Australia Sinking

[Santa1503559644]

[Santa1503559644]

(Apologies to the ABC):

Prime Minister John Howard has delivered the first in a series of speeches, outlining the Coalition's desperate bid to finally consider the future.

Mr Howard has addressed the Queensland Media Club in Brisbane with a speech titled 'Australia Sinking - and not just in debt!'.

He says it is important to remember what the world looked like in the year 1950, in order to develop effective policies for the future.

Mr Howard believes the human face of globalisation will increasingly be yellow and scary - oops that was the old John Howard Asian and middle class and he says it will be crucial to keep building the strength of the Australian economy.

Mr Howard says Labor's plan to axe the WorkChoices legislation would damage his ideological dream, destroy jobs at Macquarie and strengthen Australia's position in a fiercely competitive world.

He says building a stronger and more competitive economy is one of the easiest tasks he'll face - by simply sitting back and letting the commodity boom roll on, and next month's Budget will focus on pork barrelling and making the nation poorer as a whole.

Mr Howard also attacked Labor's financial credentials, accusing the Opposition of being bereft of a Thatcherite agenda in an election year.

"Labor in 11 years has still not developed a divisive plan to keep the Australian economy pegged to the past, which is the fundamental responsibility of both sides of politics in 2007," he said.

Climate change played down

Mr Howard said "Durrr? What's climate change?"

During his speech, Mr Howard said addressing climate change could be a serious policy challenge and a major priority of his Government if "the votes were in it".

But he reminds us of his oft-spoken red herring, that independent action by Australia will not have a significant effect.

"Do we need to lower carbon emissions over time? Well I've reversed my long-held position on that one, but to say that climate change is the overwhelming moral challenge for this generation of Australians is misguided at best and misleading at worst. And I'm an expert on misguided and misleading! Even now I'm bringing this ridiculous use of the term moral into the discussion repeatedly!" he said.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd will also be campaigning in Brisbane this afternoon after returning from a trip to the United States.

[BribieG]

Once again, Mr Howard is about to be bailed out by circumstances that arise just when he needs them. With the water about to be turned off to the food bowl, prices of food will skyrocket. As has happened in the UK, this will cause inflationary pressures which will necessitate a hefty interest rate rise.

So if you have a mortgage and kids to feed, tighten your belt because your nightmare is about to begin.

Now... in that scenario of fear, uncertainty and doubt, would you want to put an untested new government into power??

IS THE DROUGHT MR HOWARD'S NEW TAMPA?

Or will it Rain for Rudd, in the same way that the Fraser Drought was broken by the Hawke rains in the 80's?

[Aloysius]

Once again, Mr Howard is about to be bailed out by circumstances that arise just when he needs them. With the water about to be turned off to the food bowl, prices of food will skyrocket. As has happened in the UK, this will cause inflationary pressures which will necessitate a hefty interest rate rise.

So if you have a mortgage and kids to feed, tighten your belt because your nightmare is about to begin.

Now... in that scenario of fear, uncertainty and doubt, would you want to put an untested new government into power??

IS THE DROUGHT MR HOWARD'S NEW TAMPA?

Or will it Rain for Rudd, in the same way that the Fraser Drought was broken by the Hawke rains in the 80's?

Looks like you didn't get the news about interest rates BribieG

[BribieG]

Check again about September - as you would personally be aware vast amounts of food are grown in Queensland (Childers, Lockyer Valley, Bowen, Darling Downs) and we are about to head into a winter with virtually no summer rains in the south of the State this season. Apart from Bowen most of the rains did fall in plentiful quantity in places like Cairns, Ayr, Mackay and are being used to grow SUGAR. wtf.

[Aloysius]

Check again about September - as you would personally be aware vast amounts of food are grown in Queensland (Childers, Lockyer Valley, Bowen, Darling Downs) and we are about to head into a winter with virtually no summer rains in the south of the State this season. Apart from Bowen most of the rains did fall in plentiful quantity in places like Cairns, Ayr, Mackay and are being used to grow SUGAR. wtf.

Ok - I will wait till September - funny thing is folks making dire predictions keep saying the same thing - "wait till ..... then you will see" For the last 10+ years they've been wrong

[BribieG]

Hopefully before September we will all be on our knees praying for the rains and floods to end.

Despite the length, and because it's Anzac Day, for those who have never read (or heard, because it sounds great live!) the following Australian Classic:

SAID HANRAHAN by John O'Brien

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

In accents most forlorn,

Outside the church, ere Mass began,

One frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about,

Coat-collars to the ears,

And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,

As it had done for years.

"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke;

"Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,

For never since the banks went broke

Has seasons been so bad."

"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil,

With which astute remark

He squatted down upon his heel

And chewed a piece of bark.

And so around the chorus ran

"It's keepin' dry, no doubt."

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

"Before the year is out."

"The crops are done; ye'll have your work

To save one bag of grain;

From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke

They're singin' out for rain.

"They're singin' out for rain," he said,

"And all the tanks are dry."

The congregation scratched its head,

And gazed around the sky.

"There won't be grass, in any case,

Enough to feed an ass;

There's not a blade on Casey's place

As I came down to Mass."

"If rain don't come this month," said Dan,

And cleared his throat to speak -

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

"If rain don't come this week."

A heavy silence seemed to steal

On all at this remark;

And each man squatted on his heel,

And chewed a piece of bark.

"We want an inch of rain, we do,"

O'Neil observed at last;

But Croke "maintained" we wanted two

To put the danger past.

"If we don't get three inches, man,

Or four to break this drought,

We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

"Before the year is out."

In God's good time down came the rain;

And all the afternoon

On iron roof and window-pane

It drummed a homely tune.

And through the night it pattered still,

And lightsome, gladsome elves

On dripping spout and window-sill

Kept talking to themselves.

It pelted, pelted all day long,

A-singing at its work,

Till every heart took up the song

Way out to Back-o'-Bourke.

And every creek a banker ran,

And dams filled overtop;

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

"If this rain doesn't stop."

And stop it did, in God's good time;

And spring came in to fold

A mantle o'er the hills sublime

Of green and pink and gold.

And days went by on dancing feet,

With harvest-hopes immense,

And laughing eyes beheld the wheat

Nid-nodding o'er the fence.

And, oh, the smiles on every face,

As happy lad and lass

Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place

Went riding down to Mass.

While round the church in clothes genteel

Discoursed the men of mark,

And each man squatted on his heel,

And chewed his piece of bark.

"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,

There will, without a doubt;

We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,

"Before the year is out."

[50mxe20]

Hopefully before September we will all be on our knees praying for the rains and floods to end.

Despite the length, and because it's Anzac Day, for those who have never read (or heard, because it sounds great live!) the following Australian Classic:

A classic, without a doubt.

Belongs in the jokes thread.

[Aloysius]

Thanx for that BribieG

More things change more they stay the same

[DrP]

Check again about September - as you would personally be aware vast amounts of food are grown in Queensland (Childers, Lockyer Valley, Bowen, Darling Downs) and we are about to head into a winter with virtually no summer rains in the south of the State this season. Apart from Bowen most of the rains did fall in plentiful quantity in places like Cairns, Ayr, Mackay and are being used to grow SUGAR. wtf.

What else do you expect to be grown in an area blanketed by sugar cane? Bananas?

Apart from storing the water in the existing dams and letting it slowly evaporate off, what else do you propose is done with it? Have it all bottled and shipped down to the SE where zip has been done for years WRT to ensuring a reliable water supply?

BTW Mackay and surrounding area has been on continuous water restrictions for many years now and as a result has sufficient water to satisfy reasonable levels of use for all. Kinchant is almost full, Teemburra is half full, Eungella is around half full, Dumbleton around 2/3, Marian is full, Mirani around half full for a grand total of around 200,000 megalitres.

[Skid_MacMarx]

More things change more they stay the same,,,,

I don't know if you've ever watched the PBS Newshour on SBS but at the end of each episode they have a list of soldiers who have died in Iraq

From that list, many soliders are quite young,

[Aloysius]

I don't know if you've ever watched the PBS Newshour on SBS but at the end of each episode they have a list of soldiers who have died in Iraq

From that list, many soliders are quite young,

It's high on my list of things to watch - I see them as even handed and fair.

[mello yello]

"....I believe that by 2020 this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal of landing an Aussie on the Moon and returning him safely again"

John Winston Howard just prior to the 2007 election

[Santa1503559644]

"....I believe that by 2020 this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal of landing an Aussie on the Moon and returning him safely again"

John Winston Howard just prior to the 2007 election

Sounds like the empty promises of two generations of the Bush dynasty!

[drsmith]

It might be 2020 by the time NASA manage to get a man back on the moon.

[mello yello]

Sounds like the empty promises of two generations of the Bush dynasty!

Famous Bush quotes

"Mission Accomplished"

"what insurgency"?"

and one of my favourites...

President Bush: "Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?"

Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times: "I can take them off."

Bush: "I'm interested in the shade look, seriously."

Wallsten: "All right, I'll keep it, then."

Bush: "For the viewers, there's no sun."

Wallsten: "I guess it depends on your perspective."

Bush: "Touche.

--an exchange with legally blind reporter Peter Wallsten, to whom Bush later apologized, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006 (Watch video clip)

<--shades on

[BribieG]

....What else do you expect to be grown in an area blanketed by sugar cane? Bananas? ......

In the last 6 Months I have driven from Bris. to Cairns and back, and to Sydney and back. True, around places like Babinda and Tully there's probably not much you could do with the land other than bananas, but there are huge tracts of cane around Bundaberg, Maryborough, Beenleigh and especially the Northern Rivers of NSW. I lived in Bundaberg and Maryborough and had veg gardens in both places where I could grow anything with total success (apart from a couple of cold climate things like brussells sprouts). Even Woongarra Shire near Bundaberg produces a fair crop of potatoes! (little known fact). The backpackers who died at Childers were there to pick food crops, not sugar.

With most of the cane areas in good rainfall areas, and sugar prices at rock bottom, surely this is the time to start converting the paddocks to veg production.

BTW if you are in a cane area you would know that farmers traditionally grow a legume crop on canefields then PLOUGH THEM IN as a green mulch!!

[50mxe20]

One for Santa.

[Cooksta59]

Famous Bush quotes

"Mission Accomplished"

"what insurgency"?"

<--shades on

didnt he also say "bring it on" ?

[DrP]

With most of the cane areas in good rainfall areas, and sugar prices at rock bottom, surely this is the time to start converting the paddocks to veg production.

BTW if you are in a cane area you would know that farmers traditionally grow a legume crop on canefields then PLOUGH THEM IN as a green mulch!!

Some farmers are diversifying but the bulk of them still grow cane. Practices such as green harvesting and legumes on fallow fields are comparatively new ideas.

[Austen]

Some farmers are diversifying but the bulk of them still grow cane. Practices such as green harvesting and legumes on fallow fields are comparatively new ideas.

Hemp !! A great plant with fantastic potential !!!

Austen.

[DrP]

Sure is! As the police will happily tell you, several cane farmers have already diversified into the whacky weed version in some of their back fields.

[BribieG]

Some farmers are diversifying but the bulk of them still grow cane. Practices such as green harvesting and legumes on fallow fields are comparatively new ideas.

When I lived in Bundaberg in the 70's most cane farmers grew a crop of 'poona peas' as a green mulch. One of the problems with cane farming is that it is a very easy job (I knew several cane farmers personally). All you do is cause the tractor to move in the right direction at preset intervals and move irrigation pipes. Rest of the time you sit on your verandah and drink home brew and watch the sprinkler (known as a water winch) move its way up the paddock. "Damn, time to move the f* winch again".

At harvest time the contractors come in and you sit and drink home brew on the verandah and watch them do the harvest.

Now and again if you feel like some light exercise you might do some chipping.

In contrast growing zucchinis, tomatoes or broccoli is damn hard work and requires a more complex knowledge of techniques and markets.

[DrP]

One of the problems with cane farming is that it is a very easy job

[Nighttrain]

Hemp !! A great plant with fantastic potential !!!

Austen.