I vote informal because I am sick and tired of the lies and promises from both parties. If they wanted to better Australia they would work together  but would be askibg to much. By voting informal I give up the right to complain I accept that,

I would be happy if Politicians had the power to impliment their promises. Many of them have full intention of doing what they say they will do, but are politically hounded into a corner. A strong and coniving opposition gets kudos for doing this and there are just as many voters cheering as there are booing. As a poster previously eluded to, we have a system which appluads poor behaviour. Our culture has also marginalised 80% of us almost equally split between left and right. As voters we are responsible for this by rewarding poor behaviour. Many of us are happy to reward bad behaviour in return for a WIIFM reward.

Think about this.

If a person were to rob a bank in a specifically selected location. When returning home, all witnesses found large sums of money on their doorstep. How many of those witnesses do you think actually saw anything? Think about it???

Most of the Federal Budget is locked in, committed. More than 30% goes to welfare which can always go higher. There is also around 10% of the budget which can be redirected, usually filtering down to those who helped make the campaign successful. 

What I'm saying is that those who vote because of what is best for themselves but not necessarily good for the rest of the population may be doing Australia a disservice?

I can identify with those who choose not to vote and sympathise but we have to take responsibility for the government we have.  Why? Because we feel disenfranchised.  As has been noted we vote for a set of policies and then find that the newly elected government change those policies leaving me feeling cheated.  There was a time when local politicians represented their people.  Very rarely does this happen now, they are too afraid that they will lose “preselection”.  They represent the party rather than the people and we let them!  It is time for us to elect honest, decent, people who cannot be bought but perhaps I am being naive.

I am fed up with the lack of guts shown by our polies.  Over the years we have seen “state owned” assets sold off, the power, water, QANTAS, Telstra and the Commonwealth Bank just to name a few.

First the assets are not state owned.  They are owned by the people and they should have been returned to the people!  Both parties are involved and culpable but we have no means of stopping them.  If they had been retained and controlled by the people perhaps we would not have, for example, the banks making their huge profits because we would have some control of one of the major banks setting good policies that would force the others to follow and at the same time looking after the people rather than themselves.  Neither would we have our PM wringing his hands and weeping crocodile tears over the energy policy instead of cancelling their contracts and treating our resources as being here for this country’s security not that of other nations!

Tax policy: how foolish is the policy to reduce taxes to the rich, they are not going to spend their savings in a way that will create demand and jobs, whereas raising the tax thresholds would benefit the many and the extra money would go into circulation and increase demand which would in turn encourage companies to increase output and investment.

Finally, it time the polies started to reduce their income and perks.  We have heard about some of the ways that some of them have rorted the system and they are allowed to get away with it.  I am not suggesting that they don’t work hard but they should set an example and share the lack of wages growth which they have helped to cause.  They should also be on the same pensions as the rest of the community so that they can identify with the masses and not have taxpayers footing the bill for their retirement.

Darcie the politicians that achieve results are conviction politicians like Hawke Keating Howard Costello the problem today is we have politicians that consider becoming an MP is just an extension of their career as union officials or political minders .

Darcie, I agree, if you don't vote you have no right to an opinion. Irresponsible not voting and yes, we are a very lucky country. If more of the whingers recognise this, instead of being a hindrance, the change would be dramatic.

No need to put in your two cents Peter, it has no value to me.

KIHAP!!!

Hi Brocky,

I part I agree that the government should not be involved in business, HOWEVER when it comes to Utilities, power, water. phone, internet and even banking we cannot leave corporations to run them for the benefit of the people.  Their whole purpose is to make a profit and most large businesses seem to be run to line the pockets of directors and ceos.  Your claim that competition breeds efficiency is just wishful thinking because the saving made are retained as profits not passed on to the consumers.  Just reflect on the oil prices any change in prices of crude oil or exchange rates prices are up immediately but any reductions take weeks to be reflected at the pump

An example for you, and I know that governments can see huge bills coming up to maintain some service or other but Kennet sold off the SEC  in Victoria many years ago and whatever its inefficiencies it was making $600 million which was relieving the taxpayer and from memory he sold it for about three years surplus.  As an accounting student back in the 70s we were told that:

You do not sell of the goose that lays the golden egg and,Companies are valued not by their potential by their investment in plant and buildings

Finally, two issues

The unfettered foreign takeovers of Australian companies some of which have security issues.

Then who are the major beneficiary of subsidies: BIG BUSINESS. Look at the billions given to the car industry which has now gone offshore.  I would have thought that anyone with even half a brain would have made those such huge financial support with conditions such as the tax payers becoming owners of the factory with the plant and machinery then we could decide what happens to our investment.  Those businesses minimise their taxes and there was the occasion, some years ago, when the Australian Ford Motor Company’s loss was the exact amount that they paid to their retiring CEO.  I seem to remember that is was the amount of the taxpayer’s contribution.