Australian politics

More on Family First

From a friend via email:

Fearing the worst, I went to their web site, and -read- their policies.

http://familyfirst.org.au/policy.php

Said reading is actually very, very relieving. I imagine we were all fearing the worst after the Christian Demagogues err…. Democrats. The whole set of policies reminds me most of something that the Salvos would write. And my opinion of the Salvos is about as high has it gets for god botherers (apologies in anyone on the list is Christian).

Stand out “leftie” policies:
Free dental, reduce HECs, drugs = health problem, paid maternity leave, pro-refugee, benefits for casuals & part-time workers, pro-environment, don’t sell Telstra.

Stand out “uh oh” policies:
marriage = boy + girl, embryonic stem cell research = bad, pr0n = bad

Stand out “right wing” policies:
lots of tax & small business reforms, but leave unions and award system alone.

I’d still prefer the Greens, but at least it isn’t Harradine or Nile. And at least they’ve proved that you can be conservative christians without being RWNJs

Here’s a full summary:

Health:

  • pro-medicare
  • free universal dental (go Karl 🙂
  • emphasis on indigenous & rural health
  • change medicare to support the mentally ill
  • improved care of the elderly.
  • emphasis drug abuse as a medical problem, push rehab:
    • — HARM MINIMIZATION — egad, the magic words!

Housing:

  • more public housing
  • pro 1st home grants, want to improve housing affordability

Education:

  • pro-choice
  • reduce HECS
  • increase funding to unis
  • up to $3k a year of education tax deductions per family for kids

Economics / industrial relations

  • economic rationalists / small “l” liberals
  • VERY pro small business
  • support minimum wage / benefits for part time & casual employees
  • think current awards and union system isn’t bad.
  • paid family leave, paid maternity leave
  • unpaid parental for casuals / part-timers

In favour of migration, and measures to increase birth rate

Environment:

  • pro-alternative energy
  • pro-conservation, bio-diversity
  • want incentives for recycling / waste reduction

Asylum seekers:

  • sign Refugee Convention
  • fast processing of refugees
  • pro-repatriation
  • housed within the community via supervised hostels
  • federal assistance to refugee / community integration
  • deport people who AREN’T refugees, but allow people detained
    • for long periods by Howard, or those on long term temp.
    • protection visas to apply for perm residency

Random stuff:

  • Pro-reconciliation, pro-feminism (unsurprising, given that the party leader is a female aboriginal)
  • Against homosexual marriage 🙁
  • mandatory ISP level pr0n filtering
  • joint custody the default in divorce
  • against the war in Iraq, but pro helping rebuild
  • in favour of small government
  • pro ADULT stem cell research, anti- embryonic stem cell research
  • Against the sale of Telstra

Of course – go check it out for yourself, but thought it worth passing on.

  • I checked out the website before the election too….very sanitary.

    I think that it is more what they AREN”T saying on their website that scares me.

    Just to let you know an example of what I am scared of… there was a quote from a Family First dude the other day ( that I can’t remember word for word unfortunately) but it was very close to ” lesbians are witches and should be burned at the stake” ….And they call the Greens extreme????

    They have also done their darnedest to hide their evangelical christian backing….(I have many friends that are Christians and I have totally nothing against Christianity, I think that Jesus taught some amazing things that many would do well to take to heart), but I have a “thing” about missionaries and those that want to push religion on to others..as I feel that freedom of religion is a basic human right. The reason that we need a variety of religions is that people are so varied and different things will work for different people. I think that there should be more focus on harmony amongst religions and I think that the Family first gang totally disagree with me! And that is what I am scared of, that they will force their moral and religious ideas on an unsuspecting nation. I say unsuspecting because they are trying to hide it, both on their website, and in their material.

    If you check out the One Nation website and compare it to Family First it is also fairly sanitary ( apart from the parts that praise refugee detention and repealing land rights!!!!)

    Education – they want uni degrees totally funded by government

    Environment – One Nation will ensure the protection of the Australian environment, including National parks, oceans, waterways and atmosphere, for the benefit and enjoyment of all Australians, now and in the future.We will foster the development of advanced efficient cleaner energy technologies,

    Health – One Nation is committed to maintaining and enhancing our public health care system.† The Coalition’s health care policies are causing a deep crisis within Australia’s health care system.† We are totally opposed to deregulation and privatisation of health care.†

    Sounds Ok huh? But we all know what’s really behind One Nation – the difference is that we have had longer to get to know this particular devil, it’s the one that we don’t yet know that scares me…lets not be fooled! I think they have had so little time in the spotlight and already a comment like the one above about lesbians. lets see what other corkers they come out with given the time!

    Sorry that this was such a rant, and its good to be postive and hope that Family First wont be the disaster that we think it might be, I just wanted to say be wary!

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