Scumbag changes I wonder what the change will be. Will he tell the truth for a change? Or is that too much to expect. Will he consider doing anything about the toxic environment in parliament house for women? Will he take the brakes off the federal police about the Btittney Higgins case, I am amazed that the federal police are going along with the politicians, rather than doing their job.

[octave]

Well, I have done my democratic duty and posted off my postal ballot forms so I guess I can tune out now.

Edited May 14, 2022 by octave

[nomadpete]

That raises a point.

Recent events have demonstrated that our AFP (and sometimes state police) are being used by politicians for political gain.

This is reprehensible and should be ringing alarm bells.

The only thing worse than politics ruining justice, is the amazing fact that no political party or candidate has made mention of cleaning up/removing the links between policing, and political gain.

In my opinion, there appears to be criminal behaviour.

[old man emu]

Have a care when you suggest that there are dirty links between "police" and the Government. Those dirty links are only between those in the upper echelons of both police and politicians. Those who have been there know that in the Police, the slag rises to the top. The good stuff is at lower levels.

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, Yenn said:

Read The Australian and you will see what the LNP want you to see. You will also be able to read the most ridiculous letters to the editor. It really appears that the Australian voter is non compos mentis.

A woman the other day on local radio says she is voting for Clove Palmers party because she wants freedom. Would that be the sucker vote?

What amused me most was some stupid woman on the radio firstly saying she was going to vote for the fat wanker because of "freedom", then went on a rant about being pro-life, against voluntary euthanasia, against women's freedom to choose abortion...  I thought to myself, exactly what freedoms ARE you in favour of??