If you go to the trouble of comapring party and candidate policies on issues you consider to be important, please post them here. I had a bit of a ring/email around this morning. The LNP are the only ones who have gotten back to me. I asked 3 questions, and took the opportunity to tell them what I thought:

1) Taxes? I would like to see the overall tax burden lowered, but petrol, electricity and water should go up.
2) Rainwater tank rebates? I would like to see this cancelled and replaced with higher charges for water consumption
3) Possums and Turkeys. I would like to be allowed to control these more effectively so that I can grow food in my own backyard. It is wrong for the government to force me into dependence on commercial agriculture and prevent me from managing my own little piece of land.

LNP responses:

LNP headquarters
(07) 33205700
John Goss
lower payroll tax - good for employment, currently it is cheaper to make employees do overtime than take on more employees
car rego, Labor putting it up. LNP lowering it
electricity, labor to increase, LNP to lower
LNP to keep tank rebates
considers it inevitable that people will have to pay more for water, but don't seem to have any actual plans

Well done F/d,

good points on the possoms and turkeys

freediver wrote on Mar 19^th, 2009 at 6:26pm:

3) Possums and Turkeys. I would like to be allowed to control these more effectively so that I can grow food in my own backyard. It is wrong for the government to force me into dependence on commercial agriculture and prevent me from managing my own little piece of land.

Are you for more lenient gun laws and more lenient animal protection laws so you can protect your food? I think you should be able to shoot any wildlife that comes onto your property and eats food growing in your backyard and there shouldn't be gun restrictions and animal protection laws standing in the way. That's my opinion. Do you agree?

freediver wrote on Mar 19^th, 2009 at 6:26pm:

1) Taxes? I would like to see the overall tax burden lowered, but petrol, electricity and water should go up. 2) Rainwater tank rebates? I would like to see this cancelled and replaced with higher charges for water consumption 3) Possums and Turkeys. I would like to be allowed to control these more effectively so that I can grow food in my own backyard. It is wrong for the government to force me into dependence on commercial agriculture and prevent me from managing my own little piece of land. lower payroll tax - good for employment, currently it is cheaper to make employees do overtime than take on more employees car rego, Labor putting it up. LNP lowering it electricity, labor to increase, LNP to lower LNP to keep tank rebates considers it inevitable that people will have to pay more for water, but don't seem to have any actual plans

I don't agree with Point 2 and 3.  Rainwater tanks are a saving in the long run - even if they're used for the bathroom, laundry & garden.  By putting the price of water up - it will only affect the poor.

There is a way to control possums and turkeys more effectively - put some wire or nets over your plants and fruit/nut trees.  I assume you would like to poison these animals, but surely deflection is the most humane method of keeping them away from your plants.

deleted wrote on Mar 19^th, 2009 at 10:34pm:

freediver wrote on Mar 19th, 2009 at 6:26pm: 3) Possums and Turkeys. I would like to be allowed to control these more effectively so that I can grow food in my own backyard. It is wrong for the government to force me into dependence on commercial agriculture and prevent me from managing my own little piece of land. Are you for more lenient gun laws and more lenient animal protection laws so you can protect your food? I think you should be able to shoot any wildlife that comes onto your property and eats food growing in your backyard and there shouldn't be gun restrictions and animal protection laws standing in the way. That's my opinion. Do you agree?

You can't use guns for that in an urban area. That's just silly. On a farm it's fine, but then farmers are already allowed to. I'm not sure how hard it is to get a gun, but as far as I know it isn;t too restrictive. You just have to become active in a club, which is reasonable.


Quote:

I don't agree with Point 2 and 3.  Rainwater tanks are a saving in the long run - even if they're used for the bathroom, laundry & garden.  By putting the price of water up - it will only affect the poor.

I am all for water conservation. It's just that rainwater tanks are not a cost effective way of doing this. The government gave me close to $2000 for mine, and it will save me less than $10 a year worth of water, and the water it provides if of lower quality.


Quote:

By putting the price of water up - it will only affect the poor.

Wrong. It will affect everyone. You can even make it benefit the poor by offsetting the tax with a tax reduction for low income earners or a reduction in some other goods tax. The poor will actually benefit most because it will be a tax that they are encouraged to avoid paying. Most taxes are the opposite - they are designed to be difficult to avoid.


Quote:

There is a way to control possums and turkeys more effectively - put some wire or nets over your plants and fruit/nut trees.  I assume you would like to poison these animals, but surely deflection is the most humane method of keeping them away from your plants.

I built a cage around my small mango tree. It was made of wire dog fence with chicken wire wrapped around it. When the fruit were just getting large, the possums dug underneath it to get at the fruit. It does not work. Even if it did work, it is not a practical solution to have cages up everywhere. It is a pain in the arse, expensive, and uses a lot of resources. This is people's backyards we are talking about. They want them looking nice, not like a prison or a factory. You could also do it by making them stand guard all night to protect their garden. But eventually you have to let common sense play a role.


Quote:

I assume you would like to poison these animals

I doubt that poison would be a safe option in an urban area.

freediver wrote on Mar 20^th, 2009 at 7:49am:

You can't use guns for that in an urban area. That's just silly. On a farm it's fine, but then farmers are already allowed to. I'm not sure how hard it is to get a gun, but as far as I know it isn;t too restrictive. You just have to become active in a club, which is reasonable.

Why shouldn't you be able to use guns in an urban area? It shouldn't matter if your property is out in the bush or in the city, you should be able to protect it. And it's not reasonable to say you have to join a gun club to get a gun license. Background checks are fair enough, and gun licenses are fair enough, but you shouldn't need a reason to get a gun license just like you don't need a reason to get a car license and the process of getting one should similar to getting a car license. You have to pass a shooting test and gun safety test or something like that.

Quote:

Why shouldn't you be able to use guns in an urban area?

I wouldn't mind if I did. It's other people shooting in urban areas that bothers me. Do I really need to explain why? It's just common sense.

---

Unfortunately none of the other parties got back to me regarding policiy.

freediver wrote on Mar 20^th, 2009 at 8:56pm:

Quote: Why shouldn't you be able to use guns in an urban area? I wouldn't mind if I did. It's other people shooting in urban areas that bothers me. Do I really need to explain why? It's just common sense. Unfortunately none of the other parties got back to me regarding policiy.

Yeh well here's some common sense for you. Everyone should have the right to do whatever they want as long as they don't harm anybody else or their property. Owning a gun in an urban area doesn't hurt anybody else. So it shouldn't be against the law. But harming someone with a gun should be. If I live in an urban area and my neighbour has a gun and he even uses it against wildlife coming on his property and eating his food, destroying his property etc. I don't have a problem with that. Who's business is it but his? It only becomes someone else's business when he harms someone else or their property.

Quote:

Owning a gun in an urban area doesn't hurt anybody else. So it shouldn't be against the law.

You seem to have changed the topic Bob.


Quote:

If I live in an urban area and my neighbour has a gun and he even uses it against wildlife coming on his property and eating his food, destroying his property etc. I don't have a problem with that.

It sounds like you are the sort of person our gun laws were designed for. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to own guns.

freediver wrote on Mar 21^st, 2009 at 3:00pm:

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to own guns.

Who the hell are you to say? What business is it of yours? Everybody should be able to do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't harm anybody else of their property. Simple.

You don't think shooting a gun in an urban area is going to harm anyone else or their property?

freediver wrote on Mar 21^st, 2009 at 10:06pm:

You don't think shooting a gun in an urban area is going to harm anyone else or their property?

Not if it's not at anyone.

Maybe we should stick all the gun nuts together in one suburb, give them special permission to shoot all the possums, buterflys etc they want, and let nature take it's course.

freediver wrote on Mar 21^st, 2009 at 10:33pm:

Maybe we should stick all the gun nuts together in one suburb, give them special permission to shoot all the possums, buterflys etc they want, and let nature take it's course.

I don't even like guns.

One of the cabinet ministers is my cousin. Did well to get re-elected too, tough fight.

What did you want to change FD? Turkeys?

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:38pm:

What did you want to change FD? Turkeys?

Ah... Nepotism eh...

How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller?

No... sorry got that wrong...

What's the difference between a lawyer and a barrmundi?

What's the difference between a funny lawyer joke and the Yeti?

There's far more evidence to support the existence of the Yeti.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:55pm:

What's the difference between a funny lawyer joke and the Yeti? There's far more evidence to support the existence of the Yeti.

It's all in the delivery...

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:43pm:

Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller?

Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did?

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:58pm:

Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:55pm: What's the difference between a funny lawyer joke and the Yeti? There's far more evidence to support the existence of the Yeti. It's all in the delivery...

I've heard *one* funny lawyer joke. Most of them are just recycled Irish jokes or Polish jokes or Jewish jokes.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:58pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:43pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller? Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did?

Your cousin?

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:59pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:58pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:55pm: What's the difference between a funny lawyer joke and the Yeti? There's far more evidence to support the existence of the Yeti. It's all in the delivery... I've heard *one* funny lawyer joke. Most of them are just recycled Irish jokes or Polish jokes or Jewish jokes.

One's a scum sucking bottom dweller and the other's a fish.

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:59pm:

Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:58pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:43pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller? Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did? Your cousin?

You're an idiot. Do you think I'm going to ring up my cousin and say, some random dude on a forum board wants us to have more turkeys, or less turkeys, or wtf he wants?

Jesus Christ on a pushbike, they say there is nothing denser than a black hole - but  we need to write in the equation for the 'helian'.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:08pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:59pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:58pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:43pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller? Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did? Your cousin? You're an idiot. Do you think I'm going to ring up my cousin and say, some random dude on a forum board wants us to have more turkeys, or less turkeys, or wtf he wants? Jesus Christ on a pushbike, they say there is nothing denser than a black hole - but  we need to write in the equation for the 'helian'.

How did I know your cousin was a cabinet minister?

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:12pm:

Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:08pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:59pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:58pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:43pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller? Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did? Your cousin? You're an idiot. Do you think I'm going to ring up my cousin and say, some random dude on a forum board wants us to have more turkeys, or less turkeys, or wtf he wants? Jesus Christ on a pushbike, they say there is nothing denser than a black hole - but  we need to write in the equation for the 'helian'. How did I know your cousin was a cabinet minister?

You don't.

Abu believes he can alter reality with his mind just by saying things in this forum board, so you may as well join his club and do so too. So as Eminem said, 'I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn't then why would I say I am.'

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:17pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:12pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:08pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:59pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:58pm: NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:43pm: Calanen wrote on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:38pm: What did you want to change FD? Turkeys? Ah... Nepotism eh... How does it go?... What's the difference between a lawyer and a scum sucking bottom dweller? Who says I am going to lobby anyone about FDs turkey policy? Not me. Who say's anyone would listen if I did? Your cousin? You're an idiot. Do you think I'm going to ring up my cousin and say, some random dude on a forum board wants us to have more turkeys, or less turkeys, or wtf he wants? Jesus Christ on a pushbike, they say there is nothing denser than a black hole - but  we need to write in the equation for the 'helian'. How did I know your cousin was a cabinet minister? You don't. Abu believes he can alter reality with his mind just by saying things in this forum board, so you may as well join his club and do so too. So as Eminem said, 'I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn't then why would I say I am.'

You're a bullshit artist then?

You also don't know whether I am a lawyer or not, or whether anything I say is true or not.

And I am not going to 'prove' anything to anyone on here. Too dangerous with nutjobs like Abu Rashid around trying to find out where I am to put my name on muslim forum boards.

That guy is seriously unhinged.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:19pm:

You also don't know whether I am a lawyer or not, or whether anything I say is true or not. And I am not going to 'prove' anything to anyone on here. Too dangerous with nutjobs like Abu Rashid around trying to find out where I am to put my name on muslim forum boards. That guy is seriously unhinged.

So you're a bullshit artist then?

Childish rants and name calling is not going to 'trick' me into putting personal details on the net. But feel free to try for as long as you want.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:24pm:

Childish rants and name calling is not going to 'trick' me into putting personal details on the net. But feel free to try for as long as you want.

I think you're 'tricking' yourself. I don't care who you are.

That won't work either.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:30pm:

That won't work either.

Hmmm... paranoia lawyer.

Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 8:38pm:

One of the cabinet ministers is my cousin. Did well to get re-elected too, tough fight. What did you want to change FD? Turkeys?

Huh?


Calanen wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2009 at 9:19pm:

You also don't know whether I am a lawyer or not, or whether anything I say is true or not. And I am not going to 'prove' anything to anyone on here. Too dangerous with nutjobs like Abu Rashid around trying to find out where I am to put my name on muslim forum boards. That guy is seriously unhinged.

Can you please link me to where he did that?