FEDERAL ELECTION

[Coriolis]

Those of us who can vote next month better think long and hard about where our vote goes! We are presently seeing a continual erosion of infrastructure with the loss of nearly 7 more airports on the agenda very soon - a virtual continuum of the policies of the Hawke/Keating years when it comes to airports and the viability of GA of which we are an integral part! Think and act bloody wisely - our future depends on it now more than ever!

[Pegs]

which airports are in the firing line now?

[Bite_me]

Kempsey
Goulburn
Caloundra
Hoxton - gone
Evans Head
Maroochydore
Warnervale
Bankstown
.....to name but a few in the firing line......speak to Albanisi the Minister.....he couldn't give a sh*t for anything to do with GA!

[skypig]

And those that survive seem intent on pricing GA out of the picture, especially if non aviation enterprises can afford more.
FAC – Farewell Aviation Centres? F#ck Air Craft? F#ck All Care? Focused Accounting Corporation?

$ky :No where to fly from" Pig

[mja]

Members of the AOPA can access/find out about all the airports on the hit list, also, today the ALP and Greens have done a preference deal, I am not making any claims about either party but if you love aviation look into all the policy details of ALL parties............ The very reason why we need to support the AOPA is for this very reason, they (AOPA) need our support as they support aviation and what affects what WE do!.....................

[Bedouin Prince]

I apologize for my ignorance, but what is the AOPA? Thanks.

[Robinsondog]

AOPA? good question, it used to be the comfy pvt pilot clan which one got given a membership form for before license issue. it got a bit big headed when a couple of zealots used it for pushing ideaology not really suited to the weekend warrior comfy horizons and sunsets atmospherics.
But don't get me wrong it has done some exceptional rep work and it is now where most of the disefranchised ex HAA members hang out, hence the mention on a helicopter thread.

I have two big issues re helicopter aviation with the upcoming election;

1) Mining exploration, that which was mostly responsible for building oz's helicopter industry over the past 50 years looks to be stimied by the new resources tax or whatever they wish to name it. small and mid stream companies will not start unless they can get venture capital for exploration, which they are saying at the moment they cannot get with what Gillard is promising.

There are only two helicopter industries in OZ that are real, Mining and mustering and MINING. Tourism is a cupcake, it nearly cost me my house when the prescious RPT pilots went on strike, 57 businesses in the main street of Cairns went broke, like I say don't bet your bollocks on it.

2) The liberals are trying to get Gillard to admit to her adoption or otherwise of the Henry tax review with regard to contracting. He wants all of us contractors to be employees, fullstop. Be you broom sweeper, pilot, engineer of lowly contract manager. Think about that. That is of course if we survive rule 1.
RD

[Yankee]

Im curious,

I saw the carbon tax was passed in New Zealand, how did that happen? didn't the average kiwi bloke chick get a say? what proportion of the country actually supported it?

Don't Kiwi's realize this is just another tax??? aren't you all taxed enough as it is?

is there any way to repeal this?

Is this going to be the future for Australia?

I think that this is going to be some kind of world wide tax and it just started in New Zealand...

Airport closures are very bad things. elected officials need to become educated on the benefits of airports to their local constituency.

Any way, all the best for your next election, Its going to be a preview of what's going to happen over here in Yankee land I think.

[Robinsondog]

Thanks yankee, we will need all the luck we can get.

carbon tax in oz is another issue of the labour party, but not the liberals. California can give us a clue as to its merits,.

didn't carbon trading send that economy virtually broke in a few short years? One of the worlds largest economies.

Thanks to Al Gore.

carbon tax will virtually stop most helicopter traffic overnight.

as far as a view of the future, I think the last american and OZ elections were both bad views, lets hope we can provide a better horizon for you guys.
RD

[harold]

Anyone seeking a career in helicopters is well advised to vote carefully!
A vote for LABOUR is a definate vote for uncertainty and I don't think we can afford to take the risk!

[Trailing edge]

Bedouin prince,

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

TE

[Freewheel]

Anyone seeking a career in helicopters is well advised to vote carefully!
A vote for LABOUR is a definate vote for uncertainty and I don't think we can afford to take the risk!

The preference deals already announced show two things;

A vote for the Greens in a lower house seat is a vote for Labor.

A vote for Labor in the upper house is a vote for the Greens.


If the Greens get the balance of power, carbon trading is a given. From what I understand of the carbon trading models currently favoured, our value as pilots may all go up as there will be nobody able to afford to train after us.

Unfortunately, our value as pilots will probably go down because nobody will be able to hire us to do any work anyway.....

Doubly unfortunately, the dominant streams of green ideology will ground all of us unless we can power our aircraft with solar panels, emitting only the gentle scent of eucalyptus and sounding like the brush of the breeze through the trees.

[Banjamin James]

AOPA? good question, it used to be the comfy pvt pilot clan which one got given a membership form for before license issue. it got a bit big headed when a couple of zealots used it for pushing ideaology not really suited to the weekend warrior comfy horizons and sunsets atmospherics.
But don't get me wrong it has done some exceptional rep work and it is now where most of the disefranchised ex HAA members hang out, hence the mention on a helicopter thread.

I have two big issues re helicopter aviation with the upcoming election;

1) Mining exploration, that which was mostly responsible for building oz's helicopter industry over the past 50 years looks to be stimied by the new resources tax or whatever they wish to name it. small and mid stream companies will not start unless they can get venture capital for exploration, which they are saying at the moment they cannot get with what Gillard is promising.

I hate talking politics, but this one annoys me enough to make a comment. Do you actually understand the new tax Robinsdog? Or are you simply echoing those views of others? Small and mid stream companies will actually be better off with this tax

Here is a hint to those who may want to actually understand the tax some more, it's called a "super profits tax" for a reason, not an "all profits tax".

[harold]

Benjamin, you are quite correct except the Super Tax in the format as proposed by RUDD will see the mining players change the way they do business and that could mean the end to further exploration in Australia....and the demise of the huge growth we've seen in our own industry. Are you prepared to take that risk?

[If I Was A Bird]

Not really sure that a helicopter forum is the best place to discuss politics. However...

1. Profit is the money left over after all other things have been paid for. So taxing the profit a bit more means less for shareholders - not less for running the business.
2. The minerals in the ground belong to US - The Australian people. NOT the huge multi-national mining companies. Why should some anonymous share holder overseas make money out of what belongs to Australia?
3. If they don't want to dig it out the ground here. Great - let them go else where. But they will be back. We have the largest resources of what most people want. (just hope that when they come back its not with an army in tow!!)
4. With such rich natural resources why have we not got the best education and medical system in the world? Maybe because we do not charge people enough for taking out what belongs to Australia
5. Mining companies like making money. They will keep exploring and digging.

Not saying what the best way to tax it is, but that more for Australia is a good thing if its spent on the right things.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[mja]

My apologies - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), they actually offered all helicopter pilots and on this forum free membership for three months a few months ago, (check out the goss on BS). The HAA (Helicopter Association of Australia) was a failure, however, I have supported the AOPA because they are an industry voice/body that lobby's government on our behalf (we need that voice), the AOPA have worked their butts off to save Kempsey airport and succeded, they are working to save others. From what I know they are not a weekend warrior group of infighting. Peter Holstein, a very well respected helicopter business owner and instructor is our voice on the board of the AOPA, ask Peter directly if you need. All I know being a business owner and being very interested in politics.............be very careful who WE pilots vote for.....This is a critical election, just look into ALL policy from all parties.........

[NoMoneyz]

Never really had a reason to vote before >.<

And I REALLY dont care for politics (half the time they change/revoke policies anyway so who cares), a vote for the Libs would be better how? I really dont want to vote for that Abbot clown but if it helps keep lads in the air i'll throw him mine...

[harold]

If I was a bird, your view too is quite correct however, they are the companys that extract the stuff from the ground....if it wasn't for them, we would get nothing as it wouldn't be coming out of the ground! Here is an example of Gizzard making policy on the run and basically f*cking it up!
Day before yesterday she promised $200,000,000 ($M22) for 15,000 houses to be built in regional Australia in those growth areas she has identified. Do the sums; that just over $13,000 per house....wonder what she is expecting us to live in? Cardboard boxes maybe????
So far she has only told us what Abbott "might' do if he is elected......not much about what she WILL do!
I don't think we can afford to take the risk!

[Jamie]

I don't care about Mining etc but the bottom line is, when the Libs were in power the helicopter industry flourished and jobs were everywhere.
Since Labor got in, pilot jobs are like hen's teeth, helicopter prices have taken a nosedive, aerial work has reduced significantly, and if this carbon tax comes in I guess you can half the industry again.
I've always been a Labor voter but not now if I want to be a helicopter pilot.

[Jabberwocky]

Bit of DA here; It's often over looked that results in economy etc are very rarely the direct result of the last/current government. It takes time for things to filter through. And it is also of my own opinion that whatever economics whichever government throws around, must have minimal affects on us here anyway... we're so small fry on the international economy that we just got towed along with the flow. Who knows...

One thing I do know, is that I've taken a proactive approach to ignoring and staying away from pollitical news, papers etc of late (and the letters to the editor ) and I've been a much happier person - quite possibly more ignorant too

Perhaps we could make a poll and I'll vote for whom the majority thinks is the better for our longevity.