Marty_d

You weren't teaching at Hervey Bay in 1984, were you Nev? 😄

Yep you beat me to it... I was about to add just that - they don't think billionaires should dictate policy, they do stick up for the environment and their hearts are definitely in the right place. I don't think they could run the country, but they are a far better influence on whoever is in government than the crazies on the other end of the spectrum - the PHONeys, Clives, Nats and half (or more) of the Libs.

I remember the old Scottish woodwork teacher roaring "Ye have the manners of a barnyard!" Not at me. I was always too scared to invoke his ire.

I wouldn't go quite that far but I do agree they often let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The prime example is when they knocked back Labor on the emissions trading scheme. We could have had a working ETS for almost 20 years now if they'd given a little ground.

Hope you kick the flu soon Nev!

It was Willie that said far left, not Peter.

In terms of housing affordability, ask yourself why the Howard government didn't exclude residential properties from the Capital gains discount. Current problems have historical causes and the change in housing from being a home to being an investment is a major factor in the price blowout.

That's my thoughts too @rgmwa. Everything this administration says is a lie, why would they start telling the truth now.

Does your mate know he's in for all this work, or will it be a surprise? 😄

Actually I support centre left.

That's all well and good, Willie, but it misses the point. Making a protest vote may be a way of expressing frustration or disenchantment with the major parties. But that vote has an impact, and the impact is to potentially replace a major party with a party that has no costed, valid policies, is chock full of despicable people, led by a racist opportunist, and financially supported by people who have very illiberal beliefs who will expect a return on their investment. If people truly wanted to improve how parliament works, they would research the policy positions and backgrounds of independents, and support the campaign of a good one. Simply lashing out won't work. The object lesson from the US showed that. Are the people in the Rust Belt better off now? They voted to "drain the swamp" but elected the biggest alligator around. You can call me "small minded" for considering anyone who votes for ON an idiot, or at best ignorant. That's fine. But I will maintain that voting against your own interests is not the most intelligent thing to do.

I really hope he invented the persona, I'd hate to think there was someone who actually held those views. Good on you @octave and others for trying to explain the self-evident facts, but I think it's a lost cause.

That's distressing news. I thought as a population we had enough sense to avoid right wing populists.

Yeah we know what Americans are like, bombing schools and killing 160 kids.

You do realise that's something made up by Trump because his fragile ego can't accept that the majority of people on earth think he's an absolute c**t?