The problem is the mainstream media and the general populus dont want a third party. We used to have the democrats .the greens are trying to do what the dems did but they apparently are too "left"

The simple answer is because we are a community, or if you prefer a commonwealth! It's all swings and roundabouts.

Rich people are the devil, but tolerable providing they pay for everything through taxes and levies.

Cop that statement lefties :lol:

No one trusts that the Greens can run the economy. Their almost militant anti-mining agenda makes me question whether they're pragmatic enough to balance the economy.

Fuck no. The greens would destroy the country, have no doubt about that. We're talking about ISIS setting up their HQ here, millions on economic migrants pouring in and our economy shutting down, double digit unemployment, etc. The greens policies only work in the theoretical universe where there are no such thing as consequences.

Sigh...

Absolutely. We should absolutely sigh at the prospect of Adam Bandt retaining his lower house seat. Very dangerous ideologues. The fact that greens are welcoming socialists into their ranks proves what their economic plans for the country are.

.......................

Where on earth do you get this shit from rofl.

-PB

The Greens aren't the answer:lol:

www.greens.org.au

I cannot fathom why anyone, other than stoners and hippies, would ever cast their vote for the greens. Obviously they a have a strong environmental stance and they are to be applauded for that, but for everything else, their policies are utterly laughable. Labor and their war on business is bad enough, imagine how bad it would be under the greens.

The greens give me a sick in the guts feeling, no doubt at all everything they touch would turn to shit and our economy would collapse perhaps not immediately but they would sow seeds that would ensure a slow painful unravelling of the capitalist structure that underpins our strong economy. Their policies are the absolute apex of stupidity.

IMO they can't be taken seriously and should be shunned from any kind of serious economic and non environmental debate.

Edited by rusty: 8/6/2016 04:01:54 PM

To me this is the biggest challenge the Greens have ... their stigma. I don't agree with all their policies, and think some are just downright backwards, but they are a party with very strong ideals (something the two major parties are willing to change on a whim to win a vote or two). Some people like that they can manipulate the two major parties, whereas others like parties with strong values (like it or lump it).

I think economically the Greens are a bit naive.

Economically the Liberals are best at running the country when things are going fine or growing (there is no need to spend, and ability to save). That is they can be "conservative" and keep the status quo largely. Labor seem a bit lost during these periods, they want to "build" a nation but aren't sure what to do once it is "built".

When times are tough I'd suggest Labor are better economically. They tend to invest more during difficult times, so as to stimulate the economy and enable growth to occur later on down the track (which they don't always get the credit for). So their ability to look beyond the next election during harder financial times is a pro for me, whereas the Liberals tend to focus on short-term gains during challenging periods (which tend to ignore long-term pictures).

Do I dare ask what specific Greens policies you think will make the sky fall in?

I have to laugh given that it is the LNP whose carbon emission policy is a statist corporate welfare model, compared to market based policies from the ALP and the Greens.

#JustSayin

So where does their policy say they'd let in a million migrants?

How is it that their policies are theoretical and wouldn't work yet somehow LNP are ok with doing the same?

You're theories about the Greens destroying our nation if they were in power (which they never will be) is also just that, theoretical.

You're a one trick pony rusty and a sad one at that.

-PB

Weren't the Greens thinking of legalising drugs like Ice?
It's one way of creating jobs I suppose...by creating an extra emergency department in every hospital :lol:

You have to be pretty gullible to think that's a policy of theirs

The policy is based on a successful policy in Portugal. Don't jail users but get them into rehabilitation programs, still take criminal action on manufacturers and dealers.

Anyway the Democrats were a centrist party, if anything Xenophon's party is trying to be the new Democrats. The Greens are growing in popularity because the Labor party have become less progressive and the Greens are picking up those that have been left behind by that shift.

I find it funny that people still believe that the only reason people don't take drugs is that it's illegal and that everyone will quickly jump on the bandwagon if it is legalised.

Id say the opposite is the case. Labor tends to be more effective at short term spending, which is good in bursts to counter economic stagnation and recession, whereas the Liberal party is better at saving and targeted spending and investment to lock in long term growth. Company tax cuts for example, but Labor have done those in the past too.

When times are tough Labor are better at keeping the economy going but there's a price to pay for that and that is high debt which unless mitigated curtails economic growth in the long term. Liberals may we less willing to commit such high expenditure merely to counter a recession. Most countries affected by the GFC are now growing again without embarking on such lavish spending programs as we did. Don't forget also were it not for the shrewd economic and fiscal management of the howard/costello years Labor would have not been in the position to "buy" us out of recession, as many EU countries experiecned.

The problem with Labor's "nation building" philosophy is they make all kinds of grandiose announcements like NBN, pink batts, school halls, gonski etc which cost a glut and promise all kinds of social and economic transformation but rarely achieve what they set out to.

What a load of bullshit. There is no difference at a party level in terms of economic competence. Hawke and Keating dragged the economy into the modern era. They utterly transformed the economy with policies such as floating the dollar, slashing tariffs, introducing the accord and enterprise bargaining just to name a few.

Howard brought in the GST but did virtually nothing other than that to transform the economy. He squandered the rivers of gold from the mining boom thru silly giveaways and concessional tax treatments etc.

I think it is impossible to really judge rudd and gillard and even abbott/turnbull because of the GFC and it's fallout.

The deficit has worsened under the Liberals from where the ALP left it. The last 2 budgets of the ALP were very thrifty. One of them was the only budget in modern history to actually reduce govt spending in real terms. Their issue was that tax take fell due to the economic slowdown.

But it's ok if the LNP suffered the affects of a slowdown ;)

-PB

Not blaming the libs for it. I'm saying they are no different.

Hence it was a question not an assertion

Well I'm glad I could inform you on that. It does highlight the misinformation out there in particular about the Greens.

So suppose an ice user goes to town on a random average joe and belts the living day lights out of him...what then :-k
So does Mr ice user get off Scot free and sent to rehab?



Edited by Socawho: 9/6/2016 08:04:02 AM

No. They would face assault charges, which would remain a criminal offense. I'd imagine the Greens policy is similar to policies regarding marijuana, where the personal use of the drug are decriminalised (as are most traffic offenses). You are however still responsible for your actions when under the influence. In prison they would face normal drug rehabilitation workshops.

Generally the idea of decriminalising drugs is to ensure people are not "afraid" to come forward if they have a drug abuse issue (removes some of the stigmas). Also they won't fear presecution if they admit to be drug users. The idea of decriminalisation is to provide sanctuary to users and rehabilitate them away from drug dependency / abuse, and the flow on effect from that is hopefully it reduces the crimes associated with drug abuse.

This bloke.

Fuck.

No one can be this stupid, you must be taking the p!ss. What do you think happens to drunk people when they assault someone? Why would this scenario be any different?

The greens are ideologically opposed to punishment and prisons. They see it as barbaric and primitive and think in a modern advanced world we should be able to successfully rehabilitate murderers, rapists and drug dealers by providing them with education, training programs and love. It wouldn't be drawing a long bow to suggest if they were to find themselves in government they would simply outlaw custodial sentencing and transition to "community sentencing" with counselling and victim offender mediation taking the place of courts and prisons.