http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2007/03/23/the-alp’s-proposed-investment-of-47b-in-a-high-speed-network-fred-argy/#comments

The conservatives against progress have some stunning arguments against the proposal – IT’S TEH GOVERNMENT SPENDING!, there might be more spam!, it’s middle class welfare!

Glad to see they’ve taken time out of their busy schedules to comment on the intertubes when they’d all prefer to be sending telegrams to each other.

John Howard’s favoutie modern singer Bob Dylan said it all forty years ago!

http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/times.html

Much better that this money be invested that provides value and revenue for the government.

Yes ….. like in PROPERLY managed, innovative and profitable government enterprises competing in the international marketplace …. an airline, a specific-purpose shipping line, an oil refinery, a telecommunications conglomerate. an armaments manufacturer, an aircraft manufacturer, a non-university training facility, several railway AND metal-fabricating workshops, a leading-edge biotechnology group, a world-class topograhical survey unit, etc., etc,. ….. all of which had the potential to make Australia rich enough to make any “Future Fund” schemes unnecessary. Pity.

Pity the choice was made between Prosperity …. and Privatization …. which, like its near-relative, Communism, is riddled with empty promises, failed hopes, lost opportunities, ruined environments, dud schemes and enriched scoundrels.

Nasking …. on “Future Fund”:

a War chest perhaps…?…& a barrel full of sticky, sweet goodies to keep Coalition members handing out gifts like the Yakuza during election week.

See, we have learnt a lot from Japan …

(Sorry not on-topic, but I couldn’t resist.)”

I cannot answer your question for you Suz. Perhaps because you have bigoted preconceived prejudices which override reality? You are given to hyperbole (for starters) when you suggest that gays & lesbians are a “much bigger” minority than 2% of the population.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1879908.htm

Heffernan ambushes Labor media conference on broadband
A Government senator has ambushed a Labor media conference amid the growing argument over the Opposition’s plan to use the Future Fund to pay for its broadband policy.

Labor’s Stephen Conroy called a media conference to reject the Government’s criticism of the Opposition’s broadband plan.

“The Howard Government have got more positions on Labor’s broadband than the Kama Sutra,” he said.

Over his shoulder appeared Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan, who continued the Government’s attack about raiding the Future Fund to pay for broadband.

“You got no idea what it’ll do, you got no idea what it’ll mean to the Future Fund,” he said.

“You’re pulling everyone’s leg.”

Senator Conroy bit back.

“Bill Heffernan knows that rural and regional Australians are suffering a second class broadband network under his Government and we welcome his support,” he said.

“Pull the other one,” replied Senator Heffernan, who says the plan is a national disgrace.

No, because only the criminally gullible will believe them anyway. Better just to run an hysterical scare campaign, laced with generous servings of mud.

Firstly, voters are way too cynical to trust any promise by any politician, left or right.

However, the government’s decade-long economic performance is on the record and not in dispute. Labour will always be on the back foot WRT economic credibilty, and Rudd’s first policy announcement is the equivalent of a nasty short rising delivery to itself.

The hsitrionics about the Future Fund is likewise a diversion from a desperate government trying to claw its way up the pole in opinion polls. All that Rudd proposes is to take shares from the Future Fund and invest them in a broadband venture. The dividends earned will then be paid back to the Future Fund. It is in principle of the same order of fiscal operation that ensued when the government owned Telstra.

The government doesn’t have to come up with a single new policy,

No, because only the criminally gullible will believe them anyway. Better just to run an hysterical scare campaign, laced with generous servings of mud.

How on earth do you equate the 31% increase in TLS share price since 26 August 2006 with an “over-hang”.

Where you expecting a 131% increase???

But now you mention policy, Howard will be waiting for a miracle policy. From the ALP. Rudd’s smash-the-piggy-bank start is exactly what he’s waiting for more of. It underlines one the electorate’s key fears of Labour. Fiscal lunacy.