MisterFrog
@MisterFrog@aussie.zone
- Comment on Free train rides: V/Line trains hitting capacity 5 hours ago:
The only bad thing is the state government not rapid increasing train frequencies (and also removing the VLine booking system, like, that is really stupid)
- Comment on Thieves steal 12 tons of KitKat chocolate bars in Italy 5 days ago:
The best part is that it was stolen directly from Nestle.
Stealing from Nestle is a moral act.
- Comment on [Discussion] What level of proportional representation is desirable? 6 days ago:
Can agree with you on that point. Seems like a hangover from federation that the smaller states receive more representation.
Doesn’t really make sense in our modern, highly interconnected world to have some states have better representation per capita than others.
I think a unicameral system would not be popular in Australia though, because you’d largely remove local members (unless you switch to something like what NZ has, but with preferential voting for the local candidates). Hence why I advocate for local multi-member electorates in the lower house to improve representation of more parties, and retaining the senate.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts friend!
- Comment on "Free public transport in Victoria through April as fuel prices continue to climb" 1 week ago:
Or we could benefit by having a permanent team who will be cheaper in the long-run, because of familiarity with the systems and projects they build and maintain.
Hiring outside consultants of any kind for a permanent government requirement is pure insanity (or in reality, grift) if you ask me.
I’m sure there are consultancies who do a great job. The actual employees are usually not the problem.
But let’s just give those same employees a permanent job and cut out the middle men who are offering no value whatsoever.
- Comment on [Discussion] What level of proportional representation is desirable? 1 week ago:
Would you also remove the upper house. Otherwise what is the purpose of the upper house if it’s elected identically?
- Comment on "Free public transport in Victoria through April as fuel prices continue to climb" 1 week ago:
Probably not a controversial opinion, but we could save so much money if we stopped hiring consultants for building tech things.
BoM website makeover cost almost $100M.
“Small government” is also the scam the brought us the initial myki rollout fiasco.
This all being said, I agree, public transport should be free and expanded. We can’t keep on with the clearly terrible urban planning of urban sprawl and cars
- Submitted 1 week ago to melbourne@aussie.zone | 5 comments
- Comment on [Discussion] What level of proportional representation is desirable? 1 week ago:
I think under a preferential system people are free to preference who they actually prefer. I think the biggest reason we are the centre major parties (Labor and the LNP) is because we have single member, winner takes all elections. Meaning even if the 2PP (2-party-preferred) vote is 51% vs 49%, the winning candidate gets 100% of the control of that seat.
In the current climate where 2PP isn’t always Labor vs LNP in every seat, I think you would see many seats have a different mix to each other.
Out of curiosity, would you propose halving the number of electorates, or doubling the number of MPs to achieve 2 member electorates?
- Comment on Renters continue to face a tight rental market and rising costs, according to new report 1 week ago:
We’ve covered this a number of times but you’ve flatly refused to provide any substantiation of your position: the reason there isn’t more supply is because people are leaving houses empty that could be rented out.
Additionally, there are no laws about massively increasing rent because the rest of the market also conveniently decides to do so (see the 20-30% rises multiple years in a row, even though mortgage costs didn’t go up enough to justify such an increase).
Also see massive under-investment in public housing, which would reduce demand if we did invest in it.
This housing crisis is entirely of our own making, and we can fix it.
Mark my words, only stopping immigration will not solve this problem.
- Submitted 1 week ago to australianpolitics@aussie.zone | 8 comments
- Comment on Greens capitulate to right-wing campaign against the Palestine movement 2 weeks ago:
I think you’ve just voiced your opinion in a terrible way.
“I hate religion and the bad in causes in the world. I don’t agree with the beliefs of anyone who holds a religion” - totally reasonable position.
“I hate Muslims” (or any religious group of people), seems extremely hateful. You’re saying you don’t just hate a religion, or disagree with people. You hate them personally.
I dunno, just feels like you need to reframe your opinion, or if you really do hate people simply for being religious, need to think if that’s a healthy point of view.
I say this as someone who is vehemently anti-religion, as in most cases, there is some harm being caused by an unacceptably large subset within almost any religious group. But, I still recognise people’s right to believe whatever the hell they want, as long as they’re not personally causing heinous harm themselves, or purposefully/negligently supporting people who do.
You just can’t paint massive groups of people all with the same brush.
Same vibe: I hate the state of Israel, and the Israeli polity for committing genocide, but I still don’t hate Israelis as a blanket statement. That’s just bigotry friend.
Hi ASIO, no, criticising a foreign state isn’t a hate crime!
- Comment on One Nation now wrenching votes from Labor as it overtakes Coalition 2 weeks ago:
South Australia has an idea: SA’s world leading political donations ban now in force (July 2025)
Definitely unrelated: the Liberal vote has dropped so far in SA that some pollsters are posting Labor vs One Nation two-party-preferred numbers.
Yeah curious to see how this pans out, because I’m for publically funded elections! It doesn’t eliminate the influence of lobby groups and scratching of backs, but it’s certainly headed on the right direction.
The cynic in me doesn’t believe the Labor party would have done it entirely out of the goodness of their hearts though, so am cautious optimistic.
- Comment on One Nation now wrenching votes from Labor as it overtakes Coalition 2 weeks ago:
Oh absolutely, this is me just lambasting Labor and the LNP, and lamenting that people seem to think One Nation is a better option…
If anyone will listen to me, please vote left wing (my preference being the Socialists, and the Greens if that’s not palatable for you).
100% with you about the teals, they’re the Liberals except not as completely uncaring. They still hate workers, but at least they believe LGBT+ should have rights and climate change is real. I do hope they keep filling the Liberals niche, but more positive.
All this being said though, it bears mentioning that just because our voting system is decent*, doesn’t mean it’s terribly democratic. Money and lobbying massively influences who gets funding for campaigning, what laws end up getting watered down, how much time people have to engage (due to work hours, pay and insecure work) and what messaging is put in front of voters.
The problem is capitalism at its core, but I will grant our method of voting is one of the best in the world. Could be better though.
*issues with being able to win I think an unacceptable amount more seats than is reasonable compared to actual preferred support, due to single member electorates in the lower house. For an extreme example, if you get 51% of the 2PP vote in all seats, you get 100% of the control of the lower house - I prefer expanding the lower house by 50% and having 3 membered electorates in the lower house. I’m not for much larger electorates though, because we already have that in the senate, and forming government would become too difficult (see Tasmania).
- Comment on One Nation now wrenching votes from Labor as it overtakes Coalition 2 weeks ago:
It seems extremely easy to dupe people who feel downtrodden by the system. Dupe them into believing a scapegoat (foreigners in this case) is the source of all their problems, and then double down on capitalism, making their problems worse than before…
Labor and the coalition aren’t shooting themselves in the foot - well not on purpose. They’re upholding the status quo, which is capitalism. The second they don’t their sponsors will bail, or they won’t have a cushy job lined up after they’re done in parliament.
I’m kinda worried that we’re about to go way further to the right at the next election
- Comment on The world feels like it's out of control. Could this chaos be deliberate? 2 weeks ago:
Speculation on my part, but I seems like Israel wanted to do a landgrab in Lebanon and told the US it’s doing it.
The US wanting to distract from their president being a pedophile, went along with it at the last minute.
- Comment on I am a rocker! I am a roller! I am the out-of-controller! I am the Nightrider! 3 weeks ago:
It’s also how you get removed as prime minister by “our man Kerr”.
We’re America’a little sub, and we really ought to be figuring out how to play the major powers off each other instead of being taken advantage of.
And make no mistake, if we ever tried nationalising our resource extraction, there would be a CIA sponsored coup if we hadn’t extricated ourselves by then.
- Comment on Macedonian dancers pull out of Moomba after flag ban 3 weeks ago:
Seems like the Federation of Macedonian Cultural Artistic Associations of Victoria is pulling a bit of a stunt here. If it was clearly communicated ahead of time in the rules that only national flags are permitted, then they knew what they were doing.
Sucks for the performers.
- Comment on Australia would be signed up to Iran war ‘by deception and stealth’ if military support sent, Shoebridge says 3 weeks ago:
It’s such a farce that we still allow the cabinet to unilaterally declare war without having a vote in parliament…
- Comment on Live: PM confirms three Australians on board US submarine that sank Iranian frigate 4 weeks ago:
Empire
- Comment on Pauline Hanson censured over remarks there are no 'good Muslims' 4 weeks ago:
What exactly is your point here? I’m trying to figure out the metaphor you’re trying to make.
A nation of convicts on invaded land can’t tell Pauline Hanson to stfu with her bullshit?
- Comment on Melbourne Celebration for end of the Ayatollah 5 weeks ago:
Certainly not shedding a single tear for the regime, but it remains to be seen how positive this will be for the people Iran long-term.
If I’m not mistaken, the current regime was able to take power in the first place on the back of a movement against the Shah, who US/UK installed via coup.
Who knows what would have ended up happening if the US hadn’t meddled in the first place, but the point remains that the US shares a large part of the blame for creating the conditions that brought about the current regime.
Fingers crossed there is a silver lining here :/ Hopefully a genuine grassroots/workers movement can seize this opportunity to bring about something positive.
- Comment on Guardian Essential poll: more than half of Australians open to voting for One Nation despite Hanson’s Muslim comments 5 weeks ago:
If I were to be a bit conspiratorial, perhaps this is just the Murdoch and other corporate media realising the Liberal/National Party brand is dead and are backing a new right-wing horse.
I do agree, it seems very quick, but I suppose a trickle often becomes a flood shrug¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Comment on Guardian Essential poll: more than half of Australians open to voting for One Nation despite Hanson’s Muslim comments 5 weeks ago:
I think it’s more a symptom of where right wing politics has gotten us. They’re tired of the extremely tired status quo. People’s real wages are going back. People don’t see a real hope of having stable housing.
They’re just being duped into anti-immigration and “small government” (actually the same size government but privatised) being the answer.
The Labor party are centre right. Let’s be clear. And people are choosing One Nation because for some reason socialism is scary.
- Comment on MAGA figure tells Australian conservatives centre-right politicians 'betrayed' West 5 weeks ago:
Centre-right politicians… …selling out to the far right.
Ahhh, a tale as old as time
- Comment on Pauline Hanson issues partial apology for suggesting there are no 'good' Muslims 1 month ago:
Is this not just straight up hate speech and should be prosecuted?
- Comment on Discussion: anyone else feeling a bit meh about the munnel? 1 month ago:
Finally actually coming, though still many years for completion.
- Comment on Even Gen Z wants to keep Australia Day date: poll 1 month ago:
“Hey get over it”, “it’s history mate”.
If these polls are to be believed, says a lot about the average Australian. Considering historical wrongs are still causing modern day problems for descendants (deaths in custody, rates of incarceration, rates of child removals etc), one really ought not pretend like celebrating the British invasion/genocide is a great day.
Which is what it is, explicitly. You might not like to think about it, but that’s what the day is. It marks the beginning of an invasion.
Frankly, if this poll is to be believed (and perhaps it’s not accounting for regional differences) then I say a boatload of Australians are wankers.
It’s a stupid day to celebrate a country on.
- Comment on Even Gen Z wants to keep Australia Day date: poll 1 month ago:
We get that by changing the purpose of the date, and picking a new one to actually celebrate, I reckon
- Comment on Something Surprising Happens When Bus Rides Are Free 1 month ago:
Those people are already taking PTV for free haha
- Comment on Something Surprising Happens When Bus Rides Are Free 1 month ago:
without the riff raff
Wtf, this reads truly unempathetic and isn’t realistic about the challenges of homelessness and severely poor mental health
Putting words in your mouth, shall we introduce W 50¢ fare for the street so you don’t need to be confronted by the failure of our society?