What should the Republican's do now?

Three years ago our state had an election with a record swing that went to the conservatives leaving the sides at 79-7 with a couple of independents.
The next election held yesterday reversed the swing and we will have a new progressive government. The main reason was that the past arrogant premier didn't listen to the people, so they sacked him. Democracy can still work in a free society

I don't know. He appeared to listen to the people with huge bags of cash.

Daryl wrote:Three years ago our state had an election with a record swing that went to the conservatives leaving the sides at 79-7 with a couple of independents.
The next election held yesterday reversed the swing and we will have a new progressive government. The main reason was that the past arrogant premier didn't listen to the people, so they sacked him. Democracy can still work in a free society

Is that democracy or a herd going where a couple of members lead the rest? Wild swings are concerning to me. That certainly seems to be pendulum swinging in the breeze.

Not that I understand much of it but you didn't provide any cites to help me research it either.

Enjoy the Sunday,
T2M

As per my sign on - state of Queensland, country Australia.

Our Liberal National Party (conservatives) won a landside three years ago by blaming the then Labor (progressive government of having a high debt (GFC & biggest floods ever in previous term), and of then trying to solve it by selling off assets.
During the last three years of conservative control they broke many promises. Had promised to protect assets and public servants while reducing the debt; yet proceeded to sell off assets and sack nurses, teachers and the like in the tens of thousands, while the debt actually rose by $15B.

By international standards the debt is still quite low and the incoming progressives plan to reduce it over time

Basically the LNP lied totally last election then, when in power broke all their promises to push an ideological agenda that contradicted all economic sense. The only other explanation for outsourcing government functions like education, hospitals, prisons and such to private enterprise friends of the government members, in such a way that it cost us much more to run, is corruption.

They had also reversed environmental safeguards by allowing mining on or near the Great Barrier Reef and tried to prevent the use of domestic solar electricity to protect their coal mining friends.

thinkstoomuch wrote:

Daryl wrote:Three years ago our state had an election with a record swing that went to the conservatives leaving the sides at 79-7 with a couple of independents.
The next election held yesterday reversed the swing and we will have a new progressive government. The main reason was that the past arrogant premier didn't listen to the people, so they sacked him. Democracy can still work in a free society

Is that democracy or a herd going where a couple of members lead the rest? Wild swings are concerning to me. That certainly seems to be pendulum swinging in the breeze.

Not that I understand much of it but you didn't provide any cites to help me research it either.

Enjoy the Sunday,
T2M

http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawk ... d-n1951126

Government data show that since 2000 all of the net gain in the number of working-age (16 to 65) people holding a job has gone to immigrants (legal and illegal).

Another item would likely be of interest to people everywhere. Somewhere there was a calculation of what would be needed to eliminate the deficit. Just a few years of a real freeze on government spending and we could start reducing our debt instead of increasing it. At present, when they talk of a spending decrease, what they mean is a decrease in the rate of increase, which is quite different.

A comment on Singapore said that all bureaucrat bonuses are firmly linked to the state of their economy. Can anyone confirm or deny this?


http://townhall.com/columnists/jeffjaco ... t-n1952862

The devastation in Donetsk and Luhansk, the murder of innocents in the port of Mariupol, and now the siege of Debaltsave — to say nothing of the horrific shoot-down of the Malaysian airliner last summer — this is what comes of allowing a brutal aggressor to brazenly attack a weaker nation, and expecting the victim to fight back with blankets.

Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it.

During the last three years of conservative control they broke many promises. Had promised to protect assets and public servants while reducing the debt; yet proceeded to sell off assets and sack nurses, teachers and the like in the tens of thousands, while the debt actually rose by $15B.

By international standards the debt is still quite low and the incoming progressives plan to reduce it over time

Basically the LNP lied totally last election then, when in power broke all their promises to push an ideological agenda that contradicted all economic sense. The only other explanation for outsourcing government functions like education, hospitals, prisons and such to private enterprise friends of the government members, in such a way that it cost us much more to run, is corruption.

Sounds sadly much like the last rightwing government here. Except they spent 8 years massacring the finances while selling off publicly owned assets at ridiculously low prices.


Fun fact, the right here keep being derisive about how the school is so horribly leftwing fuzzy and bad, but it just so happens that the rightwing parties are the ones that have set all the rules for the school for the last 30 years or so( because every time there has been changes, it has been while they´ve been in power, or maybe its just that they cant keep themselves from messing with things better left untouched ).

thinkstoomuch wrote:

Daryl wrote:Three years ago our state had an election with a record swing that went to the conservatives leaving the sides at 79-7 with a couple of independents.
The next election held yesterday reversed the swing and we will have a new progressive government. The main reason was that the past arrogant premier didn't listen to the people, so they sacked him. Democracy can still work in a free society

Is that democracy or a herd going where a couple of members lead the rest? Wild swings are concerning to me. That certainly seems to be pendulum swinging in the breeze.

Not that I understand much of it but you didn't provide any cites to help me research it either.

Enjoy the Sunday,
T2M

Certainly there is some herd mentality going on and there is also a percentage of the electorate that appears to possess the intelligence of the average invertebrate.

But that's not what is behind this. We've had a similar swing in the US. If you think about the perspective of the average independent voter, this swing makes sense. The worldwide economy is in shambles due in large part to the poor policy decisions of politicians throughout the first world. The politicians of almost every first world country share in the blame. So the first swing - throw the bums out is logical and makes sense. When the new politicians failed to perform, the second swing also makes sense - throw those bums out too. Independent voters don't really care about ideology they care about results. They want the economy fixed and they don't care how. As far as they are concerned if the liberals can fix it, fine. If the conservatives can fix it fine. The new government should take note and act with competence more than ideology or they will be the next victims of the throw the bums out vote.

biochem wrote:Independent voters don't really care about ideology they care about results. They want the economy fixed and they don't care how. As far as they are concerned if the liberals can fix it, fine. If the conservatives can fix it fine. The new government should take note and act with competence more than ideology or they will be the next victims of the throw the bums out vote.

http://townhall.com/columnists/jaycost/ ... m-n1960848

Meanwhile, the issues where the GOP is reliable -- like taxes and regulation -- are usually those where the party’s interest-group patrons happen to agree with the conservative grassroots.

Another article pointed out that much of DC is filled with drab buildings that are relatively new. Many of these are filled with bureaucrats and those who lobby. Can anyone speak for the capitals of other countries

In fights between special interests, everyone else loses.

In fights between special interests, everyone else loses.

Indeed.

It was rather amusing a few years when the previous PM here proclaimed that the defense was a special interest.

This from a man leading a rightwing party which went to election on "strong defense".

Another article pointed out that much of DC is filled with drab buildings that are relatively new. Many of these are filled with bureaucrats and those who lobby. Can anyone speak for the capitals of other countries

Barely any fulltime lobbyists in Stockholm.
Most who do influencing have real jobs and usually don´t spend all that much time in the capital.

There is a parallel in domestic finances. If you borrow money to build an in ground swimming pool or to buy a big SUV, this is a "dead money" loan. If you borrow money to set up a small business, or to reduce your energy costs by insulation/solar power this is a live investment loan
One brings in money or reduces your expenses, while the other is an ongoing drain on your finances.

If a government raises money by bonds or international loans and builds big impressive office buildings it is dead money; if the money goes to productive infrastructure like roads, schools or ports then it will return dividends over time.

Many respected economists believe that he current low or no interest environment should be taken advantage of by governments. By the time interest rates rise the investments will be paying off and it will be a win/win. You get lower welfare bills and higher income tax returns from those employed, and the infrastructure is still there for generations to come.

DDHvi wrote:

biochem wrote:Independent voters don't really care about ideology they care about results. They want the economy fixed and they don't care how. As far as they are concerned if the liberals can fix it, fine. If the conservatives can fix it fine. The new government should take note and act with competence more than ideology or they will be the next victims of the throw the bums out vote.

http://townhall.com/columnists/jaycost/ ... m-n1960848

Meanwhile, the issues where the GOP is reliable -- like taxes and regulation -- are usually those where the party’s interest-group patrons happen to agree with the conservative grassroots.

Another article pointed out that much of DC is filled with drab buildings that are relatively new. Many of these are filled with bureaucrats and those who lobby. Can anyone speak for the capitals of other countries

In fights between special interests, everyone else loses.