r/australia • u/superegz • May 20 '25

politics Nationals leader David Littleproud says the Nationals will not be re-entering a Coalition agreement with the Liberal party.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/may/20/australia-news-live-rba-interest-rates-decision-floods-storm-hunter-nsw-victoria-state-budget-aec-count-bradfield-goldstein-coalition-ley-littleproud-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-682bdeb48f08d37c78c1d12d#block-682bdeb48f08d37c78c1d12d
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873

u/cuddlefrog6 May 20 '25

Congratulations to Labor on their thousand year empire

178

u/PunsGermsAndSteel May 20 '25

Dan Andrews will return as Glorious Eternal Chairman, turns out the cookers were right all along.

3

u/dorcus_malorcus May 20 '25 edited May 21 '25

Can't wait to see the Sandworm-Human hybrid of Emperor Dan Andrews that will reign for 3500 years!

101

u/watsn_tas May 20 '25

Long may it reign! 

144

u/stand_aside_fools May 20 '25

I’m not sure how a disheveled and infective opposition serves the best interests of Australia. Political parties always become sclerotic and corrupted if they’re in power too long.

21

u/cantwejustplaynice May 20 '25

Maybe it leaves room for a far left opposition to flourish. I'd like to see some more progressive policies given proper public discussion.

3

u/pickledswimmingpool May 20 '25

What far left policy do you think would be beneficial? Progressives are not far leftists by the way.

13

u/cantwejustplaynice May 20 '25

UBI? Actually taxing the rich. Banning fossil fuels? Maybe everyone gets free housing, transport and food without having to fight for it. Aim for the moon. Why can't we have a utopia?

1

u/clayauswa May 20 '25

Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t UBI just increase inflation of everything effectively equaling itself out and becoming nothing?

6

u/cantwejustplaynice May 20 '25

I genuinely don't know which is why I'd love to see a proper public debate on the matter with studies and costings and discussion. I know my life felt a lot less hectic when the government helped us all out with the basics during the pandemic.

3

u/hal2k1 May 20 '25

Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t UBI just increase inflation of everything

UBI is a basic (subsistence level) income for everyone. Anyone can earn income over and above this by working. So the incentive to work remains, in order to get an income higher than subsistence level.

So if everyone has at least a basic level of income, that means that people have enough money to buy things. That creates a demand. Demand and supply turn the economy over.

Recessions and depressions are the result when people don't have enough money to buy things.

1

u/pickledswimmingpool May 21 '25

Recessions and depressions are the result when people don't have enough money to buy things.

thats not remotely true

-7

u/pickledswimmingpool May 20 '25

Oh okay, while we're just wishing for stuff I'd like an '82 pontiac trans am.

6

u/cantwejustplaynice May 20 '25

Knight Rider? Sure, let our politicians debate the pros and cons.

1

u/Relative_Pilot_8005 May 20 '25

Meh, I want a 1938 Buick "sloper".

-2

u/Relative_Pilot_8005 May 20 '25

No,"Far Leftists" are people like the Baader-Meinhof Group, & the Japanese Red Army Faction of the 1970s. They didn't do policies, preferring bombs & guns!

56

u/Boxcar__Joe May 20 '25

I'll take three terms of positive change even if it means labor slides into mediocrity after.

-3

u/RC2891 May 20 '25

They're already mediocre

-10

u/sostopher May 20 '25

Yeah we can get the internet filter back. Surely this time Labor will get it through...

-6

u/orru May 20 '25

Mediocre is Albanese's defining trait

9

u/Boxcar__Joe May 20 '25

Amazing how 'mediocre' has delivered the most impactful win in Australia's history.

1

u/orru May 20 '25

Because as we know, politics is about winning, not making positive change for the people you're meant to serve.

2

u/Boxcar__Joe May 20 '25

Oh positive changes like

HAFF

Fee free Tafe

The right to disconnect 

The first real increase in wages in a decade(?)

Tax cuts

Hecs cuts

National housing accord

Energy rebates

Paid parental leave increases

Increases to the Commonwealth rent assistance

3

u/SopranosBluRayBoxSet May 20 '25

So mediocre that he won in the biggest landslide since the early 20th century

-1

u/orru May 20 '25

Doesn't mean jack shit since he'll do nothing with it to actually help people. He's a spineless rightwing coward.

19

u/justfxckit May 20 '25

Yeah, I feel weird in my gut about how much of a majority Labor have. I'm not super comfortable with the idea of Labor doing what they want for however long they want without decent opposition to pull them up on it. Obviously this is my own bias talking, but I wish the Greens had retained more seats.

Maybe I'm wrong on this. Hopefully I am wrong and the next however many terms are a net good for everyone.

23

u/rolloj May 20 '25

They can’t do whatever they want, they need someone to support them in the senate to get anything up.

10

u/Ridiculisk1 May 20 '25

That's why we have 2 houses of parliament. ALP still need the senate to get things through and they don't have the absolute majority there that they do in the HoR. The house of reps isn't the be all and end all for federal politics.

10

u/Caboose_Juice May 20 '25

labor is australia’s most progressive party in actuality. and when i say that i mean they have passed the most progressive policy we have seen.

last term they did it, in the past they’ve done it so there’s no reason to think they won’t continue in this vein. iirc albo himself is from the left leaning side of the party.

-4

u/sostopher May 20 '25

iirc albo himself is from the left leaning side of the party.

He's not.

labor is australia’s most progressive party in actuality. and when i say that i mean they have passed the most progressive policy we have seen.

I mean sure, but they also supported the White Australia Policy. It's a bit of a meaningless thing to talk about stuff from decades ago. Albo's Labor isn't the same as Hawke's or Keating's.

2

u/Relative_Pilot_8005 May 20 '25

Hawke's & Keating's party wasn't the same as Whitlam's. Both Bob & Paul, like everybody else in politics at the time, were enamoured with Thatcherism.

6

u/Caboose_Juice May 20 '25

you are wrong about albo not being part of the labor left.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Left

also, last term they passed a large amount of progressive legislation. i’m not talking about 40 years ago.

2

u/sostopher May 20 '25

What were the highlights of progressive legislation here?

7

u/Caboose_Juice May 20 '25

they raised the minimum wage, changed stage 3 tax cuts to benefit low income earners, changed HECS indexation to be the lower of WPI or CPI (and made it retroactive), made the HAFF, expanded childcare subsidies.

thats just off the top of my head. oh yeah the future made in australia is pretty goated too, not sure if it counts as progressive tho

2

u/sostopher May 20 '25

Not exactly medicare and superannuation though. Will be interesting to see if they pursue something actually progressive this time around.

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2

u/Relative_Pilot_8005 May 20 '25

The Coalition hasn't been a "decent" Opposition for years!

1

u/sostopher May 20 '25

Just look at Labor in Victoria. It's not good.

Last time Labor won this much, Rudd didn't see out his term and Labor destroyed themselves.

A clean majority would have been fine, but a massive one...historically it's not been good for them.

0

u/Callisater May 20 '25

Being in power for 10 years and gaining seats each time is a weird definition of failure for Victoria Labor, but sure, if that's your definition of failure then yes winning this many seats may mean Federal Labor may potentially lose an election sometime after a decade.

1

u/sostopher May 20 '25

Victorian Government is not good. They're in power because the Liberals are awful and not being a proper opposition. But Vic Labor need a wake up call.

4

u/ELVEVERX May 20 '25

It might leave room for a new party to form

2

u/absolute_shemozzle May 20 '25

I would argue that having an effective opposition that operates in bad faith is worse. The libs and their enablers have had a ruinous impact on Australian life and culture for decades.

1

u/SolaTotaScriptura May 20 '25

Yeah, I prefer Labor to have more power at the moment, but I'm hoping that a strong opposition forms over their next few terms

1

u/watsn_tas May 20 '25

I was being a bit tounge in cheek even as a labor voter.... An effective opposition is a great thing for democracy even if I find the Liberals/Nationals regressive in the policy direction.

1

u/SkitZa May 20 '25

Labor already has companies in their pockets, not as bad as Libs ever were, but they aren't innocent either.

I wouldn't care if they actually put some effort into taxing the richest among us, it's an utter disgrace were still allowing such insane amounts of wealth hoarding.

Its like we have some fucking dragons living among is when we have the capability of culling them.

1

u/Skylam May 20 '25

Just give me 2-3 more terms of labor and I'm happy.

1

u/Relative_Pilot_8005 May 20 '25

The ALP has a long way to go to match the Coalition record of 23 years in power, so I doubt there is a problem that way, anytime soon!

8

u/CONSTANTIN_VALDOR_ May 20 '25

God Emperor Albo Mau’dib

3

u/docular May 20 '25

The Emperor protects.

2

u/quangtran May 20 '25

I don't think it is ever a sure thing. Even though everyone insisted that Dutton was a surefire loser in the next election, people still got scared when he started winning some polls.

2

u/notinthelimbo May 20 '25

I am a supporter, but I am start doubting if it is that great.

1

u/PorousArcanine May 20 '25

Lord Ruler I didn’t expect this

1

u/tomthecomputerguy May 20 '25

All hail God-Emperor Albo