Right, so this isn't nearly as important as some of the other posts here but it's something that really pissed me off so I'm posting it anyway.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/liberal-party-8216stutter8217-advertisement-sparks-fury/story-e6frg6n6-1226674469043

Here in Australia our political parties act like five year olds and seem to do nothing but ridicule each other and themselves by creating dumb advertisements that point out things that don't matter at all. Here's my favorite, which you might like to take a look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3HtNCv3xvM

The Liberal Party recently posted another ad on Youtube which consisted of nothing but one of Kevin Rudd's new ministers Julie Collins stuttering in a press conference. The Liberal Party are honestly trying to say this woman cannot be a good minister because she stuttered.
This ad has caused outrage, particularly among people affected by stutters and their support groups. Diane Randall, president of the New South Wales support group Speak Easy has commented, "People who stutter are not less intelligent than people who don't,"
While Ms Collins does not in fact have a stutter, it stands to make a point. A person's worth is not defined by their speaking skills, and although being a minister does require those skills, no-one has the right to assume Ms Collins will not do this country good. (Admittedly I know very little about her, so don't hold me to it.)
Anyway, assuming you took the time to watch the two advertisements, I'd like to hear what my fellow Dollars think. Do you think it's acceptable, or plain stupid?

...This is embarrassing. Not even the US republicans and democrats do this.

Our politicians make me sad...
They feel the need to appeal to the bogan demographic for some reason; how badly you treat asylum seekers is not merit for election!

I wonder when politics started being more about the party than the country.

>>2 Ohhh yeah. And this isn't even the worst of it.
>>3 Quite a few of our politicians should resign IMO. They do nothing but bitch about each other when they are supposed to be acting on the beliefs of the people and progressing on actual issues, but no.

Also, I just found something highly relevant on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsECK-gRCGc
I don't like Julia Gillard much, she hasn't done anything good for my family, but this is fucking disgusting. She certainly isn't perfect, I know very well, but this is totally uncalled for. Tony Abott needs to get off his high horse - not only having a hand in those advertisements, but being a generally shitty politician and saying things about Gillard's PARENTS. That is crossing the line.
This entire country is horrible, sometimes. And let's not even start on how the locals act - I can only speak for Victoria, but some of the things I've heard are utterly disgraceful.
(Ugh I need to stop talking this it makes me so angry)

Wow, this is just sick. I thought American politics was bad, but at least when we criticize people it's only the idiots that go for looks. I've never heard any even semi-respected politician or political commentator in America say anything nearly that bad.

I can only hope the next generation can do something about this.

>>5 Julian Assange started a party back here because he is from Australia (From a town next to mine actually, it's called Ballina) which I was initially hopeful about. Seeing as one of their main agendas was literally build another city with a gigantic university in it, I have lost most hope. The political situation is looking grim over here, not just because the people in power are terrible, but because the people who will be in power look just as bad.

Australia isn't internationally dangerous but we can be pretty shit.

>>6 That makes me very, very sad. Why do they think they need a new city?

>>7 I honestly have no idea going what was going through their minds when they thought of it. They explained it by saying "It will greatly increase Australia's standpoint in the literate aspects of the global economy" and such. That's all good of course except they are forgetting that first you need to find the money, time and people to build another fucking city and that it wont just appear there.

Bumping of a non-bullshit thread.

It is sad that when a woman becomes the leader of a country, people look more at her appearance than at her effort or even achievement. Like when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. I mean, whether or not a leader is good has nothing to do with the gender. Regard them as individuals and evaluate them objectively.

>>10 Oh no, no, no. You do not understand how terrible Julia Gillard was. She treated boat people like mildly intelligent apes, she had so few redeeming traits, the worst of worst accents/speaking tone and just embarrassed Australia everywhere in general. I would hate Julia Gillard if he was called Julian Gillard too. Believe me, it was the person not the gender.

>>10 Like Solace said, she was pretty bad. But it's true, some of the people here care more about how our politicians look than how they act.
And I just came upon this on Reddit:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/05/australian-elections-party-ideology

i think all political parties are like that they do this in america too.

<<11 <<12 Well, actually I am in Australia and have been here for nearly four years, so I could really see your point. So, no. I am never pro-Julia Gillard. I was just saying that if you think a leader is bad, then don't bring her gender into it (of course Solace, I am not saying you're bringing in gender. I said other people do).

I am sorry to say that it isn't just the politicians who treat the immigrant badly, some Australian people do too. I had been asked again and again why did I come by boat, what did I want in this country, why did I not just get the heck out of here. Most of these people were uneducated however so they were not aware that foreign students like me brought in money to Australia. As much as it hurt, I could understand that they did not know. But there were also those who were educated. Like an MP who wanted to ban hijab (could not remember her name). I think they were more dangerous.

>>13 I have never in my 18 years seen anything nearly that bad come from an American political party. Yes, we have mocked people for things that have nothing to do with politics, but I have never seen anyone mocked for something as trivial as a stutter, especially not in such a horrible way.

>>14 I understand what you mean. I think, being the first female PM< we had high expectations of her and when she failed those expectations, people just wanted another reason to hate her.
And yeah, I know what you mean when you say locals treat immigrants and asylum seekers badly. I know a girl who almost died in a housefire because she was an immigrant and none of her neighbors wanted to help her because she couldn't speak English very well, and even when I mention I'm German (Despite speaking English very well and having lived here most of my life) I get called a Nazi.
Too many Australians judge foreigners (and people in general) by their stereotypes. At least, that's how it seems to me.
(Funniest thing is, I guarantee almost all of their families immigrated to Australia from another country at some point. I've met very few 'real Aussies' who actually have true Australian ancestry. Not to sound like a purist or whatever, just pointing it out.)

^

^

>>16 I don't think anybody ever had high expectations of Julia Gillard. At least, not as far as I can remember. She did get into power by backstabbing somebody in her own party, that never foretells a good run.

I moved to Australia when I was 3 and every now and again I still cop shit for being a New Zealander. Also, I don't have an accent which leads to people asking me if I'm French, South African, Canadian, British and a New Zealander, many of the people that do ask me that treat as more of an accusation rather than a question.

Australia is a racist country, that is not going to stop in the near future. We just have to work on it, show the politicians that appealing to the bogans will not get them elected. If the sane minded citizens don't do anything, nobody ever will.

bump