Australian Federal Election 2007

Who do you think will win?
What issues are important to you?

Do you think the result matters at all, or do you think it will be business as usual regardless of who wins.

Konstantin

I will still be putting Rudd over Howard for several reasons.

1) When I look at Howard, I see someone who just wants one more lap of the podium.

2) I like the idea of national broadband plan. No we don't need it now, just like we didn't need a national railway network in the 1900's, but we'd be screwed (economically speaking) now if we didn't have one.

3) Since it is almost impossible for Labour to win the senate, I think Labour is a good idea for the house of reprasentative. The Libs will then start inquiries into anything and everything, which will make it harder for the party in government to get away with things they don't want the voters to see. Unlike the present situation which I feel is just too cosy by far.

I have many other reasons, but they would be the ones that come first to mind.

Konstantin

I voted Howard in because I wanted GST it was a good idea, but I'll vote him out this round because we need the labour party back in to take care of the people.

i don't trust anyone once they are in power
i doubt anything will change
i will vote labor as i always have since gough whitlam, our greatest leader he took from the rich and gave to the poor thats why they got rid of him

lets hope our troops are brought home, the govt should clean up their own backyard and stay out of others
they have to stop committing crimes against the disadvantaged in this country and stop following bush in committing war crimes
the massive wealth of this country is spent on the armed forces and war while our people suffer
the more money we have the worst off we are our medical,education,housing and charitable services are in a poorer state than ten years ago
there maybe hope with a labor govt there is definatly no hope if howard wins again

well im sitting on the fence which is generally not sumthing i do - i dont have a great knowledge of politics - dont follow it and dont educate myself on whats going on with them either.

Wat i do believe (solely my opionion only) is that they all frigin lie to get our votes and then where are the promises they made ............................

My personal opinion is they are all a bunch of wankers.

I would love for them to walk a day in those who work in the welfare industry shoes - just a day - they can see: lack of funding, lack of resources, lack of staff, lack of placements, lack of rehabs, lack of services - i will now get down off my soap box.

hooroo

Im goin to have to go Labour...i want Howard out and in no way want Costello in.
I want an improved public education system and a chnage to the new industrial relations laws...we need more rights and security as workers.

I also dont agree with liberals profiteerig and money making schemes which are the basis of a lot of there poilicies...I also want sumthing better for our aboriginal people with improved housing, health and a good reconciliation plan and commitment...to improve social supports to those imprisoned and their families suffering.

Hahha i dont ask for much...but still I have to find sum1 to vote for that expresses a lot of these issues as important.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT...Lets just hope things can improve with industrial relations, homelessness and young peoples access and opportunities to buying homes etc..

Early days yet, but what I've seen so far impresses me.


Regards,
Konstantin.

Well, I am very pleased with the result.

Interesting that the new members of parliament were directed to visit a homeless shelter in their electorate.

Sounds like the perfect time to write a letter to your local federal member and express your views on homeless services in Australia...

A sorry to Aboriginals... excellent. Some planning will no doubt be needed as to the appropriate way of doing this... I look forward to the 'sorry' hopefully it will be done as the 'first act' after swearing in, but some planning may be needed to make sure it's done right.

Yes for sure....I am hoping we get a visit from a labour minister though its a liberal electorate we'll proberley be forgotten...but I intend to pursue this avenue of thinking and opportunity.

Yes an apology is an absolute necessity for any hope in bridging the HUGE gaps to start reconciliation..and im all for saying sorry for what happened I know this means we are NOT responsible effectively for the gross inhumane injustices felt thoughtout the generations of Aboriginal Australians but take a responsibility now in acknowledgment of this history and to ensure it never happens again....I dont know why it was such as hard task for Howard, its has worked in other countries such as Canada without any repercussions just a better relationship between non indigenous and indigenous canadians and educating people about the history and consequence...same goes for Germany and the holocaust history an apology and strict education and banning of all things to do with Hitler...

There is a website 'Apology Australia' if anyone is interested in signing.

i am so glad labour won but as we all know election promises have been broken in the past

rudd has impressed me so far... he has ordered his ministers to get off their butts and to go into their electorate to find out what needs fixing... starting with the schools and the homeless shelters...here! here! for our new prime minister...this is the first time i have ever known a prime minister to even mention the homeless...his consideration and making the homeless a prioty within the electorates...without pressure to do so.. is truly amazing
we haven't had a leader who actually cares about the disadvantaged since Gough Whitlam
i think the tide is turning and hope is on the rise
the aboriginal issue is a lot more complicated, when the people say sorry, it comes from the heart and is an act of compassion and recognition of their suffering under colonisation... for the govt to say sorry it means admitting guilt, they would have to sign a treaty and they fear the repurcussions of legal claims,compensation and land title claims. it will be interesting to see how Rudd handles this...it will show his true colours
cheers

I agree Fudge, I'm just waiting to see how the apology goes. The thing that annoys me is that the public seems to have an ignorant view of what "saying sorry" to our indigenous people means. Many people I have talked to are against "saying sorry", more that I would have thought, and for most I've found it's because they think that this generation shouldn't have to take responsiblilty for and apologise for a gross injustice that a past generation has instigated, WE didn't make the mistake so WE don't apologise.

But they're completely missing the point. In apologising we (well the pollies) are taking responsibility for the mistakes of former generations, not our own, and apologising for the past injustice and not one that we have caused. We SHOULD apologise for how we treat our indigenous today, but that's not what "saying sorry" is about. I think when people dismiss the value of apologising to the stolen generation and aboriginal people, they're dimissing a huge tragedy in our history, one that cannot be rectified but can be acknowledged and apologised for, so we don't have that tradgedy happen again.

---++---++---++---++---++---++---++---++---++---SORRY---++---++---++---++---++---++---++---++----

you have hit the nail right on the head......when someones relative dies or suffers a tragedy... people don't hesitate to say how sorry they are, it is a phrase of compassion it doesnt mean the one saying sorry is responsible for their sorrow
it does bewilder and frustrate me that many aussies would rather acknowledge and fund the tragedies of other countries like africa etc than open their blind eyes to the suffering and third world conditions of many aboriginal communities... not just in the nth territory but in their backyards
but ther are many who cannot say sorry enough these are the ones to focus on and ignore the ignorant

the original residents of this country want us to say sorry, and they deserve that, at the very least.why is it so hard, and if theres legal claims coz of that, well so be it.pollies shd deal with it, it has to be done, we owe it to them. im embarrassed and ashamed to be white, knowing that white ppl came over and treated aboriginals how they did.it needs fixing, they are human beings like us, and from what iv seen, better ppl than us. they want more than anything to just be accepted .theyl come over and introduce themselves in the pub, and if u say, hava seat and buy em a beer, they are just overwhelmed. my wife is part aboriginal and works within the communities, and its always a battle for these kids. how wd we like it if we were sent to cape york and left to fend 4 ourselves?
labour will change things, but theyl never do enuf. but from me, i'm sorry, hugs.