"I challenge you to name another tech company that innovates like Apple--with game-changing technologies like the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, and iPad."

VMWare. It's owned 80% by EMC, which is a behomoth and totally innovation free. Yet VMWare puts out a lot of very innovative products.

Fair enough, I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other, I'm just trying to find out your sources. I, also, don't trust Tony Abbott and I won't be voting for him. It's just my lack of trust is based on other things than yours, that's all.

However, I have to note that Hansard is unreliable in this respect, because anyone can say anything they want as they are under immunity from libel law while in the Parliament, and thus can say what they like without any need to back their statements with fact. Sure, there's the Privileges Committee, but it is rare that anyone is referred to this.

Secondly, I don't trust much of what is reported in newspapers - they have not exactly been accurate sources of information over time. It's quite possible that Abbott doesn't prosecute as a libel case would look far worse than just keeping a dignified silence. Politicians have thick skins, and and Abbott probably more so than the average.

You can get that right now from Cable.

Yeah, cause Cable is ubiquitous.

...I have to vote,

Why?

Voting is compulsory in Australia.

Like I said above (before you changed the topic), how do you know that? He left on his own accord - nobody kicked him out. Their is nowhere on record that says he was "asked to leave", or even that we was expelled from the seminary. Where are you getting your information from?

It's funny you say that. Have your taxes increased recently?

I'll tell you something now: if they can cable up homes to have the potential to go 1GB as technology matures, then it will be a lot cheaper to do it right the first place than do it later. And I'll personally be happy to get 0.03GB/sec - that's still a tremendous data rate!

Yeah, I know - those darned miners and farmers! Anyone would think that they provided something useful to the economy, like raw materials for export overseas, or food or natural materials for clothing. Honestly! What do they provide the economy? Total welfare sponges, every one of them. I agree and in fact in the next election that will be my campaign platform: no more roads, telecommunications or electricity for those who "choose" to leave in regional areas. Bludgers!

Don't for one instant mistake me for being a supporter of Tony Abbott. But the sexual assault charge that you speak of was thrown out of court - over 30 years ago! You are somehow associating this with him leaving the seminary. I cannot see the connection, especially as the court case happened in 1978 and Abbott joined the seminary in 1983. Methinks that if it was a case that they asked him to leave, they probably would have first asked him not to enter.

You know this great insight because you were there?

The other advantage of a State monopoly is that it will provide services in areas that may not necessarily be profitable for a private company. That's important for infrastructure where you need universality of coverage to have an equitable society.

Tony Abbott was never thrown out of the seminary. He left there all by himself. As one who seems so interested in truth, perhaps a little of your own might be a good tonic?

Oh, he's using it. Or rather, he's misusing it to try to mislead the Australian public, or hoodwink a lot of people who don't understand economics. Like I say, not trustworthy.

I'm sure that more major network links will be created over time. There's no reason why they shouldn't be.

Your problem is that you feel that everything is hosted overseas. It's not. Not everything runs through the International links, unless you are some sort of stupid corporation that uses an MPLS network to route your traffic - hi EMC network admins! There are vast numbers of servers and Internet based services within Australia that are required or are extremely useful to Australian organizations. That isn't just businesses, it's Universities, charitable organizations, government services, medical organizations - you name it, it will be used.

Actually... he graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Economics (BEc) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and graduated as an Oxford Rhodes Scholar with a Master of Arts (MA) in Politics and Philosophy.

I don't like him, and I don't feel he'd be great for the economy - certainly I won't be voting for him! - but you can't say he doesn't have a background in Economics. Now if he would actually use that background, that would be great, but he's too busy running cynical political lines like "we'll stop the boats!" to actually do the right thing for Australia.

Which of course means I don't trust him, and to be honest, neither should anyone else. Sad really. But he has a background in Economics.