octave

So once again you can not come up with specifics, I am actually wondering if you are actually a Russian bot or something.

Grumpy, again just a load of vague bollocks. Can you give practical and personal examples of how you are oppressed by this so-called; left-wing era you believe we are in? What do you hope to achieve if (and it won't happen) Palmer ends up in a position of power?

I mean perhaps the worm is turning. Even Republican voters are p1ssed off. Maybe eventually even Grumpy Old which see the light.

lol this is going around a few of my local Geelong groups.

Is it bipartisan? I think whilst there are areas of agreement there are many differences. You know I think a lot of what you say is imagined or exaggerated. Perhaps this is why is "grumpy" Australian immigration policy has historically had elements of bipartisan support, but there are significant areas of disagreement between the major political parties—primarily the Liberal-National Coalition (center-right) and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) (center-left). Bipartisan Aspects There is general agreement on: ✅ Skilled Migration: Both major parties recognize the importance of skilled migration to support economic growth and address labor shortages. ✅ Family and Humanitarian Visas: Both parties support a mix of family reunification and humanitarian intakes, though they may differ on numbers and processing priorities. ✅ Border Security: Both support strong border protection, particularly against unauthorized boat arrivals. The policy of offshore processing for asylum seekers began under a Labor government and was later expanded by the Coalition. Areas of Disagreement 🔴 Asylum Seekers & Refugees: The Coalition has taken a hardline stance, including policies like "Operation Sovereign Borders" and indefinite offshore detention. Labor has supported offshore processing but has at times proposed a more humane approach, such as increased refugee resettlement. 🔴 Migration Caps & Temporary Visas: The Coalition has historically favored temporary visas (e.g., for skilled workers and international students) over permanent migration. Labor tends to prioritize permanent residency pathways and is more open to increasing the permanent migration cap. 🔴 Citizenship & Pathways to PR: The Coalition has tried to make citizenship harder to obtain (e.g., tougher language and residency tests). Labor has generally opposed such restrictions and supports easier pathways for long-term visa holders. Current Trends (2024-2025) Under the Albanese Labor government, there have been policy shifts, such as reducing the reliance on temporary visas and reviewing Australia's migration strategy. However, bipartisan agreement remains strong on border security and the need for skilled migration. Would you like insights on any specific aspect of immigration policy?

Once again Grumpy you make this vague sweeping assertion that we are living in some left-wing hellscape but you don't give practical examples. I would suggest that our present government is pretty centre. Give us clear practical examples of left-wing legislation.

Could it be that people are boycotting in anticipation of tarrifs? I know that in Canada people are boycotting American goods

This video is a bit of an investment in time but quite worthwhile I think. Trump is an idiot. I say that because the man who claims he is a tough negotiator states before the negotiation that Ukraine will probably have to give up territory. What kind of a negotiation tactic is that? This is from the man the "wrote: the book "The Art Of The Deal" Actually written by a man called Tony Schwartz" In an interview with him that I heard recently he said that "not only did Trump not write the book he most likely has not even read the book"

I think that would be over-rating him. I have read a few detailed books about Trump including the one by his niece who combines inside family knowledge with the expertise of a psychologist. Trump is transactional, everything he does is not for others or the country but for himself, either for money power or self-aggrandizement. It is not controversial to say that Trump has a history of ensuring that when one of his businesses fails someone else will pay the price. Trump is well known for not paying the contractors he has employed. This is verifiable, you can look it up. As much as I hate Rudy Giuliani he lied for Trump and defamed 2 innocent people (and continues to) Despite Guiliani being now effectively bankrupt, Trump has still not paid the legal fees he owes and will never Giuliani Says Trump Campaign, RNC Owe Him $2 Million in Fees (1) Trump does not give a sh1t whether Putin rolls through Ukraine and even the rest of Europe as long as Trump can gain wealth or power or even just proximity to a powerful figureI like Putin., When Trump says that Ukraine started the war I am sure he doesn't really think that, but he knows his moron base will swallow it just as when he said "They are eating the dogs in Springfield" that this will only resonate with morons.

The things is that this is not a left-right issue, it is a sane vs crazy issue I never thought I would be quoting Tony Abbott however............

As usual, this is pretty vague. What specific policies or pieces of legislation are you referring to? How do these policies negatively impact on your day-to-day life?

What exactly do you consider the far-left policies of today? Can you give examples? Do you believe today's government is further left than the Whitlam government? Please be specific.

Musk helped fire hundreds of FAA workers. Now, his SpaceX employees could fill the void No doubt the use of Space X employees will not be free of charge. This appears to me to be a massive conflict of interest. He sacks all the workers and then offers to replace them with his own. To be clear I think that Space X has achieved amazing things within the space industry. There are brilliant people working there. But do I want Space X to perform surgery on me? No, I don't because this is not where their expertise lies. Aviation is a conservative area. Change needs to occur incrementally not by tearing down the whole system. ATC also needs to be somewhat standardised around the world. Is Space X going to come to Australia and redesign our ATC system? I am sceptical that Space X has the expertise to redesign ATC. Build rockets - sure, transport astronauts to ISS - yep .

Rubbish. Whilst this thing may be slowly creeping in there is a history in this country of not purging public servants. I guarantee that whilst some department heads may be moved sideways there have never been full-scale purges like Trump is doing. Whilst I regularly have debates with people who are on the other side of the political spectrum but I have respect for them because they attempt to put forward rational arguments. Unfortunately, you tend to divert from the points being made and you also give one-sentence answers. A point I made was this (in a little more detail) There is a shortage of air traffic controllers in the US A recent fatal accident occurred when there was only one controller on duty when normally there would be two. (we wont know the significance until the investigation is finished) Trump has fired a whole bunch of air traffic controllers New government hires are required to prove their loyalty to Trump/Maga. This is monumentally stupid. His requirement for arse kissers is dangerous. You seem to be OK with this as long as he gets rid of the nasty brown people and gets Ukraine to surrender to his buddy Putin.

Great comeback. I am guessing you have no intellectually based arguments to put.

True but many of the people around him have been appointed Project 2025 Author Russell Vought Confirmed By Senate: Here Are All The Trump Officials With Ties To Policy Agenda Project 2025 openly states that its adoption will change things for many years to come.

BS You are saying that aviation safety ??? That is idiotic.

I have been doing some hardcore reading. Project 2025 is the playbook for the new government and it is frankly pretty scary. It is a 920 page document. The problem regarding the FAA (and other departments) is that Project 2025 calls for a purge of all government workers and where workers are replaced it is with Trump loyalists. "WASHINGTON (AP) — Job-seekers hoping to join the new Trump administration are facing a series of intense loyalty tests, with White House screening teams fanning out to government agencies to check for “Make America Great Again” bona fides and carefully parsing applicants’ politics and social media posts. President Donald Trump has long said he believes the biggest mistake he made during his first term was hiring what he considered to be the wrong kinds of people. Now, aides are working aggressively to ensure the government is filled only with loyalists. Negative social media posts have been enough to derail applications. Those seeking jobs have been told they will have to prove their “enthusiasm” to enact Trump’s agenda and have been asked when their moment of “MAGA revelation” occurred. One federal employee said they briefly considered buying Trump’s crypto meme coin in case the president’s team asked about their voting record." A strength of many Western government systems is the neutrality of the public service. What does a Trump loyalist aviation say if an accident is contributed to an accident? Trump is so insecure that criticizing him in any way gets you excommunicated. The other side of the coin is kissing his big orange ass gets you a job. Example trump only a few months ago said of RF Kennedy. "Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!! It's great for MAGA, but the Communists will make it very hard for him to get on the Ballot," Trump posted on his social media platform in March." And yet Kennedy is apparently the man for the health department. Did Kennedy change? No, when he pulled out of the presidential race he pledged support for Trump. It was purely transactional. Trump does not give a sh1t about the country. it is all about stroking his fragile ego.

Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash Hundreds fired at aviation safety agency, union says

I know a former politician quite well. My family were immigrants from Britain and the area they moved to was full of British immigrants. Our next-door neighbours immigrated about a year after my family. Our neighbour's kids were my friends. My neighbours were known to me as (won't use real names) Uncle A and Auntie B. Our neighbour's daughter was usually in my class at school and I for many years was sweet on her. I was very good friends with our neighbour's son although he was a year younger than me. Their kids were extremely intelligent. Some years later Uncle A stood successfully for council. By this time my family had moved house. At 17 I wanted to join the RAAF as a musician. I passed the rigorous audition but still had to be accepted by RAAF recruiting. It was taking some time. By this time Uncle A became mayor of the local council and had then stood for election to the gov of SA. Uncle A wrote me a glowing reference which seemed to speed up RAAF recruiting. After my basic training, I was posted to NSW and lost touch with my ex-neighbours. Being in another state I lost touch with SA politics. Uncle A went on to become a senior minister in the Bannon government. My parents kept in touch with Uncle A and Auntie B and they would get together regularly. My father ended up in aged care and Uncle A and Auntie B would visit him regularly. My father died I was unable to be at the funeral (COVID) but Uncle A made a beautiful speech which we watched on a livestream. These days my mother is in care and nearly every week Uncle A and Auntie B drive from the other side of the city to take my mother out to lunch. When we visit SA we go to lunch with them. Although my mother is a little past being able to engage in stimulating conversation, Uncle A assured me that he and Auntie B could still talk about the old days and that as long as he could drive he would always be there for her. I am FB friends with Uncle A and Auntie B. They are still politically opinionated. They don't have a racist, sexist or anything else ist bone in their bodies. If I try to find a fault it is that they are dyed-in-the-wool labor folks. Although they are extremely concerned about the environment they would never vote green because of their labor history. I disagree with them on this but their heart is in the right place. I did do a little research and found that Uncle A did take a principled stand on an issue that put him at odds with the party, I read an account of him being summonsed to Bannon's office and reprimanded and I think demoted Bit of a long ramble but I guess the point is that unless you think that Uncle A is a bad person then it must follow that all politicians are not *****s. I do look down on binary thinking.

Dishonest Candidates Win Elections, According To New Research

I think the problem of politicians and honesty comes down to us. The thing is that we don't reward politicians who tell the truth. A recently elected politician said "I will end inflation on day one", he was elected, he did not end inflation. If a politician explained that inflation was a global problem regardless of the flavour of the government and that although some measures may go some way towards creating the conditions that MAY help to reduce inflation. most people will vote for the lying politician. Many people prefer a reassuring lie rather than the truth. We need to grow up a bit I think.

Trump/Musk, so f******* dumb that they fired the people who oversee the safety of the nation's nuclear weapons only to attempt to rehire them when they realized their stupidity. Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say This is what happens when you cut with a chainsaw rather than a scalpel.