Is it really a good time for a change in Australian Politics???

Question

I live by the moto 'change is good' and have always wanted to see a female Prime Minister or deputy Prime Minister, but for some reason i still want to vote Liberal. What is it about Labour of late? Does anyone have the same reservations or any insight.

Answer 1

We need a change now!

Fresh ideas, a new direction with conservative economic management.

Some of your reservations may come from a family influence, having heard their experiences, but you need to develop your own views for your future.

Some might be the Liberal scare campaigns, they are very effective but generally misleading. Thats not my opinion but most of what they say can be proven to be incorrect or isn't relevent to the current political climate.

You are right "change is good". You may hear the saying if aint" broke don't fix it". Thats true with your car but not a government. There is no such thing as broken or not broken government, this is just a slang way of saying "I couldn't be bothered to explore any truth or alternative options" and generally is underpinned by a person with a closed mind.

Ask yourself "why?" do I vote Liberal. I was in your position some years ago and felt I was following my parents views but I followed my above advice and changed to Labor for many reasons.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Politics is a wolves game. Plenty could be said about Liberal or Labour, and don't forget those evil election swinging independants!
Let's put that aside for a moment and focus on our current economic and social problems.

The GST >IS< inflation.

There is a slow erosion of social medicine, with a leaning towards privatising the whole lot. I'm originally from the states, and let me tell you the price of privatisation, $1200 per month. That's what it costs for one small family to maintain health insurance once all the price controls of social medicine are gone. Can you afford that?

It is true that Work choices has, and will create more jobs. Much like what the Republicans introduced in the states in the early 80's, crushing the Unions. But we will need all these new jobs because now the husband, wife, and eldest child need to work to maintain a modest household income.

Good luck to you all

Answer 3

Don't listen to these liberal stooges. The facts are the facts. It was indeed the economic reforms that Hawk and Keating had the courage to introduced that has made our economy what it is today.Howard had the chance to introduce economic reform when he was Treasure but didn't have the ticker. All he achieved when he was Treasure was a 22% intrest rate. When intrest rates were in there teens and we had a recesion THE WHOLE WORLD WAS IN RECESION and the Australian Labour Government certainly didn't cause this. The next time you have a paid holiday or a paid sick day or enjoy an extended Holiday using Long service leave for 10 years of loyal service to the one Employer, Lunch breaks,Overtime loadings ect.ect Thank a Union. This Goverment has surpluses Because of the sale of Government ( which belongs to the taxpayers of Austaralia) assets and tax receits from the big Mining companys The question should be what have they done with all this cash they have been swimming in. They havn't put it into Hostpitals or into Education or higher education eg Universitys or Tafe Collages and in fact they have reduced funding in real terms in all these areas. History will not be kind to this Government. It is time for change.

Answer 4

The Liberals have done so much damage to this country and all they can talk about is the economy. The economic reforms of the Hawke/Keating Labor Governments are the reason why everything has been scooting along quite nicely for the Liberals. That and the happenstance of the current mining boom. A drovers dog could have run this economy, anyone with any sense can see that. And what have the Liberals done with all this prosperity that was handed to them on a platter from the wicked socialist Labor Government of the 1990's?

They have made the rich very much more richer and the working people of this country have got taxes, taxes and more taxes and of course the icing on the cake - WorkChoices. There are so so so many reasons but I think that alone pretty much sums up why we need to rid ourselves of the cancer that is this Government.

Answer 5

Of course there is an urgent need for change. The coalition under PM Howard are a tired team devoid of new ideas and living in the past. One has only to see their desperate attack on unionists. Any working person is well aware without unions our working conditions would resemble the 3rd world, they're the reason why wealth here in Australia is somewhat more evenly distributed and not just for the upper 2-3 percent of the population.
Electing a Labour government is imperative to save guard existing working conditions and prevent further exploitation of workers by the the coalition regime.

Answer 6

Maybe you could ask, can we afford not to change!
I haven't seen any real change in the policies of the coalition for many years now. To blame external forces when interest rates rise or are about to rise, but not acknowledge that it has been mainly external forces that helped our interest rates stay low is indeed poor form.
To continue doing what you have always done will continue to give you the same results, less affordable housing, higher percentage of the family income being spent on housing (renting or buying), on food and utilities (especially Fuel) and childcare. Put this alongside the fact that the federal government has decreased their real support by giving less back to the state governments over the 11 years they have been in charge (includes revenue raised through GST).
I think it is time for a change, I think we will be in for a tough time over the next 5yrs and so far this election campaign the coalition have not offered any new direction, just a promise of more of the same and that means less affordability and higher interest rates.

Answer 7

Change is not always a good thing. Contrary to a lot of the previous answers, John Howard has been doing an excellent job of managing this great country and our economy. Australia has been in the best position for many years - our economy is strong. Think of the future in the long term, not just the next few months.

Dont let Labour in whatever you do! Labour is strongly influenced by the Unions who will cause business to suffer, which will affect our economy nationally and globally.Dont you want a great Australia for our children and their children?

Dont give Kevin Rudd and his Union cohorts a chance to mess up our wonderful country. VOTE LIBERAL.

Answer 8

No it isn't a good time for change. Do people not see what Labour has done to the State of NSW's, I am going to vote for the Liberals Australia can't afford a Labour Govt, If you think you are worse off with a Liberal govt it is nothing compared to how you will be with a Labour govt.Yes it would be good to have a female up there but lets have someone with a vision for the future and policies of their own not copy cats who say what they think the people of Australia want to hear.

Answer 9

Are you serious? Housing affordability continues to fall through the floor and the Liberals are doing nothing to stop it. We are stuck in the mud of a war that most people did not want and the huge amounts of money we spend on that will never come back to us in either value or security. Now the Liberals tell us that rising interest rates are not their fault but they still try and sell the old story about interest rates under Labor. They spin and spin and spin - but they are not going anywhere. And if we stay with this government then the country will not be going anywhere either.

Answer 10

Howard has on his side the fact that Australian voters don't much like change. It's a kind of political inertia which proves the old saying that 'oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them'.

people will probably vote with their hip pocket, but it seems like in more difficult times, they usually go for Labor, and save the Libs for when the times are good ~ money talks, and votes, in this country!

Cheers :-)