Will the lessons of the 2024 US elections be applied to our 2025 elections?

[old man emu]

While most attention is being focused on the US political scene, I thought I might kick off a thread to discuss how our next Federal election might run.

 

From what I read in the pro-conservative Sydney Telegraph, Peter Dutton might propose taking actions similar to the Trump Administration should he be the one to form government. The article I read intimated that he would go after waste in government operations. I applaud that approach. However, I would like to see the first targets being the money spent by parliamentarians as they gallivant around the country or overseas with s mob of hangers-on. There are so many areas of spending associated with parliamentarians that need to be examined and justified. I'm OK with things that can be justified, but let's get rid of what cannot be.

 

I was going to attack Peter Dutton as a Trumpian Mini-Me, but I think I'll sit back for a while until something worthwhile comes up. At the same time, all politicians' behaviour needs to be examined under a magnifying glass. 

[onetrack]

The Liberals had better start producing some viable candidates if they want to grab power back from Labor. Despite Labors mistakes and missteps, Albo and his mob are still a better bet than Dutton and his dubious band of candidates.

The problem is, Dutton cannot produce a viable plan for improving Australia's competitiveness, world standing, innovation, quality of life, or improving living standards for the average Australian. He can produce plenty of anti-Labor negativity.

He continues to follow the same old worn-out lie, that by making the rich richer, with less taxes and less regulation, the average Joes life and wealth is improved, too. It's long been called the "trickle-down effect".

 

But this is precisely how the "trickle-down effect", works in reality....

 

 

[old man emu]

13 minutes ago, onetrack said:

He can produce plenty of anti-Labor negativity.

That's the type of lesson from the US election that I was suggesting. On the other hand, will Labor learn from the Dem's mistakes?

[facthunter]

Aus is NOT America. (YET) and should never be with a bit of luck and effort.  Minchen and Bernardi tried to copy  the US TEA PARTY.  Nev

[spacesailor]

T. ABBOTT. 

Try'd to divide this nation , with his 2023 " voice referendum " .

I will not vote Labor.  Just incase .  ( they try it again ) .

spacesailor

[Marty_d]

3 hours ago, spacesailor said:

T. ABBOTT. 

Try'd to divide this nation , with his 2023 " voice referendum " .

I will not vote Labor.  Just incase .  ( they try it again ) .

spacesailor

Although I agree that T Abbott is a turd, I think you're trying to say A Albanese in that reference.

 

Pushing ahead with the voice referendum when it was clear that Dutton opposed it for base political gain may have been the wrong decision, but it wasn't a cynical one.

On the other hand look at the LNP. Their energy "policy" is a stupid and expensive plan that might happen in ten to fifteen years and only affects a small percentage of total power generation.

Do you really trust that bunch of clowns with your tax dollars and the reins of government?

[Jerry_Atrick]

Their energy policy is designed to keep fossil fuels still burning..

[pmccarthy]

28 minutes ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Their energy policy is designed to keep fossil fuels still burning..

The outcome, if we abandon fossil fuels prematurely, will be devastating for Australia. By prematurely I mean before we can get nuclear up and running.

[Jerry_Atrick]

5 hours ago, spacesailor said:

T. ABBOTT. 

Try'd to divide this nation , with his 2023 " voice referendum " .

I will not vote Labor.  Just incase .  ( they try it again ) .

spacesailor

 

I would worry (and am worried) a lot more about both parties' other policies - the chances of Albo running the Voice again in the next parliament are about the same as you winning Tatslotto (or whatever it is called today). In fact, I would wager that even is he were re-elected, he won't see out a second term.  But, hey, if the "threat" of another Voice referendum outweighs voting for the pollies who are more likely to leave you better off  (financially, socially, and in ways liek the environment, prospects, security, education, etc for your kids and theirs and theirs, etc).. then, well, that's your choice.

 

I am not saying the LNP are any worse - you have to make that call based on what their policies, their plan for implementing the policies, and the leadership.

 

 

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

1 minute ago, pmccarthy said:

The outcome, if we abandon fossil fuels prematurely, will be devastating for Australia. By prematurely I mean before we can get nuclear up and running.

No one is saying abandon fossil fuuels early.. it's about transitioning, not running off a cliff. If  that is what you mean by prematurely, then we will never come off fossil fuels as Dutton's plan won't result in any.. So, the environment may make the decision for us..

 

Or dog.. .Looks like someone needs to build an ark in FNQ

 

 

[nomadpete]

6 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Or dog.. .Looks like someone needs to build an ark in FNQ

 

That might be a poor choice.

Rumour has it that arks are a bit like nuclear power stations.

 

They take too long to build, and won't be ready when needed. They cost heaps more than promised,  and require materials not presently available (you can't get the wood, you know).

 

And nobody wants one built next door.

[facthunter]

Dutton doesn't discuss on WATER Matters. Nev

[Marty_d]

3 hours ago, nomadpete said:

That might be a poor choice.

Rumour has it that arks are a bit like nuclear power stations.

 

They take too long to build, and won't be ready when needed. They cost heaps more than promised,  and require materials not presently available (you can't get the wood, you know).

 

And nobody wants one built next door.

Wasn't Clive going to build one, with the confidence-inspiring name of Titanic II?

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Marty_d said:

Wasn't Clive going to build one, with the confidence-inspiring name of Titanic II?

That plan is moving at glacial speed. Nothing is coming from it yet.

[Marty_d]

You've got to be careful with gender when stocking your ark, too.

Look what happened with the original... Noah didn't realize the Unicorns were Barry and Steve, and the dragons were Linda and Janine.

[nomadpete]

Australian election theatre....

 

It's coming up fast.

 

Maybe not so riveting as some, but when it comes to rallying cries, we seem to have some Dunny T wannabes of our own.

 

I love reading Annabelle Crab's comments.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-26/clive-palmer-trumpet-of-patriots/100934096

[facthunter]

She knows a lot but sticks to the line. Waste of time if you are serious.   Nev

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

Dutton wants to sack 36,000 public servants. Crikey, have we really got that many? Put them all in uniform to fill the vacancies in the military. That would teach them a bit of discipline, not to waste money.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Not to waste money? You do live on another planet. Defence procurement is the epitome of wasting money; it is the gravy train that bankrolls many people needlessly.. 

 

340bn for eight subs.. maybe?

 

 

[facthunter]

I don't to want to pay my subs. It's just another "Bottom of the Harbour" Scheme.  Nev

[onetrack]

Somebody needs to rip that golden trumpet out of that lions mouth and shove it up Clives a***. What a blot on the nation that self-serving greed merchant is. 

[old man emu]

How do you define "waste in government"? Is it paying for pie-in-the-sky events? Is it spending big advertising government programmes that most of us have no dire need for? Is it jet-setting around to world to conferences dealing with niche topics? Is it ignoring the expertise amongst the Public Service people you have hired for their expertise and out-sourcing to private companies, who will develop a plan for you, but tip off their friends before tabling the plan?

 

I would say that a great way for government waste to be minimised is to recruit a large number of people and train them up as financial auditors, then let them loose on the financial records of all government departments. Let the auditors identify suspicious payments, and then, if fraud has occurred, do what it takes to recoup money. The auditors should also scrutinise all contracts to determine if costings haven't been puffed up.

 

When the payouts for fraud and inflationary quotation have been eliminated, then governments can start funding health, education, defence, and other areas of basic need. One is likely to propose that the manipulation of tax indebtedness is also another area of fraud that needs to be addressed.

[pmccarthy]

I want us to spend more, much more, on defence. And Europe should to. Otherwise we are all stuffed within the next decade.

[facthunter]

You think China would just wait till we are ready?  Nev

[old man emu]

7 minutes ago, pmccarthy said:

I want us to spend more, much more, on defence

The question is, "Is a continent of Australia's size defendable by such a small population?". As of June 2024, Australia's population aged 18 and over was 21,357,108 people. 

 

To what is the best cost/benefit application of finance for defence tools? We could go "lo-tech" and manufacture thousands of the drones we have sent to the Ukraine, or do we go "hi-tech" and invest in a few large naval vessels and anti-shipping aircraft? Do we rely on Nature to provide defensive barriers to invading forces, drawing a scratch line across the land across which they shall not pass?