Last night’s Candidates Forum organised by Sustainable Jamboree saw all Ryan’s candidates attend (except Neville Solomon of the CEC), together with some of the candidates from Oxley, two sitting Senators and one Senate candidate. All the responses will be available as video on the web, via YouDecide2007, so you can be a virtual audience member [...]
Tags:Campaigning·Environment·Local issues·Public transport & traffic congestion
Just a reminder that there’s a candidates forum hosted by Sustainable Jamboree this evening, 7-9pm, at the Centenary State High School Performing Arts Centre. Here’s the program. No matter what your views, it would be great to see you there.
Tags:Campaigning
Most people like to believe that the major parties, as the “franchise-holders” of national politics, are highly competent and plan their policies with care. A small but telling sign that this isn’t always the case is a policy with impressive sounding, but suspiciously round numbers. Such was the case with the Government’s announcement yesterday of [...]
Tags:Education·The Parties
Today the ALP has announced it will commit to new greenhouse emissions targets whether or not China and the US do so as well. The Coalition position has always been that any such commitments that do not include China and the US are pointless. The conflict boils down to one between “ethical leadership” (Australia setting [...]
It was a pleasure to catch up with several friends and acquaintances at yesterday’s Brookfield Uniting Church Country Market and Art Show. Campaign tip: don’t forget your hat. I then spent some time door-knocking in Bellbowrie, Pinjarra Hills, and later, Toowong. While most people are quite surprised to see a live candidate on their doorstep [...]
Tags:Campaigning·Independents
Four weeks until polling day. I had many conversations with local voters yesterday, and two contradictory themes were prominent – sometimes in the same person. At one level there is a distinct upswing of attention to the election, with many more people now discussing the issues, the candidates, and the prospects. At another level, “election [...]
Tags:Campaigning·The Parties
Ryan Independent will skip a day to accommodate a change in the the time of day when I write. A month to go until polling day. A great deal can happen!
Tags:Campaigning
All is not well in the world of teaching. At its best, it continues to be an exceptionally satisfying profession, a fact that goes some way towards making up for its modest pay. For large numbers of teachers, however, the school has become a very stressful and difficult environment, and schools find it difficult to [...]
Tags:Education
Ryan Independent contains a mix of views, issues, events, and ideas. I will periodically add some statistics that I hope readers will find thought-provoking, and begin tonight by answering a follow-up question from my remarks at the recent Ryan Higher Education Candidates Forum. Can it really be, I was asked, that one American university spends [...]
All voters face a strategic choice. Do they disregard the candidates and vote for the party they wish to form government, or do they choose their vote so as to elect the candidate they most wish to be their representative? Many people find themselves wanting Party X in power, but Candidate Y as their representative. [...]
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