Kevin Rudd - Congratulations on a great first year!

[Steve]

So they want the Commonwealth contribution to be $2,400 per computer. I assume then the states are contributing as well.

What freaking computers are these kids getting?!

[C-Whiz]

So they want the Commonwealth contribution to be $2,400 per computer. I assume then the states are contributing as well.

What freaking computers are these kids getting?!

LOL, that's my question too. Obviously they need the best 3D graphics cards for serious algebra equations.

[C-Whiz]

The next election will be much the same as the last - It won't be about voting someone in, it'll be about voting someone out!

Hahaha. Do you mean an actual election or the next Liberal meeting where they vote someone in and someone out?

Who knows where Rudd really stands on the war issue, after publicly condeming Australia's involvement, shortly before his letter of approval to Johnny was leaked. He then publicly advertised a 'full withdrawl' however in his fine print it was only about 500 coming home......

We know where he stands, but that doesn't mean it's in the best interest to just pull troops out at any time. The Iraq/War On Terror thing is an omellette. Let's not pretend the right thing to do is just pull troops out right now becuase he said he would. At least he's made a commitment to start a phased withdrawl.

At least the liberals had stability in their stance regardless of how popular it was at the time

LOL, yep, they certainly were good at giving the big finger to average Australians when Howard didn't want to listen. I assume that's what you mean

Admit it mate, Kevins time is already counting down

I'll ask all you Liberals....... who would you vote for at the next election? Who will be there? Who is better? Stop living as if Howard or Costello are still waiting for another shot at the title. You've got no one! OK, maybe Brendan Nelson would have been just awesome as PM. Too bad he got booted....

[Ryan]

Hahaha. Do you mean an actual election or the next Liberal meeting where they vote someone in and someone out?

I'll ask all you Liberals....... who would you vote for at the next election? Who will be there? Who is better? Stop living as if Howard or Costello are still waiting for another shot at the title. You've got no one! OK, maybe Brendan Nelson would have been just awesome as PM. Too bad he got booted....

Like I said, it won't even matter who the Lib\Nat leader is; 'the people' will be that pissed with Labour it'll be a default win to the opposition. Kevin can go back to eating his ear wax on the back bench and Swann can go back to miscounting the coke machine change.

We know where he stands, but that doesn't mean it's in the best interest to just pull troops out at any time. The Iraq/War On Terror thing is an omellette. Let's not pretend the right thing to do is just pull troops out right now becuase he said he would. At least he's made a commitment to start a phased withdrawl.

Haha, I could probably pull a dozen posts\articles screaming "IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWL, IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWL", there might even be one or two with your name on it. From what I remember the following 'withdrawl commitments' were xmas07, then March08, then May 08, ect. He has obviously put that policy in the 'too hard basket' along with the health department issues, oh that reminds me - "The buck will stop with me!" - lmfao!

[titanstattman]

Hahaha Ryan 7 Whiz 0.....

[Nathalie]

Don't get me started on Turnbull. That smug look just makes me wanna smack him upside the head - and I'm not even a violent person at all.

[daveyk]

all i want for christmas is......

LIBERAL

[C-Whiz]

all i want for christmas is......

LIBERAL

Lucky that's all you want, because you can't have Liberal and money left to spend as well. It's one or the other!

[daveyk]

Lucky that's all you want, because you can't have Liberal and money left to spend as well. It's one or the other!

hrrmmmm..... let me think....

when the liberals took over approx 12yrs ago now the country was in a bad shape... a massive defficet..... which they succesfully turned around to a MASSIVE surplus....

12 months into labor again.... and wot?? we are heading to a recession...
oh, and the aussie dollar has dropped approx 30%....

SO..... liberal is a much better option, coz there was money to spend... now we dont!!!!!!!

[Paul]

I've gone from living comfortably to having to remortgage and get rid of/downgrade a few things despite earning the same money & not having any extra expediture as I had before Rudd got in

and I'm not the only one in this situation

[Steve]

Personally I think a lot of the things effecting us have little to do with the government in power.

Liberal rode on the back of a boom in mining and Australia got a surplus.
Fuel prices dropping have pretty much nothing to do with the Labor government.
The recession we're heading into is global and Comrade Rudd has no control over that.

I'm in a similar boat to Paul. Things have gotten tighter, and I can't even pinpoint where and why that is. My income hasn't changed and I haven't got any extra bills, but there seems to be less money in my pocket each week.

[C-Whiz]

when the liberals took over approx 12yrs ago now the country was in a bad shape... a massive defficet..... which they succesfully turned around to a MASSIVE surplus....

12 months into labor again.... and wot?? we are heading to a recession...
oh, and the aussie dollar has dropped approx 30%....

SO..... liberal is a much better option, coz there was money to spend... now we dont!!!!!!!

LOL. Classic Liberal argument. Ride a boom, tax the people til their ears bleed and tell them how lucky they are because the Govt is making money faster than they can spend it. LMAO.

I've gone from living comfortably to having to remortgage and get rid of/downgrade a few things despite earning the same money & not having any extra expediture as I had before Rudd got in

and I'm not the only one in this situation

LOL, this is one of the best yet! So, even though your financial income hasn't changed, somehow Rudd being in office has affected your personal situation with your mortgage? Ever considered it might have something to do with the interest rates and cost of living that kept going up under Liberal? It's just that people have probably chewed through their savings or stopped using/maxed out their credit card and now feel it harder. Same as when you get ahead on mortgage repayments for a few years, then that gets eaten away as interest rates go up and suddenly, a few years later, you've got less money available.

Personally I think a lot of the things effecting us have little to do with the government in power.

Liberal rode on the back of a boom in mining and Australia got a surplus.
Fuel prices dropping have pretty much nothing to do with the Labor government.
The recession we're heading into is global and Comrade Rudd has no control over that.

I'm in a similar boat to Paul. Things have gotten tighter, and I can't even pinpoint where and why that is. My income hasn't changed and I haven't got any extra bills, but there seems to be less money in my pocket each week.

Yes, the fact is this is a global recession, and at this stage we are pretty well clear of the major ramifications. The big problem has been the drop in share prices which is affecting the big end of town mainly, so there is a trickle down effect, but I don't know anyone who has lost a job over it yet.

The cost of living has been going up steadily for the past 12 years with inflation. That's a direct result of growth. But it was unchecked for too long by Howard and got away from him. Now we are seeing it coming back to where it should be, obviously a lot quicker due to global financial situations.

If you single guys think times are tough, you should try feeding 3 kids as well. But I can tell you I think this is a great opportunity for people with some vision and balls to make their first million in the next 5 or 10 years. I'm watching and waiting, and will be hitting the bank manager up for fresh funds in the next few months.

In the meantime give thanks and praise to Rudd and Labor for petrol prices dropping. Fuel watch is working people!

[Ryan]

It's not the recession that should have people worried, it's how the Labour government is already mishandling the situation. Their 08-09 budget keeps changing without much change in the 'global climate'. And whats more worrying is how their 09-10 budget is ready about $5bn different than the more credible independent view!

Yet Rudd is still flogging off the same bullsh!t response "oh, but Australia is better placed than any other country......", "We will be largely uneffected...." Our currency and stock market have already been cut in half and we're not even one month into what the experts are predicting an 18 month recession. The sh!t has hit the fan; it just hasn't come back down yet.

The writing is on the wall as far as Labour's economic ability. Market conditions\expectations haven't been changing as much as Swann's budget predictions. Rudd's education policy alone has already blown out another $1bn before any school has even seen a computer.

The good thing about driving on a rough road, is that no-one can really tell how bad a driver you are

[Hoppy2007Dragons]

On a associated question, i'm wonderign if anyone can explain the concept with fuel atm, the australian dollar is at 60- 70 us cents and i'm no paying 101.4 cents a litre, yet when the aussie dollar was at 80-90 i was paying 140+, last time i check, fuel is still sold at the same price for a barrel, so why is it cheaper when our dollar is weaker, and it can't be because the economies were buying from are weak, because we were strong when they were technically weak??????? someone shed some light, my gf asked me and she said i looked like a deer in headlights when i tried to come up with an explanation.

[Ryan]

On a associated question, i'm wonderign if anyone can explain the concept with fuel atm, the australian dollar is at 60- 70 us cents and i'm no paying 101.4 cents a litre, yet when the aussie dollar was at 80-90 i was paying 140+, last time i check, fuel is still sold at the same price for a barrel, so why is it cheaper when our dollar is weaker, and it can't be because the economies were buying from are weak, because we were strong when they were technically weak??????? someone shed some light, my gf asked me and she said i looked like a deer in headlights when i tried to come up with an explanation.

Supply and Demand!
World wide energy demand has dropped as a result of 'economic climate'; factories are backing off production, less power being produced\consumed. So countries with alot of oil fired powerstations are trading less oil, also take into account cargo ships all run off crude oil, so the less trading of manufactured goods, mining minerals and oil itself - the less demand there is for oil again. Then what comes off the ship has to be transport by trucks, so if theres less cargo coming in theres less work for the truckies; less demand for diesel, less demand for oil. Keep going down the line to local transport, people feel the pinch and start consuming less petrol; less demand for petrol, less demand for oil, ect, ect...
So as a result crude oil has dropped from about $140\barrel down to $50\barrel.
Even with our exchange rate dropping 30% - crude oil has dropped about 65%.