Australia has it's first female prime minister

[marval]

Are you thinking of standing for election Rojo?


Margaret

 

[rojo]

Haha Margaret, no, I don't think so. Although it would be nice to increase the funding for music programs in schools. That's not much of a platform though. lol

 

[Contratrombone64]

Robin, it's amazing that a country as small as Finland pours so much money into music in their school system, and large countries and supposedly civilised ones like Canada and Australia can't even muster Music 101 most of the time.

 

[rojo]

Agreed, David. And it doesn't help when cultural funding gets slashed.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/06/11/marquee-funding-clement.html

 

[Corno Dolce]

And the same can be said for American Public Schools, whose kids know nothing about MUS 101.

 

[Soubasse]

Robin, it's amazing that a country as small as Finland pours so much money into music in their school system, and large countries and supposedly civilised ones like Canada and Australia can't even muster Music 101 most of the time.

Too true and it's because this country is far too hung up on its national deities, ie, the moronic "Aussie Rules" football and vaguely redeemable cricket (or any sport in general that's not the least bit related to anything vaguely art-like).

Anyway - Julia Gillard. Haven't quite made up my mind yet, as I'm still musing on the fact that only a few short weeks ago, she publicly declared she would never challenge the leadership. Along with a few others, I'm more of the opinion in regard to the recent "coup" that she was to an extent, under pressure to step in, with the main push coming from the union bosses.

I've have little doubt at this stage that she is a highly capable leader and I'll be interested to see what the newest outcomes will be.

 

[Contratrombone64]

Matt, yes I agree, she was very adamant about not supporting a coup. However, when the wheels just started rolling she is given little choice. And, as deputy PM, she's probably the best person for the job, the treasurer seems like a bit of a dill.

 

[Soubasse]

Oh hell yes, no competition at all between her or Swan. Besides, all I have to do is cast my mind back to a previous time in the early 90s when a Labor treasurer stepped up into the PM's seat ... <cringe, shudder, chunder> ... what an utterly vile pig he was. Hopefully politics has matured a little since then (although one has to wonder sometimes)

 

[Contratrombone64]

That vile little pig also had a fondness for men, and piano playing ones at that!

 

[Soubasse]

Now there's a little pearl of knowledge of which I was previously unaware (mind you, I deliberately kept my knowledge of Keating to a very bare minimum).

 

[Contratrombone64]

Keating was a strange creature. I actually didn't mind him too much, though (like Gillard) his gaining power was not by popular vote so gave me the shits.

 

[teddy]

How is your first lady?
Has she hit the ground running?

teddy

 

[JHC]

She must have landed face first :grin: she looks like an avatar to me.

 

[Soubasse]

Well, there's an election fast approaching and the only thing that both parties are stating correctly is that it is going to be a close one!

 

[Montefalco]

It looks as though Liberal is looking to come out on top. I think Julia Gillard made a mistake trying to use Kevin Rudd in her campaigning. It would have probably been better for the Labor party in general if she hadn't done this.

 

[Contratrombone64]

Liberals on top ... christ I hope not. I'm gonna take Mark Latham's advice and place a blank ballot paper in the hole (not illegal), or vote Green. At least by voting Green you can block legislation, sadly you can't create it ...

 

[Soubasse]

Unfortunately the Greens are not impressing me this time around, in fact none of them are really. For the first time in a long time, I may also be voting informal. However, I've heard before somewhere that informal votes would go to the party with the most preferences so you could end up unwittingly voting for someone you didn't want to - one of the fall backs of compulsory voting I guess (assuming it's true of course, I've never checked into it)

 

[Contratrombone64]

And then there's always and vacuous and pointless "donkey vote" ... why any loser would waste his/her time filling this in is beyond me.

I'm over the tit for tat advertising campaign the two majors are vomiting up on free to air T.V. ... must be costing US a fortune in advertising.

 

[Montefalco]

If the worst comes to the worst, you could always vote independent. It would be interesting to see what would happen if every electorate voted in their independent (although it wouldn't surprise me all that much this election).

 

[Contratrombone64]

Monte - voting independent is a farce, they hold no power. My local member, Maxine the Howard killer, has been extremely conspicuous in her absence from the lime light since I voted her into office ... not happy Jan.