Labour wins election in Australia

[Humodour]

The opposition party, Labour, seems to be winning our election by a safe margin.

 

While both parties, Liberal and Labour, are idealogically in the centre, Labour is the slightly more left wing and Liberal the slightly more right-wing one. I'm glad Liberal didn't get back in because that'd be 14 years... they've had their time and frankly I no longer trust them. Especially with the new industrial relations laws they brought in to disempower unions.

 

But I'm not terribly sure Labour is much better. They'll probably withdraw our support from the Iraq war... not sure what that'll mean. At least they're pro the environment.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Refusing to sign Kyoto and siding with the Bush administration over global warming seemed rather a strange approach in such an environmentally-aware country, but I don't know how big a part that played in Labour's victory.

[Humodour]

Refusing to sign Kyoto and siding with the Bush administration over global warming seemed rather a strange approach in such an environmentally-aware country, but I don't know how big a part that played in Labour's victory.

 

The new government will sign Kyoto.

 

Not that Australia is the problem. It's America, India and China... emphasis on the last two.

 

The environment doesn't play that big a part in Australia. It's important enough to have a policy on though. Liberal ignored it completely, which I'd like to hope is one reason they lost. Honestly though, the average Australian cares almost singularly about the economy... which has served us quite well so far. We're one of the most developed and most satisfied countries in the world.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Honestly though, the average Australian cares almost singularly about the economy... which has served us quite well so far. We're one of the most developed and most satisfied countries in the world.

And yet you've just voted out one of the major architects of your economic success - was it just that people were sick of the same face at the top for so long?

[Hell Kitty]

Industrial relations reforms was the number one issue this election.

[Humodour]

Honestly though, the average Australian cares almost singularly about the economy... which has served us quite well so far. We're one of the most developed and most satisfied countries in the world.

And yet you've just voted out one of the major architects of your economic success - was it just that people were sick of the same face at the top for so long?

 

No, as I said earlier, it's because of one of the policies recently introduced. It's called "work choices" and essentially undermines the worker, while empowering the employer. Nobody likes the idea of being fired without any warning, or having they wages reduced with no say in the matter.

 

That, and the fact that Liberal and Labour both support a strong economy, while Labour does so while promising to abolish work choices.

 

The way Liberal got that policy in was by having a majority in the senate. Now, Liberal looks like it'll have a majority in the senate, while Labour will be the Government. Which is really quite a safe way for things to be as it means that Labour can't suddenly introduce any radical new policies.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Now, Liberal looks like it'll have a majority in the senate, while Labour will be the Government. Which is really quite a safe way for things to be as it means that Labour can't suddenly introduce any radical new policies.

 

No, it's better for the independants to have control of the Senate than either of the major parties, which is what it's shaping up to be.

[Hiro Protagonist]

And yet you've just voted out one of the major architects of your economic success - was it just that people were sick of the same face at the top for so long?

 

I wouldn't exactly call them architects of our economic success. When the Liberals came in back in 1996, it was after a recession and the only way the economy could go is up. And most voters believe the Government controls things like Interest rates. Our economy is very much influenced by the U.S. economy.

 

Also, most Australians stupidly voted back in the Liberals a term or two ago (can't remember which election) and giving them power to both houses, thus putting in place an industrial relations policy called 'Work Choices'. One of the benefits of 'Work Choices' was, if an employer has less than 100 employees, they can sack any of those employees for any reason (or no reason), and the employee can't do anything. No unfair dismissal, nothing. This is what MOST Australians wanted when they voted for Howard and then realised their mistake. It will take years to undo what Howard and his Government have done. Not to mention other things like Medicare and Education.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Hiro Protagonist