The Government presented its budget last night - kept secret until the presentation in parliament, and with enough hoopla leading up to it that it could be the Super Bowl.
Aussie politics is really nasty. It appears that no matter how trivial the matter, the two sides call each other uninformed, idiots, make nasty comments, etc. It's pretty bizarre. And they do it while facing each other across the middle pit of parliament - and it's always associated with a personal attack on intelligence or integrity, not just a disagreement with the policy.
Current hot topics: Australia television is currently transitioning to all digital and the government has proposed providing free installation and set top boxes to convert digital input to analog signals for old TV's of "pensioners" - retirees. Given a recent fiasco with government sponsored installation of home insulation - that in a few cases was improperly installed and caught fire and burned the house down, there is a good target for the opposition. Apparently Tony Abbott (who might really be stupid) doesn't believe that old people need to watch TV. He might be right.
Then, there's a major uproar about a deal with Malaysia: Australia will send back to Malaysia about 800 refugees who sailed here without permission ("Illegal immigrants" in US - speak), in return for 4000 who have achieved legal status as qualifying for amnesty status (I think mostly from places like Afghanistan). Aussies have a strange mix of needing highly trained immigrants to keep the economy going, and not wanting to be the dumping ground for all of South and Southeast Asia's unwanted.
On TV: Netball. Never heard of it before. It seems to get more live coverage than any other single sport (though nobody seems to discuss it). Women play it. There's a basketball style net, with no backboard - seems nearly impossible to get the ball through the hoop unless you're within about 3 feet of the net. And, when you have the ball, you can't move your feet and the person guarding you appears to not be able to move either. And, you can't jump if you have the ball. It's really fast action with lots of passing and running by everyone not having the ball, until finally you throw it to someone standing a foot from the net. Then, everything stops and she hold the ball straight over her head and throws it upwards and it occasionally goes through the hoop. Seems very popular, though I'm not aware that anyone actually watches the numerous TV broadcasts.
Footy (Aussie Football) is great for my business. 18 per side on a field that's 200-250 meters long (I counted 10 referees at one point, but could only see part of the field). You can punch the ball (but not throw it), or kick it, or run carrying it - basketball-style dribbling it once every 10 or so strides (imagine dribbling an oversized football on turf). And, you can have large numbers of people converging at high speed on a long, high kick - imagine a punt that everybody can and does try to catch - or punch the ball away from somebody else trying to catch it. Lots of concussions, lacerations, and dislocated shoulders. Saw a guy dislocate a finger, and the trainer just ran out on the field and popped it back into joint while the guy was running along - slowed down, then kept on going.
And, lots of rugby - still don't understand why they dive over the line, even while completely alone, and slide on the ground holding the ball. May relate to the amount of Foster's ingested at half time.
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