Lake Mungo (Image from thesenior.com.au)
During the respective election campaigns, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and President Trump both frequently asked are you better off now than you were at the last election. The question is obviously phrased to suggest to the voter that the current Albanese/Biden Governments were in reality pretty hopeless.
Because this is an Australian website, it’s not for us to work out if the Biden Government was hopeless or not. There does seem to be a number of voters for Trump that now have ‘buyer regret’ and some that didn’t vote (always and option in the USA) wished they made a different decision on Election Day which tells us something.
However, we can discuss the strategy Dutton is pursuing. Dutton and his ‘shadow ministry’ are making comparisons to past Coalition Governments in Australia, claiming the Coalition ran the country better. He and a number of his ‘shadow ministers’ were in Ministerial roles in some of those governments. There is a long laundry list of things the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison government got wrong and yes, they all did some things well. Over time we tend to forget the hard times and remember the good times. It’s human nature. However when Skynews farewells the Morrison Government like this there were problems.In fact they went as far as saying this about Morrison
His prime ministership was like ‘Seinfeld’, a show about nothing (but without the laughs).
Memories of difficult periods fade with time. Finding the cash to replace your hot water system now is a far more front of mind problem than how you funded the replacement of the cooktop five years ago, even though you appreciate the cooktop every time you use it. If you have to replace your car, you might have memories of a new car costing $25,000 ten years ago. You should add at least $10,000 to the price now which might make you wish for the good ol’ days, but the car you get today is more efficient, safer and probably has more creature comforts.
A website titled ‘Mindfully American’ published an article in January arguing that the ‘good ol’ days’ really weren’t the blissful nirvana that we’re told about. According to their article, there are a number of things we now accept and take for granted, including life expectancy, the ability for women to enter a contract to get a credit card (or loan), reduction of poverty and greater mobility than there was in the 1950s – which is the era the website claimed was commonly perceived to be the ‘good ol’ days’. Ironically if you’re aged under 65, you weren’t even alive in the fifties. If you’re below 75 you were a child and probably not aware of the struggles your parents made to give you a ‘good life’.
Our memories of advances in society fade with time. Typically we don’t think about all the people that died before medicine that safely and quickly treats heart conditions, strokes, diabetes and a multitude of other illnesses was available from your local pharmacy. When we are booking an airline ticket online we completely forget that 90 years ago commercial aviation was in its infancy. Qantas’ first overseas flight (with 2 passengers) occurred in 1935. The flight to Singapore with 15 stops took three and a half days. The ability to book anything on the internet only occurred in the past 30 years or so and it’s only in the last 15 years that high speed internet services have become common in Australia. Most of us would much rather drive off into the sunset in our air conditioned car on sealed roads with a navigation system either built into the car or on your phone to politely tell us where to go. It sure beats trying all sorts of ideas to cool down the inside of a hot car while dodging large potholes on poorly or unsealed roads with no shoulders, relying on either the passenger or a map blowing around on the seat beside you to give directions, common practice even 20 to 30 years ago. Out of interest, Steve Jobs announced the forthcoming release of the original iPhone in January 2007.
While we can all remember good times in the past and have some fear in the future, the real question we should be asking is who do we think is the best placed to lead us into the unknown. Sadly we don’t have a crystal ball to see what would happen if a particular problem arose for the country and who would implement the best solution. Invariably, the thing that will come to challenge us isn’t what we think it will be.
The real answer to are you better off than some point in the past is almost always yes. There are day to day pressures, but they have always existed in some form or other. In the middle ages, subsistence farmers had to worry about producing enough of a crop to pay the feudal Lord his rent. When the ‘horseless carriage’ was invented, you would have been really concerned about your future if you were a farrier or saddle maker. The generations of predominately young men that marched off to war in the early part of the 20th century would have left behind families who would have worried if their sons would even be seen again. In the Global Financial Crisis of the late 2000’s retirees and those soon to retire were concerned about the state and accessibility of their superannuation funds and investments.
Incrementally the ability of people to live longer, happier and fairer lives regardless of gender, location or income is always improving. And while we all have daily pressures to overcome, we will probably look back on 2025 in a few years time and think it was a far better than we do now. Vote for the candidate that you believe can understand the problems of the future as they arise, then plan and implement strategies to overcome them. If one political leader is arguing looking backwards is a key consideration – he’s probably not the person we all need.
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A letter to the editor that I recently sent to my local newspaper, which I haven't seen yet but I have been told that it was printed, went like this: The Use and Abuse of Political Sound-Bites. What are sound bites? Typically, sound bites are memory aids that use patterns, visual imagery or other strategies to make information, or misinformation, more memorable and easier to recall.
Many political comments on mainstream media make good sound-bites, particularly on RW Media. They are often stated and conveniently not Fact Checked as was highlighted this week by an internationally acclaimed economist, Australian Bill Mitchell, Professor of economics at Newcastle University. Bill was one of the only economists that predicted the Global Financial Crisis in 2007.
Bill made the following comment earlier last week. “The Opposition is pulling the Trump line ‘Are you better off now than three years ago?’ – the three years being when the current Labor government took office. It’s a no-brainer type of question in a period when inflation and interest rates have risen and corporations have been price gouging.”
It’s much easier for the electorate to blame the government than to fact check the actions of corporations.
America’s first Vice President made the following statement: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” – John Adams, December 4, 1770 - Defending the British soldiers on trial for the “Boston Massacre”.
I'm a little better off, because Maggot Morrison has gone, Pissupandrootem has been benched, memories are fading of Anus Abbott, Poxery Newman, and a huge cast of profiteers, coercers, rentseeking right wing rubbish, ratbag loudmouths. Now, soon, farcical Dunce Dutton will go, Trumpery will expire and we can CHEER, better off...
Thanks Phil, you never fail to make me laugh my arse off...accurate and oh, so needed in our world of horse shit.
Used to be patriotic a la JFK ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country (society, community, friends & family)?
Now post Thatcher no society, Atlas Koch influence and Murdoch led media, pollsters ask 'are YOU better off' etc.?
Explicitly self centred and narcissistic, implicitly promoting libertarian faux 'free market values' and expressed through various means. Includes repetitive yet vague 'cost of living crisis' to condition voters to reflex, which for many means demanding lower government spending and taxes.... too easy, or shouting about non issues.
Economically better off? No, our family income took a big hit when my wife’s Super ran out about six years earlier than we expected with $3000 a month replaced by an increase of about $12 a week to our part pensions ( I have a modest ComSuper pension which keeps us afloat). However being asset rich but cash adequate we are not experiencing the economic crisis so widely bandied about. However I do feel for the would-be home buyers, the renters and the poor. If Australia is really the third wealthiest nation in the world, per capita, I wonder why we have people, especially children, living in poverty. The reason we can’t afford to make the pensions, jobseeker etc a livable amount is because the millionaires and billionaires don’t pay their taxes and neither do the overseas companies plundering our resources. We subsidise fossil fuel exploiters while allowing our poor to go hungry and homeless. We are a nation led by the gutless and uncaring. Yesterday on ABC Radio I heard a man representing Australia’s charities who calmly listed where Australia stood in terms of a range of markers including incarceration rates, donations to charity, volunteering and many more. In all of them we were well below comparable countries like Canada and NZ. I was ashamed.
My mate Blind Freddie says he can see it all ..... too many & too much government subsidies for foreign owned multinational corporations being feather-bedded with subsidies, incentives and tax rebates for ''services'' that are now redundant, or worse unfulfilled as a matter of long standing practice.
Then too little co-ordination between feral & various state governments on policies impacting families, like housing, health, and education, plus a cowardly unwillingness to fix the underlying problems, preferring small band-aids when major surgery is required.
Australians want to believe that they are the European heroes of colonisation of ''new lands'' developed after being ignored by the ''natives''. However, nothing is further from the truth. European degradation of the country by wrong farming practices, wrong crop selection and the introduction of feral pests are in plain sight for all too see ..... provided their eyes are open & working.
Only when Australians decide that we as a nation belong in Asia, if only to access the ginormous internal market, cut the apron strings to ''Mother England'' by electing our own Australian borne Head of State, and develop our own military armaments industries again so that we overcome the ''need'' for such poor financial deals as the USUKA sub debacle, then only then, will be be able to take on the vested interests over-profiting from the present political biases.
I keep repeating on all such forums that I don't want Dutton to go. He's done such a wonderful job at trashing the coalition.
I have nothing against his Labor opponent in Dickson. It's just tactics.
I am in agreement with PP that I am much better off than three years ago.
When you're asked to look over your shoulder, and asked whether you're better off or not, it is important what you look at and focus on.
Here's something that should be heeded. It's from facebook 2024 by Oz general factotum and blogger, Carrick Ryan:
Carrick Ryan
Verified account
October 30, 2024
I've been outspoken in calling out Albanese for pursuing his free Qantas upgrades, but the pearl clutching from the Opposition and News Corp is so obviously disingenuous because they sat unperturbed through corruption scandal after corruption scandal from the Morrison Government.
There needs to be a uniformed reset of what behaviour we accept in Canberra... it's probably up to our Independents to set that standard, because clearly none or the major parties are going to do it.
The below is an excerpt from a post I made four years ago detailing just SOME of the Coalitions corruption scandals.
#SpyGate
Bo 'Nick' Zhao, a Chinese born Australian goes to ASIO telling them he's been offered a $1million from the Chinese Government to run as a Liberal Party candidate and then infiltrate the Australian Parliament as a Chinese Spy.
He then turns up dead in a Melbourne hotel room in March.
Enter Gladys Liu, the Liberal Candidate with a host of concerning connections to the Chinese Government who earns Liberal pre-selection thanks to miraculously raising a million dollars in donations.
Fairfax then discovered a photo of Liu at her home with Nick Zhao in the back ground.
Gladys is now the Liberal Member for Chisolm.
https://amp.smh.com.au/.../alleged-chinese-spy-target...
#SignGate
Liberal Candidates Gladys Liu and Josh Frydenberg both have Mandarin signs at polling booths in the colours of the Australian Electoral Commission branding telling Chinese citizens how to vote (by putting 1 next to the Liberal Candidate). There is no Liberal Party branding on the sign
Liberal officials admit in court that the signs were designed to convey the appearance of official electoral commission material.
https://www.abc.net.au/.../josh-frydenberg.../11675738
#LetterGate
Angus Taylor writes a public letter, published in the Daily Telegraph, to Sydney Mayor Clover Moore criticising her for her millions of dollars of domestic travel. The document he quotes is a forgery.
Taylor refuses to disclose where he got the fake document from and refuses all Freedom of Information requests from the media that might give an insight.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../government-blocks-access...
#DuttonGate
Fake 'How To Vote' cards were handed out in Peter Dutton's seat of Dickson designed to trick Greens Voters in voting for Dutton.
https://7news.com.au/.../federal-election-2019-fraudulent...
#PhilippinesGate
George Christensen charges tax payers for domestic flights and ComCar trips that were part of his trips to known red light districts of the Philippines. When he is caught he simply pays back $2,100 with no consequences.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../george-christensen-pays...
#DroughtenEnvoyGate
Barnaby runs up a bill of $675,000 in 9 months in his role as Special Drought Envoy. When asked what he did in the role, Joyce explained that he sent his "report" in the form of multiple text messages to Morrison. When The Guardian submitted a Freedom Of Information request for these texts it was rejected on the grounds that Morrison was too busy to retrieve them.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../pms-office-refuses-to...
https://www.theguardian.com/.../barnaby-joyce-spent-less...
#reefgate
The Coalition granted $444million to a little known organisation called the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The process involved no public tender, no transparency, and the organisation was later found to have business partnerships with BHP and Rio Tinto.
https://www.abc.net.au/.../great-barrier-reef.../10720928
#paladingate
The Coalition awarded a $423million contract to run Manus Island detention facilities to a tiny and almost unknown company called Paladin as part of a "limited tender" process only meant to be used under special circumstances. The company's head office was a small shack on Kangaroo Island and family members of the PNG Parliament were found to be directly profiting from the contract.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../the-paladin-scandal-is...
#helloworldgate
Helloworld travel agency paid for Finance Minister Mathias Cormann's family holiday to Singapore within two weeks of the Coalition awarding Helloworld a Government contract worth over $1billion.
Cormann claims he didn't notice his holiday had been free.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../suspicious-minds-are-circling...
#aupairgate
On two seperate occasions, Peter Dutton personally intervened to have European au pairs allowed into the country after being initially refused by Border Force.
The first was on behalf of an old Police colleague, the second on behalf of the AFL Chief Executive and son of a Liberal Party donor.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../peter-duttons-au-pair...
#vikkigate
Barnaby Joyce's mistress, Vikki Campion was forced to leave her role as his staffer when rumours of their affair started causing tension with colleagues. As a result she was given a plum $190,000 a year job with good friend Senator Matt Canavan despite Parliamentary rules prohibiting jobs for 'partners'.
There were a number of allegations suggesting she never attended work whilst in this role.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../pm-s-office-says-vikki-campion...
#foxtelgate
The Coalition granted $30million to Foxtel, ostensibly to assist with "sports coverage" (whilst simultaneously slashing ABC funding). There was no public release of any conditions or oversight regarding the funding. News Corp, the largest newspaper owner in Australia and the owners of Foxtel, vigorously and unapologetically proceeds to support the Coalition whilst attacking Labor in the next election.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../foxtel-yet-to-reveal-spend...
#mundinegate
The Coalition granted $200,000 to Foxtel station Sky News to fund a new show featuring future Liberal Candidate Warren Mundine. The funding was taken from money budgeted for "Indigenous Advancement".
Inquiries later found that the funding had been officially approved before Mundine had even formally applied for it.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../warren-mundine-approved...
#internetgate
Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert charged tax payers $2,000 a month for home internet, blaming "connectivity issues". He was later forced to repay $38,000 in inappropriately claimed expenses but was not further investigated.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../stuart-robert-repays...
#darwingate
The Coalition award a Chinese company a 99 year lease on Darwin Port. A year later, Andrew Robb, the Trade Minister at the time of the deal, leaves the Government to assume an $880,000 a year job as a "Consultant" with the same Chinese company.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../liberal-andrew-robb-took-880k...
#watergate
Barnaby Joyce approved a dodgy $80million water buy back from a property owned by a Cayman Island's based company that Energy Minister Angus Taylor used to be the Director of and his college mate now ran.
When Twitter users began to discuss it his lawyers sent letters to them threatening legal action for defamation if they didn't delete the tweets.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../angus-taylors-oxford...
#grassgate
A property owned by Energy Minister Angus Taylor's brother was alleged to have illegally burned 30 hectares of native grassland classified as endangered under existing environment laws.
After Angus Taylor personally intervened and met with then Environment Minsiter Josh Frydenberg about the investigation into his brother, the Government suddenly announced a review into the part of Commonwealth environment laws that specifically deals with endangered native grasses.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../angus-taylor-met...
#SportsRorts
Over $100million in grants to sporting clubs were handed out according to a colour coded spreadsheet showing if the clubs were in marginal or potentially winnable electorates.
The Government overruled the recommendations of the Sports Commission 300 times, instead giving photo ops to LNP candidates just before the election.
The PM denied any involvement despite extensive email evidence showing his office was calling the shots.
https://www.smh.com.au/.../remember-sports-rorts-here-s...
#Robodebt
In 2016, the Government set up an automated debt recovery mechanism to recover welfare overpayments.
However the calculations used by the system were deeply flawed and demanded repayments from thousands who hadn't been overpaid a cent.
To make matters worse, the new process reversed the onus of proof on the recipient to prove they hadn't been overpaid.
Over 2000 Australians died after receiving Robodebt notices. A large (although unknown) number have been attributed to self harm.
In 2020, the Government finally admitted the system was flawed and paid back or forgave $1.2billion in debts.
https://theconversation.com/robodebt-was-a-policy-fiasco...
#CovidCommissionGate
Morrison hand picks a Gas Company Chairman to run a "Covid Commission" to plan Australia's post-Covid economy.
He was paid $500k for 6 months work. He eventually recommends tax payers underwrite a "gas led" recovery. The shares for the company he works for rises 8%.
https://www.theguardian.com/.../covid-commission-boss-nev...
#FoxtelGate2
When Foxtel missed out a $100million pandemic rescue package, News Corp execs wrote directly to Coalition Ministers to complain and immediately received $17.5 in tax payer grants.
When the ABC requested copies of the communication under FOI, the Government refused stating that it would damage the relationship between the Sports Minister and the PM.
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12690954...
#SharmaShareGate
As the Government was deciding whether or not to bail out Virgin Airlines, MP Dave Sharma purchased shares in Virgin's biggest competitor, Qantas.
Months later, just before Morrison announced an agreement with CSL to make millions of doses of a Covid vaccine, Sharma just happened to have bought CSL shares.
#CormannGate
Mathias Cormann quits the Coalition with aspirations to become the OECD Secretary General.
Tax payers fund his $4,300 per hour Private Jet to fly him to and around Europe as well as 8 full time Government employees to assist him.
https://www.news.com.au/.../0f3e7abf2ddef7d8a9b761da7b743b20
#ChristmasRort
For the 2nd year in a row, Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, and Peter Dutton fly by private jet from Canberra to Sydney (and back) purely to attend Lachlan Murdoch's Christmas Party.
Tax payers fund the trip.
https://amp.theguardian.com/.../pm-and-treasurer-bill...
#PyneGate
While he was Defence Minister, Pyne awarded over $98million in contracts to a defence contractor named Elbit Systems.
In December 2020, Elbit Systems suddenly announced it has hired Pyne's lobbying firm "Pyne and Partners" in a contract of unknown value.
https://amp.theguardian.com/.../christopher-pynes-firm...
In relation to Clakka's post:
Snuffle snuffle, slurp slurp, snort snort, all the little piggies,
lovely little piggies, fat ones, thin ones, big ones, small ones,
All the little piggies, snuffling at the trough, yum yum yummy, we love money,
give us money, more & more money, more & more money, we need money,
we need money, we got to have money, got to have money, got to have money...
[It could, arguably, be put that this pathetic ditty sums up the entire ethos and raison d'être for the LNP's existence.]