Fighting corruption in Australia

[Jerry_Atrick]

Back to corruption in Australia. Juicemedia is a national treasure... here is some more of their food for thought:

 

[nomadpete]

Thanks Jerry.

Now I can start the week really depressed.

So what can a simple minded punter like me do about this?

[nomadpete]

I'm starting to recall the sound that old toilet cisterns made when the chain was pulled. It's the sound of democracy going down the gurgler.

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by nomadpete
darn new phone has crappier spellrort than ever

[Jerry_Atrick]

8 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

Thanks Jerry.

Now I can start the week really depressed.

So what can a simple minded punter like me do about this?

Sadly, politics is all about winning and staying in power.. Democracy is not under threat because of the pollies, nor the media. We like to blame them, but the reality is that democracy is under threat becaise of the electoriate. Too lazy to think about it between the ballots; too lazy to get the facts; to gullible to what they hear when it conforms to their agenda; to dismissive of the facts when it conflicts with their agenda.

 

The pollies know this, and who would blame them? Play the system; try and do the right thing and you will be out on your ear as the system's rearguard action is a tsunami too big for virtually every individual player.

 

So, how do you bring about change.. Individually, it is very hard, unless you make it a personal crusade, and even then, it requires massive resources. As pollies don't like the idea of being booted out, something we can still collcetively do, a petition could be a good way to demonstrate to them they risk losing many votes if they continue down a path. In fact, this is how I got a start in Aussie politics, though not too long after, I decided it was a mugs game.

 

The other way is to write to your MP. Obviously one letter won't do much, but If you live in a marginal seat, and you can get a bunch of people to write to them, it can have a profound impact - at least on them. After all, they don't expect everyone with the same grip to write to them; they may well assume 10x, 100x or even 1000x the people that write top them threatening to send their vote elsewhere (even if you don't mean it) won't write in, but will just do it. That can be very convincing to them.

 

If you're in a safe seat, then still wrtite to them; Obviosulyt try to enocurage others,  too. Since the last federal election, nothing is safe, and it can be sombering if they get enough correspondence.

 

Of course, you can organise, or join a pressure group or some other activist group...

 

Obviosuly, it's an uphill battle, but they won't know how the electorate feels about something, or even if the electorate even knows about something, unless you tell them.

 

 

[old man emu]

7 minutes ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Of course, you can organise, or join a pressure group or some other activist group...

Therein lies the rub! While a group can be easily gathered initially, it takes money to function, even if it is simply to put an ad in the local rag to call a meeting. Isn't that one of the things that these new rules aim to curtail - the getting of financial support?

[nomadpete]

19 minutes ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

democracy is under threat becaise of the electoriate. Too lazy to think about it between the ballots; too lazy to get the facts; to gullible to what they hear when it conforms to their agenda; to dismissive of the facts when it conflicts with their agenda.

I can't speak for others, but I do not have any levers to pull that would influence the path that any politicians follow. I disenchanted because I have no pathway to have my voice considered by decision makers.

You seem to say that it is all the fault of the electors. I disagree.

[nomadpete]

I write letters to MP's.

I doubt they get read.

[facthunter]

I wrote one to Sco Mo and he said he was only responsible to his electorate even though he was a Minister for ALL of Australia. In retrospect it's typical of a man who  actually was more beholden to his Pentecostal Church than his electorate of Cook.  Nev

[spacesailor]

Please write

And

Complain the , ' new-ish ' , law to add. Half a year to your pension age every two years .

is Not a " happy ending" for All workers. Or House persons .

Some of us get very litte " superannuation  " .

spacesailor

 

 

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, spacesailor said:

Please write

And

Complain the , ' new-ish ' , law to add. Half a year to your pension age every two years .

is Not a " happy ending" for All workers. Or House persons .

Some of us get very litte " superannuation  " .

spacesailor

 

 

The two yearly phasing in period is finished now. From July 2023, everyone born after 1st. January 1957 has to wait until age 67. All those born before that date have already attained their respective retirement ages.

[spacesailor]

A quick recheck ," the pension age will be 70 in 2035 " .

It could be wrong ! .

But it's what I read . & is still on the net .

Do you think pollies don't LIE . 

I , WOULDN'T TRUST POLLIES . they have All your money to spend on what will be better for THEM

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

Which other Country is BETTER spacey? Everyone  of voting age is free to vote how they wish. Pollies don't get paid that much when you consider what they have to put up with.  Nev

[spacesailor]

Then Again !.

They Are Not Free to abstain. 

 

Same as " fluoridation of our drinking water .

Did I miss that important " referendum " .as I don't remember being ' asked if I wanted it .

spacesailor

Ps , Norway or some other Scandinavian country. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by spacesailor
A little more !

[facthunter]

The original "Purpose" of voting being compulsory was to stop the bosses preventing YOU from voting. I'm pretty sure things like keeping  to the correct side of the road and obeying the speed limits are enforced in most places.  Do you STOP when the light is RED? .  Have you ever used a fluoride tooth Paste?. Most people don't drink water. The bulk of it goes other places where the fluoride does nothing.  Nev

[spacesailor]

But it Is still " compulsory meditation " .

And no,  never tried any fluoridated toothpaste , deliberately avoided it like a " poison " .

I have gone way-out of my way To get 'illegal " lead " paint . For a specific purpose. 

spacesailor

[facthunter]

Compulsory Meditation? There may be a case for that to reduce stress.

    Dentists use  fluoride to harden tooth enamel. Too much and your teeth go mottled. Lead is a known cumulative poison, banned for good reason. Maybe banning should be banned?  No one can tell you (Compel) to do anything you don't want to.  Not sure that "lawless" society would work too well.   Nev

[onetrack]

Lead paint is not totally banned in Australia, it is only banned for house paint. Many industrial paints still contain lead.

[spacesailor]

So '  how do ' , you ' refrain from ingesting fluoride. 

It' s  pretty hard considering the range of product's that now contain fluoride. 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

I doubt all domestic water supplies have it.  They are likely to have chlorine to meet WHO health standards for things like E Coli.  A GOOD restaurant would not serve it to a table. (In my view), as you can smell it.  I use a carbon Filter for all the drinking water at home.  Nev

Edited November 28, 2023 by facthunter
more content.

[facthunter]

Maybe in the wrong topic?   Nev

[red750]

Sorry, wrong post deleted, reposted in correct topic.

[nomadpete]

Just reading an ABC news article that enlightens me about the state of health services.

 

Maybe like me you aren't aware of how state governments approach the issue of ambulance shortages.

 

Quote:

"In New South Wales and Victoria, firefighters can respond to medical emergencies ranging from cardiac arrest, childbirth, snake bites, stroke and drug overdose to major trauma, assisting the ambulance service."

 

And, frightening for me, our Tas government has tabled similar legislation.

I'm not sure how we would be received by a person in mid childbirth or cardiac arrest, when we turn up in a fire truck to offer health care assistance!

[spenaroo]

1 hour ago, nomadpete said:

Just reading an ABC news article that enlightens me about the state of health services.

 

Maybe like me you aren't aware of how state governments approach the issue of ambulance shortages.

 

Quote:

"In New South Wales and Victoria, firefighters can respond to medical emergencies ranging from cardiac arrest, childbirth, snake bites, stroke and drug overdose to major trauma, assisting the ambulance service."

 

And, frightening for me, our Tas government has tabled similar legislation.

I'm not sure how we would be received by a person in mid childbirth or cardiac arrest, when we turn up in a fire truck to offer health care assistance!

The USA have been doing it for years - that's what EMT is

[Bruce Tuncks]

I would much prefer the fire brigade to nobody. Anyway, I reckon there is far too little attention given to the benefits of democracy vs dictatorships. Sure, we can vote in some silly and lazy farts, but at least we have the ( theoretical) possibility of voting them out again.

I would like to see the true democracies of the earth form their own association and not allow dictatorships anywhere near.

[facthunter]

The dictatorships would invade them and wipe them out. To them, democracy is a threat.  Nev