In hindsight, I was wrong about Julie Bishop. she was an unprincipled shill for Turnbull

The ALP like grants in government. It is a good way to distribute lots of money without much oversight. Back in 2008, Fairfield Council set up $5k grants for cultural projects. Budding film makers could start projects and use the grants. They weren't to pay the artists, but to fund projects. I applied for such a grant, being desperate for money, but willing to work. Many were coming up with projects on opposing cigarettes, alcohol awareness, youth and domestic violence awareness and so on. I decided to deal with the issues in a short story format, and so covered the many issues I'd seen as a local high school teacher. I was told the project was too ambitious. I did a documentary on Che Guevarra. I was told I'd finished it and so it wasn't worthy of a grant. A project needed to be something I could use in the community, to discuss the important issues. So, I suggested the disconnect between youth and police, humanising police to youth who view them as a threat, instead of as essential to a healthy society. I was told my issue wasn't edifying for the community, and wasn't really cultural. People did access those grants .. not me. And that is why the ALP really love them, they are subject to pork barrelling, rort-ing abuse. BTW, check out my doco on the second intifada.
But that isn't all the ALP care about. They care about women. Not too much .. they don't want to reward women for work. The ALP want tokens. Of the four leaders of the ALP federally, none are women. The Liberal Party's deputy leader, Julie Bishop, is a woman, and more capable as minister than any of the ALP four, but that isn't the point. It is a shame there aren't more like Bishop. Give the ALP time, and they will find another issue that will define their opposition to an Abbott government. The ACT seem to think they have found another issue; Gay Marriage. Personally, I don't like government defining marriage. Government don't do much very well. I shudder to think what complying with gay marriage law would entail for the average citizen. At what time would federal police be able to turn on their flashlights and say, loudly "That sirs, is not legal!"Leave it to the churches to be wowsers. But let the churches make their own regulation. Then let the federal police scratch their heads and try to see if the practice is Catholic or Protestant ..

In the US there are guns. There are guns in Australia too, but there are regulations that are effective. Obama has tried ineffective regulation, and it hasn't worked. Today there is discussion of a man, who might have been a son of Obama, killed lots of people with an assault rifle. He had taken it to the workplace when some would argue it was better off at his home. Because the Democrats get votes by being the goto party for gun control, it is not in their interests to do anything effective about the issue.
https://conservativeweasel.blogspot.com/2021/09/17th-sept-review-of-historical-and.html