Thinking of voting for Abbott? Mmmmmmm

[Goodbye]

If there was no religion there there would be no wars.
If there was no wars there would be no suicide bombers.
If there was no suicide bombers there would be No boats.

What a stupidly unintelligent comment. How about you educate yourself on the actual facts and statistics of the people arriving by boat before sprouting off like that. Fact is that the amount of people arriving by boat and being called "illegal immigrants" (compared to the many thousands who arrive by plane and overstay their visa) is such a minuscule number that in truth it doesn't really deserve the ridiculous amount of time it's given.

Think for yourself and educate yourself before believing any politician - labor or liberal.

[BiRDBRAiN]

How about the number of Jews and Christians the "people's" governments in places such as the Soviet Union killed in the name of "un-religion".

We have the knowledge of good and bad in us whether we're religious or not.

FFS the reason the US went into Iraq and Kuwait in the first place is not because they were being "good Christians" but because there was fekking oil there!

Greed is an even better reason for war than religion. It always has been regardless of whether there were "crusades" or not. The soldiers and people were just tools of the greedy nations.

The arguments are infinite about "Bible = false" but a lot of those arguments are because people take small excerpts and take them literally.

Suicide bombers are a form of "modern" religious extremism. A majority of the muslim population cringe at the idea that suicide bombing has become such a bastardised version of martyrdom.

In short... you are entitled to believe what you believe, but don't go shitting on other peoples' beliefs just because of some stupid, blow out of proportion ideas!

Back on topic, I will vote for the Liberals not because I like Tony Abbot, but because I think it is time for Labour to go. This country needs a good shake up of the government. I honestly think all the good stuff we see now is a hangover from the old Liberal government. It is just a shame they have such a weak leader at the moment.

[drzeus]

I have to agree with minski, the NBN is the most important technological leap this country is going to have in a long time. I'm usually a Liberal voter but I cannot vote to kill the NBN; It would ruin this country.

Exactly, me too! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity project and Abbott is planning to cancel it if elected...I just can't let that happen.

While Labour had its failures, Abbott seems to have these old world ideologies and he feels the rest of Australia has to follow. Here are some of his previous rants:
-Compulsory bible teaching at school and who knows what other bible bashing policies he has in mind but too controversial to mention before the election
-Says wowen's role is to be at home cleaning and ironing clothes
-Women shouldn't have sex before marriage
-Thnks there is nothing wrong with Australia's broadband so no need for an NBN

and the list goes on..

While Gillard aint no messiah, at least she seems far more open to life outside the bible verses and most importantly has plans to continue the NBN.

[mitty]

I hope he also makes it compulsory to teach the beliefs of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Pastafarianism). Remember, we are all his creatures.

Touched by his noodly appendage.

[will]

I just wish that those individuals who bang on about the boats really understood the foolish position they play into in a devilish spin toward a right-wing, hate driven scare campaign!

Thank you to Goodbye noting that immigration is so much mote then "the boats".

Abbott is just so negative and 1955 Australia!

Rather than getting the kids to read the bible, I just want them to learn to read!

Abbott is anti-choice. Abbott carries on about Rudd, what about Turnbull?

We do not have an ETS because Abbott played politics with it to depose Turnbull!

I vote ALP with pride!

[macrich]

I was going to vote for Liberal just to get rid of the filter, but now that I know for sure he will be cancelling the NBN, no.
Liberals think that it's not government that should be installing new infrastructure. I tend to disagree. It was government who laid out the copper network that we have now. It was also government that laid out the telegraph network before that. It is always the responsibility of government to introduce and maintain infrastructure.

Private enterprise is only interested in two things: shareholder profit & CEO stability. For this reason, private will never introduce improved infrastructure unless there's something for them to get out of it.

I also can't believe that he thinks that the bulk of Aussies are dumb enough to believe that he and he alone can keep interest rates down. What a load of bullshit.

He and his band of idiots have lost my vote.

[Byrd]

I find it surprising how quickly people forget how highly religious Kevin Rudd was ...

[Vzzzbx]

The boat rubbish is hysteria designed to appeal to Coalition voters. Howard used it to coalesce his bigoted support base, and now Abbott's raised the whole issue from the grave to do the same.

Sadly Gillard, rather than just occupying the high ground and explaining why asylum seekers arriving by boat is statistically a non-issue, satiated the Murdoch-tabloid-reading masses by proposing another Pacific Solution.

So here we are, nine years after Tampa, and boats are once again a key election platform. The electorate is exactly as ignorant now as it was then.

[glitch]

The boat rubbish is hysteria designed to appeal to Coalition voters. Howard used it to coalesce his bigoted support base, and now Abbott's raised the whole issue from the grave to do the same.

Sadly Gillard, rather than just occupying the high ground and explaining why asylum seekers arriving by boat is statistically a non-issue, satiated the Murdoch-tabloid-reading masses by proposing another Pacific Solution.

So here we are, nine years after Tampa, and boats are once again a key election platform. The electorate is exactly as ignorant now as it was then.

So sad, so true.

Also however lame the Labor government has been it did get rid of workchoices, the most anti-worker legislation this country ever endured.

If the mad monk is ever elected then we will see a return to the viscous attack on ordinary working Australians and their pay and conditions eroded so big business can enjoy even bigger profits.

[TheKeddi]

After reading all of the posts I am happy that we can have this debate here without it turning to mud slinging and attacks on individual mactalk members. Well done guys. No matter your opinions you have handled yourselves well!

On a side note

The bible might be historical. But its not fact. It says we lived with the dinosaurs and that they were on the ark as well. Mmmmmmm

People say it shouldn't be picked apart and taken literally. But that's exactly what believers have done since it was written, by man, changed by roman emperors and made into what it is today. Perhaps believers should learn reel history and learn how this book really came about.

There are more parts of Christianity taken from ancient religions than you can poke a stick at and to say its what this country is based on is bullshit. The dreamtime was here before that if you want the religious history of this country.

[DomDom]

There is a third option that does not involve religion.

Secular Party of Australia .

Check it out. Don't give either major party control.

Dom

[lenman74]

.....

As for the boats comment, have you even looked at the stats for the number of boats that came during Howard's time? The policies they implemented worked, we had the lowest number of boat people during those years. As soon as Rudd came in and relaxed the laws, they started coming again. So in my mind, yes, the Liberal party had fixed the issue and it was working, until it was stuffed by Labour.

........

I fail to comprehend why having the lowest number of boat people arriving is taken as a measure of success or even a good thing.

I think any pollie who suggests we turn boats away or even off shore processing should first have Australia cancel its membership to the refugee treaty that obliges us to process refugee claimants. Otherwise I think both parties policies on boat people are illegal.

[ThexMac]

You believe that dinosaurs ruled the Earth 5000 years ago... Vote Liberal.

[mitty]

I find it surprising how quickly people forget how highly religious Kevin Rudd was ...

One thing Gillard has in her favour, at least IMHO. Religion should have absolutely no place in politics. They may as well be basing policy decisions on Star Trek or Neighbours.

[Vzzzbx]

I think any pollie who suggests we turn boats away or even off shore processing should first have Australia cancel its membership to the refugee treaty that obliges us to process refugee claimants. Otherwise I think both parties policies on boat people are illegal.

Even worse is that Howard and now Gillard expect third-world countries to act as a refugee 'processing' base on our behalf. Australia is massive and rolling in cash, and could easily handle that processing on-shore. The only reason it gets pushed off-shore is to appease deluded reactionaries.

[Tungsten]

Abbott also intends to bring back at fault divorces from what I've heard...do you really want his catholic superstitions interfering in your personal life I sure as hell don't. As for Rudds religious views I say good riddance to him too...he got exactly what his hubristic attitude deserved...may as well vote family first as vote for either of them. Finally Australia might make it into the 21st century when we have a female atheist Prime Minister.

[tcn33]

They may as well be basing policy decisions on Star Trek.

Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[ThexMac]

Yes we were once in Kevin heaven... but now we're not.

[Chief911]

Abbott will scrap the national broadband network. For that reason alone I will not vote liberal.

Yes! Many people forget this! And rebember i would expect an intertnet filter proposal from them as well...

Abbott is scum.

Support the rich, Vote Liberal

[grfxninja]

Obviously you don't know your history very well. The bible is a proven historical document. No fairy tales there.

I believe in every persons right to their… well… beliefs.
In saying that, please show me where the bible has been made a "proven historical document"

Back on topic, I will vote for the Liberals not because I like Tony Abbot, but because I think it is time for Labour to go. This country needs a good shake up of the government.

Labour has been in for one term. The previous Liberal government was in for four terms. I'm not sure that a "shake-up" is really required but that is of course my personal opinion.

One thing Gillard has in her favour, at least IMHO. Religion should have absolutely no place in politics.

100% agree with this. Politics and religion should be separate from each other at all times.

I'm sure that if it looks like it's going negative he'll say that it's not policy, but one of his spur of the moment lies ;-)

I really can't get my head around the fact that this guy admits he is a liar and people still want to vote for him. Don't get me wrong, as far as I am concerned, all pollies subscribe to the "spin" school of thought, but to come out and announce that he is straight up liar beggars belief!

--------------------------

At the end of the day, no matter what we think of them, either Gillard or Abbot will get the top job because of the way preference voting works. I don't agree with it personally, but that's just the way it is.
I guess we have to decide for ourselves if we want a backstabbing atheist or a lying christian nut in power…