September 07, 2004
ELECTION 2004 - A NATION SITS AROUND AND WAITS
• According to The Australian’s Christine Jackman, "it is almost impossible to find a website devoted to Mark Latham, either for or against." Jesus, Jackman. Buy some eyes already! (UPDATE: more Latham sites here and here.)
• Mark Latham will reveal his tax policy today to a shocked and trembling planet. Wonder if he’ll repeal the GST:
This is what Mr Latham had to say about the GST back in December of 1998, when he was taking a break from the front bench: "If it is ever introduced, such an unnecessary, unfair, discriminatory and job-destroying tax will need to be repealed. That strikes me as self-evident, particularly from a party of social justice . . . We are here to replace bad taxes with better taxes. We are here to replace unfair taxes with fairer taxes. This is why Labor exists."
• It’s the first commie alert of the 2004 election!
• Queensland’s Labor government will ban smoking from 2006 in all pubs, clubs, outdoor restaurants, underground, high above the earth, while walking, and in dreams. Cancelling out any potential ALP backlash, Queensland’s Liberal opposition say the new laws don’t go far enough.
• Good news for John Howard:
The number of job advertisements in major Australian newspapers and on the internet rose 4.1 per cent last month compared with July and heralded a pickup in hiring, ANZ Bank economists said yesterday.
"The rebound in newspaper and internet job advertising in August is consistent with our expectation that the pace of job hiring will accelerate in the second half of the year in response to the recent rebound in economic activity," ANZ chief economist Karen Pringle said.
• Speaking of Howard, test your knowledge of Australian political protocol with the new poll at left.
• And remember -- if the Liberals win, democracy is dead.
• "An enoromous amount of money will be spent on this election," writes Hamish Alcorn. Why he spell so bad? Because he Margo brother! Is genetic.
• Pierpont announces his policy: "The Pierpont policy for the federal election can be stated simply. Pierpont intends to vote for any party that does not contain Peter Garrett."
Posted by Tim Blair at September 7, 2004 11:12 AMWe are here to replace bad taxes with better taxes. We are here to replace unfair taxes with fairer taxes.
Jesus God. Has he been talking to Kerry?
Posted by: Rebecca at September 7, 2004 at 11:22 AMThe unedited version of that speech:
"...We are here to replace bad taxes with better taxes. We are here to replace unfair taxes with fairer taxes. We are here to replace lower taxes with higher taxes. This is why Labor exists."
Posted by: david at September 7, 2004 at 11:57 AMGee did he really say that?
Wow! I believed Howard on WMD so I will believe that is what Latham said. Yeh sure.
Oh and by the way maybe you should check the figures for which Australian Government since Federation is taking the most share of GDP as tax - yes this Government, the Howard Government. Official figures - no room for argument. Maybe you'd better check your quotes then David.
Geez, it was a joke. If it had been serious you can believe there'd be a link attached. Lighten up; besides, my addition is more honest than what he actually said.
Posted by: david at September 7, 2004 at 12:19 PMI know it wasnt serious - yeh I got that - it just wasnt a very funny joke as the best jest always contains an element of truth.
Posted by: the common good at September 7, 2004 at 12:25 PM"He [Keating] now says foreign debt - debt really doesn't matter. He said debt is not so bad as long as you can service it. I mean that is the classic response that somebody who has been there so long and has been so unable to find a solution to something. [John Howard 28th February 1996]"
Now theres a good joke for you David. It took us 95 years from 1901 to get the first half of the 360 billion we now owe, it has taken us just 8 to get the other half.
Posted by: the common good at September 7, 2004 at 12:30 PMNo I thought "He said anita is not so bad as long as you can service her".
But he couldn't.
Posted by: Giles at September 7, 2004 at 12:51 PMHey, common, did someone die and name you King of What's Funny?
Posted by: Andrea Harris at September 7, 2004 at 12:56 PMNo Andrea but I know a good joke when I see one.
The ABC election weblog is a bit of a joke.
No comments allowed, naturally.
Posted by: ilibcc at September 7, 2004 at 01:15 PMAnd isn't it funny how lefties want for funding for everything but scream the house down when conservatives spend.
(Not that I'm in favour of it, even the first home buyers' grant was wrong.)
Posted by: ilibcc at September 7, 2004 at 01:18 PMYou could try the Mark Latham Sucks forum at:-
http://www.marklathamsucks.com/forumdisplay.php?s=bd0f7e849b1438d999555cc9a7c0d4ee&forumid=19
Unfortunately there are more fawning Latham fanboys than Latham bashers.
Posted by: BT at September 7, 2004 at 01:26 PMParticularly enjoyed this from Jackman's article:
"And it doesn't hurt that the conventional rules of defamation and journalistic balance do not apply on the web."
I'd be interested in knowing on which planet we'd find such rules. If there *are* rules here, I haven't seen them obeyed by journalists writing for conventional news outlets.
Gee did he really say that?
Common good,you should know by now never listen to what Labor says,watch what they do!
P.S This comment is not funny.
Oh OK Gubbaboy - if Labor are in office - I will watch what they do - but isnt your advice the same for all politicians and indeed all people anywhere? Talk is cheap - thats what I believe anyway.
Posted by: the common good at September 7, 2004 at 02:55 PMI see Hamish Alcorn cant spell either. He is the not same guy who writes as Currency Lad who gave us the word "goverance" in his song of praise for Alexander Downer. I mean I know these lefties like Kingston cant spell but I was quite shaken to my boots to see a disciple of the New Imperialism make such a horrid spelling mistake.
I put it down to two possible reasons
1) There is a seat called Kingston in Sth Australia. Merely the mention of Margots surname in another context was enough to put Currency Lad's goverance of his spelling in total disarray
2) The catastrophic success of Downer's Iraq project has so bedazzled Currrency Lad that he thought he was Margot Kingston.
Still havent worked out which one but sub standard spelling belongs to the left - lets not forget that.
Not here in the good ol' US of A.
(That stands for United States of America.)
Posted by: david at September 7, 2004 at 04:32 PMOh right - you're in the USA - good on you - have a nice day.
Posted by: the common good at September 7, 2004 at 04:40 PMWell, Common, david wasn't bragging about where he lived -- he was merely pointing out to you that since he was American he used American Standard English, not British (which is what you Australians use). Nice mature reaction there.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at September 7, 2004 at 08:26 PMHas someone changed their posting name?Surely not to many bloggers can maintain the rage for that long.Is their a certain impassioned bitterness in the keyboard typing? Is she puffing frantically on another cigarette.
Posted by: gubbaboy at September 7, 2004 at 08:42 PMThere is a lot of talk about the interest rates going up under Labor but all the experts are saying it wont!
I am more concerned with the costs of housing nobody is talking about that, and in my opinion the housing problem in Australia is a major problem that nobody appears to be addressing.
Who gives a damn what the interest rates are when the median price for a house is over $500,000!
The young Blue collar workers have-not a hope in hell of ever getting a home near a major city of Australia!
The cost of housing ought to be one of the most important issues for any politician who wants "a fair society" (sorry LBJ)
and who is serious about making Australia a more equitable society.
Less than four years ago I could have bought a 600 metre block of land for $35,000, today that same block of land has a price tag of $200.000.
I thank God I am not looking for a house today but I feel very angry when I see all the greed and hype in the real estate world.
Mr Howard, Mr Latham if you are really are concerned about improving the lot for the real tax payers of Australia, the tax payers who are earning less then $30,000 PA, NOW IS THE TIME !
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