It was our Federal Election voting day today. I drove to my old primary school and voted. As I was leaving there was a man there 'entertaining' the crowds waiting in line.
I'm kinda thankful I had gone in before he arrived.
Writer, poet, artist and prolific reader.... that's me.
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@bkbinthecity It was. Here in Australia, it's not compulsory to vote, but you're encouraged to when you turn 18. However, if you don't and you're enrolled to vote, you can cop a big fine for not voting. And if you're not enrolled, you're asked why not... you must be an Australian citizen to vote as well.
Seeing we have so many people coming in to the country claiming to be refugees and wanting so much, I think it'd be only fair to get them to become citizens before they leave the detention centres. This makes them get out there and get jobs, pay taxes and keeps our country from being in debt.
I know that sounds political, but really, it would make better sense.
Well, the idea of getting fined if you don't vote, that is a different twist. We here in the States deal a lot with people coming in and getting so much in regard to government help in all areas of life, and it is to the point where it is costing the working population so much. Unfortunately, those who benefit from the backwards system are able to get away without working. They actually make out better not working. Minimum wage here is less than what people make on welfare, so where is the incentive I ask.
@digitalrn Actually our government has made the people on the dole (money they give out when you're not working) work for it. Otherwise, you must fill out a diary of where you sent out your resume and interviews (this includes addresses, phone numbers and when you went for interviews so Centrelink can check up on your diary).
However if you're on a pension - like I am - they check up on you all the time. They figure out what bank accounts you have, if you're managing to save money, if you're working for yourself, if you're volunteering anywhere... nothing is sacred. It's really a huge Big Brother issue and very invasive; I find that I feel very angry when I get called in to be talked to by Centrelink as they report back to the federal government and I tend to clam up once I get there. Even Mum - who goes with me - can see I'm not very forgiving when it comes to answering their questions.
Dad used to think it was stupid of me to keep everything a big secret, but then he retired and found it was like having some stranger go through your underwear drawer while you were out.
@digitalrn Also, here in Australia, if you want to have a say in our country, it's best if you vote. But you have to be an Aussie Citizen to be able to vote... my next door neighbour isn't a citizen, and yet she complains about me to everyone she knows; this is where being a citizen and able to vote and have something done about people comes in handy here. It's a complex issue here in my country. We give so much to people who have come here from countries where they can't live. Our government gives so much: housing, jobs, cars, money, education... they teach people how to conform to the Western Lifestyle, dressing, cooking shopping, how to socialise with us, put their children into public schooling systems... and a lot of their children don't speak English at all... it's very difficult. And yet, we're treated horribly and then we complain about how we are treated to our government, we're called racist...
I still think peopl should be made to get jobs instead of having things just handed to them. I know they have come from difficult places, but still, they can't just assume we are going to have the door open each time.
September 7th, 2013
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Seeing we have so many people coming in to the country claiming to be refugees and wanting so much, I think it'd be only fair to get them to become citizens before they leave the detention centres. This makes them get out there and get jobs, pay taxes and keeps our country from being in debt.
I know that sounds political, but really, it would make better sense.
However if you're on a pension - like I am - they check up on you all the time. They figure out what bank accounts you have, if you're managing to save money, if you're working for yourself, if you're volunteering anywhere... nothing is sacred. It's really a huge Big Brother issue and very invasive; I find that I feel very angry when I get called in to be talked to by Centrelink as they report back to the federal government and I tend to clam up once I get there. Even Mum - who goes with me - can see I'm not very forgiving when it comes to answering their questions.
Dad used to think it was stupid of me to keep everything a big secret, but then he retired and found it was like having some stranger go through your underwear drawer while you were out.
I still think peopl should be made to get jobs instead of having things just handed to them. I know they have come from difficult places, but still, they can't just assume we are going to have the door open each time.