He's PM now.. What makes you unhappy with Rudd?

[Kaotac]

Okay, yeah.. He's been PM for about 12 hours.. But surely there's something in his platform that makes you unhappy.. What is it?
For me, it's that he's going to continue with the way the Feds fund schools. I didn't want a Mark Lathem type of list, but I wanted funding for schools to at the very least represent the percentage of children going to Public vs. Private.
Under Howard, the highschool that I went to had to abolish electives because of funding. Drama, some Art subjects were removed outright. What was pretty much the pride of the school, Agriculture had to be cut back greatly. Yet Rudd is going to keep the status quo and it really pisses me off.

Don't get me wrong.. I cheered and clapped at Howard loosing, but I'm just very unhappy with this policy.

[Esra Star]

1. Nothing. In order to criticize, he'll first have to do something.

If he is incapable of doing anything because of a hostile senate,
he'll have to go to a double dissolution.
We're a long way from that though.
Why don't we give him a chance.

[Djinn]

2. I don't need to give him a chance

because I've got huge issues with his already stated plans. Keeping the ABCC is bullshit. It is a total anachronism in this day and age. Secret interrogations with the threat of jail? for attending a union meeting??!?!?!?!? And the LABOR party is OK with this?

I want the private health insurance rebate completely abolished. If it's out of the reach of some Australians then my taxes shouldn't be subsidising an unnecessary expense for those who can already afford it.

Same deal with private schooling - I don't care how much Mr & Mrs Middleclass think they're sacrificing to send junior to a place where he can learn that if you have money you're better. Having only one car or only holidaying in a caravan instead of Noosa are NOT sacrifices.

Choosing between heating your home or feeding your children is a sacrifice. Thousands of families could never buy a car, take a holiday or buy clothes, or any of the other oft stated "sacrifices" made by the upper middle class, and they would STILL never be able to dream of coming up with $1000's (or tens of in the case of places like Kings & Carey) for private schooling.

If they can't afford it why on earth should their taxes subsidise the private school fees of CEO's living in Toorak and Darling Point?

Basically I'm for trashing almost ALL middle class welfare to allow expenditure on those that actually need it. Means and asset test EVERYTHING. If you own a 3 million mansion but have no income then you can downgrade to something normal before asking for the baby bonus or any one of a kazillion rebates we hand out.

Social services are screaming and stretched to breaking point, everyone whines about the poor state of hospitals but at the same time support BILLIONS flowing to the private FOR PROFIT health sector.

Put the money where it's NEEDED not where it's electorally expedient.

Oh and before the chorus of "negative/hater/never happy" starts I'll just add that this Saturday will be the first day I've had off in over a month. During the campaign I knocked on hundreds of doors and spoke with hundreds of swinging voters in marginal seats. I worked a 16 hour day on polling day as a booth captain. I letterboxed 1000's of homes. I worked day and night to get Howard out but that doesn't mean I have to close my eyes and pretend the ALP aren't almost as bad.