By Jane Salmon
My humble and very personal overview of Tony Burke:
Independents have more to offer.
Tony Burke may be a clever, pleasant bloke. He has 21 years in office. His seat used to be considered “safe”. He has learned to duchess some community leaders. He has had rather too much experience in the game of politics.
Sadly, Burke has held numerous portfolios and been mediocre, slippery or misguided in most of them.
Population? Labor seems confused by Sky News talking points, not facts. The economy needs migrants.
Agriculture was undermined by … mining arable land.
Environment? No mines prevented or native forests saved. Native forests are harvested for less than their value as carbon stores or whole ecosystems for tourists. No global warming stopped. Big mining still heavily subsidised. Not one koala protected.
Nine years were wasted twiddling his thumbs in Opposition on a very high salary. Very nice. The “5 and 5” emails used to be entertaining but succumbed to petty hubris. He could noodle on a guitar like any pasty garage band teenager.
Employment – wages are not keeping up with inflation. Tony’s only real jobs have been in Labor politics. No real world experience, it seems.
Cyber Security – Australia’s internet leaks like a sieve. Data is stolen. Scammers impersonate the government.
Infrastructure – where? Very fast rail is still an election joke.
Immigration – cowardly imitation of Patterson & Dutton on Sky. Could have 6000 new accolytes door knocking if he had resolved Fast Track. The govt has had 3 years to do so, not 7 months. Is currently on track to resolve outstanding claims “case by case” in 100 years. The reopening of Nauru is a human rights violation. Has had the chance to fix injustice & declined. It is legal to seek asylum. Refugee are 1:25 of all migrants born overseas, not a threat.
Arts? Only in western Sydney.
The Albanese government is conflicted in its attitude towards Islam. Zionists have disproportionate influence. Basically business as usual.
Media – Labor never got a grip on ownership. Again, gutless.
Defence is an expensive mess under Labor. AUKUS is a trillion dollar con. China is taunting us.
Values – the inadequacies of his education & cultural background are showing. It is evident to me that a 1990s Syd Uni Arts-Law degree is not worth much these days.
Economy. Does Labor even know how to take control of the economic levers?
Inflation – Labor did not take control of Reserve Bank which is seeded with Liberals. US trade tariffs are our next challenge.
Housing – much to do.
Medicare – I trust a real doctor (with the balance of power) like Ziad to protect Medicare. A set of Labor spin doctors promising to do something in 5 years? Not so much.
Yesterday’s man.
Basyouny, on the other hand is capable, flexible and energetic.
I’m backing Basyouny because of his positions on refugees, Medicare, Islamophobia and his can do attitude. He has capacity.
On his way to work yesterday he saved an accident victim’s life. A driver was thought to be deceased after his car had rolled three times, but luck was with him when Ziad – by chance – witnessed the accident and rushed to the scene. All in a day’s work for a migrant doctor concurrently running a family, an election campaign, fighting Islamophobia while holding down a job.
Dear reader, we need your support
Independent sites such as The AIMN provide a platform for public interest journalists. From its humble beginning in January 2013, The AIMN has grown into one of the most trusted and popular independent media organisations.
One of the reasons we have succeeded has been due to the support we receive from our readers through their financial contributions.
With increasing costs to maintain The AIMN, we need this continued support.
Your donation – large or small – to help with the running costs of this site will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
Thank you. We need more comparisons of this type for every Labor candidate.
And you are qualified to make this character assignation of Tony Bourke how?
You say “Basyouny, on the other hand, is capable, flexible and energetic”.
You offer nothing to back this up, apart from the fact that he happened upon a traffic accident and saved a life, something that is expected of, and not uncommon for Doctors.
The fact he is a migrant doctor concurrently running a family, an election campaign, fighting Islamophobia while holding down a job, is not unique to Dr Ziad Basyouny.
I’d like to see such analysis include the Greens candidate too. Greens policy has been outstanding in many issues, and their stance on Gaza and the environment has meant that the cash rich Gina and petro dollar funded Advance mob are targeting the Greens in many electorates. To be ignored in this sort of analysis compounds that disadvantage.
Unfortunately, its pretty much the same for many in labor benches, including the current PM.
An accurate summation of Labor’s fails & fallings short; Jane Salmon is not the only one to be disappointed with the current government’s track record. For all their faults, the Whitlam government seized the day and set out to revivify the Australian political & social landscape after years of LNP torpor. Albanese could have used that approach as a template to dealing with the manifold challenges facing this country, instead of behaving as if the biggest issues in his life are dealing with Dutton and the international alliances.
As Jane points out, we seem to have a government captive to mining interests, indifferent to the environment, unconcerned by developing & nurturing an agricultural & horticultural sector that provides self-sufficiency in food & fibre for this country, content to continue to mismanage the question of refugee accommodation, unable to present a coherent and attractive front to the national electorate in terms of being the naturally preferred party for government, along with being achingly slow to respond to such existential issues such as housing provision, rebuilding of roads & towns devastated by floods & fires, providing an attractive public education system that stems the flow towards private providers – as well as ceasing to fund those providers – so many things it could be doing and hasn’t.
As long as you put the LNP candidate last.
What a very odd article !
I wish Mr Basyouny well in his quest to be an Independent. let’s hope he doesn’t spend his time in parliament twiddling his thumbs in Opposition on a very high salary: they still pay Independents, don’t they ?.
Labor did not take control of Reserve Bank which is seeded with Liberals that’s very Trumpian statement – the Reserve Bank of Australia is an independent body not controlled by or dictated to by politicians but your thought bubble would probably appeal to Peter Dutton.
Media – Labor never got a grip on ownership. Again, gutless. Here you are spot on – Labor were constrained by a principle that frequently gets in the way, it’s called democracy and freedom of communication – but the coalition would shut down News Corp and SKY………. or would they ?
Agreed that Labor are a total letdown. Promises,promises, and then Nuthin’. Well very little aanyway.
I cant vote for Burke. Or Albanese. Or NOT Dutton. All I can do is vote in Dunkley. Again. Ms Belyea has followed the party line. Hmmmm. Our mayor is the liarbral fella. Not fucking likely, Jimmy.
Looks like a Greens vote at 1 then. They wont get in, but it might send a message.
Vote LIARBRAL COALition LAST. (Then uncle clive)
He does not represent all ALP, but one will not forget his risible portfolio of ‘sustainable population’ a fossil fuel greenwash of post white Oz bigotry; with NSW ALP right SusPopAus patron Bob Carr then in the senate…..
not very humble