Who would you vote as your next Prime Minister and why?
Who do you think will be a better statesman for our nation? Who will be able to lead us as a nation into a global world where China is emerging as an economic and eventually political and military superpower? Which administration will better embody preservation of human rights and priviliges in terms of global poverty and international refugees?
Please reply to any of the posted questions including any other policies the labor or liberal party holds that may be of concern to you. All participants are welcome to debate and rebuff the opinions of your fellow participants.
As the first topic of the blog forum, I, the Compere, welcome all! May the forum begin.
Nice looking blog
I would vote for.. I don’t know. I’ll vote Liberals not because of direct humanitarian policy, but because a better economy helps the poor become more educated, more healthy and more able to climb into self-sufficiency.
John Howard isn’t the best economist but Peter Costello is a gun so I’d like to have him running our nation.
matjnewton
August 22, 2007
I would vote for John Howard but only because for lack of a better choice. I beleive him to be the better statesman and consistent Prime Minister to lead us through the many changes that we will face as a nation in the coming times.
The backward looking policies of the labor party seem to be somehow out of place in the prosperous environment that we are now facing as a nation and the only economic issue I have with the liberals is how they will be able to deal with the rise of China as an economic superpower. I would like hear from my fellow bloggers on this particular issue. As for recent revelations of Kevin Rudd’s indiscretion at a New York night club, though my bias is to lash out in self-righteousness, I would replace that by hastening all to remember that Paul the apostle considered himself as the worst(I think this is what he said…)because there was a time where he persecuted and, I beleive, hunted down christians until his encounter with God changed him entirely. Insofar as I have observed Kevin Rudd on TV and this indiscretion having occured 4 years ago, he may have had a “falling of the donkey God experience’, although I think that to be very unlikely, but that particular issue would not weigh to much in my considerations on his running for Prime Ministership.
Ambrose Wong
August 25, 2007
mat newton woudld only vote Liberal because he is a member of the Young Liberals, that bloodsucking capitalist yuppie. hehe.
i, on the other hand, would support regime change – 4 terms of HJohn Howard in power is just too much. maybe he needs to go to a strip club in order to gain my vote…
anyway loving the work ambrose.
Tim
August 25, 2007
Kevin Rudd got in such little trouble that I went to a strip club just the other day to see what all the fuss is about!
It was great! I intend to go at least twice a week
Mat
August 25, 2007
I’m still tossing up who to vote for. Personally I like Kevin Rudd over John Howard and I think that the ALP would have a tighter fiscal policy than the current frittering away of the federal budget the Liberals are now practicing.
That said, the ALP’s promise to rip up AWA’s and repel workchoices (which admittedly has gone a little too far) just strike me as plain dumb.
As far as the environment goes I reckon the Liberals are more pragmatic (but not much will get done about GW etc). On the other hand the ALP will probably do more but are also more likely to run the economy into the ground to stop GW…
Anthony
August 26, 2007
Btw what strip club are you going to mat?
and just a random thought… do you reckon Rudd would be in more or less trouble if he went to a gay bar in New York as opposed to a strip club?
Anthony
August 26, 2007
If only. If only John Howard did not align himself so closely to the United States. There needs to be a more progresive vision and momentum to deal with China. An alliance that is too closely matched with the US even economically will be detrimental for us moving forward. That is my opinion.
Ambrose
August 29, 2007
But John it is the liberals that have got us into a budget surplus isnt it. Have I mistaken your comment? Because it was under Peter Costello that we are now one of the wealthiest nations on earth. We are the colour of the month! And we have been in a surplus for many years already. How it is spent is another issue but how we get into a position where we are making a surplus….the credit goes to the liberals. In terms of fiscal policy the liberals have got my vote.
Ambrose
August 29, 2007
To all participants of TheBlogForum I appreciate all your contributions to this forum thus far. I hope that with the continued participation of current and future members, we may all find ourselves more astute and informed concerning the topics posted.
I would like to, in the months leading up to the Federal election post some of the major issues to be debated and discussed, to the advancement and development of our thought processes that will contribute to a more coherent and informed decision as to who may next govern our nation.
The first question that I will like to post concerns the Iraq war and any possible military ventures that we as a nation may undertake, as a result of the ANZUS treaty, with the United States in the Middle East.
How important is it to you as participants to stay in Iraq? To continue in this course of action? Should we pull out? How heavily will this question weigh on your decision as to who will next govern our nation?
Compere
August 30, 2007
To be honest guys I am begining to sense a shift in my preference. I guess it may take the next few months before I finally make up my mind as to who I would vote for.
Ambrose
August 31, 2007
Firstly: Australia is in a lot better state than we hear about in the media.
John Howard has not done a terrible job, but I do believe it is time for a change. Kevin Rudd is not the perfect replacement, but as far as Labor goes, I would rather him than Beazley, Latham or Crean.
I will be fascinated to see how the next Prime Minister (or Howard) aligns himself with the next President of the United States. Personally I feel that our brown-nosing of the US has been of minimal economic benefit and we would be best suited to pursuing greater economic ties with China.
A simple perusal of the ASX will indicate what dealing with China does for Australian firms – particularly in the resource sector.
In an ideal world, I would be Prime Minister, but I would be forced to concede defeat when Ambrose wages a holy war on me and replaces me in a coup. Not dissimilar to what happened in Myanmar.
Tim C
September 3, 2007
Lol I think Tim C, I should start keeping my mouth shut about this “thing”. Wow Tim I never knew what you would favor Kevin Rudd to be PM, am I the only one most likely voting for Johnny…? Only time will tell what the outcome will be.
Ambrose W
September 3, 2007
The Libs are a tad too comfortable for mine, I’d like to see a change there, get them back on their accountable toes (so to speak). But unfortunately the alternative is some “me too” yuppee who hasn’t got an original bone in his body, but then again, which Australian politician has ever been original??!! (Rhetorical).
So yeah, basically I’m hoping that Mr Rudd can get in, shake things up, then do a bad enough job that he loses the next one, but not so bad that he messes up the whole world. Lets just hope the Libs can keep a decent amount of Senators, or at least that the ALP doesn’t take a controlling stake in the Senate, so everyone else can roll them on pealing back Work Choices.
As for China (does anyone else get the impression that Ambrose is obsessed with China?), I think it would be good to have closer economic ties with them, but not to the extent that we become their next “play-thing” – I mean that in the nicest possible way. We’re current in that position for the US, but I think becoming that for China, would actually be worse. Sure, suck all their money away, and steal all their smart kids (offer them siblings), but lets not compromise our values in our attempts to achieve closer ties. The thing that urks me most is when countries will do deals with each other, but turn a blind eye to the moral contradictions and abuses that are causing much humanitarian grief.
Here’s a good topic Ambrose… What role should religion play in society? We grew up hearing about the separation of Church and State… what do people here think of that, and what then do you think religion/religious groups should do that will benefit society without compromising its core values?
Mark B
September 3, 2007
I definitely agree with you Mark but the reason why I place emphasis on it has to do with economic leverage. Am I sensing a defeatist and cynical leaning from my fellow commentators…I sure hope we could believe for something more that could happen. “I dream of things that were not and say why not” -Robert Kennedy.
Ambrose W
September 4, 2007
Oh by the way Mark, if you saw the debate held between John Howard and Kevin Rudd for the christian audience I think it was Johnny who was alot more consistent and resolute in his moral convictions than Kevin…What do you think?
Ambrose W
September 4, 2007
Mark we can definitely debate about the issue of church and state but it has to fall within the context of the current topic which is: “Who would you vote as your next prime minister and why?” If there were a general consensus for this then I could bring that topic in but again still under the umbrella of the upcoming federal election and who would we vote as our next Prime Minister.
Compere
September 4, 2007
isn’t the Compere and Ambrose W one and the same thing..
Tim
September 4, 2007
and yea i would be very interested in someone starting a new topic in regards to Church/State separation… ps did anyone see the latest news about Jim Wallace and Californication?
sorry to divert the topic Ambrose/Compere.
Tim
September 4, 2007
Let me ask the compere….compere who are you?
Ambrose W
September 5, 2007
Tim, my role is to facilitate effective, directional and productive discourse. To maintain the integrity of the discussions and to promote the purpose and vision of this forum. And yes I am also Ambrose
hehehe
Compere
September 5, 2007
Two’s a couple and three’s a crowd. If I get another affirmative from a third partipant of this forum, I will steer the “shorter term” topic to include separation of church and state. Glad to see you guys on the forum again.
Compere
September 5, 2007
Seems that the Compere and Ambrose are a “Triune” being: minus the third party.
They are separate and distinct, yet inextricably linked.
I feel a topic on the separation of church and state would be highly interesting and somewhat controversial. Lets ‘av it.
Warren Buffet
September 11, 2007
Hello Warren, with all due respect I greatly doubt that your name is as you say it is. Please state your full name or state your first name and initialize your surname if you feel more comfortable with that option. Until then I regret to say that I cannot take your comment or request seriously. I urge all participants adhere to the rules of governance as stated for this forum. Thank you for your co-operation.
Compere
September 11, 2007