Job Discussion Forums

mcNug · Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 83 Location: HK

A 4th term for John Howard?? Labour in a worse off position than after the 2001 election? Could I have been born in a country where the majority of the adult population is stupid? It all seems so. How anyone could support an arse kissing, bigoted war criminal is beyond me. One of the reasons I became an ESL teacher was to escape a country that I could I couldn't identify with. Now I know I shall never return. If anyone asks me, I'm from New Zealand (I plan to become a NZ citizen). Heck, I'm anything but Australian (or American).

Winmar · Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 125 Location: Melbourne

I know exactly what you mean. It's utterly depressing! What kind of country has Australia become? I think I'll be off overseas teaching again after footy season next year. I can't handle living under this government for the next three years.

le0n · Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 786

I wanted a Labor victory as much as anyone. One has to be a realist and concide there is not a lot of difference between the major parties on 99% of issues and the Australians took the view "if it aint broke don't fix it".

The interesting aspect will be the make up of the upper house, will Paulene Hanson get in, will the Greens hold the balance of power?

By not winning this time Mark Lathan is almost sure of being elected in 3 years time.

sojourner · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:04 am Post subject:

McNug,

Why are you so keen to become a NZer ? I lived there for most of the 1970s.There is definitely much going for the place - eg, its natural beauty.I left there in 1978 on account of what I then perceived to be the parochial and bland nature of that society.Yes,I fully realise that much has happened in NZ in more recent years,thanks to the de-regulation of the economy.NZers are,consequently,becoming less insular in their thinking,more Asians (esp Sth Koreans) are settling there,etc.But,it appears,that the place still has very little to offer young,keen,ambitious,highly qualified NZers,who tend to see Australia and Singapore as the places of opportunity.Tax rates in NZ,it appears,are higher than is the case in Aust.

From what I've read, the disparity between rich and poor in NZ is just as wide - or even a bit wider - than is the case in Aust.At one time, NZ was regarded as a social welfare laboratory.eg it was the first place in the English-speaking world to introduce old age pensions.In the late 1930s, it introduced comprehensive social welfare legislation that,inter alia,provided for free (or v.cheap) hospital and health care.In NZ today,there does not appear to be anything resembling Aust's universal Medicare scheme - I could be wrong here,but only those on income support appear to be eligible for free hospital treatment.However,I think that NZ's national superannuation scheme is a bit more generous than Aust's old age pensions.

(I admit that some of my facts re NZ,esp in relation to its social welfare/health schemes may be a bit dated.Any up-to-date info from Kiwis would be most appreciated).

In spite of all its many faults, stick to Aust.However,I suppose that one benefit in having a Kiwi passport would be that in the Middle East,at least,you would not be associated with the Coalition of the Willing (US/UK/Aust),should you ever happen to become involved in any hassles with the authorities !

Peter

2 over lee · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 3:55 am Post subject:

Last night I watched the 2nd presidenial debate, interesting that some believe Bush was recieving messages through a transmitter placed between his shoulder blades.

Although I�d rather Kerry win because I think it would give much needed credibility internationaly to the US, having wached this debate I actually believe Bush to be more a man of conviciton and perseverance.

In relation to te above posts, NZ is not the land of opportunity and in going into a closer relationship with Asia IT IS VERY MUCH THE JUNIOR PARTNER. However, unlike its strong FORMER relationship with the US and the UK, NZ does not realise it plays the junior role. I do no critersize Asia�s ambitions, but I know it has the ambition and history of corruption to take advanage of NZ and �our�thirst for cash. I�ll expand in future posts. ( a little pissed )

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

You know, I just found out the results by reading this post!!! That really sucks arse. I was sure that our country was smart enough not to reelect Howard. Shocked

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Elections in Oz and Usakistan? Who cares/ yAWN!

Nobody talking about the elections in Afghanistan??? Why not?

atomic_donut · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 34 Location: Melbourne

The lessons I am reading from the election in Australia is that in good economic times as preached to us ad-nauseum, social issues matter less than economic matters, as well as national security. The campaign to point out that Mark Latham was not ready to be an alternative Prime Minister due to his lack of experience and bad campaigning on issues such as the environment and forestry policy, as well as his schools policy creating too many enemies from the private and independent system. The campaign that "a vote for Howard is a vote for Peter Costello" failed too (personally I am sick to the stomach that Tony Abbott would be preferred as a future leader). The electorate may look to him as a future leader, but with Labor losing further ground in the lower house and facing possibly a 30 seat deficit, it is going to be difficult and they may remain in opposition for some time yet. Conservatives may have used the possibility of an ALP government as a prelude to giving control back to the unions, which would scare many people. Aside from Latham, the ALP does not have any other potential leaders. Issues such as the war in Iraq and asylum seekers in mandatory detention weren't enough to force a change. John Howard is probably going to fulfill his dream and retire in his 70s, just like his hero Sir Robert Menzies did back in the 1960s, on his terms.

I am thankful that the "Families First" party did not make a greater impact, but maybe they got 1 senate seat in Victoria, and perhaps prevented the Greens from holding the balance of power in the Senate. But I still say that the Assemblies of God (AOG) Church that they are loosely attached to are a bunch of fruitloops, and that Guy Sebastian is their pin-up boy. Families First had the potential to do what Pauline Hanson's One Nation party threatened to do in between 1996-1998. The coalition now have control in both houses, and that can only mean that we will probably become a more conservative nation as a result.

It's hard to believe that a bloke who wrongly took our country to war in Iraq as part of the "Coalition of the Willing" and lied to us regarding the Children Overboard scandal has been brought back as leader of Australia with an increased majority. We need a leader with qualities and a level of intelligence, class and integrity that people like Nelson Mandela had, but sadly, I can't see it coming.

So if anyone can anyone tell me which countries have the lowest rates of television, radio and telephone ownership per 1,000 people, I would be very appreciative. That way I will not have to be exposed to any advertisements showing off Howard's achievements or put up with his spam phonecalls reminding me to re-elect him.

2 over lee · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 3:01 pm Post subject:

�Robert Lubeck� wrote:

2 over lee · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 4:43 pm Post subject:

This post is a most serious one and one I feel morally respondsible to make.

I fully respect the right to FREE SPEECH here on Dave�s ESL cafe and that is why when a totally nasty and dangerous viewpoint comes up we must refute it.

Robert Luberk wrote:

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

mcNug · Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 83 Location: HK

Robert Lubeck, our newest resident troll perhaps?

My family's background is all Irish, French & Scottish, all countries who don't exactly love the British. So I doubt that they needed to be evil, cunning or even dangerous for the British to send them there (Seeing as most of these "criminals" stole a loaf of bread or some really petty crime). But anyway, I won't give that troll any more ammunition to ruin this topic that I posted.

I never wanted to go to New Zealand for opportunity. The simple reason I chose it is because it's beautiful, has a government and policies that don't make me wretch and the land prices are much cheaper than Australia. (Much cheaper than Sydney anyway)

I don't like the sun and I love cold weather. Queenstown, in New Zealand is currently 2 - 11 degrees celsius. Heaven!

When I go to New Zealand I'd already have enough to purchase a house outright as well as enough for some other property to invest in.

Aramas · Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 3:05 am Post subject:

Ludwig seems to be confusing Sydney with Australia. I can't recall how long Sydney was a penal colony, but it was only a few decades at most before it was moved offshore to Norfolk Island. With the exception of Tasmania, all the other states were founded by free settlers.

In my entire life, I've met two people who were decended from convicts - and they were both quite proud of it.

If Luddy were to imply that Australia (and every other 'New World' country) was primarily settled by ignorant peasants, I'd be the first to agree. Bad luck about the 'convict theory' though - it's the sort of thing that an ignorant peasant might espouse Smile

steampig · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 28

Surely the best thing about modern Australian politics is that two of its leading politicians are called Abbott and Costello?