Well, it seems like there's going to be a Federal election coming up here soon.
Got to vote for someone or cop a fine in the mail so do you........

1. Vote for the current crowd with a proven history of firearm confiscation.

or......

2. Vote for a bunch of left wing ratbags with a proven history of high interest rates and high unemployment.

Crap.....I'm confused...any suggestions???......

**** expletives edited out *****

Yes, I too am in a serious dilemna when it comes to voting - there is NOT ONE politician, in this country, that has my confidence nor do I believe that any them truly care about anything beyond their own careers. I used to be a fairly loyal Liberal supporter - but not anymore.



There is no way that I will cast a vote that keeps Little Johnny in power. I detest the man completely and not just because he has victimized Australian shooters but also because I do believe that he has lied repeatedly to the Australian people. Yes, I realise that most politicians are careless with the truth (how can you tell if a politician is lying? ..... his/her lips are moving!) but that mongrel has told some real whoppers that have put Australia's credibility in real doubt in the international arena.



Also, and this is one area that really pisses me off about the little bastard, he was given the job, by the Commonwealth, of trying to help Zimbabwe and bring Mugabe to his senses. Now I realise that Mbeki has been siding with Mugabe, and so Little Johnny's job would not have been easy, but he seems to have washed his hands of the whole issue completely - you don't even hear him make comment on Mugabe anymore. And next year is another election in Zimbabwe and it promises to be a really, really bad one and Little Johnny is keeping his head down and the people of Zimbabwe, I fear, will be abandoned by the international community, again.



I find this particularly damning when you also consider that it was a previous Liberal government, with Malcolm Fraser at the head, that helped Mugabe come to power. When the Rhodesians conceded to general elections it was Margaret Thatcher and Malcolm Fraser who were loud in their condemnation of the elections (elections that were probably as fair as was possible under the circumstances) and it was they who pushed for new elections at which Mugabe won by massive electoral fraud (something that he continues to do, each and every election).



Now would anyone like to guess who Malcolm Fraser's treasurer was at that time (and who, through his almost certain agreement with his boss, is also partly responsible for Mugabe's win)? Yes, it was little Johnny Howard!



Anyway, back to the actual question - I believe that until we start and get some politicians that we can trust and believe in, we need to vote out each and every government at each and every election. Just keep turning them over until one of them finally wakes up the fact that he is supposed to serve the people and the country (and not just look after his/her own superfund).



That's my two cents worth!



(Actually, this is a quick edit of the above comments as there is one politician that I have some respect for and that is Kim Beazley. When he was shadow defence minister, some years back, as part of a P3 Orion crew I took Kim Beasley flying on a patrol and had the job of briefing him on the equipment in the back of the aircraft - he impressed me with how quickly he picked it all up and understood what was going on. Plus, after Port Arthur, he was the only politician (that I know of) who called for a reasoned and measured review of the gun laws and warned against the knee-jerk reaction of John Howard - so at least Mark Latham has one good man onboard.)

BwanaBob, your thoughts acho mine so much it's uncanny! I'm on the verge of joing the Shooters' Party, but unless a whole heap of people vote for them, IMHO, we're stuck with a choice between the devil and the deep blue.

I have absolutely NO respect for Howard, and much as I'm not all that keen on Latham, at least he has people in his team who counsel moderation.

Prior to becoming a psych, I spent 20+ years in the finance industry, including the horrendous interest rates of the mid - late '80s (17% residential, 20-25% commercial ) IMHO, the current interest rates are artificially low, being held there by politicians who need to:
a) stimulate growth, and
b) keep their seats in parliament.

I reckon it doesn't matter which party gets in power, there will have to a 'correction' fairly soon - might be a couple of years, but it'll happen. It's a repeat of the late '70 - mid '80's, when all hell broke loose!

I'd like to vote 'Shooters Party', but at the moment, to my knowledge, they don't have the numbers to do anything significant - I guess I'll vote Labour. May God forgive me my weakness.

HiWall, has hit the nail on the head. Vote Independent! They might not be able to form a Govt. but they could hold a balance of power and force the polies to fly right. And if enough of them got in to form a government, they would be unlikely to do much damage as they could never all pull together. derf

Rather than getting upset over the lack of choices, now is the time to become pro-active and start asking questions of your local member and their opposition. Get active people!! If your not happy about something your local politician has done then right now is the time to remind them that they will be accountable!
Cheers...
Con

Just a suggestion, A large shooting/hunting organisation here in Victoria the ADA, are in the process of compiling a data base of pro-firearm candidates and will be informing members of those candidates who are in their respective electorates, and if there is none there will be a list of who one can vote for to "upset" the balance of power the major parties seem to have.
So if anyone here belongs to any firearm/hunting clubs or organisations anywere in Aust. it's just a phone call to them and ask who would be the best to vote for (anyone can contact the SSAA in there state), it may not be perfect but a least we must stick together and keep away from the Lib. lab. bastards, Don't think for a minute that Labor will be any better than the Libs. they are siding with the Dimocrats and Greens and we know what there policies are regarding firearm ownership and hunting, they want a complete BAN on the lot...take it easy....Les

The trouble is, and it is what the politicians rely on, is the majority of the voting public have so short of memories that they can't remember back 3 or 4 years and what the previous bastards were like that they disliked back then.

They can only comprehend a choice between "dumb" and "dumber". What does that make the voters?

Les,

Good idea. When I vote especially for the upper houses I do not vote "party lines" I vote for individual candidates first and then just start numbering the boxes.

As for shooting organisations, why isn't there a website somewhere listing this info and even more so a BLACKLIST with the evil deeds of the various party leaders, PMs, Attorney Generals etc?

Actually, I would like to clarify my previous statement. I intend to vote coalition for the lower house (as a lesser of two evils � imagine the future of our alliance with US under Latham) and the Australian Shooters Party for the Senate.
Cheers

I think that Latham will do a tony blair on the shooter's of oz .The total banning of pistol's and making it a lot harder and more expensive to own or use a rifle or shotgun.

I personaly hope that little jonny does'nt live long enough to enjoy his retirement or that he spends his retirement locked up for an unprovoked attack on Iraq.
Costello would probably be the pick of a bad crop
my 2 cents worth (rounded up to 5 cents)
Pete

The lack of decent choice is the problem!!

Yes I have a long memory & I remember how Australia's defence force was slowly decimated from 1983,its budget cut,defence land sold off to prop up budgets,the fleet air arm lost(A huge disaster)& significant reductions in personell,all while mr Beasley was minister for defence!!!,who has that post again????????????????

I dont like the current government much but consider the only alternative much worse for Australia.


The way I see it we will have even more restrictions on our firearms if labour gets in!!

Exactly - anyone who thinks Labour would have done any different re the gun laws is fooling themselves. Howard did what he did but Beasley would have done much worse I reckon. Vote looking forward - not looking back.

GG

Local KFC got the special promotion sign out the front; Labour packs - Left wings, Asholes, & wedges $6.95!