Forums > Social Discussion > Your country's future. What would you do?
Login/Join to ParticipateBRONZE Member
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
Posted:
Recently we had the 2020 Summit; a meeting of various people from around the country to propose ideas for the way to bring Australia forwards.
So, if you attended something like this, what would you tell the elected leaders to do to make it a better place?
My wish list: Abolish HECS for jobs that desperately need people; engineering, science, medicine. There's continual bleating about the skill shortage and from personal experience I can tell them about how difficult it is to source people from overseas, so make it free to encourage students to go there.
Paid maternity leave in accordance to ILO recommendations. Bring the place up to the standard of the rest of the westernised world (excludes the US as they don't have it either).
Abolish means testing the state pension. If you've worked for it, you should get it. While we're there up the payment, who can live on $270 a week?
No tax on superannuation. Generation X and Y won't get the state pension, so quit taxing our contributions now.
Those are a couple of things I would like to see implimented, so, what do you think your country needs?
Recently we had the 2020 Summit; a meeting of various people from around the country to propose ideas for the way to bring Australia forwards.
So, if you attended something like this, what would you tell the elected leaders to do to make it a better place?
My wish list: Abolish HECS for jobs that desperately need people; engineering, science, medicine. There's continual bleating about the skill shortage and from personal experience I can tell them about how difficult it is to source people from overseas, so make it free to encourage students to go there.
Paid maternity leave in accordance to ILO recommendations. Bring the place up to the standard of the rest of the westernised world (excludes the US as they don't have it either).
Abolish means testing the state pension. If you've worked for it, you should get it. While we're there up the payment, who can live on $270 a week?
No tax on superannuation. Generation X and Y won't get the state pension, so quit taxing our contributions now.
Those are a couple of things I would like to see implimented, so, what do you think your country needs?
There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
My wish list:
FIX THE FRIGGIN' INFRASTRUCTURE. Upgrade the electric and water system. Fix the dykes around New Orleans. Upgrade the national ATC system. Build high-speed rail between major cities to parallel the interstate highway system. Build subway systems in major city centers and provide incentives for transit-oriented development.
TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS. Expand the Medicare system to cover all citizens. Health care should be a fundamental right. Subsidize college education.
FIX CIVIL RIGHTS. End the drug war. Stop kicking gays. Provide adequate education to minorities in inner cities.
MIND THE ENVIRONMENT. We can't stop developing, but we can explore alternative ways of collecting and generating energy that don't involve digging oil out of the ground. Put money into research into clean, alternative energy. And that includes nuclear fusion. In the short term, put strict emissions limits on all new automobiles and fund programs to conserve energy.
GET BACK IN SPACE. There's a lot to learn out there and it might help us a lot. Commercialize it. Mine it. Explore it. Develop it. It's our only hope to survive long-term. We fancy ourselves a race of inventors, discoverers, dreamers, and explorers. If we have something productive into which to put our energies, maybe we'll stop falling on each-other like a pack of wolves.
My wish list:
FIX THE FRIGGIN' INFRASTRUCTURE. Upgrade the electric and water system. Fix the dykes around New Orleans. Upgrade the national ATC system. Build high-speed rail between major cities to parallel the interstate highway system. Build subway systems in major city centers and provide incentives for transit-oriented development.
TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS. Expand the Medicare system to cover all citizens. Health care should be a fundamental right. Subsidize college education.
FIX CIVIL RIGHTS. End the drug war. Stop kicking gays. Provide adequate education to minorities in inner cities.
MIND THE ENVIRONMENT. We can't stop developing, but we can explore alternative ways of collecting and generating energy that don't involve digging oil out of the ground. Put money into research into clean, alternative energy. And that includes nuclear fusion. In the short term, put strict emissions limits on all new automobiles and fund programs to conserve energy.
GET BACK IN SPACE. There's a lot to learn out there and it might help us a lot. Commercialize it. Mine it. Explore it. Develop it. It's our only hope to survive long-term. We fancy ourselves a race of inventors, discoverers, dreamers, and explorers. If we have something productive into which to put our energies, maybe we'll stop falling on each-other like a pack of wolves.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
SILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia
Posted:
2020 was a joke. it recommended everything we already new needed doing but didn't really provide any new methods to achieve the goals.
i could have run a back patting event for 1% of the cost of 2020. (the event coordinator alone was paid about $300 000)
get those in government to have a more realistic world view, namely mine :P
2020 was a joke. it recommended everything we already new needed doing but didn't really provide any new methods to achieve the goals.
i could have run a back patting event for 1% of the cost of 2020. (the event coordinator alone was paid about $300 000)
get those in government to have a more realistic world view, namely mine :P
"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"
jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley
BRONZE Member
Insert Champagne Here
13,215 posts
Location: without class distinction, Australia
Insert Champagne Here
13,215 posts
Location: without class distinction, Australia
Posted:
I agree that the 2020 summit was a big hoo haa over nothing.
So, what would I do?
Decrease spending on roads and increase spending on public transport and creating safe bike lanes. Cycling is good for health (obesity crisis anyone?), the environment and the hip pocket.
A total pipe dream, but reverse all those stupid litigious suits where people now no longer take responsibility for their own actions. Is it any wonder kids are fat when councils remove playgrounds out of fear of getting sued? A broken arm from falling off money bars is a right of passage. Plus people really do need to take responsibility for their own actions. OH&S was fine back in the day, but it's now just gone stupid.
Stop selling public land to private users. Once again, any wonder people are fat when they don't have outdoor spaces. Any wonder people are stressed when they have no outdoor spaces.
increase language-learning in schools. as much as i like being one of the few polyglots in the workforce (or will be soon) I recognise that we really need to have more people with second languages as this will foster much better cultural understandings.
But public transport and cycling facilities is my main one.
I feel rather pathetic because mine don't include tax cuts or maternity leave or things like that. And while I think they're important, they're just not massive on my list.
I agree that the 2020 summit was a big hoo haa over nothing.
So, what would I do?
Decrease spending on roads and increase spending on public transport and creating safe bike lanes. Cycling is good for health (obesity crisis anyone?), the environment and the hip pocket.
A total pipe dream, but reverse all those stupid litigious suits where people now no longer take responsibility for their own actions. Is it any wonder kids are fat when councils remove playgrounds out of fear of getting sued? A broken arm from falling off money bars is a right of passage. Plus people really do need to take responsibility for their own actions. OH&S was fine back in the day, but it's now just gone stupid.
Stop selling public land to private users. Once again, any wonder people are fat when they don't have outdoor spaces. Any wonder people are stressed when they have no outdoor spaces.
increase language-learning in schools. as much as i like being one of the few polyglots in the workforce (or will be soon) I recognise that we really need to have more people with second languages as this will foster much better cultural understandings.
But public transport and cycling facilities is my main one.
I feel rather pathetic because mine don't include tax cuts or maternity leave or things like that. And while I think they're important, they're just not massive on my list.
i would have changed ***** to phallus, and claire to petey Petey
Rougie: but that's what I'm doing here
Arnwyn: what letting me adjust myself in your room?..don't you dare quote that on HoP...
Stargazer
6,650 posts
6,650 posts
Posted:
For Australia? Definitely build a better railroad...
For all: Increase learning languages and improve the schooling system.
Add different subjects and custom tailor for individual students according to their abilities.
Stop gross exploitation of resources and improve recycling facilities.
For Australia? Definitely build a better railroad...
For all: Increase learning languages and improve the schooling system.
Add different subjects and custom tailor for individual students according to their abilities.
Stop gross exploitation of resources and improve recycling facilities.
the best smiles are the ones you lead to 
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
Posted:
Rougie, it's interesting seeing how your opinions change as you age; 10 years ago I would have been saving the world, 20 years ago I would have been banning all road expansions and greenfield development, 30 years ago, being 2, I would have been primarily concerned with biscuits. I'm very interested to see if there's predominant opinions in each age group.
Rougie, it's interesting seeing how your opinions change as you age; 10 years ago I would have been saving the world, 20 years ago I would have been banning all road expansions and greenfield development, 30 years ago, being 2, I would have been primarily concerned with biscuits. I'm very interested to see if there's predominant opinions in each age group.
There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Eera, I'm 30 and my main concern is public transport, too. I've been to Europe where there is no need to own a car. And I live in the U.S. where cars clog our streets and add stress to every day. I hate cars and I hate what they do to the environment. I hate owning one and I hate driving one. But more importantly, they are so costly and inefficient that we cannot hope to continue sustained development as long as they are the dominant form of transport.
And good rail is part of that solution.
Eera, I'm 30 and my main concern is public transport, too. I've been to Europe where there is no need to own a car. And I live in the U.S. where cars clog our streets and add stress to every day. I hate cars and I hate what they do to the environment. I hate owning one and I hate driving one. But more importantly, they are so costly and inefficient that we cannot hope to continue sustained development as long as they are the dominant form of transport.
And good rail is part of that solution.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
BRONZE Member
Insert Champagne Here
13,215 posts
Location: without class distinction, Australia
Insert Champagne Here
13,215 posts
Location: without class distinction, Australia
Posted:
It could be, but I think my concern with roads and public transport is because I'm a cyclist. And naturally I associate with like-minded people so I don't know what the rest of my age-group thinks.
It could be, but I think my concern with roads and public transport is because I'm a cyclist. And naturally I associate with like-minded people so I don't know what the rest of my age-group thinks.
i would have changed ***** to phallus, and claire to petey Petey
Rougie: but that's what I'm doing here
Arnwyn: what letting me adjust myself in your room?..don't you dare quote that on HoP...
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
Posted:
Mike, I'm with you with every single one of those. I will do anything I can to get out of driving but as far as the state government is concerned Queensland doesn't exist north of the Sunshine Coast so funding for up here to improve public transport just ain't going to happen. Unfortunately I'm in a job where you cannot drive anything other than a fourby ute; taking a tonne of rock samples on a bus just doesn't work.
Mike, I'm with you with every single one of those. I will do anything I can to get out of driving but as far as the state government is concerned Queensland doesn't exist north of the Sunshine Coast so funding for up here to improve public transport just ain't going to happen. Unfortunately I'm in a job where you cannot drive anything other than a fourby ute; taking a tonne of rock samples on a bus just doesn't work.
There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.
Stargazer
6,650 posts
6,650 posts
Posted:
Oh and I forgot: FREE (quality) education for everyone!!!
Oh and I forgot: FREE (quality) education for everyone!!!
the best smiles are the ones you lead to
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