Who is angry?

October 6, 2013
Written by: Dr Victoria Fielding
100 Replies

While handing out how-to-vote cards at the recent Federal election, my overall impression of Liberal voters was that they were angry. And rude. How did I know which voters were Liberals? Because they were angry and rude, and usually brusquely refused to take the Labor how-to vote-card that I politely offered them. I was even told to f*ck off by one of them.

The booth I was working on was in a well-off area of Adelaide. One of the most well-off areas. Most of the angry Liberal voters were driving expensive cars and wore designer clothes. But they weren’t acting like the gentile middle-to-upper class which they no doubt think they belong to. They were acting like angry bogans.

When I thought about it harder, I realised that, for the 6 years of the Labor government, all we really heard from Liberal supporters was anger. Ranting and ravings, modeled on shock-jock rage. But why were they so angry? When you asked them why, you just got more bile, so it was never clear what they were angry about.

Some people have suggested to me that Liberals will always be angry when Labor is in power. It upsets their sense of entitlement. It upsets their belief that they were born to rule. I guess it’s the same anger that rich bosses feel when their workers unite to negotiate a wage rise. The boss doesn’t like to have to negotiate with his underlings. It makes him (usually him) feel very nervous. His outrageously overinflated share of the profits earned through the work of his employees is threatened. This overall ‘vibe’ of anger was probably at the heart of most of the anger we saw from Liberal supporters during the last two terms of the Labor government.

Add to that the anger about the government’s work to protect the community from the catastrophic effects of climate change. Apparently trying to do something about climate change makes Liberals very angry. Especially if this action is taken by a female leader. And the anger about the government spending money to protect the economy from falling into the panic of the Global Financial Crisis. It seems the strong economy Labor produced made them even angrier! This is the sort of anger which I put in the ‘loony’ category. The very same category for the anger from Republican supporters in the US who are happy for the government to stop working altogether, as long as they don’t get universal healthcare. ‘How dare you try to help us!’ they all scream in an unhinged chorus. Then there’s the standard old misogynist anger that a woman was put in charge in the first place. How dare she tell us what to do! We’ll show her! (And they did).

Abbott capitalised on this unwarranted anger. He encouraged it and controlled it, like a conductor directing a choir of whiners. He told them he was angry too. But never really explained why. Now he’s in government, he’s quickly backing away from all the promises he made to reduce the anger, which wasn’t necessary in the first place. One might even see this as a clever move if he wasn’t making such a hash of it. He just looks weak.

And this is where I get, to the reason for this post. Surely Labor supporters were the ones who should have been angry? Surely what we went through for the last 6 years was the sort of experience which would give any person a murderous rage?

As a Labor supporter, I watch Liberal supporters frothing at the mouth, and I wonder how on earth they would have survived the recent experience of a Labor supporter. I don’t think they would have. I think they would have exploded in a fit of rage had they gone through what we have gone through. How would they feel about the mainstream media campaigning against their government, with Murdoch taking the lead and the ABC and Fairfax following suit? What would they do if their party’s successful policies were painted as failures, and the only thing they read in the paper was about Kevin bloody Rudd? How would they react to the abuse hurled at their first female Prime Minister, a woman of incredible heroism who maintained her dignity throughout? How would they react if one of their MPs was stalked by the media for an alleged crime committed long before he was an MP, while at the same time Abbott was hypocritically allowed to pay back thousands of dollars of tax-payer money that he spent promoting his book for private profit, and it never got any coverage at all? How could they live with the inaccurate perception of ‘chaos’ and ‘dysfunction’ for their party while in government, when in actual fact the government was incredibly successful at passing progressive reform through a minority parliament? What if they had to experience Ashbygate and the injustice of the scandal around Slipper, who was a Liberal, to begin with! And what would they do if they saw their favourite progressive reforms – the NBN, the Carbon Price, the Mining Tax, Gonski school funding and various other achievements of the Labor government now being torn apart by an inept Abbott government? What would their reaction be to see the new government hide while in office? To run away from public statements? For the Prime Minister to embarrass the country every time he opens his mouth?

The difference between the anger of Liberal supporters and Labor supporters is that Labor supporters know why we’re angry. We have justifiable reasons for our anger. And we know how to turn this anger into a productive rage. I don’t think progressive voters worked it out early enough, and this is why the Labor election campaign was so lacking in passion. But we understand now. It took the shock of seeing Abbott declare himself Prime Minister for our anger to crystalise into action. Look at how quickly we came up with a million dollars to keep the Climate Council running. We don’t become a rabble when threatened like Liberal voters do with their shock-jock training. We become more focused. We become a people’s movement. Unlike Abbott, who relies on votes from people far too stingy and selfish to put their hand in their pocket, and instead has to promise policy favors to mining and media billionaires to get the funds he needs, Labor supporters will be funding the 2016 campaign ourselves. And using our passionate, committed anger to make it a success. The Labor leadership vote is just the beginning of this movement. We will unite to make sure Abbott’s angry supporters feel the disappointment of losing government. And we will make sure this happens in just one term. The #OneTermTony campaign has already begun.

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diannaartOctober 6, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Excellent work, encapsulating the interesting and disturbing pattern of politics over the last 6 years.

Far-right conservatives, love to dish it out, but can’t deal with their own poison.

I was depressed rather than angry through the Howard years, the same sense of ennui returned on the election of Abbott. If I am angry at anything it remains the disgusting reaction to the appointment of a woman to a position of power – unless she is of a far-right disposition and, therefore, unlikely to ‘scare the horses’.

melaineOctober 6, 2013 at 12:57 pm

Thank you Victoria, once again an excellent article. I cannot understand the anger lnp supporters seem to carry and they still seem angry, even tho ‘they won’, not sure what they think they have ‘won’ but would be nice if it at least made them happy… but I guess some people are just never happy with themselves or their lives.

Sandra CottonOctober 6, 2013 at 1:11 pm

Great article Victoria. I am ANGRY after watching Insiders. Apart from the first program after the election , the ABC has made sure that it’s an advert for the Coalition Government . It started off claiming that Abbott’s visit to Indonesia was a diplomatic success. It was very strategic to choose Stutchbury as a panellist, one of Abbott’s most vociferous cheer leaders. The ABC’s behaviour is deplorable considering its responsibility as a public broadcaster.

Anon E MouseOctober 6, 2013 at 1:14 pm

Abbott is a typical demagogue, or demagog. As a google search shows, a demagogue is “a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument”.

That definition fits Abbott and his gang perfectly. Poor Abbott considers himself as some sort of Demi-god in his twisted version of his religion – some spawn of Howard and Bronny Bishop I think he referred to himself.

I am not sure whether to be angry at the foolish self-serving upper-middle class riff-raff for their irrational anger and beliefs. I am amazed that there are so many Australian voters who cannot understand more than a 3 word slogan, or are too dim to logically look at the bs being fed them. It certainly doesn’t say much for the snobby high class schools they were supposedly educated at.

In the fight to make Abbott a one-trick-wonder, surely education in simple words, will be needed.

panzerooOctober 6, 2013 at 1:36 pm

Brilliantly written ! So many times I had challenged the angry Abbott supporters to back up his claims and falsehoods. Never once did I get an actual reply which went beyond the slogans. It was always the same false claims of the pink bats, school halls and outrageous debts. So many times I pointed out the success of the pink bats scheme and the lack of angry parents who have a new school hall at for their children. Then I would point out what the danger of lack of government regulation can result in -workplace injuries/death and exploitation, which is a great counter to the Abbott lovers when they carp on about the deaths in the pink bat scheme – ie not enough initial government regulation ! Abbott wants to reduce regulation…
The government debt argument should be all over the media now that the obvious lie is exposed as being not a budget emergency and debt not being as bad as Abbott and Hockey blabbered on about. All we hear is crickets.
The anger I have now is not so much directed at Abbott, as much as I hate him, its what he and his band of stooges are getting away with. The destruction of any action on climate change, the destruction of the NBN, the destruction of Gonski. All done without much media outcry. Abbott and his stooges are getting busy to rape the Australian people and the media has decided to simply close the door and turn up the sport on the TV. One term Tony isn’t just an ambition it is a matter of absolute importance. Anymore than one term and there really will be no hope for the next generation.

HeatherOctober 6, 2013 at 1:51 pm

Thank you Victoria as always. Yes, I’ve become part of the Climate Council team and have just placed my ALP leadership vote. I’m feeling pretty positive right now. Like Julia Gillard in her interview with Anne Summers, I have noted that Abbott hasn’t done much as PM (just backtracked), and like her I hope it stays that way. The ‘no-do’ PM.

kelvinOctober 6, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Progressives may have lost the battle with Tony Abbott becoming PM, but not the war. A clean energy future, superfast broadband & marriage equality are all inevitable for Australia. Abbott’s attempts to hold back the tide of environmental, technological and social change will not prevail. Reforms like Medicare and superannuation were bitterly opposed by the Liberals but are now part of our lives, and so too will many of the reforms of the past Labor govt come to be recognized as ground breaking. But for now, we’ll have a do nothing PM, with no great vision or plans to carry us into the future. We’ll just be marking time.

bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 1:42 pm

Most of them were angry about the carbon tax, and that their electricity prices went up and when I pointed out they were compensated thru the tax system, it still didn’t make any difference, they wanted to maintain the rage, it was a fix they couldn’t do without and they waited every day with bated breath for every vile word spewed forth from Pickering and the shock jocks (however, I did like pickering’s cartoons).

And I can understand how empty they must be feeling now that their rage fix is gone. Howard had the same effect on me with his children overboard crap and dividing the nation with his racist policies and when he was defeated, and without a rage fix, I went thru cold turkey for a couple of months.

Labor lost the single mother’s vote, when they ripped off $60-$100pf from their pension. You would expect this from the Libs not Labor and for me it was a dog act.

And if anyone has been following Pickering with his holier than thou crap that he was spewing from his Pickering post, one should Google Pickering, to see what a scam artist he is. He deleted me from his comments for pointing out his racing scams.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 2:15 pm

There is a glaring difference between Conservative anger and Progressive anger. Conservatives are unable to back theirs up with any facts. They actually go out of their way to ignore facts. I think that was our problem. The facts so obviously negated every argument the Coalition put forward that it seemed impossible for others not to see this. How do you argue with people who seem happy to be lied to? How do you argue with people who have the memory span of a goldfish? How do you convince people who would rather listen to Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones than to the IMF and the IPCC?

With every day that passes the lies and hypocrisy of our current government are mounting. Our Attorney General decided that the AFP needed to prosecute Peter Slipper for $900 worth of cab charges (which he repeatedly offered to repay but was not allowed to) whilst he himself and many of his colleagues have been guilty of far greater rorting which they have only repaid when media pressure has made them. And let’s not forget their record on giving references to pedophile priests and drunk drivers to get them off the charges they are facing.

And then we have the statement that “We never said we would tow back the boats…that rotten ABC is lying”. Uh huh……

patsyOctober 6, 2013 at 2:26 pm

love your article again….how very very sad to see the remarks made about Julia Gillard all in one article…..these people and they know who they are… are beyond being human beings…regardless that they are so called journalists… jones ….janet albrechtsen who should know better as a so called women saying gillard does not have children…how does she know why…. she should go back to where she came from …jones is a disgrace to the human race…and bolt the village idiot …….Gillard did the best she knew how under difficult circumstances….but the average people only believed what that read not what was really happening…may history and people like you tell the real story and the truth…and may the people realise what liberal stands for …….not the working class who made this country what it is.

GailOctober 6, 2013 at 3:31 pm

Thank you Victoria. I was really interested to read your article – it reinforced what I’ve experienced for years when working on ALP polling booths and also when reading blogs where anti-labor sentiment runs like hot battery acid – where Labor is so frequently misspelt – and where fiction constantly overrides fact. I have always been taken aback by the frothing-mouthed Liberal voters and the rage they exhibited on Election Day when I politely proffered ALP how-to-votes. One memorable response (from a florid man in a Lacoste sports shirt vainly trying to control a pack of in-bred King Charles spaniels) was a screaming “I’d rather drink my own urine!” I wondered then what made him so incandescent with rage. I was sorely tempted to ask him if he had been tippling his own effluent to behave in such a way – but, as is so often the case, the moment had passed. And why join ’em anyhow. It’s only three more years..let’s see how strong we can remain in the face of such misplaced pride and pig-ignorance.

whatismoreOctober 6, 2013 at 3:39 pm

Look a the lead photo of Hockey-fat and furious.

HeatherOctober 6, 2013 at 3:45 pm

I listen to a lot of talk back radio, and the Liberals are ALWAYS angry. They are unable to speak on radio without being rude, angry and sarcastic, whereas Labour supporters usually argue their case properly. Sometimes I wish our Labour politicians would argue their case with a little bit more anger, instead of letting the Libs walk all over them!

gordonwaOctober 6, 2013 at 3:51 pm

Hi Victoria, great article.

Like you, my partner and I spent many hours handing out Labor how to vote cards during pre-polling and on election day. We too, noticed the anger and aggression of Liberal voters particularly of young males aged approximately 20 to 35. Anyone would think they didn’t want a decent NBN. It was hard to make out what they were angry about as few would even attempt to articulate it. Vague mutterings of Labor’s debt and dysfunction seemed the only reasons and, of course, these things were being shouted by the shock jocks, the Murdoch papers, the commercial TV stations, and parroted on the ABC.

I did have at least one win at the pre-polling booth as a woman with a pram refused all how to vote cards then struggled to get the pram up the step and through the doors. I quickly sprang to her aid, holding the door and lifting the pram. She smiled her gratitude and took a Labor how to vote card from me. So it pays to keep fighting for every vote right up to the time the voter steps into the booth.

jagman48October 6, 2013 at 2:55 pm

I would love to see a one term tony facebook page. Or is there one already?

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 2:58 pm

You may enjoy this one jagman. It is very informative.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-blame-me-I-didnt-vote-for-Tony-Abbott/274330505796

Kim WrightOctober 6, 2013 at 4:58 pm

Fabulous article, but I do only add one contrary point. If anyone else ever delved into a Pro Rudd site prior to him taking up the position as PM you would have seen some of the most vitriolic misogynist posts and if you dared to provide a differing opinion Whooooaa! and then refused access to the site.

jlo2000October 6, 2013 at 5:04 pm

I handed out cards and saw this as well. A few people pushed past me, a few muttered insults and the like. But by and large I don’t think there is much difference in baseline rudeness between ALP and LNP supporters.

I think we’re seeing a shift in attitudes based on the thrashing about of the mainstream media in its death-throes. A minority parliament was like providing a steady drip of blood into a pool of sharks. The MSM tasted blood for 3 years without a decent feed and it drove them insane. And now by extension they’ve driven half of Australia barking mad as well.

catzillaOctober 6, 2013 at 5:09 pm

I worked inside a polling booth on the day and agree wholeheartedly with your comments re the typical Liberal voter. Without any exaggeration, anyone who was rude, aggressive or ridiculously stupid, was brandishing a Liberal how to vote card. And I wasn’t copping it because I was trying to shove a Labor or Greens how to vote card in their face – I was just a person, doing my job, with no agenda. What also got me, was the number of Liberal voters who actually chose to make some kind of negative comment about Labor. Unsurprisingly, the comments usually echoed their media programming.

At first, I just thought this was confirmation bias at play, but then I started to actually make a little mental tally as the day wore on, and it wasn’t confirmation bias – Liberal voters were far more likely to be obnoxious imbeciles.

There are theories about why this might be the case (e.g. books like The Republican Brain by Chris Mooney) so I do wonder how much of this anger and stupidity is actually just the nature of the beast(s) rather than specific circumstances at this election?

JoOctober 6, 2013 at 5:30 pm

I believe this article is a bit of nonsense. It’s entirely fine for anger to be the emotion you have with respect to a governing body. Yes it’s rude to be treated disrespectfully as you hand out how to vote cards, that’s to be expected. I’m a swinging voter, probably voted for labor more than liberal in my lifetime. Green supporters (and I am a fan to some extent with respect to some issues) are the angriest supports that exist – screaming protesters marching down city streets are a feature of the politics. I just think anger is fine. Without anger, you don’t get powerful and poignant political statements such as what happened at Tiananmen Square. All types of anger is important, even if irrational and hostile.

Monique FollettOctober 6, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Hear Hear,
It was this type of anger that got the labor movement started in the first place – banding together and forming unions to fight for the common good.
Let’s hope we channel our anger and get back to our roots to fend off these bully-boy libs.

Geoff Of EppingOctober 6, 2013 at 5:48 pm

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Never thought of it that way. One other difference is Labor voters talk using the words we and us. Coalition voters only use I and me.
Coalition = Self serving
Labour = Community

rossleighbrisbaneOctober 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm

As Goldie Hawn said in some movie, “Don’t get mad, get even!”

Actually, that’s not quite what I mean. I think, it’s more find a way of winning that doesn’t involve losing…

DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 6:25 pm

I suppose it depends on which polling station you were working…. now, having worked a polling station in the North, in the seat of Wakefield, (Australia’s most welfare dependent electorate) I saw LARGE number of self entitled “gits” hurl abuse at any party that was not going to “give them their entitlements” or as I prefer to see it…. the entitlements they THINK they should get!
The title of your page is a misnomer, and dare I say it…. a blatant lie…. I have read a number of your “independent” articles, and if you want to be classified a journalist, or a journalistic site….. how about giving a balanced report…. your reports are nothing more than Labor/Union/Left Wing rhetoric (or propaganda)… they are not balanced, they are not well researched offering BOTH sides of the argument… they are purely aimed at the dullards who will believe your tripe as gospel….. kinda like seeing KRudd as the messiah!!! thank god that more Aussies have brains, and actually CARE about the future of our country, than the dullards who swallow this tripe and believe it TOTALLY…… it shows a lack of intelligence and a lack of what you accuse “right wing” journos of doing….. biase in bucketloads…..

VickiOctober 6, 2013 at 6:26 pm

Victoria, I was not so much angry as incredulous at the attitude of anti ALP attitudes. When I got the opportunity to question their intense dislike of the then government I was told things like: the ‘carbon tax’ is increasing cost of living pressures, the budget was out of control, the country was sinking beneath massive debts, the Labor Party were a bunch of crooks. I would point out that none of their accusations had any truth in them and suggested certain websites that would give them the facts but they were far happier to be angry in the comfort of their distorted beliefs gained via Alan Jones and the MSM.
Likewise I could not understand the hatred of Julia Gillard who I believe to be a person of great strength and integrity who faced down her detractors every day for three years – a lesser person would have crumbled.
On the night that K Rudd deposed Julia Gillard I was having a meal at the Adelaide River Hotel and when the outcome was announced the pub erupted in cheers and I was shocked. I dearly would have liked to have had the the courage to stand up and ask “WHY”.
I am still not angry but still totally incredulous that Australia voted this current bunch of liars and incompetents into office.

Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Well I am angry I wrote to a group of pollies week after week about the outrageous things the rabbott and his henchmen were saying and that labor needs to attack his flaws. There is no expectation that anyone read them but a couple answered by sending me their inane I have done this messages. (Rob, tony and andrew answered and labor auto-replies were abundant. They allowed the media to drive the rabbott’s messages home with no challenge. They provided their supporters no simple exposé of the rabbott’s supporters three part slogan. They knew that the media would only chase the rabbott for his nastiness and stupidity but played the ball not the man when the media and the voters accepted the rabbott’s attacks in the absence of labor’s attack on his flaws. Notice his nasty second woman lost? Why? Because she was challenged on the ground by a determined woman independent (isn’t ironic that the rabbott paid back his claims to attend mirabella’s wedding in 2006 as health minister and his top boys did the same 7 years later) for her ability. I am so cynical that I think albo and shorten made no effort to silence rudd for their own purpose but why not laugh at the rabbott’s range of suppositories from his admitting that he could have sired bastard, through his virginity and giving up sex for lent(maggie gets no say???) there are dozens of them what about his NO COALITION couldn’t they have gone after his hernia through a truss. They could have had us laughing at him? Why not? I have had fun with a few cynical and, with due deference to our prime minister, a few nasty, guesses?

MaryOctober 6, 2013 at 6:43 pm

Hahaha have a look down the replies!
Only one word in caps until we come to David.
Point proven 🙂

Wendy FulwoodOctober 6, 2013 at 6:51 pm

The problem with Labor is that they take TOLERANCE too seriously. There was just cause, as listed above, to fight fire with fire, but we didn’t. We stayed calm and rational and quoted facts and figures.
We probably should have played dirty.

Robert ForsytheOctober 6, 2013 at 5:54 pm

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/joshua-holland/42946/why-is-the-conservative-brain-more-fearful-the-alternate-reality-right-wingers-inhabit-is-terrifying There are perhaps some scientific reasons for your observations?

Deena BennettOctober 6, 2013 at 6:56 pm

When I first arrived in Australia, a few months before Whitlam was elected, my friend mentioned to me that a Labor Government in Australia is an aberration, a mistake that the electorate occasionally makes, but in the run of things they will be taught a lesson and not make the same mistake again, until perhaps for the next generation to do. This is indeed what has happened. The LNP have only spit and venom to sustain themselves, having no substance in their policies.
Unfortunately the Labor party found it easier to present a divided and multi-faceted façade to the media, (notoriously biased in Australia), and really must carry the blame for this. If a lesson is learnt I wait to see. I don’t expect the Labor party to put up any fight, they did not do it for the 12 years of Howards’ reign, much to their shame. He was a small town solicitor and they could not answer him.
Australian society is essentially conservative, based on a rural electorate and only isolated pockets of intense industry, much reducing as China takes the lead.
Howard was all spit and venom, and he encouraged his supporters to be the same. Power is power, its’ use for societies benefit is another matter that can be discussed, once power has been achieved. Ladies and Gentlemen, it could be a long dark night with more than a few moments of hilarity, and hypocrisy, which is something the LNP seem to do so very well.

JasonOctober 6, 2013 at 7:01 pm

Once again a highly uninformed and bias article Victoria. Which is ironic considering I am a Labor voter. I feel shameful stating myself to be a Labor supporter with a majority of our party being the “rude” ones at polling booths. An elderly couple went ahead of me at the voting booths. They were handed a Liberal voting card, and then received a Labor voting card. They preceded to throw the Liberal card back at the lady handing them out. There was a bin right beside her. I was embarrassed to go up and receive one after witnessing that. I always enjoy reading articles that express both sides of an argument and situation no matter what the circumstance. Its very unfortunate and infuriating that yours rarely do.

bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 7:21 pm

Well David, what are the points that are lies? Perhaps you can balance the story after all everyone is entitled to an opinion. Waiting with bated breath.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 6:36 pm

Billy, Tony Abbott only paid back the money he fraudulently claimed (in 2006) a few days ago. It had nothing to do with conscience or doing the right thing to rectify a mistaken claim. He did it because the story broke in the media.

jagman48October 6, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Another Liberal troll is Billy. Who needs them.

IRMGARD KOVACOctober 6, 2013 at 7:00 pm

well written and it shows again, money is no requisite for good manners.these people never had it so good and are ungrateful ,because had the liberals been in power we would have had a recession and they would have needed to tighten their belt.

DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 8:14 pm

well thank you for pointing out your lack of understanding and education in regards to FREE and independent media, Bobrafto, Kaye Lee and others…….. this thread is allowing FREEDOM of speech which is a bonus, considering that Steven Conroy and others in the ex LABOR Govt wanted to stifle such exchanges…..
While I disagree with a number of Liberal positions (ie Marriage Equality) the Labor Govt USED Australian’s and dare I say it, there voting base, who arent always the brightest or sharpest voters…. to try and push their socialist policies….. the IPCC’s latest report shows that Labor got it wrong…. you either read, understand and support science… or “be typical Labor dullards” and ignore fact, and create your own fact… unfortunately, Labor/Unions/Lefties tend to ignore FACT and go off on their own tangents, and then wonder why that any THINKING Australian, who DOES understand Fact…. votes in opposition to the Kum Ba Yah do gooder/Labor supporter….
It is about time that Laborites actually EDUCATE themselves on issues outside of the single parenting pension, unemployment pension, family tax benefit, or any other pension they feel ENTITLED TO…. and if they truly understood policy, issues and the betterment of AUSTRALIA… rather than think about their entitlement, and what they think Australia should DO FOR THEM…. then maybe.., just maybe Australia, and the Australian Parliament could do what is best for AUSTRALIA…. not for the 20% of the welfare (either unemployed/disabled) rather than the working people who believe they are ENTITLED to welfare 😉

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 7:21 pm

@ David and Jason

I am so tired of people criticising this site because they do not understand what the word independent means. For the record…again…independent means “Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.” The people who give up their time to share their thoughts here are not paid, they do not have to say what the boss or someone like Peta Credlin tells them to. You do not have to agree with them but how dare you dictate what they should write. Rather than being critical, why not give some factual argument about why you think Tony Abbott will make a good PM or where you think the last government failed and how you think this government will do better. I would suggest it’s because those are very difficult arguments to substantiate.

BacchusOctober 6, 2013 at 8:31 pm

Educated himself generally, going by that barely coherent rant Michael 😉

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 7:33 pm

And whilst on that topic, a journalist is “A person who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television.” The regular contributors here are not journalists by profession (to my knowledge). They are not being paid to present both sides of the story for the edification of the public. For many of us it is wonderful to hear the other side of the news, the side that those who are paid to be journalists have so completely ignored. If you can’t contribute to the discussion I fail to see why you bother commenting.

Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 7:37 pm

Exactly, Kaye. Some people need to seek out a dictionary and look up the word ‘independent’. I’m sick of doing it for them. I’m sick of having to tell them what the word actually means. Maybe they have their own interpretation.

If they don’t like it, well, they’ll just have to live with it.

I’m happy with it. As most people here are.

AngelaOctober 6, 2013 at 8:38 pm

Liberals are STILL angry and STILL nasty…if you ask them ‘what good things do you think Tony Abbott will do for Australia?” – you can’t get any of them to answer! instead they immediately go on the attack with Labor on waste, same uninformed rubbish on the school halls, pink batts etc. but they can never say anything positive for Abbott…actually, most of them really say ‘I can’t stand Abbott but look at the mess Labor’s in” So Abbot was voted in for what? just for a change it seems because Labor was their own enemy!

They allowed Abbott & Co. to jump on TV with their Labor put downs using very simple 3-4 word slogans and Labor never jumped fast enough to nip these false statements in the bud…so much so that they stuck in people’s minds…Surely they would be fools to let it happen again…………BUT – Murdoch will tell us again in 3 years to vote for Abbott so how on earth will Labor ever regain power without the support of the media – it would be impossible! Bowen or Shorten? they would have to get something very destructive to blow Abbott away from Murdoch!

And one more point…we don’t have an Abbott Govt or ALP – we all know very well it’s a MURDOCH GOVT.

Deena BennettOctober 6, 2013 at 8:59 pm

I suddenly realised that I do not have any Liberal voters amongst my friends. It is relatively easy to ascertain the voting habits of an introduced person within 3 sentences, so I must have subconsciously wiped them from my list of friends.
Damn it, perhaps I will have to change the habit of a lifetime, no doubt acquired when arguing with Tories in pre-Heath UK.

Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 8:16 pm

considering that Steven Conroy and others in the ex LABOR Govt wanted to stifle such exchanges…..

How so? What do you know that nobody else does? Perhaps you have a link to back that up, or maybe some other evidence.

Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 8:17 pm

It is about time that Laborites actually EDUCATE themselves

It’s about time you educated yourself on Steven Conroy’s policies.

hannahquinnOctober 6, 2013 at 9:23 pm

The vitriol from the right side of politics has been staggering in the last 6 years. It doesn’t surprise me all that much. People who feel entitled are far more ‘sensitive’ than those who would rather share or improve the lot of others.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 9:01 pm

David, where to begin…..

Steven Conroy’s media reforms never aimed to stifle free speech. They included the following:

Commercial television licence fees will be permanently cut by 50 per cent on the condition the channels increase their Australian content by 1,490 hours by 2015.

He also announced plans to establish a new watchdog to ensure that media companies comply with independent journalism standards.

The Public Interest Media Advocate would be responsible for overseeing self-regulatory bodies, such as the Australian Press Council, to make sure that complaints are dealt with properly.

The advocate would also be put in charge of assessing whether media company mergers pass a new “public interest test”.

“Media organisations have obligations to the Australian public,” Senator Conroy said.

“This includes obligations to fairness in reporting, as well as providing timely responses to complaints and criticism. ”

He also wanted a new parliamentary committee to look into the “reach rule” which prevents a metropolitan television broadcaster from buying regional stations and broadcast to more than 75 per cent of the population. This was designed to ensure media diversity.

On the IPCC report, it is obvious you have not read it. I would suggest you read this

And on the ridiculous notion that all Labor voters are on welfare, I wonder how you feel about Tony Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave scheme which gives the very rich a very large welfare payment at the expense of the poor. Do you think we have an obligation to help the most vulnerable in our society or should we keep giving millionaires more tax dodges? Do you understand the term social equity?

And as far as my “lack of understanding and education” is concerned, I think I will just give you enough rope on that one sunshine.

veloaficionadoOctober 6, 2013 at 10:11 pm

One quibble: “genteel” (well-bred, polite, mannerly) vs. “gentile” (non-Jewish).

David
October 6, 2013 • 6:25 pm

Hey: learn to use ellipses properly, if you really want to sound like an incoherently mumbling homeless imbecile. They consist of 3 points, and a disconnected thought in between two sets of the same. Nothing against real IMHIs, btw, they’ve usually got a real reason to appear irrational and unhinged. You, however, just seem to have an ideological bee in your blue bonnet.

DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 10:12 pm

Kaye Lee…. please… do NOT INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE….. I remember all of the single parents screamin like banchees when they were put onto Newstart.. UNDER LABOR’s watch….. Labor/Union/entitlement baying individuals who believe they should receive *insert welfare payment here* instead of getting off their arse and EARNING it….. amazes me….. and while you guys claim vitriol from the right…. perhaps you should actually take off your rose coloured glasses, and ACTUALLY READ, and UNDERSTAND the vile, pathetic vitriol coming from the left… it is easy to throw stones… a lot damned harder to actually sit back and EXAMINE self behaviour… but as Lefties…. i am sure you wont… cos that is hard work… vitriol, belittlement, and hate is a lot easier to come up with….. if you bothered to sit back and ACTUALLY read, and educate your propaganda 😉

DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 10:17 pm

and as far as the NBN…. the right’s proposition does the job…. the lefties are just upset they will NOT get it to the home, and if they want it to the home… they will have to pay for it…. shock, horror, the left doesnt want to pay for a service, and wants every other tom, dick, harry, mary and “rich person” to pay for their service!!! wow… what a surprise…. WE WANT….. WE DESERVE….WE ARE ENTITLED and YOU (anyone else other than me) SHOULD pay for it!!!! 🙂

Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 10:53 pm

Thanks Katy I ass(umed) he paid it back in 2006. Bishop went with him wonder if she will pay her claim back. As for jagman48, how interesting that you think a post so critical even nasty to the rabbott would make me a liberal or a troll. But for your information I research the candidates in my electorate and listen to any comments they make and have found only two liberals in nearly 55 years remotely worthy of any consideration for a vote and only John Gorton as a liberal PM worthy of respect. Sam Calder and Darryl Manzie were honest hard working men and are the only CLP men I didn’t put last. Nevertheless Gillard and the boys did us a great disservice by not headlining the rabbott’s flaws to make him a laughing stock and that made me angry and frustrated as I had been writing to Gillard et al begging them to kill the lie about a “TAX” and to ridicule hockey’s ‘Greece’ comparisons but the just stood blindfolded in front of rupert, morning show, ABC program’s firing squads and made no effort.

Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 10:56 pm

Ps even if Gillard had advertised the nastiness of hockey, bishop, pyne and Morrison with that of the rabbott.
I think Gillard would have reversed her slide.

Berko WillsOctober 6, 2013 at 11:00 pm

Unfortunately Rupert does rule the free world in many respects. How else could you topple a government that met all the metrics: low inflation, low unemployment, low interest rates, high Australian dollar, triple A rating? Economic conservatives would surely be hanging their coiffured heads in shame at a performance like this. There are hopeless managers of the economy on both sides; or perhaps they had less control than market forces. There are any number of factors playing on our lives whether we like it or not. But that is no reason not to embrace the most mediated, scientific, methodical approach possible. Or to wish to see those who govern us do so.

DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 11:01 pm

how can you argue will ill informed, ridiculous lefties… so I will say… yes… of course, you are all right…. cos….. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/p480x480/1382351_534644896619432_997812561_n.jpg

Marion IvanicOctober 6, 2013 at 11:09 pm

Excellent sentiments, exactly what I would have said if I had had the opportunity and the skill, in fact I felt as though you had read my mind and also shared some of my experiences from the past in helping out at the polling booth, and my chagrin and despair at having to watch, as a labor supporter and female, what took place over the term of Julia’s government and the fury and sense of injustice I felt at that dreadful individual winning the day. The bully boy won.

Berko WillsOctober 6, 2013 at 11:18 pm

Sorry, that was in response to Angela’s post. Add my voice to someone who loved this article; I’d been thinking much the same things about the incoherence that arose from an anger that could be directed at Gillard’s speaking voice or Rudd’s inexplicable inheritance of an old Howard sobriquet “Mr Sheen”. They became focused on things that mattered not one whit “Ha, look, now she’s fallen over”. Journalists asking both Rudd and Gillard endless questions about succession plans based on poor polling when there was so much else of import to address. The appropriate foreign minister Bob Carr keeping his head down, refusing to answer any question that didn’t concern his portfolio.

We could have done with more brave journalists like Andrew O’Keefe (yes, really!) asking Mr Abbott some of the best questions of the campaign; on point and of obvious interest to voters across the spectrum who cared about the issues.

Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 10:19 pm

David, I really don’t think it’d take a lot to insult your intelligence.

Marion IvanicOctober 6, 2013 at 11:20 pm

PS: David is a typical example of a nasty abusive bullying liberal – don’t worry about him folks he’ s just another hopeless case of idiocy, completely unable to express himself without bad language and abuse in fact he’ s pathetic. Feel sorry for him. Aw !

Dan RowdenOctober 6, 2013 at 11:21 pm

David,

how can you argue will ill informed, ridiculous lefties

I humbly suggest that would be with actual arguments.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 10:33 pm

David I don’t wish to insult anyone but I do prefer fact to ill-informed rot.

Gough Whitlam introduced single parents pension in 1974. Former prime minister John Howard introduced changes to the Welfare Act in 2006. New applicants for the PPS would stop receiving payment after their youngest child turned eight. Those who were already receiving the payment would continue until their youngest child turned 18. This led to different payments depending on when you applied. The changes made by the Gillard government just made the rules the same for everyone rather than having some people allowed to receive the pension until their youngest was 18 and others only until their youngest turned 8. I did not agree with the change but let’s be fair here, Howard was the one who forced single parents onto Newstart, Gillard just made the rules the same for all regardless of when you applied.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 10:44 pm

David you DO realise that the money spent on the NBN is a loan which will be repaid in full and with a projected return of 5-7%. I fail to see why we should all pay for a service that 20% of people will get for free while the rest of us have to pay thousands to hook up to. What are the implications for house prices and rent? It is inequitable to spend billions of taxpayer money on a service that only a few will receive. From what I understand all greenfields developments will get FttP. As these new developments are usually the cheaper housing will this impact on the price of those homes making them less affordable to the people who would usually move into new developments? Will it lead to landlords forcing up the price of these properties?

And as far as reading goes I can pretty much guarantee you that my reading and research is far broader than yours.

bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 11:56 pm

Oh Dear, David you’re really not worth responding to. But here I am doing just that.

Firstly you have to wean yourself off that fix of maintaining the rage, your man Tone won, there’s nothing more to win.

Now I just want to leave you with one thought, ‘Capitalism cannot succeed without socialism’. Think about it.

Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 11:06 pm

Nice picture David. I notice that you have completely ignored all the facts I have presented you with but hey, why let the facts deter you. Please do carry on underturd.

Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 12:21 am

I agree about the not worth it comment bobrafto. I cast out a 15kg line and have been reeling in a minnow for hours. Good night all.

Northern MarinersOctober 7, 2013 at 2:29 am

Well said.

Regina RyanOctober 7, 2013 at 2:31 am

Just heard biggest amount of credit cards not paid and it’s nearly Christmas. Going to be an even angrier one. The so call cashed up bogans are broke – the ones who think they’ve made it by the flashiest car and borrowings to the hilt because they do not know how to actually pay for anything with cash savings as they’re never in the black. These are the redneck wannabees who pl for the liberal vote because they think Labor are big spenders (like themselves) so it is all Labor’s fault for their financial misery. Just wait you wankers when interest rates start climbing under your wonderfully rich cashed up liberal party.

atkenosOctober 7, 2013 at 8:26 am

I captained one booth but in breaks (between 4.45 am and 8.20 pm) I visited other booths in my area. The very same anger, rudeness… Your piece is so well written that it should be sent to all Labor members. Thank you for writing it

Lawrence WinderOctober 7, 2013 at 10:28 am

…spot on!

jacquelenecmOctober 7, 2013 at 10:37 am

During 2010, while my teenager was so troubled by their dad’s behaviors that I had that one on suicide watch after they acted out at school in a way that was shocking and disturbing to all involved, my parents, liberal voters, came around to our house. They weren’t prepared to, in their retirement, to take four separate days on the ‘watch’ roster over the next two weeks so that I could work and pay my bills (in four days work at that time, I was capable of bringing in loads, and enough to survive for two weeks) they couldn’t help because they ‘had to’ take themselves on their winter journey in the tv/hotel on wheels because ‘it was cold in winter’ in Victoria, and while having not paid any precious deposits for any accommodation (they were after all going to be driving it) … They sat there and instead of being in any way at all understanding, caring -god I don’t know- “reasonable” or even talk about my child’s frightening state of mind abd how on earth I would even be able to focus even with my “respite” while my child was being watched by someone else, nope all they could chant was “holiday” it became even more absurd when they saw a newspaper headline about Julia, and on doing so, despite me not having said a word, began berating me relentlessly about labor, and badgering me, despite me not talking politics at all at any point in the last few years. The tone and nature of which was too offensive to share, suffice to say I could understand how my step dads previous employer (a female) had asked me upon meeting me how it was even possible I was related at all to them.

They spoke in slogans straight out of Adolf Abbott’s indoctrination hand book for dummies, it was racist, hateful, entitled, definitely mysognistic, sexist, and with a sociopathic lack of empathy and the apparent enjoyment of making me uncomfortable, all while in the same house at the same time as my at the time highly disturbed teen. They had just inherited literally millions and spent it all on themselves, joking that they were spending the kids inheritance (one they had never worked for), having an F you mentality, having seemingly forgotten how they had thrown me, their only child out to work at 15 to financially support them, my university education came with thanks of my employer who saw leadership material in me, and how on finally getting a hold of my bank accounts at the age of 18, having forced my mother to unlock the filing cabinet, that I had somehow on 40k a year, living at home in the early 1990s, driving a 20 yr old torana, accrued 20k credit card debt on cards I had never seen, and no money in the bank at all.

So here they were in their entitlement, all these years later, in the most absurd mixture of circumstances, their grandchild’s life literally on the line, and the very survival of my business on the line at the time, and four days over two weeks is too much an inconvenience, because I am a woman, a business owner, I don’t iron, and they think I vote labor. They think that my calm rebuttal and attempts to shut down political conversation is about my politics rather than it entering their brainwashed minds that I might, my child might have more pressing concerns.

Later, the night before they were due to take their seasonal migration north for the winter, after I had already had to cancel all my bookings on the basis of no one being able to stay with my child while I went to work, they came to dinner, for the first time ever, I was told they would bring dinner, (they always came around and I had previously always cooked) they brought the cheapest pizza they could find, and although it was cold when it arrived (they has spent extra petrol abd time going to get the cheapest pizza) we ate it.

They were for a change, relatively nice, and suddenly mum told me they weren’t going away during that two weeks now after all, did I want then to watch my child at their house?

They told me they stayed an extra two weeks before their holiday because someone they lived three doors down from, three years previously and hasn’t seen in the time since, needed help moving furniture while moving house.

When I could breathe after hearing that I went full metal jacket on them about their complete lack of humanity and gave them a life time of home truths that I can now see how Julia felt and how a speech can take on a life of it’s own all of a sudden in the heat of a moment…and these people’s reaction, the people formally known as my parents, was identical to Tony Abbott’s not two years later.

I only saw my step dad once after that, in 2011, in his room at the hospital after he had had a heart attack, mum didn’t think I knew she was hiding in the ensuite, and neither of them were there for me at all when I had heart surgery in 2008.

They are keen Abbott supporters and would vote for him to reinstitute slavery if not for international law, and despite probably being one of the most likely to become a victim of their own policy. It’s just as well people like that, who are angry their whole lives and liberal only voters pre pay and pre plan their own funerals, they get to control every detail of how they choose to be remembered, and have no idea that but for the surviving partner and the funeral director that it’s likely no one else will attend. I know I certainly won’t

this is what politics is coming to in this country, a kind of religious fanaticism, and what frightens me most is, that the small amount of Jewish blood running through my veins has gone into deep concern of how similar the political landscape seems to just before all the Jews, gypsies, alternatives suddenly were made the bad guy, then ostracized, then removed to enturnment camps, then gassed, or experimented on, and all this allowed because in society’s mind, these people were no longer seen as people. It was dehumanized.

“stop the boats” is an objectification, it takes away the human suffering component, suddenly were are talking about boats, not people being sailed across an ocean on them… Much easier to remain detached and uncaring

“report any suspicious behavior”
“taking our jobs”
“they aren’t one of us”
“They aren’t being part of our society”
“unaustralian”

first they came for the socialists, I was not a socialist, so I said nothing…and then they came for me. But there was no one left to speak for me….

Peter FlynnOctober 7, 2013 at 10:47 am

I love the word Independent, it tends to show that a person has independent thought, I cannot see this in this article, it is just a rehash of an opinion, and trying to make it first hand.
Our job as interdependent thinkers, is to now live and work with what we have, to voice an opinion when needed, and support the country.
I vote for the party with the strongest policies, I have no alliances with any single party.
Anger is a word that is a simple one to misconstrued, on voting day I saw anger from all parties, voters and helpers, what I did see, though the build up to the election, was blame.
Blame for global warming, blame for rising cost of living, blame for the boat people, blame for everything, they could get on a piece of paper,no answers just blame and this again was from all parties, even the so called independents
The world is about to plunge, into an economic disaster, and Australia will not be able to ride on its good fortune.
All I want to see in the future, is people that are angry, because they just have not done enough.

maybe I am just a naive independent thinker

Stephen PutnamOctober 7, 2013 at 9:52 am

Middle Australia is a nation of “primitive rebels”. It is violently opposed to things it can’t understand for reasons it can’t articulate. Apart from the US, I doubt there is a less informed, more bigoted, self-satisfied electorate in the developed world and the gap between them and us, sadly seems to be closing.

Geoff Of EppingOctober 7, 2013 at 10:57 am

David is the Liberal voter that proves this article is correct. Maintain the rage David….hopefully one day you’ll burst a valve and you can settle down again. Talk about stepping right in it. You didn’t realize you were going to prove Victoria correct.
Ans all those capital letters!!! Such rage.

Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 10:56 am

jacquelene I hope you and your child have overcome your difficulties. When dealing with one of my family members who behaved similarly I found “See ya wouldn’t wanna be ya” a useful phrase to remind myself of what matters.

On asylum seekers, I agree that we are steadily dehumanising them. When a boat recently sunk off the coast of Italy it was viewed as a tragedy and they had a national day of mourning with calls for an increase in the intake of refugees and a speeding up of the process to get them to safety. Australia has become a nasty selfish country who’s attitude seems to be I’m ok so you can just bugger off.

Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 11:07 am

Peter

“All I want to see in the future, is people that are angry, because they just have not done enough.”

I have a very different view of the future. I want to see people like Victoria and the other contributors here continuing to share their thoughts with us. I want to see open dialogue and frank discussion to help inform people and to urge them to action. I want to see us develop ideas and come up with workable alternatives. I want to see this government held to account and pressured to do what is in the best interest of both the country and the world at large rather than what buys votes from ill-informed bogans. I want to see transparency and a flow of information about what our government is doing in our name.

I don’t want to see angry people who sat back and did nothing.

diannaartOctober 7, 2013 at 12:22 pm

Just thought I’d stick my head above the parapets and risk this;

if you think the far-right get nasty to Labor supporters (and no argument from me – they are mean – part of what makes a right winger what they are), try mentioning you are a Greens supporter…. anywhere

Cheers, my friends

Dianna

PiojOctober 7, 2013 at 12:29 pm

“Kaye Lee…. please… do NOT INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE….. ”

If only we could find some evidence of it. I’ve looked hard and all I can see is a vacuous, angry rant parroting dumb, debunked talking points…but no sign of intelligence.

Totally lacking in self-awareness, this cretin shows up, oblivious to the fact that he provides the perfect example of the stupid, angry LNP supporter that Victoria is talking about.

diannaartOctober 7, 2013 at 12:58 pm

Kaye Lee

Don’t play well?

What I am hoping to see from the new Labor once they appoint a new leader, is a comprehensive plan to mitigate the worst of climate change. Until we, the world, can protect our environment as a liveable ecosystem for current life forms all argument about borders, budgets, roads, education, health (increasing humidity & temps major impact on health)_until we, as humans are responsible for our mess, there is not a lot the Greens can do.

Giving up on a sustainable future, we may as well give up the Greens altogether. We only have one planet.

While the right postures, the left flounders until we can take a more holistic view and work together.

Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 12:44 pm

I understand what you are saying Dianna and it troubles me too that the progressive parties who have the same social conscience seem incapable of working together.

My problem with the Greens is that, whilst I share their ideals, I also understand that the practicalities of implementing them involve a far broader approach than they seem willing to understand. We need to move away from fossil fuel use but this cannot be done in an instant without having grave consequences for the economy and jobs. We need to find a more humane way of dealing with asylum seekers but their blocking of the Malaysia solution stopped us from being able to fast track the processing of 4,000 refugees in exchange for them taking 800 people who arrived by boat. We have a paid parental leave scheme which is affordable and equitable but the Greens are siding with the Coalition yet again for a ridiculously generous scheme which favours the wealthy.

Too often I have felt disappointed by the Greens intransient approach towards negotiation and compromise. They play a crucial role in directing our attention to very important issues but in my opinion they “don’t play well with others”.

JosephOctober 7, 2013 at 1:47 pm

“But they weren’t acting like the gentile middle-to-upper class which they no doubt think they belong to. They were acting like angry bogans.”
pretty classist to be honest

bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 7:37 pm

Wow! what a handle!
Are you bragging or advertising or both? lol

bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:01 pm

I already knew that!

bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:03 pm

Shame you deleted him/her it was hilarious!

FatherJonOctober 7, 2013 at 8:13 pm

This has turned into a lefty rant. Total waste of time. A sure sign of the petty sniping this govt. can expect for the next 3 years.

Möbius EckoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:20 pm

Oh you mean unlike the huge dummy spit by the right wingers for six years FatherJon.

This is not sniping but pointing out obvious failures of this government the MSM and right wingers ignore.

I guess you are all for that. The rorts not being revealed, the many backflips already, the lies revealed and a government covering itself in secrecy and unaccountability.

Who do you suggest holds them to account FatherJon?

BacchusOctober 7, 2013 at 8:25 pm

“Petty sniping” That sounds like what we heard from the opposition benches in parliament for the last 6 years 😉

Michael TaylorOctober 7, 2013 at 7:42 pm

I think a bit of spam may have snuck in bob. 😳

bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:54 pm

FJ, may I remind you of a saying ‘what comes around goes around’. This petty sniping here is far more restrained than the abusive,vile spewing vitriol of what you call petty sniping of the right for the past 6 years.

gumleafdiOctober 7, 2013 at 9:10 pm

Angela,

I think you’re right about the Coaliton repeating slogans over and over and Labor not jumping on them quickly enough. One thing I learned from going to an elite private school is that they specialise in nastiness and put downs and undermining you. And in this case I believe it was a concerted propaganda campaign designed to break down the government by turning the electorate into a frothing, angry morass of hatred of the Carbon Tax, asylum seekers, and the economy. Tell some people something often enough and they will believe it, and that is what happened.

We have to learn from this one quickly and also learn how to handle bullying, emotional manipulation and propaganda if we are to be a viable force at the next election.

Michael TaylorOctober 7, 2013 at 8:11 pm

Yes, it was a shame.

You should see what the spam filter usually catches. 😳

Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 8:18 pm

Ahhh welcome back FatherJon. Point of clarification….when you say “we have to know what the lefty idiots are saying”, who is “we”. Also is calling commenters here “idiots” considered abusive because if not, I withdraw my apology for calling you pig ignorant.

JoshOctober 8, 2013 at 11:09 am

Someone sounds like a sore loser! Now its time to fix up the Debt, so tied of people wanting money for nothing.

BacchusOctober 8, 2013 at 11:27 am

Josh – are you aware that gross debt has been increasing at the rate of about $2BILLION per week since the election of the Abbott government? Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

MYEFO not until January 2014? Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

It seems they’re planning to give Holden exactly what the previous government said they’d give them too. Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

The only debt they’re planning to fix is their own personal debt – snouts now firmly planted into trough again. Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

How does it feel to know you’ve been lied to and taken for the fool that you obviously are?

JoshOctober 8, 2013 at 11:45 am

The budget emergency would be filling the holes that labour has caused. Just relax and enjoy the ride, nothing you do or say will change a thing. We are in good hands again, nothing to stress about 🙂

Möbius EckoOctober 8, 2013 at 11:57 am

But Josh you are out of step. Hockey is planning to borrow far more than Labor to bring in a stimulus package that… well that’s the same as Labor’s was. This new government is already borrowing more per day than the previous government did.

Please try to keep up with what those behind the wheel are doing before enjoying the ride.

Möbius EckoOctober 8, 2013 at 11:58 am

Also Josh can you tell us where the Budget Emergency is? They have looked everywhere for it but it just can’t be found.

BacchusOctober 8, 2013 at 12:07 pm

Waste of time I think Mö – Josh has his fingers in his ears going, “La, la, la, la, la, la.” He doesn’t want to know what “his team” is doing – all he cares about is that they won – bugger the country!

Here’s some more facts for Josh to ignore:
http://www.melbournereview.com.au/commentary/article/stephen-koukoulas-fiscal-policy

Julia BurtonOctober 8, 2013 at 2:40 pm

My neighbour told me she was going to vote for who provided the best for her family. When I asked her how the Liberal Party provided for her family, she couldn’t name one policy. Just that her husband “told” her it was the Liberal Party, so she voted the way she was told. Says it all really,doesn’t it?

JohnOctober 13, 2013 at 2:16 am

That has to be the worst cumstain of an article I have ever read, My god its like you live in an alternate universe :/

Möbius EckoOctober 13, 2013 at 7:22 am

Well John instead of just making a vapid statement with nothing to back it up how about explaining to us where it diverts from this universe and detail the reason you believe it’s the worst article you have read?

I can just as easily say your post is the worst cumstain of a post I’ve ever seen, and going on your standards that would be a perfectly valid point.

monicastangledwebOctober 14, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Gina, I think you’ve hit a nerve here. I don’t quite understand your politics but I must say it’s a relief not to have to think about politics in the US for a moment. Glad to see though, we’re not the only ones with our share of headaches. 😉

Florence nee FedupMarch 4, 2023 at 2:39 am

They are angrier when in Opposition.

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diannaartOctober 6, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Excellent work, encapsulating the interesting and disturbing pattern of politics over the last 6 years.

Far-right conservatives, love to dish it out, but can’t deal with their own poison.

I was depressed rather than angry through the Howard years, the same sense of ennui returned on the election of Abbott. If I am angry at anything it remains the disgusting reaction to the appointment of a woman to a position of power – unless she is of a far-right disposition and, therefore, unlikely to ‘scare the horses’.
melaineOctober 6, 2013 at 12:57 pm

Thank you Victoria, once again an excellent article. I cannot understand the anger lnp supporters seem to carry and they still seem angry, even tho ‘they won’, not sure what they think they have ‘won’ but would be nice if it at least made them happy… but I guess some people are just never happy with themselves or their lives.
Sandra CottonOctober 6, 2013 at 1:11 pm

Great article Victoria. I am ANGRY after watching Insiders. Apart from the first program after the election , the ABC has made sure that it’s an advert for the Coalition Government . It started off claiming that Abbott’s visit to Indonesia was a diplomatic success. It was very strategic to choose Stutchbury as a panellist, one of Abbott’s most vociferous cheer leaders. The ABC’s behaviour is deplorable considering its responsibility as a public broadcaster.
Anon E MouseOctober 6, 2013 at 1:14 pm

Abbott is a typical demagogue, or demagog. As a google search shows, a demagogue is “a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument”.

That definition fits Abbott and his gang perfectly. Poor Abbott considers himself as some sort of Demi-god in his twisted version of his religion – some spawn of Howard and Bronny Bishop I think he referred to himself.

I am not sure whether to be angry at the foolish self-serving upper-middle class riff-raff for their irrational anger and beliefs. I am amazed that there are so many Australian voters who cannot understand more than a 3 word slogan, or are too dim to logically look at the bs being fed them. It certainly doesn’t say much for the snobby high class schools they were supposedly educated at.

In the fight to make Abbott a one-trick-wonder, surely education in simple words, will be needed.
panzerooOctober 6, 2013 at 1:36 pm

Brilliantly written ! So many times I had challenged the angry Abbott supporters to back up his claims and falsehoods. Never once did I get an actual reply which went beyond the slogans. It was always the same false claims of the pink bats, school halls and outrageous debts. So many times I pointed out the success of the pink bats scheme and the lack of angry parents who have a new school hall at for their children. Then I would point out what the danger of lack of government regulation can result in -workplace injuries/death and exploitation, which is a great counter to the Abbott lovers when they carp on about the deaths in the pink bat scheme – ie not enough initial government regulation ! Abbott wants to reduce regulation…
The government debt argument should be all over the media now that the obvious lie is exposed as being not a budget emergency and debt not being as bad as Abbott and Hockey blabbered on about. All we hear is crickets.
The anger I have now is not so much directed at Abbott, as much as I hate him, its what he and his band of stooges are getting away with. The destruction of any action on climate change, the destruction of the NBN, the destruction of Gonski. All done without much media outcry. Abbott and his stooges are getting busy to rape the Australian people and the media has decided to simply close the door and turn up the sport on the TV. One term Tony isn’t just an ambition it is a matter of absolute importance. Anymore than one term and there really will be no hope for the next generation.
HeatherOctober 6, 2013 at 1:51 pm

Thank you Victoria as always. Yes, I’ve become part of the Climate Council team and have just placed my ALP leadership vote. I’m feeling pretty positive right now. Like Julia Gillard in her interview with Anne Summers, I have noted that Abbott hasn’t done much as PM (just backtracked), and like her I hope it stays that way. The ‘no-do’ PM.
kelvinOctober 6, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Progressives may have lost the battle with Tony Abbott becoming PM, but not the war. A clean energy future, superfast broadband & marriage equality are all inevitable for Australia. Abbott’s attempts to hold back the tide of environmental, technological and social change will not prevail. Reforms like Medicare and superannuation were bitterly opposed by the Liberals but are now part of our lives, and so too will many of the reforms of the past Labor govt come to be recognized as ground breaking. But for now, we’ll have a do nothing PM, with no great vision or plans to carry us into the future. We’ll just be marking time.
bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 1:42 pm

Most of them were angry about the carbon tax, and that their electricity prices went up and when I pointed out they were compensated thru the tax system, it still didn’t make any difference, they wanted to maintain the rage, it was a fix they couldn’t do without and they waited every day with bated breath for every vile word spewed forth from Pickering and the shock jocks (however, I did like pickering’s cartoons).

And I can understand how empty they must be feeling now that their rage fix is gone. Howard had the same effect on me with his children overboard crap and dividing the nation with his racist policies and when he was defeated, and without a rage fix, I went thru cold turkey for a couple of months.

Labor lost the single mother’s vote, when they ripped off $60-$100pf from their pension. You would expect this from the Libs not Labor and for me it was a dog act.

And if anyone has been following Pickering with his holier than thou crap that he was spewing from his Pickering post, one should Google Pickering, to see what a scam artist he is. He deleted me from his comments for pointing out his racing scams.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 2:15 pm

There is a glaring difference between Conservative anger and Progressive anger. Conservatives are unable to back theirs up with any facts. They actually go out of their way to ignore facts. I think that was our problem. The facts so obviously negated every argument the Coalition put forward that it seemed impossible for others not to see this. How do you argue with people who seem happy to be lied to? How do you argue with people who have the memory span of a goldfish? How do you convince people who would rather listen to Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones than to the IMF and the IPCC?

With every day that passes the lies and hypocrisy of our current government are mounting. Our Attorney General decided that the AFP needed to prosecute Peter Slipper for $900 worth of cab charges (which he repeatedly offered to repay but was not allowed to) whilst he himself and many of his colleagues have been guilty of far greater rorting which they have only repaid when media pressure has made them. And let’s not forget their record on giving references to pedophile priests and drunk drivers to get them off the charges they are facing.

And then we have the statement that “We never said we would tow back the boats…that rotten ABC is lying”. Uh huh……
patsyOctober 6, 2013 at 2:26 pm

love your article again….how very very sad to see the remarks made about Julia Gillard all in one article…..these people and they know who they are… are beyond being human beings…regardless that they are so called journalists… jones ….janet albrechtsen who should know better as a so called women saying gillard does not have children…how does she know why…. she should go back to where she came from …jones is a disgrace to the human race…and bolt the village idiot …….Gillard did the best she knew how under difficult circumstances….but the average people only believed what that read not what was really happening…may history and people like you tell the real story and the truth…and may the people realise what liberal stands for …….not the working class who made this country what it is.
GailOctober 6, 2013 at 3:31 pm

Thank you Victoria. I was really interested to read your article – it reinforced what I’ve experienced for years when working on ALP polling booths and also when reading blogs where anti-labor sentiment runs like hot battery acid – where Labor is so frequently misspelt – and where fiction constantly overrides fact. I have always been taken aback by the frothing-mouthed Liberal voters and the rage they exhibited on Election Day when I politely proffered ALP how-to-votes. One memorable response (from a florid man in a Lacoste sports shirt vainly trying to control a pack of in-bred King Charles spaniels) was a screaming “I’d rather drink my own urine!” I wondered then what made him so incandescent with rage. I was sorely tempted to ask him if he had been tippling his own effluent to behave in such a way – but, as is so often the case, the moment had passed. And why join ’em anyhow. It’s only three more years..let’s see how strong we can remain in the face of such misplaced pride and pig-ignorance.
whatismoreOctober 6, 2013 at 3:39 pm

Look a the lead photo of Hockey-fat and furious.
HeatherOctober 6, 2013 at 3:45 pm

I listen to a lot of talk back radio, and the Liberals are ALWAYS angry. They are unable to speak on radio without being rude, angry and sarcastic, whereas Labour supporters usually argue their case properly. Sometimes I wish our Labour politicians would argue their case with a little bit more anger, instead of letting the Libs walk all over them!
gordonwaOctober 6, 2013 at 3:51 pm

Hi Victoria, great article.

Like you, my partner and I spent many hours handing out Labor how to vote cards during pre-polling and on election day. We too, noticed the anger and aggression of Liberal voters particularly of young males aged approximately 20 to 35. Anyone would think they didn’t want a decent NBN. It was hard to make out what they were angry about as few would even attempt to articulate it. Vague mutterings of Labor’s debt and dysfunction seemed the only reasons and, of course, these things were being shouted by the shock jocks, the Murdoch papers, the commercial TV stations, and parroted on the ABC.

I did have at least one win at the pre-polling booth as a woman with a pram refused all how to vote cards then struggled to get the pram up the step and through the doors. I quickly sprang to her aid, holding the door and lifting the pram. She smiled her gratitude and took a Labor how to vote card from me. So it pays to keep fighting for every vote right up to the time the voter steps into the booth.
jagman48October 6, 2013 at 2:55 pm

I would love to see a one term tony facebook page. Or is there one already?
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 2:58 pm

You may enjoy this one jagman. It is very informative.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-blame-me-I-didnt-vote-for-Tony-Abbott/274330505796
Kim WrightOctober 6, 2013 at 4:58 pm

Fabulous article, but I do only add one contrary point. If anyone else ever delved into a Pro Rudd site prior to him taking up the position as PM you would have seen some of the most vitriolic misogynist posts and if you dared to provide a differing opinion Whooooaa! and then refused access to the site.
jlo2000October 6, 2013 at 5:04 pm

I handed out cards and saw this as well. A few people pushed past me, a few muttered insults and the like. But by and large I don’t think there is much difference in baseline rudeness between ALP and LNP supporters.

I think we’re seeing a shift in attitudes based on the thrashing about of the mainstream media in its death-throes. A minority parliament was like providing a steady drip of blood into a pool of sharks. The MSM tasted blood for 3 years without a decent feed and it drove them insane. And now by extension they’ve driven half of Australia barking mad as well.
catzillaOctober 6, 2013 at 5:09 pm

I worked inside a polling booth on the day and agree wholeheartedly with your comments re the typical Liberal voter. Without any exaggeration, anyone who was rude, aggressive or ridiculously stupid, was brandishing a Liberal how to vote card. And I wasn’t copping it because I was trying to shove a Labor or Greens how to vote card in their face – I was just a person, doing my job, with no agenda. What also got me, was the number of Liberal voters who actually chose to make some kind of negative comment about Labor. Unsurprisingly, the comments usually echoed their media programming.

At first, I just thought this was confirmation bias at play, but then I started to actually make a little mental tally as the day wore on, and it wasn’t confirmation bias – Liberal voters were far more likely to be obnoxious imbeciles.

There are theories about why this might be the case (e.g. books like The Republican Brain by Chris Mooney) so I do wonder how much of this anger and stupidity is actually just the nature of the beast(s) rather than specific circumstances at this election?
JoOctober 6, 2013 at 5:30 pm

I believe this article is a bit of nonsense. It’s entirely fine for anger to be the emotion you have with respect to a governing body. Yes it’s rude to be treated disrespectfully as you hand out how to vote cards, that’s to be expected. I’m a swinging voter, probably voted for labor more than liberal in my lifetime. Green supporters (and I am a fan to some extent with respect to some issues) are the angriest supports that exist – screaming protesters marching down city streets are a feature of the politics. I just think anger is fine. Without anger, you don’t get powerful and poignant political statements such as what happened at Tiananmen Square. All types of anger is important, even if irrational and hostile.
Monique FollettOctober 6, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Hear Hear,
It was this type of anger that got the labor movement started in the first place – banding together and forming unions to fight for the common good.
Let’s hope we channel our anger and get back to our roots to fend off these bully-boy libs.
Geoff Of EppingOctober 6, 2013 at 5:48 pm

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Never thought of it that way. One other difference is Labor voters talk using the words we and us. Coalition voters only use I and me.
Coalition = Self serving
Labour = Community
rossleighbrisbaneOctober 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm

As Goldie Hawn said in some movie, “Don’t get mad, get even!”

Actually, that’s not quite what I mean. I think, it’s more find a way of winning that doesn’t involve losing…
DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 6:25 pm

I suppose it depends on which polling station you were working…. now, having worked a polling station in the North, in the seat of Wakefield, (Australia’s most welfare dependent electorate) I saw LARGE number of self entitled “gits” hurl abuse at any party that was not going to “give them their entitlements” or as I prefer to see it…. the entitlements they THINK they should get!
The title of your page is a misnomer, and dare I say it…. a blatant lie…. I have read a number of your “independent” articles, and if you want to be classified a journalist, or a journalistic site….. how about giving a balanced report…. your reports are nothing more than Labor/Union/Left Wing rhetoric (or propaganda)… they are not balanced, they are not well researched offering BOTH sides of the argument… they are purely aimed at the dullards who will believe your tripe as gospel….. kinda like seeing KRudd as the messiah!!! thank god that more Aussies have brains, and actually CARE about the future of our country, than the dullards who swallow this tripe and believe it TOTALLY…… it shows a lack of intelligence and a lack of what you accuse “right wing” journos of doing….. biase in bucketloads…..
VickiOctober 6, 2013 at 6:26 pm

Victoria, I was not so much angry as incredulous at the attitude of anti ALP attitudes. When I got the opportunity to question their intense dislike of the then government I was told things like: the ‘carbon tax’ is increasing cost of living pressures, the budget was out of control, the country was sinking beneath massive debts, the Labor Party were a bunch of crooks. I would point out that none of their accusations had any truth in them and suggested certain websites that would give them the facts but they were far happier to be angry in the comfort of their distorted beliefs gained via Alan Jones and the MSM.
Likewise I could not understand the hatred of Julia Gillard who I believe to be a person of great strength and integrity who faced down her detractors every day for three years – a lesser person would have crumbled.
On the night that K Rudd deposed Julia Gillard I was having a meal at the Adelaide River Hotel and when the outcome was announced the pub erupted in cheers and I was shocked. I dearly would have liked to have had the the courage to stand up and ask “WHY”.
I am still not angry but still totally incredulous that Australia voted this current bunch of liars and incompetents into office.
Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 6:27 pm

Well I am angry I wrote to a group of pollies week after week about the outrageous things the rabbott and his henchmen were saying and that labor needs to attack his flaws. There is no expectation that anyone read them but a couple answered by sending me their inane I have done this messages. (Rob, tony and andrew answered and labor auto-replies were abundant. They allowed the media to drive the rabbott’s messages home with no challenge. They provided their supporters no simple exposé of the rabbott’s supporters three part slogan. They knew that the media would only chase the rabbott for his nastiness and stupidity but played the ball not the man when the media and the voters accepted the rabbott’s attacks in the absence of labor’s attack on his flaws. Notice his nasty second woman lost? Why? Because she was challenged on the ground by a determined woman independent (isn’t ironic that the rabbott paid back his claims to attend mirabella’s wedding in 2006 as health minister and his top boys did the same 7 years later) for her ability. I am so cynical that I think albo and shorten made no effort to silence rudd for their own purpose but why not laugh at the rabbott’s range of suppositories from his admitting that he could have sired bastard, through his virginity and giving up sex for lent(maggie gets no say???) there are dozens of them what about his NO COALITION couldn’t they have gone after his hernia through a truss. They could have had us laughing at him? Why not? I have had fun with a few cynical and, with due deference to our prime minister, a few nasty, guesses?
MaryOctober 6, 2013 at 6:43 pm

Hahaha have a look down the replies!
Only one word in caps until we come to David.
Point proven 🙂
Wendy FulwoodOctober 6, 2013 at 6:51 pm

The problem with Labor is that they take TOLERANCE too seriously. There was just cause, as listed above, to fight fire with fire, but we didn’t. We stayed calm and rational and quoted facts and figures.
We probably should have played dirty.
Robert ForsytheOctober 6, 2013 at 5:54 pm

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/joshua-holland/42946/why-is-the-conservative-brain-more-fearful-the-alternate-reality-right-wingers-inhabit-is-terrifying There are perhaps some scientific reasons for your observations?
Deena BennettOctober 6, 2013 at 6:56 pm

When I first arrived in Australia, a few months before Whitlam was elected, my friend mentioned to me that a Labor Government in Australia is an aberration, a mistake that the electorate occasionally makes, but in the run of things they will be taught a lesson and not make the same mistake again, until perhaps for the next generation to do. This is indeed what has happened. The LNP have only spit and venom to sustain themselves, having no substance in their policies.
Unfortunately the Labor party found it easier to present a divided and multi-faceted façade to the media, (notoriously biased in Australia), and really must carry the blame for this. If a lesson is learnt I wait to see. I don’t expect the Labor party to put up any fight, they did not do it for the 12 years of Howards’ reign, much to their shame. He was a small town solicitor and they could not answer him.
Australian society is essentially conservative, based on a rural electorate and only isolated pockets of intense industry, much reducing as China takes the lead.
Howard was all spit and venom, and he encouraged his supporters to be the same. Power is power, its’ use for societies benefit is another matter that can be discussed, once power has been achieved. Ladies and Gentlemen, it could be a long dark night with more than a few moments of hilarity, and hypocrisy, which is something the LNP seem to do so very well.
JasonOctober 6, 2013 at 7:01 pm

Once again a highly uninformed and bias article Victoria. Which is ironic considering I am a Labor voter. I feel shameful stating myself to be a Labor supporter with a majority of our party being the “rude” ones at polling booths. An elderly couple went ahead of me at the voting booths. They were handed a Liberal voting card, and then received a Labor voting card. They preceded to throw the Liberal card back at the lady handing them out. There was a bin right beside her. I was embarrassed to go up and receive one after witnessing that. I always enjoy reading articles that express both sides of an argument and situation no matter what the circumstance. Its very unfortunate and infuriating that yours rarely do.
bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 7:21 pm

Well David, what are the points that are lies? Perhaps you can balance the story after all everyone is entitled to an opinion. Waiting with bated breath.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 6:36 pm

Billy, Tony Abbott only paid back the money he fraudulently claimed (in 2006) a few days ago. It had nothing to do with conscience or doing the right thing to rectify a mistaken claim. He did it because the story broke in the media.
jagman48October 6, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Another Liberal troll is Billy. Who needs them.
IRMGARD KOVACOctober 6, 2013 at 7:00 pm

well written and it shows again, money is no requisite for good manners.these people never had it so good and are ungrateful ,because had the liberals been in power we would have had a recession and they would have needed to tighten their belt.
DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 8:14 pm

well thank you for pointing out your lack of understanding and education in regards to FREE and independent media, Bobrafto, Kaye Lee and others…….. this thread is allowing FREEDOM of speech which is a bonus, considering that Steven Conroy and others in the ex LABOR Govt wanted to stifle such exchanges…..
While I disagree with a number of Liberal positions (ie Marriage Equality) the Labor Govt USED Australian’s and dare I say it, there voting base, who arent always the brightest or sharpest voters…. to try and push their socialist policies….. the IPCC’s latest report shows that Labor got it wrong…. you either read, understand and support science… or “be typical Labor dullards” and ignore fact, and create your own fact… unfortunately, Labor/Unions/Lefties tend to ignore FACT and go off on their own tangents, and then wonder why that any THINKING Australian, who DOES understand Fact…. votes in opposition to the Kum Ba Yah do gooder/Labor supporter….
It is about time that Laborites actually EDUCATE themselves on issues outside of the single parenting pension, unemployment pension, family tax benefit, or any other pension they feel ENTITLED TO…. and if they truly understood policy, issues and the betterment of AUSTRALIA… rather than think about their entitlement, and what they think Australia should DO FOR THEM…. then maybe.., just maybe Australia, and the Australian Parliament could do what is best for AUSTRALIA…. not for the 20% of the welfare (either unemployed/disabled) rather than the working people who believe they are ENTITLED to welfare 😉
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 7:21 pm

@ David and Jason

I am so tired of people criticising this site because they do not understand what the word independent means. For the record…again…independent means “Free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.” The people who give up their time to share their thoughts here are not paid, they do not have to say what the boss or someone like Peta Credlin tells them to. You do not have to agree with them but how dare you dictate what they should write. Rather than being critical, why not give some factual argument about why you think Tony Abbott will make a good PM or where you think the last government failed and how you think this government will do better. I would suggest it’s because those are very difficult arguments to substantiate.
BacchusOctober 6, 2013 at 8:31 pm

Educated himself generally, going by that barely coherent rant Michael 😉
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 7:33 pm

And whilst on that topic, a journalist is “A person who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television.” The regular contributors here are not journalists by profession (to my knowledge). They are not being paid to present both sides of the story for the edification of the public. For many of us it is wonderful to hear the other side of the news, the side that those who are paid to be journalists have so completely ignored. If you can’t contribute to the discussion I fail to see why you bother commenting.
Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 7:37 pm

Exactly, Kaye. Some people need to seek out a dictionary and look up the word ‘independent’. I’m sick of doing it for them. I’m sick of having to tell them what the word actually means. Maybe they have their own interpretation.

If they don’t like it, well, they’ll just have to live with it.

I’m happy with it. As most people here are.
AngelaOctober 6, 2013 at 8:38 pm

Liberals are STILL angry and STILL nasty…if you ask them ‘what good things do you think Tony Abbott will do for Australia?” – you can’t get any of them to answer! instead they immediately go on the attack with Labor on waste, same uninformed rubbish on the school halls, pink batts etc. but they can never say anything positive for Abbott…actually, most of them really say ‘I can’t stand Abbott but look at the mess Labor’s in” So Abbot was voted in for what? just for a change it seems because Labor was their own enemy!

They allowed Abbott & Co. to jump on TV with their Labor put downs using very simple 3-4 word slogans and Labor never jumped fast enough to nip these false statements in the bud…so much so that they stuck in people’s minds…Surely they would be fools to let it happen again…………BUT – Murdoch will tell us again in 3 years to vote for Abbott so how on earth will Labor ever regain power without the support of the media – it would be impossible! Bowen or Shorten? they would have to get something very destructive to blow Abbott away from Murdoch!

And one more point…we don’t have an Abbott Govt or ALP – we all know very well it’s a MURDOCH GOVT.
Deena BennettOctober 6, 2013 at 8:59 pm

I suddenly realised that I do not have any Liberal voters amongst my friends. It is relatively easy to ascertain the voting habits of an introduced person within 3 sentences, so I must have subconsciously wiped them from my list of friends.
Damn it, perhaps I will have to change the habit of a lifetime, no doubt acquired when arguing with Tories in pre-Heath UK.
Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 8:16 pm

considering that Steven Conroy and others in the ex LABOR Govt wanted to stifle such exchanges…..

How so? What do you know that nobody else does? Perhaps you have a link to back that up, or maybe some other evidence.
Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 8:17 pm

It is about time that Laborites actually EDUCATE themselves

It’s about time you educated yourself on Steven Conroy’s policies.
hannahquinnOctober 6, 2013 at 9:23 pm

The vitriol from the right side of politics has been staggering in the last 6 years. It doesn’t surprise me all that much. People who feel entitled are far more ‘sensitive’ than those who would rather share or improve the lot of others.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 9:01 pm

David, where to begin…..

Steven Conroy’s media reforms never aimed to stifle free speech. They included the following:

Commercial television licence fees will be permanently cut by 50 per cent on the condition the channels increase their Australian content by 1,490 hours by 2015.

He also announced plans to establish a new watchdog to ensure that media companies comply with independent journalism standards.

The Public Interest Media Advocate would be responsible for overseeing self-regulatory bodies, such as the Australian Press Council, to make sure that complaints are dealt with properly.

The advocate would also be put in charge of assessing whether media company mergers pass a new “public interest test”.

“Media organisations have obligations to the Australian public,” Senator Conroy said.

“This includes obligations to fairness in reporting, as well as providing timely responses to complaints and criticism. ”

He also wanted a new parliamentary committee to look into the “reach rule” which prevents a metropolitan television broadcaster from buying regional stations and broadcast to more than 75 per cent of the population. This was designed to ensure media diversity.

On the IPCC report, it is obvious you have not read it. I would suggest you read this

And on the ridiculous notion that all Labor voters are on welfare, I wonder how you feel about Tony Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave scheme which gives the very rich a very large welfare payment at the expense of the poor. Do you think we have an obligation to help the most vulnerable in our society or should we keep giving millionaires more tax dodges? Do you understand the term social equity?

And as far as my “lack of understanding and education” is concerned, I think I will just give you enough rope on that one sunshine.
veloaficionadoOctober 6, 2013 at 10:11 pm

One quibble: “genteel” (well-bred, polite, mannerly) vs. “gentile” (non-Jewish).

David
October 6, 2013 • 6:25 pm

Hey: learn to use ellipses properly, if you really want to sound like an incoherently mumbling homeless imbecile. They consist of 3 points, and a disconnected thought in between two sets of the same. Nothing against real IMHIs, btw, they’ve usually got a real reason to appear irrational and unhinged. You, however, just seem to have an ideological bee in your blue bonnet.
DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 10:12 pm

Kaye Lee…. please… do NOT INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE….. I remember all of the single parents screamin like banchees when they were put onto Newstart.. UNDER LABOR’s watch….. Labor/Union/entitlement baying individuals who believe they should receive *insert welfare payment here* instead of getting off their arse and EARNING it….. amazes me….. and while you guys claim vitriol from the right…. perhaps you should actually take off your rose coloured glasses, and ACTUALLY READ, and UNDERSTAND the vile, pathetic vitriol coming from the left… it is easy to throw stones… a lot damned harder to actually sit back and EXAMINE self behaviour… but as Lefties…. i am sure you wont… cos that is hard work… vitriol, belittlement, and hate is a lot easier to come up with….. if you bothered to sit back and ACTUALLY read, and educate your propaganda 😉
DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 10:17 pm

and as far as the NBN…. the right’s proposition does the job…. the lefties are just upset they will NOT get it to the home, and if they want it to the home… they will have to pay for it…. shock, horror, the left doesnt want to pay for a service, and wants every other tom, dick, harry, mary and “rich person” to pay for their service!!! wow… what a surprise…. WE WANT….. WE DESERVE….WE ARE ENTITLED and YOU (anyone else other than me) SHOULD pay for it!!!! 🙂
Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 10:53 pm

Thanks Katy I ass(umed) he paid it back in 2006. Bishop went with him wonder if she will pay her claim back. As for jagman48, how interesting that you think a post so critical even nasty to the rabbott would make me a liberal or a troll. But for your information I research the candidates in my electorate and listen to any comments they make and have found only two liberals in nearly 55 years remotely worthy of any consideration for a vote and only John Gorton as a liberal PM worthy of respect. Sam Calder and Darryl Manzie were honest hard working men and are the only CLP men I didn’t put last. Nevertheless Gillard and the boys did us a great disservice by not headlining the rabbott’s flaws to make him a laughing stock and that made me angry and frustrated as I had been writing to Gillard et al begging them to kill the lie about a “TAX” and to ridicule hockey’s ‘Greece’ comparisons but the just stood blindfolded in front of rupert, morning show, ABC program’s firing squads and made no effort.
Billy moirOctober 6, 2013 at 10:56 pm

Ps even if Gillard had advertised the nastiness of hockey, bishop, pyne and Morrison with that of the rabbott.
I think Gillard would have reversed her slide.
Berko WillsOctober 6, 2013 at 11:00 pm

Unfortunately Rupert does rule the free world in many respects. How else could you topple a government that met all the metrics: low inflation, low unemployment, low interest rates, high Australian dollar, triple A rating? Economic conservatives would surely be hanging their coiffured heads in shame at a performance like this. There are hopeless managers of the economy on both sides; or perhaps they had less control than market forces. There are any number of factors playing on our lives whether we like it or not. But that is no reason not to embrace the most mediated, scientific, methodical approach possible. Or to wish to see those who govern us do so.
DavidOctober 6, 2013 at 11:01 pm

how can you argue will ill informed, ridiculous lefties… so I will say… yes… of course, you are all right…. cos….. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/p480x480/1382351_534644896619432_997812561_n.jpg
Marion IvanicOctober 6, 2013 at 11:09 pm

Excellent sentiments, exactly what I would have said if I had had the opportunity and the skill, in fact I felt as though you had read my mind and also shared some of my experiences from the past in helping out at the polling booth, and my chagrin and despair at having to watch, as a labor supporter and female, what took place over the term of Julia’s government and the fury and sense of injustice I felt at that dreadful individual winning the day. The bully boy won.
Berko WillsOctober 6, 2013 at 11:18 pm

Sorry, that was in response to Angela’s post. Add my voice to someone who loved this article; I’d been thinking much the same things about the incoherence that arose from an anger that could be directed at Gillard’s speaking voice or Rudd’s inexplicable inheritance of an old Howard sobriquet “Mr Sheen”. They became focused on things that mattered not one whit “Ha, look, now she’s fallen over”. Journalists asking both Rudd and Gillard endless questions about succession plans based on poor polling when there was so much else of import to address. The appropriate foreign minister Bob Carr keeping his head down, refusing to answer any question that didn’t concern his portfolio.

We could have done with more brave journalists like Andrew O’Keefe (yes, really!) asking Mr Abbott some of the best questions of the campaign; on point and of obvious interest to voters across the spectrum who cared about the issues.
Michael TaylorOctober 6, 2013 at 10:19 pm

David, I really don’t think it’d take a lot to insult your intelligence.
Marion IvanicOctober 6, 2013 at 11:20 pm

PS: David is a typical example of a nasty abusive bullying liberal – don’t worry about him folks he’ s just another hopeless case of idiocy, completely unable to express himself without bad language and abuse in fact he’ s pathetic. Feel sorry for him. Aw !
Dan RowdenOctober 6, 2013 at 11:21 pm

David,

how can you argue will ill informed, ridiculous lefties

I humbly suggest that would be with actual arguments.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 10:33 pm

David I don’t wish to insult anyone but I do prefer fact to ill-informed rot.

Gough Whitlam introduced single parents pension in 1974. Former prime minister John Howard introduced changes to the Welfare Act in 2006. New applicants for the PPS would stop receiving payment after their youngest child turned eight. Those who were already receiving the payment would continue until their youngest child turned 18. This led to different payments depending on when you applied. The changes made by the Gillard government just made the rules the same for everyone rather than having some people allowed to receive the pension until their youngest was 18 and others only until their youngest turned 8. I did not agree with the change but let’s be fair here, Howard was the one who forced single parents onto Newstart, Gillard just made the rules the same for all regardless of when you applied.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 10:44 pm

David you DO realise that the money spent on the NBN is a loan which will be repaid in full and with a projected return of 5-7%. I fail to see why we should all pay for a service that 20% of people will get for free while the rest of us have to pay thousands to hook up to. What are the implications for house prices and rent? It is inequitable to spend billions of taxpayer money on a service that only a few will receive. From what I understand all greenfields developments will get FttP. As these new developments are usually the cheaper housing will this impact on the price of those homes making them less affordable to the people who would usually move into new developments? Will it lead to landlords forcing up the price of these properties?

And as far as reading goes I can pretty much guarantee you that my reading and research is far broader than yours.
bobraftoOctober 6, 2013 at 11:56 pm

Oh Dear, David you’re really not worth responding to. But here I am doing just that.

Firstly you have to wean yourself off that fix of maintaining the rage, your man Tone won, there’s nothing more to win.

Now I just want to leave you with one thought, ‘Capitalism cannot succeed without socialism’. Think about it.
Kaye LeeOctober 6, 2013 at 11:06 pm

Nice picture David. I notice that you have completely ignored all the facts I have presented you with but hey, why let the facts deter you. Please do carry on underturd.
Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 12:21 am

I agree about the not worth it comment bobrafto. I cast out a 15kg line and have been reeling in a minnow for hours. Good night all.
Northern MarinersOctober 7, 2013 at 2:29 am

Well said.
Regina RyanOctober 7, 2013 at 2:31 am

Just heard biggest amount of credit cards not paid and it’s nearly Christmas. Going to be an even angrier one. The so call cashed up bogans are broke – the ones who think they’ve made it by the flashiest car and borrowings to the hilt because they do not know how to actually pay for anything with cash savings as they’re never in the black. These are the redneck wannabees who pl for the liberal vote because they think Labor are big spenders (like themselves) so it is all Labor’s fault for their financial misery. Just wait you wankers when interest rates start climbing under your wonderfully rich cashed up liberal party.
atkenosOctober 7, 2013 at 8:26 am

I captained one booth but in breaks (between 4.45 am and 8.20 pm) I visited other booths in my area. The very same anger, rudeness… Your piece is so well written that it should be sent to all Labor members. Thank you for writing it
Lawrence WinderOctober 7, 2013 at 10:28 am

…spot on!
jacquelenecmOctober 7, 2013 at 10:37 am

During 2010, while my teenager was so troubled by their dad’s behaviors that I had that one on suicide watch after they acted out at school in a way that was shocking and disturbing to all involved, my parents, liberal voters, came around to our house. They weren’t prepared to, in their retirement, to take four separate days on the ‘watch’ roster over the next two weeks so that I could work and pay my bills (in four days work at that time, I was capable of bringing in loads, and enough to survive for two weeks) they couldn’t help because they ‘had to’ take themselves on their winter journey in the tv/hotel on wheels because ‘it was cold in winter’ in Victoria, and while having not paid any precious deposits for any accommodation (they were after all going to be driving it) … They sat there and instead of being in any way at all understanding, caring -god I don’t know- “reasonable” or even talk about my child’s frightening state of mind abd how on earth I would even be able to focus even with my “respite” while my child was being watched by someone else, nope all they could chant was “holiday” it became even more absurd when they saw a newspaper headline about Julia, and on doing so, despite me not having said a word, began berating me relentlessly about labor, and badgering me, despite me not talking politics at all at any point in the last few years. The tone and nature of which was too offensive to share, suffice to say I could understand how my step dads previous employer (a female) had asked me upon meeting me how it was even possible I was related at all to them.

They spoke in slogans straight out of Adolf Abbott’s indoctrination hand book for dummies, it was racist, hateful, entitled, definitely mysognistic, sexist, and with a sociopathic lack of empathy and the apparent enjoyment of making me uncomfortable, all while in the same house at the same time as my at the time highly disturbed teen. They had just inherited literally millions and spent it all on themselves, joking that they were spending the kids inheritance (one they had never worked for), having an F you mentality, having seemingly forgotten how they had thrown me, their only child out to work at 15 to financially support them, my university education came with thanks of my employer who saw leadership material in me, and how on finally getting a hold of my bank accounts at the age of 18, having forced my mother to unlock the filing cabinet, that I had somehow on 40k a year, living at home in the early 1990s, driving a 20 yr old torana, accrued 20k credit card debt on cards I had never seen, and no money in the bank at all.

So here they were in their entitlement, all these years later, in the most absurd mixture of circumstances, their grandchild’s life literally on the line, and the very survival of my business on the line at the time, and four days over two weeks is too much an inconvenience, because I am a woman, a business owner, I don’t iron, and they think I vote labor. They think that my calm rebuttal and attempts to shut down political conversation is about my politics rather than it entering their brainwashed minds that I might, my child might have more pressing concerns.

Later, the night before they were due to take their seasonal migration north for the winter, after I had already had to cancel all my bookings on the basis of no one being able to stay with my child while I went to work, they came to dinner, for the first time ever, I was told they would bring dinner, (they always came around and I had previously always cooked) they brought the cheapest pizza they could find, and although it was cold when it arrived (they has spent extra petrol abd time going to get the cheapest pizza) we ate it.

They were for a change, relatively nice, and suddenly mum told me they weren’t going away during that two weeks now after all, did I want then to watch my child at their house?

They told me they stayed an extra two weeks before their holiday because someone they lived three doors down from, three years previously and hasn’t seen in the time since, needed help moving furniture while moving house.

When I could breathe after hearing that I went full metal jacket on them about their complete lack of humanity and gave them a life time of home truths that I can now see how Julia felt and how a speech can take on a life of it’s own all of a sudden in the heat of a moment…and these people’s reaction, the people formally known as my parents, was identical to Tony Abbott’s not two years later.

I only saw my step dad once after that, in 2011, in his room at the hospital after he had had a heart attack, mum didn’t think I knew she was hiding in the ensuite, and neither of them were there for me at all when I had heart surgery in 2008.

They are keen Abbott supporters and would vote for him to reinstitute slavery if not for international law, and despite probably being one of the most likely to become a victim of their own policy. It’s just as well people like that, who are angry their whole lives and liberal only voters pre pay and pre plan their own funerals, they get to control every detail of how they choose to be remembered, and have no idea that but for the surviving partner and the funeral director that it’s likely no one else will attend. I know I certainly won’t

this is what politics is coming to in this country, a kind of religious fanaticism, and what frightens me most is, that the small amount of Jewish blood running through my veins has gone into deep concern of how similar the political landscape seems to just before all the Jews, gypsies, alternatives suddenly were made the bad guy, then ostracized, then removed to enturnment camps, then gassed, or experimented on, and all this allowed because in society’s mind, these people were no longer seen as people. It was dehumanized.

“stop the boats” is an objectification, it takes away the human suffering component, suddenly were are talking about boats, not people being sailed across an ocean on them… Much easier to remain detached and uncaring

“report any suspicious behavior”
“taking our jobs”
“they aren’t one of us”
“They aren’t being part of our society”
“unaustralian”

first they came for the socialists, I was not a socialist, so I said nothing…and then they came for me. But there was no one left to speak for me….
Peter FlynnOctober 7, 2013 at 10:47 am

I love the word Independent, it tends to show that a person has independent thought, I cannot see this in this article, it is just a rehash of an opinion, and trying to make it first hand.
Our job as interdependent thinkers, is to now live and work with what we have, to voice an opinion when needed, and support the country.
I vote for the party with the strongest policies, I have no alliances with any single party.
Anger is a word that is a simple one to misconstrued, on voting day I saw anger from all parties, voters and helpers, what I did see, though the build up to the election, was blame.
Blame for global warming, blame for rising cost of living, blame for the boat people, blame for everything, they could get on a piece of paper,no answers just blame and this again was from all parties, even the so called independents
The world is about to plunge, into an economic disaster, and Australia will not be able to ride on its good fortune.
All I want to see in the future, is people that are angry, because they just have not done enough.

maybe I am just a naive independent thinker
Stephen PutnamOctober 7, 2013 at 9:52 am

Middle Australia is a nation of “primitive rebels”. It is violently opposed to things it can’t understand for reasons it can’t articulate. Apart from the US, I doubt there is a less informed, more bigoted, self-satisfied electorate in the developed world and the gap between them and us, sadly seems to be closing.
Geoff Of EppingOctober 7, 2013 at 10:57 am

David is the Liberal voter that proves this article is correct. Maintain the rage David….hopefully one day you’ll burst a valve and you can settle down again. Talk about stepping right in it. You didn’t realize you were going to prove Victoria correct.
Ans all those capital letters!!! Such rage.
Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 10:56 am

jacquelene I hope you and your child have overcome your difficulties. When dealing with one of my family members who behaved similarly I found “See ya wouldn’t wanna be ya” a useful phrase to remind myself of what matters.

On asylum seekers, I agree that we are steadily dehumanising them. When a boat recently sunk off the coast of Italy it was viewed as a tragedy and they had a national day of mourning with calls for an increase in the intake of refugees and a speeding up of the process to get them to safety. Australia has become a nasty selfish country who’s attitude seems to be I’m ok so you can just bugger off.
Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 11:07 am

Peter

“All I want to see in the future, is people that are angry, because they just have not done enough.”

I have a very different view of the future. I want to see people like Victoria and the other contributors here continuing to share their thoughts with us. I want to see open dialogue and frank discussion to help inform people and to urge them to action. I want to see us develop ideas and come up with workable alternatives. I want to see this government held to account and pressured to do what is in the best interest of both the country and the world at large rather than what buys votes from ill-informed bogans. I want to see transparency and a flow of information about what our government is doing in our name.

I don’t want to see angry people who sat back and did nothing.
diannaartOctober 7, 2013 at 12:22 pm

Just thought I’d stick my head above the parapets and risk this;

if you think the far-right get nasty to Labor supporters (and no argument from me – they are mean – part of what makes a right winger what they are), try mentioning you are a Greens supporter…. anywhere

Cheers, my friends

Dianna
PiojOctober 7, 2013 at 12:29 pm

“Kaye Lee…. please… do NOT INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE….. ”

If only we could find some evidence of it. I’ve looked hard and all I can see is a vacuous, angry rant parroting dumb, debunked talking points…but no sign of intelligence.

Totally lacking in self-awareness, this cretin shows up, oblivious to the fact that he provides the perfect example of the stupid, angry LNP supporter that Victoria is talking about.
diannaartOctober 7, 2013 at 12:58 pm

Kaye Lee

Don’t play well?

What I am hoping to see from the new Labor once they appoint a new leader, is a comprehensive plan to mitigate the worst of climate change. Until we, the world, can protect our environment as a liveable ecosystem for current life forms all argument about borders, budgets, roads, education, health (increasing humidity & temps major impact on health)_until we, as humans are responsible for our mess, there is not a lot the Greens can do.

Giving up on a sustainable future, we may as well give up the Greens altogether. We only have one planet.

While the right postures, the left flounders until we can take a more holistic view and work together.
Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 12:44 pm

I understand what you are saying Dianna and it troubles me too that the progressive parties who have the same social conscience seem incapable of working together.

My problem with the Greens is that, whilst I share their ideals, I also understand that the practicalities of implementing them involve a far broader approach than they seem willing to understand. We need to move away from fossil fuel use but this cannot be done in an instant without having grave consequences for the economy and jobs. We need to find a more humane way of dealing with asylum seekers but their blocking of the Malaysia solution stopped us from being able to fast track the processing of 4,000 refugees in exchange for them taking 800 people who arrived by boat. We have a paid parental leave scheme which is affordable and equitable but the Greens are siding with the Coalition yet again for a ridiculously generous scheme which favours the wealthy.

Too often I have felt disappointed by the Greens intransient approach towards negotiation and compromise. They play a crucial role in directing our attention to very important issues but in my opinion they “don’t play well with others”.
JosephOctober 7, 2013 at 1:47 pm

“But they weren’t acting like the gentile middle-to-upper class which they no doubt think they belong to. They were acting like angry bogans.”
pretty classist to be honest
bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 7:37 pm

Wow! what a handle!
Are you bragging or advertising or both? lol
bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:01 pm

I already knew that!
bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:03 pm

Shame you deleted him/her it was hilarious!
FatherJonOctober 7, 2013 at 8:13 pm

This has turned into a lefty rant. Total waste of time. A sure sign of the petty sniping this govt. can expect for the next 3 years.
Möbius EckoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:20 pm

Oh you mean unlike the huge dummy spit by the right wingers for six years FatherJon.

This is not sniping but pointing out obvious failures of this government the MSM and right wingers ignore.

I guess you are all for that. The rorts not being revealed, the many backflips already, the lies revealed and a government covering itself in secrecy and unaccountability.

Who do you suggest holds them to account FatherJon?
BacchusOctober 7, 2013 at 8:25 pm

“Petty sniping” That sounds like what we heard from the opposition benches in parliament for the last 6 years 😉
Michael TaylorOctober 7, 2013 at 7:42 pm

I think a bit of spam may have snuck in bob. 😳
bobraftoOctober 7, 2013 at 8:54 pm

FJ, may I remind you of a saying ‘what comes around goes around’. This petty sniping here is far more restrained than the abusive,vile spewing vitriol of what you call petty sniping of the right for the past 6 years.
gumleafdiOctober 7, 2013 at 9:10 pm

Angela,

I think you’re right about the Coaliton repeating slogans over and over and Labor not jumping on them quickly enough. One thing I learned from going to an elite private school is that they specialise in nastiness and put downs and undermining you. And in this case I believe it was a concerted propaganda campaign designed to break down the government by turning the electorate into a frothing, angry morass of hatred of the Carbon Tax, asylum seekers, and the economy. Tell some people something often enough and they will believe it, and that is what happened.

We have to learn from this one quickly and also learn how to handle bullying, emotional manipulation and propaganda if we are to be a viable force at the next election.
Michael TaylorOctober 7, 2013 at 8:11 pm

Yes, it was a shame.

You should see what the spam filter usually catches. 😳
Kaye LeeOctober 7, 2013 at 8:18 pm

Ahhh welcome back FatherJon. Point of clarification….when you say “we have to know what the lefty idiots are saying”, who is “we”. Also is calling commenters here “idiots” considered abusive because if not, I withdraw my apology for calling you pig ignorant.
JoshOctober 8, 2013 at 11:09 am

Someone sounds like a sore loser! Now its time to fix up the Debt, so tied of people wanting money for nothing.
BacchusOctober 8, 2013 at 11:27 am

Josh – are you aware that gross debt has been increasing at the rate of about $2BILLION per week since the election of the Abbott government? Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

MYEFO not until January 2014? Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

It seems they’re planning to give Holden exactly what the previous government said they’d give them too. Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

The only debt they’re planning to fix is their own personal debt – snouts now firmly planted into trough again. Budget emergency? What budget emergency 🙄

How does it feel to know you’ve been lied to and taken for the fool that you obviously are?
JoshOctober 8, 2013 at 11:45 am

The budget emergency would be filling the holes that labour has caused. Just relax and enjoy the ride, nothing you do or say will change a thing. We are in good hands again, nothing to stress about 🙂
Möbius EckoOctober 8, 2013 at 11:57 am

But Josh you are out of step. Hockey is planning to borrow far more than Labor to bring in a stimulus package that… well that’s the same as Labor’s was. This new government is already borrowing more per day than the previous government did.

Please try to keep up with what those behind the wheel are doing before enjoying the ride.
Möbius EckoOctober 8, 2013 at 11:58 am

Also Josh can you tell us where the Budget Emergency is? They have looked everywhere for it but it just can’t be found.
BacchusOctober 8, 2013 at 12:07 pm

Waste of time I think Mö – Josh has his fingers in his ears going, “La, la, la, la, la, la.” He doesn’t want to know what “his team” is doing – all he cares about is that they won – bugger the country!

Here’s some more facts for Josh to ignore:
http://www.melbournereview.com.au/commentary/article/stephen-koukoulas-fiscal-policy
Julia BurtonOctober 8, 2013 at 2:40 pm

My neighbour told me she was going to vote for who provided the best for her family. When I asked her how the Liberal Party provided for her family, she couldn’t name one policy. Just that her husband “told” her it was the Liberal Party, so she voted the way she was told. Says it all really,doesn’t it?
JohnOctober 13, 2013 at 2:16 am

That has to be the worst cumstain of an article I have ever read, My god its like you live in an alternate universe :/
Möbius EckoOctober 13, 2013 at 7:22 am

Well John instead of just making a vapid statement with nothing to back it up how about explaining to us where it diverts from this universe and detail the reason you believe it’s the worst article you have read?

I can just as easily say your post is the worst cumstain of a post I’ve ever seen, and going on your standards that would be a perfectly valid point.
monicastangledwebOctober 14, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Gina, I think you’ve hit a nerve here. I don’t quite understand your politics but I must say it’s a relief not to have to think about politics in the US for a moment. Glad to see though, we’re not the only ones with our share of headaches. 😉
Florence nee FedupMarch 4, 2023 at 2:39 am

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