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  • RodentRodent    7,025 posts
    Objective measures mate. Things like inflation and unemployment can be objectively measured and compared to other western democracies. No boats coming and nobody has had to be sent to an offshore detention centre since 2014!
     Just a yardstick to measure against what the ALP will deliver if they are given the responsibility. I wish them the very best. I hope for all our sakes they are the best government we've ever had. I don't see any evidence that gives me any optimism. What policies do you think they will bring in to improve our lot in life?

    JimmyPop, thefalcon, Manchild likes this post.

  • bookieloverbookielover    2,623 posts
    I don't care who wins the election. 

    We are, in my opinion, for the foreseeable future, stuffed, whatever happens, because of what is going on in the USA under that demented imbecilic President and the people behind him pulling the strings.

    One of my sisters in law lives in LA. She is to the left politically of Karl Marx. But I do give her credit for having the capacity to be realistic about the economic situation in the USA. According to her,the single biggest economic problem facing the USA today, is inflation, and the Federal reserve's announced policy of how they intend to tackle that problem.

    She has an Aldi store not far from her home.Last year at this time, a dozen eggs at Aldi were 69 cents. Last week, she paid $1.99 a dozen, that's around a 150% increase in 12months. When Trump left office in January 2020, she was buying a gallon of petrol for around $3.20. Petrol prices are the highest in Los Angeles because of the massive State  taxes on the product. Elsewhere the average was $2.42 a gallon.

    On Monday, she paid $7.25 a gallon,a 130% increase.

    The official, at least according to their bureau of statistics, annual inflation figure, is 8.5% in March.  However, in March alone, inflation for the month rose 1.2%, giving an annualised figure of 14.4%. If you watch any of the US TV shows, be it CNN, MSNBC or Fox, all of them state the same statistical fact, that inflation in the USA is the highest for 40 years.

    Why do they say 40 years? Because in 1982, the method of calculating inflation was changed, and as many economists have stated, had the US been calculating inflation based on how they did pre 1982, the true inflation figure would be around 18-20%.

    My sister in law said, the money is becoming worthless. Meat prices are up over 40% in the last 6 months. Chicken prices are through the roof, with one reason being a massive outbreak in the USA of avian flue which saw the need for 22 million chickens be destroyed. Supply chain issues are massive. Because of Chinese Covid lockdowns, particularly in Shanghai, and surrounding cities, car manufacturers can't get parts, so used cars are now in some cases more expensive than new cars, because you can't buy a new car in the States. In fact waiting lists here are 6 months and more for certain models.

    So what's caused it, and why should we be worried, no matter who wins our election? The Federal Reserve in the USA have been printing billions of dollars of new money every month for almost two years. They have slowed it down, but still printed 850 million last month. Biden passed a so called infrastructure bill costing 1.5 Trillion of borrowed money. No one knows where the money has gone, however, be that as it may, it all added inflationary pressures to an already overheated economy.

    Powell,the head of the Federal reserve, was more concerned about Wall Street and the market, than the population of the Country, and fearing a major downturn in the market, kept printing money, and keeping interest rates at near zero%.

     He has now realised that he, and his cohorts have stuffed up. So what is going to do, he has said today, that they will be taking harsher action than previously announced and raising interest rates faster and higher than they indicated previously.

    So, today we saw the Dow down by almost 1,000 points. there is more than just the scare of high interest rates for that, but interest rates going up,is a big enough reason to cause it. What is everyone worried about there? That high interest rates, like we had in 1960 in this Country and in 1990 under Keating, causes reaccessions. And it appears, that in the fight to control out of control inflation, the Fed reserve's only weapon is raising interest rates which will inevitably cause a recession in the USA. 

    We are seeing inflationary pressures here, a short term tax cut on petrol prices won't help us, and,in fact, yesterday, petrol in Melbourne was  back up to $1.89 a litre,having been down to $1.53 for a few weeks. 

    We are seeing empty supermarket shelves here, with shortages of meat, and other staples. Prices are through the roof on most basic essentials, and our purchasing power is way down on what it was a year ago. Our reserve bank are going to follow suit on interest rate rises. What effect is this going to have on house prices? Will we enter a recessionary period?

    And I haven't even brought up China's influence in our region, and the state of the world in general.

    Bottom line, whoever is in power,will have a very tough road to negotiate in the coming 12 months and longer. And if they don't get the balance of power in the Senate, that will make things even tougher for whoever wins.

    So good luck to both sides, and let's hope that whoever wins, governs with enough  intelligence to get us over the other side of the rough road ahead.




    JimmyPop, Rodent, thefalcon likes this post.

  • ManchildManchild    679 posts
    If there is a Labor / Greens/Climate 200 government , you can be sure of 3 things
    1 -  energy costs will skyrocket as Coal & Gas power stations turned off.
    2-  Taxes  will be markedly more., with a new carbon tax. A Death or inheratence taxes will come in. 
    3 - People smugglers will be sending boats.
    Be careful what you wish for

    thefalcon likes this post.

  • careycarey    6,368 posts
    and the sun won't come up either.

    curmudgeon likes this post.

  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    just try to imagine this:

    albo on the world stage....he'd get on ok with sleepy joe.
    jim chalmers as treasurer
    and i've kept the best until last....penny wong as foreign minister...

    Manchild likes this post.

  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    edited April 2022
    thefalcon said:

    just try to imagine this:


    albo on the world stage....he'd get on ok with sleepy joe.
    jim chalmers as treasurer
    and i've kept the best until last....penny wong as foreign minister...
    or we could reelect Australia's current Circus
    Morrison....I don't think I know .... on the world stage (the next one out of town)
    Fraudenberg .....the Dogs for the Blind sanctioned Treasurer...oops where is my $ 64 Billion
    Major Payne as the invisible foreign(Where is the Solomons again... will I have to ask China?) Minister
    That's before we get to the brain damaged pissshead Octopus Barnaby
    etc etc etc

    meatpie, oldhendo, Notapuntas, carey likes this post.

  • careycarey    6,368 posts
    congratulations falcon, i have lost count of the reasons you gave for them being no no's
    a very convincing argument.

    curmudgeon likes this post.

  • meatpiemeatpie    410 posts
    thefalcon said:

    just try to imagine this:


    albo on the world stage....he'd get on ok with sleepy joe.
    jim chalmers as treasurer
    and i've kept the best until last....penny wong as foreign minister...
    Obviously didnt watch the G20 when Morrison went looking for a handshake and couldnt find one, cringeworthy. Google it

    Frydenberg is a shrill
    :-j

    curmudgeon, oldhendo likes this post.

  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts
    I saw Mark Latham on that TV show in the 1st week of campaign - and he said when he was leader - re an election - the campaign director - they give you a quick refresher on key numbers/facts and figures - unemployment rate - inflation rate GDP numbers the lot ( not that he needed because it was vital he knew it ) and he said  it was terribly slack of the Labour Party not to do  the same with Albenese 

    Albenese doesnt know the unemployment rate - what made it alot worse for me ( apart from being a 50 yr historical low) was it was a round number in 4 - it wasnt 3.6 or 4.7 it was bloody 4 on the dot and he still didnt know it. 

    Can you imagine Keating  if asked  a similar  question - do you think he would respond in a similar way as Albenese - no way its chalk and cheese - ones astute and  ecconomically switched right on and all over the numbers - and thats what Albenese should be

    JimmyPop likes this post.

  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    i know not many of you get The West but try and read Paul Murrays editorial. no, its not a slag off of the major parties its a dire warning on the greens and the independents.
    you computer whizzes could find it somewhere in cyberspace.
  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts
    Re Paul Murrays column in  every edition of Saturdays West 

    I do read it - he does his research well and he does raise some good points in his Sat column 

    However he is a Liberal Party supporter - i would call him a watered down version of Andrew Bolt - because at least Murray will rip into the WA State liberals - call them a rabble etc - he doesnt want to - but he does

    Re Sat column - voting for independents - personally i think it is a waste of time - but the only reason Paul Murray is raising that point - is the 3 independent  candidates - they are all targeting marginally  currently held Liberal Party seats . Do you reckon he would be writing the same  persuasion  in his article - if those 3 seats ( targeted by the indos ) were currently held by Labour - id very much doubt it

    See i can look at it fairly - im not a Liberal Party supporting nutter or a Labour Party supporting nutter
  • Precision1Precision1    544 posts
    edited April 2022
    Markinova the point is that these “independents” are only targeting Liberal held seats, that’s 22 candidates supported by Climate 200 Australia wide.  The fact they are then not committing to which side of politics they would side with in a hung parliament is laughable.  

    These independents are a huge danger if they hold the balance of power.  We have no idea what their policy is on things like National Security, Taxation etc yet they will end up with a deciding vote on these matters.  Or more likely they will vote with the government they have sided with on these matters in exchange for things they want reform on and again we don’t know what these things will be until it happens.  Most are very left leaning individuals so attacks on things like hunting, fishing and horse racing would not surprise!!

    Manchild likes this post.

  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts

    Markinova the point is that these “independents” are only targeting Liberal held seats, that’s 22 candidates supported by Climate 200 Australia wide.  The fact they are then not committing to which side of politics they would side with in a hung parliament is laughable.  


    These independents are a huge danger if they hold the balance of power.  We have no idea what their policy is on things like National Security, Taxation etc yet they will end up with a deciding vote on these matters.  Or more likely they will vote with the government they have sided with on these matters in exchange for things they want reform on and again we don’t know what these things will be until it happens.  Most are very left leaning individuals so attacks on things like hunting, fishing and horse racing would not surprise!!
    "I move the member be no longer heard"
    What an undemocratic disgrace....and the Libs want to talk about hidden agendas..

    carey likes this post.

  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    this is a great thought provoking thread. that is so long as we do not get abusive to posters you disagree with.
    we have a month to go so time for some interesting debate.

    disclosure: my grandfather was liberal premier in this fantastic state. so you can appreciate my leanings.
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    thefalcon said:


    we have a month to go so time for some interesting debate.

    A mass debate
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    edited April 2022
    thefalcon said:

    disclosure: my grandfather was liberal premier in this fantastic state. so you can appreciate my leanings.
    Disclosure.. My Grandfather was a Twat but doesn't mean I would vote Labor  :))

    For the record I would like to enjoy healthy debate on this thread but it never concludes that way so from here I will observe without commenting........ Maybe :D
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    the hiatus has done you no harm, slip... ;)
  • meatpiemeatpie    410 posts
    Labor into $1.55, Libs out to $2.40

    the ship has settled for now.
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    ..heading for a reef, i'd suggest. the 2.40 is a gift given to the faithful...and i don't mean natasha... ;)

    meatpie likes this post.

  • meatpiemeatpie    410 posts
    I am waiting for the Libs to again trot out their debt truck, this time it be a semi trailer, need another trailer for all the extra zeroes

    good economic managers my rrrrrrs
    :))
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    Meatpie without a reliable sauce
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    economic managers....try rudd & gillards govt....... :-B
  • meatpiemeatpie    410 posts
    thefalcon said:

    economic managers....try rudd & gillards govt....... :-B

    look at the relative debt levels, liberals as good economic managers is a smoke screen
  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    edited April 2022
    thefalcon said:

    economic managers....try rudd & gillards govt....... :-B

    That would be the government that got Australia through the GFC without a scratch whereas.......
    image
  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts
    What i was hoping for ( but it didnt happen in SA - maybe because of that travel rort thing ) but i was hoping that every state govt in power whether Liberal or Labour got re elected - and also on the federal scene - simply as a reward - for the hours and effort - they would have worked through this pandemic - they would all be just about burnt out - like the guy in Tassie said - i want to see my family 

    And they aernt well paid - what did John Burt - the racing and wagering bloke get - 800k a year - he could  go home - have his dinner - go for a walk around the block - i dont think McGowan would get 800k - yet hes got the blowtorch/spotlight on him - all during every day 

    People are so unrealistic - their was a bushfire on - ScoMO - was already on leave - and he gets criticised - what do they expect him to do - fight the fire - and put it out for them . And people in Lismore bagged him - yet they choose to live in flood prone river flats - its their own stupid  fault 

    The unappreciative public - what i would love a Liberal or Labour politician to say - the next time there ia a ponzi scheme ( like that Caddick woman in Sydney ) where they are all  getting 20-30-40%  annual returns on their money - and then it all goes belly up - i would love that politician to say - dont blame ASIC - blame your stupid bloody greedy self- 

    thefalcon likes this post.

  • RodentRodent    7,025 posts
    Didn't Abbott's government try to address the debt but their budget was blocked by the senate? The modern Libs are not conservative. They ditched Abbott for Turnbull which says it all. Matt Kean is the Liberal Party NSW treasurer and he is green left. Conservatives manage money well. The problem is the Libs are no longer conservatives.

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  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    Rodent said:

    Didn't Abbott's government try to address the debt but their budget was blocked by the senate? The modern Libs are not conservative. They ditched Abbott for Turnbull which says it all. Matt Kean is the Liberal Party NSW treasurer and he is green left. Conservatives manage money well. The problem is the Libs are no longer conservatives.

    They addressed it alright ...with the infamous Hockey/Cormann cigar smoking Budget ....the worst budget in the history of this nation that signalled the demise of the greatest Leaner this country has ever had the sorry opportunity to carry on its teat. That budget started the rape & pillaging of treasury for the LNP rorts & escalated national debt exponentially eclipsing all cumulative debt the country had compiled since federation. The money conservatives manage " well " is what they can skim off the top for themselves.

    meatpie, carey likes this post.

  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Annual rate of inflation has soared to 5.1. highest level since 2001.-----Who sold the Merredin Airport to the chinese for a dollar. :-S touch and box on.

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  • RodentRodent    7,025 posts
    @curmudgeon blah blah blah. The senate simply has no appetite to curb spending because it's "unfair". That's what will always happen when Labor/Greens/"independents" control the senate. Socialists are great at spending other people's money but what happens when it runs out?
     Productivity first second and third. Only a wealthy country can afford what the left want.
     NSW teachers are going on strike again. More money wanted despite results going backwards. It is the socialist way.
     

    Manchild likes this post.

  • meatpiemeatpie    410 posts
    Rodent said:

    @curmudgeon blah blah blah. The senate simply has no appetite to curb spending because it's "unfair". That's what will always happen when Labor/Greens/"independents" control the senate. Socialists are great at spending other people's money but what happens when it runs out?

     Productivity first second and third. Only a wealthy country can afford what the left want.
     NSW teachers are going on strike again. More money wanted despite results going backwards. It is the socialist way.
     
    Our national debt levels suggest the Libs are profligate spenders of OUR money.

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