Australian Politics and Politicians

well said Sozz -- I agree :up:

No, let's leave the republican debate alone. :S Or at the very least, start it in another thread.

LOL Ness and Sozz -- I was joking when I said oooh yeah about the Republic Debate as I know it got a few hot under the collar -- but I also said -- wouldnt be the right time to be bringing the Republic in now with what Australia is going through...

Awwwww, come on, let's start a debate a bout a republic

Ok, ok. In another thread.

Cheers
Mem

Let's not and say we did. Well, we can say we did, cuz we did. I think the idea of Australia as a republic is a topic on which we all can safely say we should all agree to disagree.

Ness wrote

Let's not and say we did. Well, we can say we did, cuz we did.

Yeah I am not fussed about having the discussion again as I think we all said what we had to say, unless someone new sparks an interest.
Was alot of good info in that debate and I do hope Sozz brings it over in modified form for us to keep -- hint hint Sozz : ) lol

You can decide for yourselves about the Australian republic debate question. I've created a poll on the left side of the forum pages. The poll will run for a week.

Good one

If any members wanna add to it, it will be there :woohoo:

Is this what we pay for our politicians to do

I am getting really sick of this crap - just sack them all
like bloody babies
whoooo cares what they think..

To be honest with you, Tushy, I don't understand your complaint. Alexander Downer was expressing an opinion about Peter Costello, which he's entitled to do as an individual, whether or not he's an elected member of parliament. I don't think he was trying to have a stoush, I merely think that he was saying that Peter Costello had "had his day" and it was time for him to consider retirement. The fact that Mr Downer is not currently a politician and earns a living by writing his opinions for the Adelaide Advertiser probaby negates any argument that he should be sacked.

Is it wrong for anyone, whether they're in politics or not, to comment on their colleagues' (or former colleagues') futures? I'm not a politician. If I wrote "I think Peter Costello" should retire from politics, should I be sacked? Well, aside from the technicality that I'm not employed in the first place (and no-one takes seriously what I write or where I write it), Alexander Downer has every right to make known his feelings; as a former politician they carry more weight than anything I would have to say, and his opinions might land him in hot water with some of his former parliamentary colleagues, but he's a big boy and he can handle himself. He's probably only saying what a lot of other people wish they were in a position to state, anyway! Not that I give two hoots about Peter Costello anymore - Costello's future is up to Costello.

Actually, I do care what politicians think. I care what they think on the small issues - like whether certain of their colleagues should consider their future careers in politics - as much as I care what they think about on the "big" issues, like global warming, the economy, employment, education, housing, health, defence and social justice. I think it's important to know what a politician's views are about a whole range of issues, large and small, because we're the ones who elect them to decide a heck of a lot about our futures.