The FastDay Forum

Wondering what other 5-2ers think about today's result.

As for me, i never share political views online.

Most Australians do not share their political views publically and that includes forums.

I always look at these transitions as we can't change our past we can only work towards our future.

Life goes on but the Cats lost to the Dockers and that's just really wrong!!!!!

I don't mind talking politics I'm not surprised by the outcome but I'm not happy with it either.

Happy to share my views! I CANNOT stand Tony Abbott and I could not watch his victory speech. Most of his front benchers are really annoying people and it galls me to see their smugness. Have always voted Labor and still did even tho the last bunch were abit hopeless. Seeing that Abbott is cutting 6 billion from overseas aid just confirms my view of him. Anyways I believe that democracies get what they deserve and this seems to be the case once again. sigh. IMO the typical Australian is spoilt and to focused on making sure they have everything they can get. There that is my vent.

I just wish Rudd had been voted out of his seat.

And I'm not particularly happy about Barnaby Joyce being my local member now.

yes I don't think I would want Joyce speaking on my behalf either! The lack of talent across the board is pretty shocking. Spare a thought for the ones with Clive Palmer as their member!!

I do feel very lucky to be living in a country in which our daily lives will go on comfortably with no violent protest about our change in government.
And in my opinion it is just the luck of where we were born, not a privilege, and should be shared.
An opinion which neither of the major political parties share.

I'm sad too in the cut to foreign aid and the smugness of many Australians. We are indeed a lucky country but we still have less fortunate people I've always been proud to say we cared for through Medicare(our universal health scheme) and unemployment benefits available to all.
I know some people take advantage of both these schemes but I can live with that if the genuine disadvantaged are cared for.
'I've lived for a year in Canada and a year in the US and I know even in advantaged countries like these Australia could hold its head high in its care for its disadvantaged citizens. Now I know we could do better particularly with our indigenous people but I wonder if we will even do as well as we have in the future????
I'm a swinging voter and have voted for all the major parties in the last twenty years but after seeing the way the new Prime Minister was greeted by an angry mob in inner city. Yesterday and had to be evacuated for his own safety I wonder what the next 12 months will bring and whether the angry political rhetoric will come back to bite the major political parties?

I have an opinion on this. After living in the "slums" of North West England my whole life and finally escaping to Perth Australia 2 years ago, I know the true meaning of citizens being "spoilt", taking advantage of healthcare/the benefit system. No one around me seemed to need to work, every man and their dog claimed benefits for this, benefits for that, can't work for 6 months because they sneezed one morning and will get paid for lying in bed, can wander into the doctors and get medication every week, blood tests every week etc all for free. Where as the people that worked got zilch. I knew a young lady who had a baby and worked part time, she quit her job as it was more financially beneficial as she got more money off the government this way. Work that one out? It took me and my family 2 years to finally get granted permission to re-locate to Australia, whereas from what I have witnessed everyone and anyone can waltz into England, get given a council house, have 10 babies, and not work a day in their lives. You just simply would not get away with this in Australia and for that I am thankful. When I need to go to the doctors, I pay - granted I get some back. When I need to take some time off work for being ill, I have to provide a doctors note to get paid sick leave. I really believe the Aussies have got it right in regards to letting people into the country, health care, benefit system etc and I will tell you first hand, its a damn sight better ran place than where I came from

Hear hear Princess - couldnt have put it better myself

Not happy either. The whole sorry sorry saga has disgusted me from the treatment of our first female prime minister through to the presidential style of the advertising campaigns and mostly every ghastly twist and turn in between. I do smile at what Australians have mandated as their choices For the senate. We now live in even more interesting times, Tony will be able to demonstrate his capacity to negotiate with what we Aussie voters decided as our senate choices

[Debs]

I'm with you Toad, unfortunately dog whistle politics and fear mongering won the day. Australia is one of the richest countries in the world, we survived the GFC better than virtually every other country, Australians have become better off in the last five years than ever before but IMHO are the biggest whingers in the world when they have nothing to whinge about.

hi Debs- yes well I think that the Australian attention span is abit limited and unless the info can come in a sound bit it is too complicated to think through. as my elderly neighbour has told me on many occasions 'There is nothing wrong with Aussies that good depression wouldn't sort out!'. too much, too easy and too much entitlement going around. Something wrong when an excavator driver earns more than a teacher IMO