Well that's usually the kind of timeline for investments in large scale infrastructure projects is it not?

-PB

Most economists reviews I've read of Howard's government were that he rode on the coattails of a lot investment made during Keatings years ... a big reason they could keep deficits low during their terms (a booming global economy was another huge reason), as Keating had spent big. However, the issue arose when they had to make their own investments in key infrastructure ... it would cost them votes as they'd have to sacrifice personal tax cuts to voters and it would hit their budget surplus (two big ticket items that Howard's government had pushed as their pros during their time).

It's not that infrastructure doesn't take time to plan and build or that things done in the past don't have an impact on the things going on today. It's the ability of people to look at a single problem (often exaggerated by whoever is trying to stay in power/get into power) and link it to a specific thing the political party they don't like did/didn't do to cause this.

Not to mention increasingly irrelevant. However, the greatest thing to happen for the monarchists is the young, marketable couples currently saturating popular media. I cannot imagine Australia's increasingly multicultural society paying lip service to a British (aka German) royal family that adds nothing and does nothing, apart from being beautiful and polite. 

Unfortunately (and not to sound too much like Paul Keating), Australia lacks the energy and willpower to become a republic. We're far too fat and happy. Willing to keep our heads down and live in our bubble so long as it doesn't rock the boat or attract to many of the ominous horde. 

Lol LNP got fucking slayed in Victoria.

-PB

Don’t give a fuck for then Liberals anymore. The party used to stand for something but now they just see which way the wind blows on certain issues and tailor their policies accordingly to compete with labor on nuance rather than substance.

Our policy debate used be based around macro issues like the economy, immigration, defence and mining, now its all about trendy gay marriage, eradicating gender on birth certificates, transgender quotas and climate change. You know, all the big ticket items. The absolute trashing of the Liberal party ethos and brand is all thanks to Malcolm Turnbull and the muppets who instilled him as PM, thinking that by elevating trendy issues like gay marriage and building more windmills will win progressives to the Liberal club.

I feel like this is a statement about many Australians these days, not just the Liberal party

-PB

Agreed. A referendum on the issue would be a waste of money and would achieve very little.

Imagine getting blown the fuck out in Victoria for running too far to the right and then complaining that the Liberal party is too much to the left. How deluded can you be?

It's rusty. He is in denial. Hell a lot of right wing lnp people are. They want to go even more far right when most of their members are very liberal in their public views but conservative in their private lives.  I know plenty  of small l liberals who want action on climate change. On the lack of full time  jobs . Lack of investment in infrastructure.  Job security et el. They also believe in helping the less fortunate instead  of mocking them 

Immigration is directly tied to the economy, that is most immigration nowadays is for skilled labour and alot of that skilled labour goes into their other macro issue ... mining. Interestingly attended a conference the other day on WA population trends. For every 30 migrants that come into WA, 29 leave.

I would have thought the macro issues to most Australian's would be health, economy, law enforcement, environment and education.

Julia Banks has bailed, wonder if any others will.

-PB

Isn't she gonna run as an independent?  Libs imploding.  And yet they alongside  the msm  mocked labor  when it was the rudd/gillard/rudd years.  This is a whole different kettle of fish 

Labor reserved to be mocked at the time, but this is much worse imo. Really comes down to a dispute over what the Libs stand for.

The libs trying to appease the far  right because some shock jocks tell them that's their base . It isn't the liberal party is not just the far right.  They forgot the biggest voters are middle Australia who aren't idiots  but want a party to stand for them and their beliefs. Ie action on climate change. The casualisation of jobs. They want  to help the less fortunate not demonize them . Sadly the lnp will be annihilated and they won't have Noone else to blame but themselves 

Definitely think we could see a "split" in the party soon. I am surprised the Nationals have hung in with them as a coalition too ... although they have sacrificed a lot of their fan base in recent years by siding with Liberal policies rather than Nationals policies (I think Nationals would lose all their relevance if they split now at least at a national level) .

The nationals have sold their soul. A lot of country folk vote for them because they have no other party

Loving all the comments from the striking kids across the country. Some of the signs are classic ... my favourite



The response from the Mining Minister are worthy of a Betoota Advocate article ... (they couldn't even write the gold he said on the radio this morning) 

"The best thing you learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue"

"I want kids to be at school to learn about how you build a mine, how you do geology, how you drill for oil and gas"

Bloody hell. There is no hope.

Just another typical lefty wankfest. Yesterday it was gay marriage and refugees, today it’s climate change and tomorrow it will be some other fashionable ideal like saving dolphins or transgender quotas in parliament. Any excuse to get out virtue signal by holding up signs rather than doing anything of real substance.

And there you have it. A conservative way of thinking . And you wonder why a lot of people have abandoned the lnp . Being  far right didn't help in Victoria.  

Yeh I know. The LNP is Labour Lite. Turnbull destroyed the LNP.

ScoMo is better, but I fear that the damage has been done and is irreversible. LNP was better off with Abbott.

Why? let the people have their say. This monarchy has lost its relevance in this day and age.

The LNP were a united team under Abbott, they were focussed on BIG centre right issues like the economy, immigration, defence, taxes and so forth. Then Turnbull got in and his big swinging dick promises about reforming the economy amounted to nothing, and so they started dabbling in lefty, narrow interest, feel good policies like gay marriage, saving the barrier reef and climate change, the kind of trendy topics that appeal to morally vain people. And so while Turnbulls personal popularity remained relatively high no one on the left was going on vote for the Liberal party, and having jettisoned the LNPs core values he lost the base and would have lost the election.

The LNP are in a state of flux at the moment, the left of the party tells they need to become more trendy and progressive to appeal to younger voters , the right of the party tells them they need to get back to its core values and fight harder for what it believes. If the trend continues of tailoring policies and discourse to appeal to people’s moral vanity rather than defending Australias interests even if its risks being politically unpopular, then I can definitely see a split on the cards.

Spot on!

The people who personally approved Turnbull would never vote for the LNP anyway. They are Labor Voters.

When Abbott got knifed, it was a slippery slope for the LNP. They went against the base. Liberal voters are core big issue voters - economy, unemployment, taxes, immigration, health and infrastructure rather than the wishy washy "feel good" politics of near zero substance.

ScoMo is headed in the right direction but I think it is too late. The factions and Turnbull destroyed the LNP.

The LNP could have won the next election with Abbott.

Lol . Keep putting ya heads  in  the sand. Going more right won't do anything.  Trying to appease the far right  when the majority  of those who voted for the lnp were moderate liberals 

Not saying go left or right, go BIG. Do what Trump does, talk about BIG concerns like economy, jobs, immigration, national security, trade, industry, commerce, defence, infrastructure rather than the trendy, fashionable, touchy feely issues that bring warmth to our hearts like windmills, solar panels, transgender quotes and gay weddings.

Trump opposes abortion and hates climate change yet has unified all factions of his party by focusing on real issues.

He hasn't unified his party lol. He's done the opposite. The "Moderate" Republicans don't like him at all.

He called Adani an Aussie battler on a Facebook post lol, guy is fucking clueless 

-PB