Australian Political & Infrastructure Discussion Thread

[New Carthagea]

Australia is willingly letting the Chinese Communist government practice neo-colonialism and basically buy the country

Australia is a wealthy country, there is no desperate need for money in Australia, and hence there is no reason for them to sell out to China like they do right now

In Australia, Land Prices and Home Costs are pretty expensive.
So the Chinese can buy whatever they want rurally, but if they are buying residential it’s have to go through the Foreign Investment Review Board.
We aren’t selling out, we’re making a living.

This.

[Shrillland]

Barilaro's backed down on the Koala Schism: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-nationals-back-down-after-berejiklian-s-ultimatum-20200911-p55ult.html

Though a lot of people are now expecting a leadership spill in the coming weeks after this.

[Australian rePublic]

As much as I don't like Gladys Berejiklian as a premier, there is one thing that I really like about her. Covid-19 has shown this to me, and because of it, I have gained a new respect for yer as a human being

[Major-Tom]

I’m a bit shocked Morrison and the Liberals are seemingly popular again, kinda figured a lot of Australians would never quite forget the botched response to your harrowing wildfire season.

Australia's always been something of a conservative nation, I call it Little America for a reason. Labor's been pretty weak for a long time, they simply can't excite their voters or get the Greens excited about them.

I want to agree with your analysis, but I feel like the differences between our two countries have become more apparent in the last several years. I'd be curious to hear some Australian input on the matter.

[Mathuvan Union]

Australia's always been something of a conservative nation, I call it Little America for a reason. Labor's been pretty weak for a long time, they simply can't excite their voters or get the Greens excited about them.

I want to agree with your analysis, but I feel like the differences between our two countries have become more apparent in the last several years. I'd be curious to hear some Australian input on the matter.

It’s like the US - there are people who are stubborn and won’t change their opinions, particularly in the midlands like NSW and WA.
I am Australian, BTW

[Dresderstan]

The ACT has an upcoming election? I didn't know that

Yep, October 17, same day as NZ.

Oh shit, 2 different elections for two different types of nations, for two different levels of government and it's on my 22nd birthday.

[Shrillland]

Well, in NSW, Barilaro's now taking four weeks mental health leave: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/struggles-nsw-nationals-leader-john-barilaro-takes-four-weeks-mental-health-leave/ar-BB19astw?li=AAgfYrC

And the UAP's dissolved. It served its purpose and now Palmer can go back to making the Titanic 2, the Hindenburg 2, and life-size megalodons.

[Australian rePublic]

Well, in NSW, Barilaro's now taking four weeks mental health leave: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/struggles-nsw-nationals-leader-john-barilaro-takes-four-weeks-mental-health-leave/ar-BB19astw?li=AAgfYrC

And the UAP's dissolved. It served its purpose and now Palmer can go back to making the Titanic 2, the Hindenburg 2, and life-size megalodons.

Ah Clive Palmer, a politician so universally hated that Ikea could troll him without fearing any repercussions

[Shrillland]

Whilst everyone pays attention across the sea, ACT also voted today. Right now, it looks like Labor will be staying in charge.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Whilst everyone pays attention across the sea, ACT also voted today. Right now, it looks like Labor will be staying in charge.

Labor did well in the ACT. And Labour did well in NZ. However ACT did not do well in NZ.

I'd finished dinner by the time I figured out that there were two different elections at the same time. If NZ and ACT was in the same time zone ... I might NEVER have worked it out!

[Shrillland]

Whilst everyone pays attention across the sea, ACT also voted today. Right now, it looks like Labor will be staying in charge.

Labor did well in the ACT. And Labour did well in NZ. However ACT did not do well in NZ.

I'd finished dinner by the time I figured out that there were two different elections at the same time. If NZ and ACT was in the same time zone ... I might NEVER have worked it out!

Well, ACT's fairly small compared to the big vote in a couple of weeks.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Labor did well in the ACT. And Labour did well in NZ. However ACT did not do well in NZ.

I'd finished dinner by the time I figured out that there were two different elections at the same time. If NZ and ACT was in the same time zone ... I might NEVER have worked it out!

Well, ACT's fairly small compared to the big vote in a couple of weeks.

Small and unexciting. I hear Labor have had the ACT for 24 years, which would be three quarters of the time it's even had a government.

October 31, Queensland. Anything could happen.

I can't figure out why One Nation gets polled but Katter's Australian Party doesn't? Given that they're 1 and 3 in the Assembly?

[Shrillland]

Yes, this thread is back in business. Queensland votes Tomorrow after all, and Palaszczuk's Labor has bounced back in the TPP in recent weeks, and I think she can keep her lead if not her miniscule majority.

Meanwhile, down in Victoria, they celebrate the government's triumph at holding back the virus while others raise their fists in anger at the continued cutting down of the Djab Wurrung nation's direction trees...to build a bypass when it would've just been easier to expand the Western Highway in the first place.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Yes, this thread is back in business. Queensland votes Tomorrow after all, and Palaszczuk's Labor has bounced back in the TPP in recent weeks, and I think she can keep her lead if not her miniscule majority.

There's a slight lead in NSW for the Coalition (not that it matters with the election not to 2023) but I surmise it shows a "war premier" advantage regardless of party.

Consider Palaszczuk has the tourism industry against her, and Berejiklian has never lived down the Ruby Princess debacle, there must be some explanation. Could also be female leaders being favored in disasters.

[Albrenia]

Scott Morrison's had a weird year. He's gone from being a national disgrace due to holidaying while the nation burned, to being very well regarded for his excellent handling of the pandemic.

[New Carthagea]

Meanwhile, down in Victoria, they celebrate the government's triumph at holding back the virus while others raise their fists in anger at the continued cutting down of the Djab Wurrung nation's direction trees...to build a bypass when it would've just been easier to expand the Western Highway in the first place.

Victorian here. The work is currently on halt, the Vic Supreme Court has ordered a hold on the roadworks for now, it has agreed to have a hearing in the matter. I hope the court rules in favour of the indigenous people. Expanding the highway is much easier and cost-effective, and the time being saved because of the new proposed route is quite less, too.

[Mathuvan Union]

Yes, this thread is back in business. Queensland votes Tomorrow after all, and Palaszczuk's Labor has bounced back in the TPP in recent weeks, and I think she can keep her lead if not her miniscule majority.

Meanwhile, down in Victoria, they celebrate the government's triumph at holding back the virus while others raise their fists in anger at the continued cutting down of the Djab Wurrung nation's direction trees...to build a bypass when it would've just been easier to expand the Western Highway in the first place.

Yeah, I saw that. I'm really questioning the current government because they don't seem to have much respect for the Aborigines.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

One Nation is one of the worst things to happen in Australia regarding immigration since the white Australia policy.

[Mathuvan Union]

One Nation is one of the worst things to happen in Australia regarding immigration since the white Australia policy.

We've already been absolute shit since Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islanders.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

One Nation is one of the worst things to happen in Australia regarding immigration since the white Australia policy.

We've already been absolute shit since Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islanders.

Whenever I think america has a long history of racism, I just remember how Australians couldn't as a whole accept Italian immigration till the 1970s, the same decade they finally allowed widespread East Asian migration.

No disrespect, but how does it take that long just to say "These European and Asian immigrants are alright."

[Mathuvan Union]

We've already been absolute shit since Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islanders.

Whenever I think america has a long history of racism, I just remember how Australians couldn't as a whole accept Italian immigration till the 1970s, the same decade they finally allowed widespread East Asian migration.

No disrespect, but how does it take that long just to say "These European and Asian immigrants are alright."

Tell that to Morrison.
We don't have the parliament majority to overall allow in immigration in a more civilised way.
And australia was/is racist

[Nobel Hobos 2]

We've already been absolute shit since Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islanders.

Whenever I think america has a long history of racism, I just remember how Australians couldn't as a whole accept Italian immigration till the 1970s, the same decade they finally allowed widespread East Asian migration.

No disrespect, but how does it take that long just to say "These European and Asian immigrants are alright."

Italians and Greeks became "alright" rather quickly when there were Vietnamese to pick on instead.

The Vietnamese are mostly "alright" except to the extra-thicc racists who can't tell them apart from Chinese.

I'm not sure how it is with Chinese. Tourists or students seem to get a hard time, on the other hand there have been Chinese in Australia since the gold rush of 1855 ... or even earlier: they probably traded with Aboriginal Australians in the North before there were any whites here at all. I remember some Chinese being quite accepted when I was a child. But that's probably overlayed with "last one in should be first one out" xenophobia towards Chinese who speak with an accent or don't know how to drink a beer.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Whenever I think america has a long history of racism, I just remember how Australians couldn't as a whole accept Italian immigration till the 1970s, the same decade they finally allowed widespread East Asian migration.

No disrespect, but how does it take that long just to say "These European and Asian immigrants are alright."

Italians and Greeks became "alright" rather quickly when there were Vietnamese to pick on instead.

The Vietnamese are mostly "alright" except to the extra-thicc racists who can't tell them apart from Chinese.

I'm not sure how it is with Chinese. Tourists or students seem to get a hard time, on the other hand there have been Chinese in Australia since the gold rush of 1855 ... or even earlier: they probably traded with Aboriginal Australians in the North before there were any whites here at all. I remember some Chinese being quite accepted when I was a child. But that's probably overlayed with "last one in should be first one out" xenophobia towards Chinese who speak with an accent or don't know how to drink a beer.

Why are Aussies cool with Vietnamese but not the Chinese? I don't get it.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Italians and Greeks became "alright" rather quickly when there were Vietnamese to pick on instead.

The Vietnamese are mostly "alright" except to the extra-thicc racists who can't tell them apart from Chinese.

I'm not sure how it is with Chinese. Tourists or students seem to get a hard time, on the other hand there have been Chinese in Australia since the gold rush of 1855 ... or even earlier: they probably traded with Aboriginal Australians in the North before there were any whites here at all. I remember some Chinese being quite accepted when I was a child. But that's probably overlayed with "last one in should be first one out" xenophobia towards Chinese who speak with an accent or don't know how to drink a beer.

Why are Aussies cool with Vietnamese but not the Chinese? I don't get it.

Vietnamese have been here since the late 1970's. Just like the US actually: we screwed up their country so we owed them something. It was actually a Liberal (center-right) Prime Minister, Fraser, who invited so many in. There's a weird parallel with the US, maybe sparked by that Vietnam War we were both in, that around about the same time the Democrats kicked out their racists, the equivalent Labor party here finally abandoned the last of its White Australia Policy.

Just for a little while Liberal and Labor were on the same side, pro-immigration. Sadly they're both on the wrong side now.

Anyway, about the Vietnamese. They've been here long enough, mainly. They get into small businesses like bakeries and newsagents that born Australians wanted to get out of because of small profit margins. They push their kids in school, and someone you meet in a professional setting who looks Vietnamese is quite likely a born Australian with the accent and everything. If you get out among the working class there's resentment of them, because they've done so well, but everyone gets that.

With the Chinese it's more complicated. But I wouldn't say there's widespread racism just because they look Chinese ... it's that long history. But racists do challenge them in public, wanting to know if they're "real Aussies". Or refusing to be treated by them in a hospital until they're told the doctor grew up in Bankstown and went to the public school ...

[Mathuvan Union]

Why are Aussies cool with Vietnamese but not the Chinese? I don't get it.

Vietnamese have been here since the late 1970's. Just like the US actually: we screwed up their country so we owed them something. It was actually a Liberal (center-right) Prime Minister, Fraser, who invited so many in. There's a weird parallel with the US, maybe sparked by that Vietnam War we were both in, that around about the same time the Democrats kicked out their racists, the equivalent Labor party here finally abandoned the last of its White Australia Policy.

Just for a little while Liberal and Labor were on the same side, pro-immigration. Sadly they're both on the wrong side now.

Anyway, about the Vietnamese. They've been here long enough, mainly. They get into small businesses like bakeries and newsagents that born Australians wanted to get out of because of small profit margins. They push their kids in school, and someone you meet in a professional setting who looks Vietnamese is quite likely a born Australian with the accent and everything. If you get out among the working class there's resentment of them, because they've done so well, but everyone gets that.

With the Chinese it's more complicated. But I wouldn't say there's widespread racism just because they look Chinese ... it's that long history. But racists do challenge them in public, wanting to know if they're "real Aussies". Or refusing to be treated by them in a hospital until they're told the doctor grew up in Bankstown and went to the public school ...

Yeah, we're I'm from, most of the places have Vietnamese underneath the english because Victoria has a lot of Vietnamese.
yet very little chinese, which is why I love Vietnamese food and hate Chinese food, because there aren't any chinese food restuarants.