For the period of 2010-2013, Leftist members of this forum got to hear about how ALP was supposedly fiscally inept, let the brown people in, and lied on one occasion (i.e. carbon tax). We also got to hear from the lunatic fringe how ALP was socialist (supposedly), wanting to curtail freedom of speech through media ownership laws, and so on and so forth. In the media our PM was ridiculed on many fronts, bringing in her family members, her gender, her partner. For the early 2010s, such behaviour is disgraceful. Well now the shoe is on the other foot. If you can't take it, don't dish it out in the first place.
Sure, ALP did spend heavily but it did keep us out of the very bad recession that everyone else had and I ask of you all - what would the Libs done that was any different? Would they have held back spending, particularly stimulus spending, and let jobs, people, companies, families, communities go to the wall? Frankly I'd rather have a bit of a deficit than to have widespread economic induced social decay. More on the budget later.
Asylum seeker numbers were high but if it wasn't for media hype, it would have remained the relatively minor issue that it is. People want to seek asylum here through boats rather than planes. Big Whoop. Personally speaking, a refugee has never ruined my day or my community, so I have no ill-will towards them. Yes the boats have stopped under the Libs but as far as I am concerned it is the answer to a question that many, including me, didn't ask. And don't say Operation Sovereign Borders is for safety. That's bullshit, and you know it. You just don't want people who are different from you coming into your country en masse. The tagline is '#### off we're' *full*[crossed out] 'concerned for your safety'. At the very least if folks can admit to that, I can respect an honest argument that isn't spin and bullshit. Islamophobia and 'tough' views on immigration often go hand in hand.
Ok, earlier I had promised a list of what ####s me off about Abbott and his lot....here we go....
The Budget: Ok, so some tweaking was in order but.....come on........data shows most of the 'lifting' will be done by the poor or the middle 'class'.
-$7 fee will be a cumbersome administration problem for many GPs, and given that if you are poor you tend to have more medical issues, its a double whammy.
-Cutting the dole for 6 months of the year for under 30s is just plain dumb.
-I have mixed feelings about family tax benefit - but it has come to pass that families have structured their finances around them, and removing will be a large blow to many.
-It is all well and good to cast judgement from one's current Ivory tower but not everyone has had the same opportunities, mentors, life lessons that you had, and to assume they do/did is just plain silly and really isn't helping the debate.
-Uni fees - a great thing about HECs system is that anyone who has the ability to do so can attempt further education. We now have a generation of old men who got their education for free saying that the next generation will pay now have to through the nose. Hypocrisy 101. US College system here we come.
-Chaplaincy program - sure ALP gave $50 mil to this fruitless endeavour, but now we are giving $250mil to teach younglings about invisible sky man.
Indeed the deficit did increase under the ALP but how has a $300 billion deficit ruined the day of you or those around you? A nation is more than just a balance sheet.
Environment
Many here would not give a toss about the environment, and doubt the science going along with it. But ultimately the environment is the foundation from which all human endeavour springs. If the environment is sick, humanity will soon also be sick. I feel that Abbott is perhaps the environmentally most destructive PM since Menzies.
Repealing the Carbon Tax may free up the economy but it was shown to be working in reducing emissions. You could argue that climate change is 'crap' but mainstream scientists who study related issues won't agree with you (cue conspiracy theories in 3...2...1...). If the scientific method arrives at a conclusion that disagrees with your interests or values - too bad, so sad. That being said 'Direct Action' is akin to voodoo with its soil capturing etc. Direct action is basically one big carbon sink. If we didn't produce the emissions, 67% of which are related to power generation, we wouldn't need to capture the carbon. Many countries are switching to renewables, even for their base load. Yet we have a treasurer who denounces wind turbines as 'ugly'. So are most coal mines I see....Then there is dumping on/near the Great Barrier Reef, and logging the Tarkine, placing two world heritage areas under threat. But if you want to pillage our nations tourism potential, go right ahead. There is CSG as well, but that is more of a state issue. We have a land abundant in unique features and natural renewables, but we seem to have a govt hell-bent on destroying it all for shits and giggles.
Social Justice: Impasse on equal marriage is one thing (that has been discussed) but so is removing protections regarding racial vilification. 'People have a right to be bigots', Brandis said. As undesirable as bigots are, that is true in a democracy. However, people have the right to exist without being attacked on the basis of unalterable parts of person, such as race, sexual orientation, gender etc. 18C 'reforms' go back to Andrew Bolt being picked up on racism in a legal case, he called the waambulance, Brandis only too happy to listen. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom to bully or villify. People seem to be confused by that.
Conflicts of interest, gaffes and general dodgy dealings.........these are just some things I have noticed........
-Govt wants to fund a medical science future fund. Ok. Biotech companies also sponsor Abbot's sporting endeavours. eg. AMGEN. apparently.
-Hockey sues fairfax paper for unflattering headline.
-This weeks scholarship debacle - sure daughter is not to blame, but whol thing just looks so bad.....
-Cuts money from various things but apparently still funds footy stadium upgrade in his local seat
-No money for Ford, Holden, Toyota, SPC BUT funds cadbury factory upgrade in a marginal seat
-Has gone back on just about all campaign promises - most dishonest pollie I can think of in the time I've been around
-Winking incident - this takes the cake. So PM fields a call from an older lady who needs to work as a phone sex operator. The wink that was heard around the world says that he doesn't view this callers situation seriously. This is something I'd expect a yr 9 student to do. It suggests he finds humour in this caller's problems. Disgusting, vomit-inducing, he must resign now. Simply 100% unprofessional. I don't give a damn if he did apologise.