It was great last night to hear Annastacia Palaszczuk proudly thank the Trade Union movement for it's help in labor's victory. Time more ALP leaders started proudly doing the same and calling out the LNP for its incestuous and insidious relationship with the corrupt business lobbyists and Business Unions who have overrun the LNP and hijacked its policies to exclusively serve their interests at the expense of all other Australians.

Agree.  It is time the ALP gave up that cringe (if they ever had it.)

No doubt about it.  The ALP gets funds from Trade Unions.  The LNP gets the same from Corporate/Business Unions.

I am neither, yet if I get an email from the ALP saying, 'Oi 'Aussie,' have you got a lazy $50.00,' I'll send it in.  Dunno why, but the LNP never ask.

Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner.

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 9:54pm:

Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner.

Fool!!!!

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 10:11pm:

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1st, 2015 at 9:54pm: Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner. Fool!!!!

doesn't even begin to describe Misty

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 9:54pm:

Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner.

Peace and economic prosperity just won't happen if any one group has full control of business.

Wolseley wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 10:13pm:

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1st, 2015 at 9:54pm: Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner. Peace and economic prosperity just won't happen if any one group has full control of business.

Our "progressives" narrative is that trade unions, along with a coalition of feminists, Aborigines, Muslims, and gays, will assure peace and prosperity. Only racists, bigots, sexists, and Islamophobes disagree.

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 10:11pm:

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1st, 2015 at 9:54pm: Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner. Fool!!!!

Tad generous there with that assessment, Spartacus.

Feeling mellow tonight?  ;)

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 10:16pm:

Wolseley wrote on Feb 1st, 2015 at 10:13pm: Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Feb 1st, 2015 at 9:54pm: Once trade unions assume full control of businesses we "progressives" can then print money to our heart's content. Peace and economic prosperity is just around the corner. Peace and economic prosperity just won't happen if any one group has full control of business. Our "progressives" narrative is that trade unions, along with a coalition of feminists, Aborigines, Muslims, and gays, will assure peace and prosperity. Only racists, bigots, sexists, and Islamophobes disagree.

And here he is with yet more sheep's stomach-lining.

The connection with reality is tenuous with this one... :-?

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Feb 1^st, 2015 at 8:38pm:

It was great last night to hear Annastacia Palaszczuk proudly thank the Trade Union movement for it's help in labor's victory. Time more ALP leaders started proudly doing the same and calling out the LNP for its incestuous and insidious relationship with the corrupt business lobbyists and Business Unions who have overrun the LNP and hijacked its policies to exclusively serve their interests at the expense of all other Australians.

The trade unions worked tirelessly for Labor in this election. They had to do it, we just can't sell/lease (same thing) what few assets we have left (after Bligh did a job on most of them). I worked alongside the ETU and the teachers unions. I was proud to wear a Not4Sale  tee shirt and hat, the people I met were just down to earth family men (mostly working for Ergon Energy) wanting to save jobs in Qld for themselves and their kids,.....nothing wrong with that. Besides that, I was able to make friends with many electricians, what solo woman doesn't need the help of an electrician from time to time? win/win yeah! I am so pleased that our hard work paid off, goes to show, people power rules.

Although having said that, Labor would probably have won even if they had have all stayed home and watched tv, so bad was Newman.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 5:54am:

I was proud to wear a Not4Sale  tee shirt

Oh good Lord....
Why do I get the impression in the 1980s you would have been with those lunatic ban the bomb women chaining themselves to the US airbases...

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 5:58am:

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 5:54am: I was proud to wear a Not4Sale  tee shirt Oh good Lord.... Why do I get the impression in the 1980s you would have been with those lunatic ban the bomb women chaining themselves to the US airbases...

That worked out well for them, didn't it? LOL!!! ;D ;D ;D

oh yes..

they need to be thanked big time...

its not easy teaming up with bikies to extort money and extremely high union fees to pay for Labors campaign...

next thing Labor will be abolishing the Bikie Laws...

no wait..  :-/

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 6:16am:

they need to be thanked big time...

THANK YOU TRADE UNIONS!

Armchair_Politician wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 6:09am:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 5:58am: Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 5:54am: I was proud to wear a Not4Sale  tee shirt Oh good Lord.... Why do I get the impression in the 1980s you would have been with those lunatic ban the bomb women chaining themselves to the US airbases... That worked out well for them, didn't it? LOL!!! ;D ;D ;D

They were all arrested and said bombs, missiles contributed to the end of the USSR...
But anyway we digress....

We were talking about Trade Unions.
Actually maybe the USSR is relevant :)

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 6:22am:

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 6:16am: they need to be thanked big time... THANK YOU TRADE UNIONS!

Seconded!

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 6:16am:

oh yes.. they need to be thanked big time... its not easy teaming up with bikies to extort money and extremely high union fees to pay for Labors campaign... next thing Labor will be abolishing the Bikie Laws... no wait..  :-/

Fool!

Kat wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:09am:

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 6:22am: President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 6:16am: they need to be thanked big time... THANK YOU TRADE UNIONS! Seconded!

Thirded

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:19am:

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

As long as workplaces keep trying to exploit workers, unions remain relevant.  Rough estimate of that time frame is approaching infinity.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:19am:

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

Ahhh yes Andrei but what you wish and whats really happening are 2 different things. But alas, you only have yourself to blame. How often have you been warned that unless you restrain your greed so that we all benefit from the wealth we create, the whole system will fall apart and you will be left with nothing.  But of course you wont listen and that's why capitalism destroys itself. Bye Bye Andrei!!!! 

.

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:17am:

Kat wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 10:09am: Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 6:22am: President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 6:16am: they need to be thanked big time... THANK YOU TRADE UNIONS! Seconded! Thirded

Fourthed!

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 5:58am:

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 5:54am: I was proud to wear a Not4Sale  tee shirt Oh good Lord.... Why do I get the impression in the 1980s you would have been with those lunatic ban the bomb women chaining themselves to the US airbases...

Get a life, Andrei - and try a real job for a change... amazing tales with zero foundation hardly become a 'moderator' ....

Why do people get the impression you're a fifteen year old kid locked in his mother's basement in Adelaide and suffering from the effects of Maralinga bomb tests?

Stratos wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:23am:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 10:19am: Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society. As long as workplaces keep trying to exploit workers, unions remain relevant.  Rough estimate of that time frame is approaching infinity.

Hear Hear

It's time the Libbos drop the hypocrisy/double standards regarding Unions.

All business/industry associations are Unions of Employers. They use their collective muscle to lobby govt to get outcomes in the best interests of their members.

Trade Unions work toward the same ends for their members.

Tory arrogance overrides their admission of hypocrisy.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:19am:

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

Going the way the international non-taxpaying global corporation is right now?  I doubt it - Unionism in the West will make a resurgence very soon once people have had enough of being ripped off....

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:19am:

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

Astounding ignorance.  Absolutely astounding.

It's sad that adults with views like that are allowed to vote and participate in normal society.

greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 12:18pm:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 10:19am: Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society. Astounding ignorance.  Absolutely astounding. It's sad that adults with views like that are allowed to vote and participate in normal society.

union membership is falling

Money trail reveals links between Libs and opponents of penalty rates

By Mark Phillips
Editor of Working Life

FOLLOW the money. That’s always been the way to find out where power and influence lies.

And it is now different with the release today of annual financial disclosure returns by the Australian Electoral Commission for 2013-14.http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/Default.aspx

These annual reports tell us where political parties get their money from, who are the big donors to both side of politics, and how some of the money is spent.

Political parties are required by law to publicly make available information about all receipts above the disclosure threshold for the financial year, which is $12,400 for the 2013-14 financial year.

This transparency is important so we can have an effectively functioning democracy.

And make no mistake, there is big money involved.
Coalition easily out-earned Labor

The period of today’s disclosures covers the lead up to the September 2013 election, which saw the Tony Abbott take office.

The headline figures from this year’s release are that the federal and state branches of the Liberal Party had receipts of $125 million in 2013-14, while Labor received $78.2 million (not all this money comes from donations, it can also come from investments, sales of merchandise and other sources). The Nationals received $12 million, giving the two Coalition parties $137 million in total. The Greens received $21.4 million

But it is delving into the source of the Coalition’s funding that things get really interesting.

It is revealing that some of the companies and employer groups calling for changes to working conditions, including cuts to penalty rates and the minimum wage, are among the largest donors to the Coalition.

Chief among them is the building products company Brickworks, which donated $263,000 to the Liberal Party in 2013-14.

Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge has been a high-profile voice calling for the abolition of penalty rates. He claims paying weekend rates is eating into his company’s profits and he wants Brickworks’ employees to start at 4am, without penalties and abolish weekend penalty rates.

The various state branches of the Australian Hotels Association, which is the employer group for people who work in pubs, donated more than $300,000 to the Liberals. The Restaurant and Catering Association gave the Liberals $33,467, and the Pharmacy Guild gave them $95,505.

What binds all these groups together is that they are all opponents of penalty rates for working on weekends or outside of normal shifts.

The largest donor to the Liberals was the private hospital operator Paul Ramsay Holdings, which gave the party $600,000 as well as $25,000 to the Nationals.
Tory billionaire backs Australian Liberals

There is much, much more buried within the annual disclosures, but one other name caught our eye.

That is the billionaire businessman Lord Michael Ashcroft, the chairman of the British Conservative Party and an infamous corporate raider in his home country.

He gave $250,000 to the Liberals in 2013-14, which follows $250,000 to them for the 2010 election year, and $1 million for the 2004 election year.

Lord Ashcroft claims to live in the tax haven of Belize – although there is evidence he actually resides in the United States – and consequently manages to minimise the amount of he pays in the country of his birth.

Climate change conspiracy theorists will note that the leading climate-change sceptic Ian Plimer donated $97,500 to the Coalition.

And if you don’t think you can buy yourself a seat in Parliament, then consider the case of Family First Senator Bob Day, who in 2013-14 funded almost half of the party’s revenue with a donation of $484,000.

http://workinglife.org.au/2015/02/02/money-trail-reveals-links-between-libs-and-opponents-of-penalty-rates/

greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 12:18pm:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 10:19am: Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society. Astounding ignorance.  Absolutely astounding. It's sad that adults with views like that are allowed to vote and participate in normal society.

Got to agree there.

They don't get that if THEY played fair and weren't so ephing greedy, we wouldn't NEED unions.

But as long as THEY exist, we WILL need unions.

And we need them today more than ever.

And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick?

Resolute wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:04pm:

And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick?

Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM.

Redmond Neck wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 1:20pm:

Money trail reveals links between Libs and opponents of penalty rates By Mark Phillips Editor of Working Life FOLLOW the money. That’s always been the way to find out where power and influence lies. And it is now different with the release today of annual financial disclosure returns by the Australian Electoral Commission for 2013-14.http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/Default.aspx These annual reports tell us where political parties get their money from, who are the big donors to both side of politics, and how some of the money is spent. Political parties are required by law to publicly make available information about all receipts above the disclosure threshold for the financial year, which is $12,400 for the 2013-14 financial year. This transparency is important so we can have an effectively functioning democracy. And make no mistake, there is big money involved. Coalition easily out-earned Labor The period of today’s disclosures covers the lead up to the September 2013 election, which saw the Tony Abbott take office. The headline figures from this year’s release are that the federal and state branches of the Liberal Party had receipts of $125 million in 2013-14, while Labor received $78.2 million (not all this money comes from donations, it can also come from investments, sales of merchandise and other sources). The Nationals received $12 million, giving the two Coalition parties $137 million in total. The Greens received $21.4 million But it is delving into the source of the Coalition’s funding that things get really interesting. It is revealing that some of the companies and employer groups calling for changes to working conditions, including cuts to penalty rates and the minimum wage, are among the largest donors to the Coalition. Chief among them is the building products company Brickworks, which donated $263,000 to the Liberal Party in 2013-14. Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge has been a high-profile voice calling for the abolition of penalty rates. He claims paying weekend rates is eating into his company’s profits and he wants Brickworks’ employees to start at 4am, without penalties and abolish weekend penalty rates. The various state branches of the Australian Hotels Association, which is the employer group for people who work in pubs, donated more than $300,000 to the Liberals. The Restaurant and Catering Association gave the Liberals $33,467, and the Pharmacy Guild gave them $95,505. What binds all these groups together is that they are all opponents of penalty rates for working on weekends or outside of normal shifts. The largest donor to the Liberals was the private hospital operator Paul Ramsay Holdings, which gave the party $600,000 as well as $25,000 to the Nationals. Tory billionaire backs Australian Liberals There is much, much more buried within the annual disclosures, but one other name caught our eye. That is the billionaire businessman Lord Michael Ashcroft, the chairman of the British Conservative Party and an infamous corporate raider in his home country. He gave $250,000 to the Liberals in 2013-14, which follows $250,000 to them for the 2010 election year, and $1 million for the 2004 election year. Lord Ashcroft claims to live in the tax haven of Belize – although there is evidence he actually resides in the United States – and consequently manages to minimise the amount of he pays in the country of his birth. Climate change conspiracy theorists will note that the leading climate-change sceptic Ian Plimer donated $97,500 to the Coalition. And if you don’t think you can buy yourself a seat in Parliament, then consider the case of Family First Senator Bob Day, who in 2013-14 funded almost half of the party’s revenue with a donation of $484,000. http://workinglife.org.au/2015/02/02/money-trail-reveals-links-between-libs-and-opponents-of-penalty-rates/

what a pity you didnt mention the $30 mil spent by the UNIONS to get Howard out.....and what about WOTIF...surely even you remember them??
you have all that knowledge.. I KNOW YOU DO. ;D ;D

Aussie wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:12pm:

Resolute wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:04pm: And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick? Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM.

Not soon enough, sadly.

He SHOULD have either stood aside today and declared the leadership open, or called an election.

They were his ONLY honourable choices.

But the treasonous, gutless little bastard did neither, just stood there and lied, blamed and obfuscated for 30 minutes.

No vision, no substance, and no contrition whatsoever.

Sheer psychopathic scum!

Redmond Neck wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 1:20pm:

Money trail reveals links between Libs and opponents of penalty rates By Mark Phillips Editor of Working Life FOLLOW the money. That’s always been the way to find out where power and influence lies. And it is now different with the release today of annual financial disclosure returns by the Australian Electoral Commission for 2013-14.http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/Default.aspx These annual reports tell us where political parties get their money from, who are the big donors to both side of politics, and how some of the money is spent. Political parties are required by law to publicly make available information about all receipts above the disclosure threshold for the financial year, which is $12,400 for the 2013-14 financial year. This transparency is important so we can have an effectively functioning democracy. And make no mistake, there is big money involved. Coalition easily out-earned Labor The period of today’s disclosures covers the lead up to the September 2013 election, which saw the Tony Abbott take office. The headline figures from this year’s release are that the federal and state branches of the Liberal Party had receipts of $125 million in 2013-14, while Labor received $78.2 million (not all this money comes from donations, it can also come from investments, sales of merchandise and other sources). The Nationals received $12 million, giving the two Coalition parties $137 million in total. The Greens received $21.4 million But it is delving into the source of the Coalition’s funding that things get really interesting. It is revealing that some of the companies and employer groups calling for changes to working conditions, including cuts to penalty rates and the minimum wage, are among the largest donors to the Coalition. Chief among them is the building products company Brickworks, which donated $263,000 to the Liberal Party in 2013-14. Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge has been a high-profile voice calling for the abolition of penalty rates. He claims paying weekend rates is eating into his company’s profits and he wants Brickworks’ employees to start at 4am, without penalties and abolish weekend penalty rates. The various state branches of the Australian Hotels Association, which is the employer group for people who work in pubs, donated more than $300,000 to the Liberals. The Restaurant and Catering Association gave the Liberals $33,467, and the Pharmacy Guild gave them $95,505. What binds all these groups together is that they are all opponents of penalty rates for working on weekends or outside of normal shifts. The largest donor to the Liberals was the private hospital operator Paul Ramsay Holdings, which gave the party $600,000 as well as $25,000 to the Nationals. Tory billionaire backs Australian Liberals There is much, much more buried within the annual disclosures, but one other name caught our eye. That is the billionaire businessman Lord Michael Ashcroft, the chairman of the British Conservative Party and an infamous corporate raider in his home country. He gave $250,000 to the Liberals in 2013-14, which follows $250,000 to them for the 2010 election year, and $1 million for the 2004 election year. Lord Ashcroft claims to live in the tax haven of Belize – although there is evidence he actually resides in the United States – and consequently manages to minimise the amount of he pays in the country of his birth. Climate change conspiracy theorists will note that the leading climate-change sceptic Ian Plimer donated $97,500 to the Coalition. And if you don’t think you can buy yourself a seat in Parliament, then consider the case of Family First Senator Bob Day, who in 2013-14 funded almost half of the party’s revenue with a donation of $484,000. http://workinglife.org.au/2015/02/02/money-trail-reveals-links-between-libs-and-opponents-of-penalty-rates/

Good article Red. Thanks

Aussie wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:12pm:

Resolute wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:04pm: And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick? Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM.

right on the button sunshine... or is that selective memory syndrome which affects so many from the left..

like the chaos of the six years of labor running us into enormous DEBT with not a thing to show for it....

except the vote buying....which kind of paid out for them in a backhanded way.. they left Abbott with a heap of poo....and so did Blyth who didnt even have the money to insure the State against havoc which they copped....but lets pretend that didnt happen..

Vote buying cods? When they cut some of Howard’s vote buying. Putting single Mum’s with youngest child of 8yo on NS was not exactly vote buying!

cods wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:20pm:

Aussie wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:12pm: Resolute wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:04pm: And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick? Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM. right on the button sunshine... or is that selective memory syndrome which affects so many from the left.. like the chaos of the six years of labor running us into enormous DEBT with not a thing to show for it.... except the vote buying....which kind of paid out for them in a backhanded way.. they left Abbott with a heap of poo....and so did Blyth who didnt even have the money to insure the State against havoc which they copped....but lets pretend that didnt happen..

cods, I reckon you have absolutely no idea about Queensland and its 'politics.'  The only 'vote buying', i.e. pork barrelling came from Newmann and the LNP.  In his seat of Ashgrove alone...$M18 worth.  And he, with his LNP were shown the door.

Kat wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:18pm:

Aussie wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:12pm: Resolute wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:04pm: And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick? Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM. Not soon enough, sadly. He SHOULD have either stood aside today and declared the leadership open, or called an election. They were his ONLY honourable choices. But the treasonous, gutless little bastard did neither, just stood there and lied, blamed and obfuscated for 30 minutes. No vision, no substance, and no contrition whatsoever. Sheer psychopathic scum!

Good hate, Comrade. Come the revolution this hate will be useful. War is peace.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:19am:

Trade Unions belong with the Vauxhall Viva, Leyland motors, record players and the Bay City Rollers as regards their relevance to 21st century society.

in what way are you relevant? and yet you persist

cods wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 4:20pm:

Aussie wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:12pm: Resolute wrote on Feb 2nd, 2015 at 4:04pm: And Queensland has another Anna to dig it into the quagmire of debt yet again. Why are Queenslanders so bloody thick? Not 'thick.'  We are 'absent minded."  Just ask the soon to be former PM. right on the button sunshine... or is that selective memory syndrome which affects so many from the left.. a syndrome you are more than familiar with like the chaos of the six years of labor running us into enormous DEBT with not a thing to show for it.... and yet you cheer for the guy who doubled that amount in ONE year, and nothing to show for it... at least labor kept us out of recession, thousands of new school halls etc ... try opening your eyes if you want to see what they have to show for it except the vote buying....which kind of paid out for them in a backhanded way.. they left Abbott with a heap of poo....and so did Blyth who didnt even have the money to insure the State against havoc which they copped....but lets pretend that didnt happen.. vote buying? a skill they learn't from Howard  :D :D :D  and bligh had the money, but the amount was so large she didn't think it was worth the cover  ...