That alignment is a triumph of hope over experience.
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And theyāre (Govt) being advised accordinglyā¦ Thereās no future siding with China, it canāt be trustedā¦ Therefore we have no realistic choice than to continue to be strongly linked to the USA. Thereās no viable alternative for this country given the heightening volatility around the globe.
They already have. ComSuper ( my Super fund) owns a bunch in the Riverina, so does the Commonwealth Bank that I know of.
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Seriously Scotchy, what the Fark makes you believe that. USA has a much worse record on war, invasion and screwing over its allies.
I actually reckon in defence matters you trust no-one totally. I would prefer we spent our defence money on nuclear deterrence than anything else.
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We traded our commodities with considerable stability in China, long before China opened its economy. We also traded in wheat and wool with Russia with stability throughout the Cold War, except when we got caught up in international sanctions. It took us a long time to get back into the market after sanctions were lifted. The US got back in quickly and took some of our grain market share.
The US wants us to decouple from trade with China as part of a shared security interest. That would completely stuff all of us, not just Gina and Twiggy.
On trade now, Iād much rather trust China than the US.
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Australia does not have to commit entirely to one side or the other. Fortunately, both the ALP and LNP acknowledge that.
Diplomats are paid to do stuff. Balancing this situation to maximize our benefits across both USA and China is one of those things.
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Whilst Iām not confident in any way that the US will come to our aid I donāt have much of an issue buying our military stock from them as at the end of the day their equipment is often the best or close to the best and at the end of the day I want our military to to have the cream equipment not the Aldi knock off inferior version like many others do
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Yeah so why on earth would you have a stadium anywhere other than Hobart?
I mean itās what half the population of the state?
And it has I assume the hotels for anyone flying in to see a game to stay at?
And any other attractions they might want to spend their money at?
I mean the Boags brewery is in Launceston though I guess?
Lambie has rocks in her head.
Do Tasmanians not get economic development or something?
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Which is great, if you can trust the people youāre buying military equipment from not to cut you off from updates/spare parts and just let your hardware slowly brick itself if you donāt agree to hand over all your mineral resources for free in perpetuity.
Which, letās be clear, is exactly what the US is right now demanding from Ukraine. They have form.
The cream equipment is useless if you canāt run it. Security involves risk management, not just having the shiniest toys.
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People on the North west coast have to travel 3+ hours to get to Hobart.
its 2 hours Launceston to Hobart or vice versa
People coming in off Spirit in Devonport will take approx 3 hours
Thereās really no argument in that Hobart will be their home, much like it is for the Basketball team. But it has worked with them having Launceston Members and selling out the stadium there too.
Theres so much more in Hobart with it being a bigger city and salamanca and waterfront, and can Imagine players likely living at Sandy Bay or Kingston Beach etc.
York Park (Aurora/UTAS) stadium in Launceston has been there a long time, its a great central location from the City. It will be fine to host 4-5 matches a season like it has for Saints/hawks and Tassie VFL before them.
Most Tourists do - Cradle Mountain (NW Coast).
Easiest to do off the spirit from Devonport (With car).
Cataract Gorge is Probably Launcestonās main attraction - heaps of tourists through there daily.
There is lots of wineries near Launceston and Barnbougle golf course near Bridport.
Hobart you have - MONA, Cascade Brewery, Mt Wellington, Salamanca, Botantical Gardens, and further out - Port Arthur, Bruny Island
East Coast - Swansea/Orford/Bicheno/Coles Bay - wineries, bush walks etc
I think some will fly in/out of Hobart, go to the match stay a night or 2.
But there definitely should be plenty of opportunity to bring the car across on the Spirit and Drive around TAS for a week go to the match and head home for Victorians.
I get that but we have one big difference to Ukraine and that is that there are 1000ās of US military personnel based here with a lot more to come and our bases here are vital to their plans and needs. I do think military at least they wonāt rock the boat too much with us but absolutely we should also be using that to leverage better trade deals
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I was talking about this nations security, not so much trade.
It could be argued that the very US presence here is a threat to this nationās security. Forty years ago they had Pine Gap, which is nominally a joint effort. Thirty years ago the Septics had two bases here, IIRC. Now they have 12 permanent bases and 6 rotating ones. Their presence is not protecting this country - it is expanding and underpinning the SE Asian section of the Septic Empire, while Pine Gap controls their satellite communication worldwide.
These bases make us a prime target for anyone that the Septics decide to pick a fight with. They have shown themselves time and again to be utterly untrustworthy, ready to drag their āalliesā into any local skirmish they decide to promote, and to dump those same āalliesā without ceremony when that suits their perceived interests.
Remember too that they are the only country to have used a nuclear bomb - two of them in fact - to get their own way. Right now theyāre controlled by a cult under the leadership of an infantile narcissistic megalomaniac. Is this really a country we should be beholden to ?
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Yeah but for home team supporters.
The devils will get more genuine match day members wonāt they basing themselves out of Hobart?
Itās been a couple of years since visiting Launceston but I donāt remember there being much of a scene in terms of lots of pubs, restaurants.
If Iām going down and back to watch the dons play them Iād have thought Hobart would sort me out much better then. Specially if I stay the night down there.
I agree a weeks break in Tassie yes. North sounds good.
I get the ferry
But thereās also a lot of interstate traffic that wonāt drive down. Swans /Lions/crows/power/eagles/dockers etc
Iāve said it before and I say it again. The only place for a stadium in Tasmania is Campbell Town or Ross - more or less equidistant between Hobart and Lonny. Unfortunately, the Hobart bourgeoisie wonāt have it.
AFL Players arent going to live and train in Campbell town.
Theres only a few Jeremy Cameron and TOm Hawkins types in each club that want to run a farm.
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You need to be based close to your biggest market. A stadium in the middle means everyone has to travel. It would be like making your capital Canberra.
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Anyone else heard about this Metro levy that Victoria Labor is considering putting on households in the upcoming May budget (which has conveniently been pushed out now until after the federal election). Apparently itās $700 per household. Iāve heard it from two different sources now.