MisterFrog

@MisterFrog@aussie.zone

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Victorian Pill Testing Service opens in Fitzroy⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Quite funnily, it also acts as a consumer protection. If word gets out that a dealer’s product is bad, people will stop buying from them haha

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨'No doubt the media are going to make fun of that': Bruce Lehrmann finds new ways to suffer in court⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Lol, his barrister is brutal haha

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨More AZ issues 19/8/25⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Dang, perhaps time to start singapore.zone? (I jest, it’s unfortunate that a few bad actors ruin it for everyone)

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Australia picks Japan to build $10b frigates after fierce contest⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Indeed.

  Rare point of agreement between us on Lemmy lol (if I’m not confusing you for someone else)

  I’m very anti-war, and a pacifist, but given the world we live in, we need to have our own independent military capability. Independent of the US, UK, or anyone.

  We have everything we need to manufacture all our own weapons and vehicles here, it’ll just require actual government investment, instead of paying private, overseas companies.

  And apparently “big gvmnt bad”, despite us at least getting to vote on it, unlike private companies, or public companies for which you need to be a shareholder.

  Just my 2¢

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Australia picks Japan to build $10b frigates after fierce contest⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  What gets me is that if we’re gonna have a military, you’d really think it would be strategically necessary for us to have our own ship building capabilities.

  Else, what, a war breaks out and we just twiddle our thumbs if we then need to repair them? What is the point of a military if we can’t provide our own weapons?

  May as well just save the money and spend it on something that improves the material lives of people

  Why are we not employing our own people to build these? Makes no sense, to me at least

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨FBI opens first office in New Zealand ‘to counter China and cybercrime’⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  You’d think you could do that from practically any where, unless they’re actually bolstering local server security, which I doubt.

  I really wonder when we (Australia and New Zealand) will wake up to the massive geopolitical risk it is to be tied to any one super power.

  As middling powers (well, us, not New Zealand), we really ought to not attach ourselves to the US.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Police escort neo-Nazis in early morning march through Melbourne’s CBD⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Powerless my arse, that should surely qualify under EPA noise laws. They were extremely loud, at 12:40AM

  How could they not be moved on for that?

  I just assumed it was some football hooligans or something benign like that

  Fuckwits

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Negative gearing reform is back, but young voters now hold the power⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Again, this is what we call investment risk. Investments that don’t up beyond inflation are a bad investment. Which is the risk you take in order to see a potential profit.

  That’s not our collective problem.

  Giving people a discount to subsidise their profits is not a worthwhile way to spend our tax dollars.

  People still invested before this discount was granted, so I’m not really convinced it would break anything by getting rid of it

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Negative gearing reform is back, but young voters now hold the power⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I feel like there would be a much more elegant solution to this than just waiving 50% of your taxable income from investments. Especially since asset prices typically go up during periods of inflation, above inflation.

  Running with your example, I’ll pretend I bought $1,000,000 in assets 1 year ago, inflation was 10%, and my assets returned a 10% capital gain (I’ll pretend there are no dividends), and I sell for a 10% profit.

  Under the current system I made $100,000 as income, and let’s say I sell exactly one year after, so I’m eligible for the capital gains discount.

  If I don’t work, this means I only pay tax on $50,000, which is a tax bill of $5,788 (2024-25 tax brackets). Meaning your profit would be ($100,000-5,788)/$1,000,000 = 9.4212%.

  If it were the full $100,00 it would be $20,788. So 7.9212% profit, in nominal terms.

  You may look at this and go, SEE, you’re actually making a loss so it’s not fair to tax it at the full rate! But this all entirely ignores the fact that periods of inflation have almost always resulted in asset price inflation.

  If they wanna make it that you pay tax only on real gains, then I’m gonna argue they ought to do the same for income from actually working. But this would be a disaster for the budget.

  We’re being jibbed by people who make money by not working. The argument that the asset has gone down in real terms is the investors problem. As investing involves risk which you wear in order to make a potential profit.

  Stop socialising losses in the form of real value loss. That is the investors problem. I don’t see how it’s fair for a worker earning $100,000 to pay $20,788 in tax, but an investor to only pay $5788.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨'We've had enough': Warlpiri elder issues plea to prime minister⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  “Tough on crime” has always been political theatre. There’s been so many studies on this it’s not even funny.

  You don’t solve crime by jailing a bunch of people.

  Just look at the USA, crime rate through the roof compared to Australia, yet they are the 5th most incarcerated people on the planet by capita and largest by total amount.

  Tough on crime doesn’t work, it’s only to dupe people into re-electing politicians with no better policies.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨NSW government kills debate on protesters paying for police presence after exceeding cap⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Want to exercise your democratic rights? Please pay at the next window

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨NSW government kills debate on protesters paying for police presence after exceeding cap⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Pay to protest would have been farcical.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Negative gearing reform is back, but young voters now hold the power⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Absolutely, why we let you halve your taxable income for investments is beyond me.

  Work for your money? All of that is taxable. Let your money work for you? Ooooooh poor baby, let’s half that taxable income shall we? Ooooh you didn’t work at all, let me refund you 30% of your dividends back to you, oh dear, oh dear gorgeous.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨When can I take advantage of the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s stated in my contract, but also this is the appropriate award for enginners: www.fairwork.gov.au/…/ma000065-summary#who-the-pr…

  Unfortunately as it currently stands, I’m not entitled to overtime because of clause (section? I dunno the terminology) 18.6 of the award awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000065.html#_Toc20132350…

  I’m hoping that this legislation ties the hands of the fair work commission so that I don’t have to work 2 “extra reasonable hours of overtime” each week.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Greens and Coalition bristle against Labor’s changes to the standing orders [to allow kicking out MPs for longer and to avoid recording the names of MPs who on some motions]⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  This is extremely unreasonable. It should be on record how an individual MP voted on every single bill. How else are we supposed to hold them to account?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Luxury hotels and a Lamborghini: School captain ‘conned mates out of millions’⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  May I ask what the relation is to the story you posted?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Luxury hotels and a Lamborghini: School captain ‘conned mates out of millions’⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  What a world where you have $450,000 lying around to invest in your friend’s business

  Wealth tax when? It’s likely the 1 thing the UK has going for it, politically, at the moment.

• When can I take advantage of the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025?www.abc.net.au ↗
  Submitted ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ to ⁨australianpolitics@aussie.zone⁩ | ⁨2⁩ ⁨comments⁩
• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Drew Hutton helped found the Australian Greens. So why has the troubled party booted him from its ranks?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Kicking out transphobes being probably fair notwithstanding, it would be nice to see the Greens democratise their internal party functions. Members aren’t really consulted on policy creation, they don’t get to vote on the leader etc.

  Note: I’m not a member but know people who are or have been.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  You make valid points. I do think there’s still quite a big shift in people’s lives when they turn 18 (most), or rather, when they leave secondary school.

  Much more so than when they turn 16.

  And that learning accelerates a lot in the last 2 years of school.

  I will say, I’m not 100% opposed.

  And that my previous comments about this being a distraction were not fair statements.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  This is fair. And I’m sorry for how I responded because of my strong dislike for her.

  I should have just left the reminder that she’s anti-worker as an off-topic aside.

  The rest of it, as you rightly point out, is not my best work.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah. I’m gonna do something rare on the internet: you’re right to call me out on this.

  I let my dislike for a class enemy get the better of me in the way I expressed myself. Instead of commenting on the topic of voter age.

  She’s still a wanker for being against wage theft criminalisation. I’ll stand by that.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m not necessarily opposed, but beyond “they deserve a say in their future” I’m not really sure what the argument for it is.

  There’s a lot of learning that goes on between the ages of 16 and 18. Like the level of stuff you’re learning accelerates quite a lot.

  While education isn’t a pre-requisite for voting, we gotta set a line somewhere. 18 is the line we’ve set for a bunch of other things.

  I would need more convincing that this line should be changed.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Education isn’t a pre-requisite for voting, but unless we’re planning on fundamentally changing how we treat 16 to 18 year olds (which I’m in favour of, by the way), I don’t see why 16 should be the new arbitrary age we choose.

  Why not 14?

  18 is the arbitrary age we’ve already chosen to confer adulthood.

  And when I was 16, I felt much the same way. I had my opinions, and I wouldn’t have been against being given the vote. But we also don’t let 16 year olds drive. Should we let them do that too?

  Honestly, I dunno.

  16 year olds aren’t stupid, but we just gotta pick some arbitrary line where we think the average person has had enough life experience to be entrusted with voting.

  And honestly, it’s probably a good thing for people to have the chance of being more numerate and literate via schooling in year 11 and 12, or in a trade or TAFE before they start voting.

  Learning accelerates (at least, in my experience) a lot in those last years of secondary schooling.

  I’m not necessarily against changing it. I just very dislike Monique Ryan because she hates working people (fact, not opinion, since she’s voted against criminalising wage theft), and think this is somewhat a distraction from the economic woes which this kind of ideology produces.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  When I was 16 I also didn’t see much of a need for it (this topic is raised every couple of years). Even though I was much more engaged with politics than the average person at that age, at the time.

  I’m not saying 16 year olds are unqualified to vote, but we gotta draw the line somewhere.

  Adulthood isn’t totally arbitrary because of how we’ve structured our society (though, the age at which this is, depends on when people are leaving school/are legally defined as independent).

  The reason I think this is a distraction is because this has been suggested time and time again, and it’s not likely to get off the ground and it wouldn’t make huge swings in voter numbers.

  I dunno. As in my edited comment, I just think Monique Ryan is a wanker, who I happen to agree with on wanting to do something urgently about the climate.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  This is fair, my language is perhaps a little strong. Still a distraction in my opinion.

  Teenagers are in school, and many are very knowledgeable and engaged.

  But I don’t really think there is much need to change the voting age

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Daily reminder for what this independent stands for. She is a big L Liberal who just happens to believe in climate change and that queer people exist.

  theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/…/monique_ryan

  To me, this is more culture war bullshit that right-wingers love to distract us with.

  The voting age is perfectly fine where it is and is in line with practically all other age restrictions.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Indeed we say “the bill”, this is of course a joke, a play on words.

  Entomology of using “cheque” (American spelling “check”) is a bit murky from my very surface level searching: www.etymonline.com/word/cheque

  Seems logical is gained it’s meaning from 1812: “a counter-register as a token of ownership used to check against, and prevent, loss or theft” from “coat check”. Doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch for the meaning to then mean a token of how much you owe for the food.

  ‘The meaning “restaurant bill” is from 1869.’ according to this website.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Greens defector’s use of slur against fellow senator exposed in text leak⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Because of when I grew up, my mind simply doesn’t register this as an ableist slur, even though intellectually I know it is. It’s like the greens don’t know that trying to smear their defector doesn’t actually make them look good.

  I tire of how bad at politics the greens are. Since they’re the furthest left party with any seats currently, it would be nice if they knew how to play the game better.

  If they took her defection in stride, simply pointing out that she must not really have the same values, could have come across a lot better.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨'Stupid' or misled? Voters demand AEC explain booth's 45% informal vote⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s not unheard of to call a by-election over something like this. That’s what they ought to do in my opinion. That and review training procedures