I'd overlooked the State elections, particularly NSW which is in a parlous state (so to speak).
Some part of my reasoning that the election will be called later rather than sooner is that we (as, my workplace) are only just beginning to see an increase in momentum in questioning fulfilment of promises made at the last election, and a corresponding increase in pressure to make some things happen *now*! So far I haven't heard any substantial hints on this front from my colleagues in Canberra, but I'd say Antony Green would be ahead of them in any case. He's pretty cool.
Australian Federal Election: The day after
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Túrin Turambar
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The other thing to remember is that, while the Government may gain or lose seats in the House, they’re bound to get a less-hostile Senate. They’ll be rid of the fourth Coalition Senator in Queensland, as well as Steve Fielding in Victoria. Given that the controversial parts of Rudd’s agenda, like the CPRS, have ended up stalled in the Senate he has every incentive to call an election and get a chance at passing them. Like Antony Green, I think we’ll see the election in August, September or October.
We could be wrong, though. A lot will depend on how the first session of Parliament with Tony Abbott as leader goes.
We could be wrong, though. A lot will depend on how the first session of Parliament with Tony Abbott as leader goes.
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Túrin Turambar
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Bits n' pieces roundup.
On the whole, Abbott hasn’t been doing too badly. As a rough summary of his time as Opposition Leader, he nearly got hit by a truck, observed that he wasn’t getting as much sex as he would have liked because he was so busy, got accused of lacking a basic privacy filter between his brain and his mouth, did a triathlon, rode his bike from Sydney to Melbourne, got accused of focusing on physical pursuits over policy, got lost quad biking in the desert, and finally, has now managed to pull the Coalition ahead in the opinion polls for the first time since early 2007.
There is an election due some time this year, but I would be surprised if the Government didn’t scrape back in. Australians generally don’t dump governments after only one term, and it is still riding pretty high on Australia’s far better-than-expected economic performance. The economy never went into technical recession, and the Government is now forecasting a return to budgetary surplus within three years. It’s boosting that by imposing a 40% tax on what it considers ‘excessive’ mining industry profits. It’s been a bold move – at least one mining CEO described the Prime Minister and Treasurer as communists – and mining is Australia’s big industry. We dig stuff out of the ground, the Chinese buy it, and while those two things keep happening we’re not going to have any serious economic or financial problems, nor are our governments going to need to make really tough choices.
Which is just as well. I honestly can’t criticise the government too much policy-wise, but I have to admit that the Prime Minister annoys me. I’m convinced now that he’s a weathervane who only talks in slogans and clichés and runs from any sign of contention. He combines that with what appears to be a technocratic urge to try and fix problems by taking things over and running them, exemplified in a hare-brained scheme to censor the internet and a proposed nationalisation of the state-run hospital systems. And while I’ll be the first to admit that public hospitals have issues, I don’t see why giving them over to the Federal Government is necessary or even helpful. I’d like to think that the 89 Members of the State Legislative Assembly my fellow Queenslanders and I have gone to the trouble of electing and paying are actually going to have some function.
Anyways, the Federal Government plans to use some of the revenue it will generate from the Resource Rent Tax (as it’s called) to fatten up the superannuation accounts of low- and middle-income workers, build more infrastructure and increase Federal funding to education, all of which are worthy goals in my view. Still, we’ve had far more talk than action by this government on education reform in my view.
Finally, the infamous open mic incident that caught up Gordon Brown during the recent U.K. election campaign reminds me of a little bit of Australian political history from the late 1980s. Someone managed to pick up on and record a car phone conversation between two senior members of the Liberal Party, Victorian Opposition Leader (and later Premier Jeff Kennett), and former and future Federal Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock. The subject of the conversation was the then-leader of their party, John Howard.
From here, with audio (needless to say, language warning).
ETA: Now thatI'm on the subject, I'm also annoyed by the way the Prime Minister calls radio and interviewers 'mate' in such a way that it looks like he's had to remind himself to do it. And I can't stand his ties, either.
On the whole, Abbott hasn’t been doing too badly. As a rough summary of his time as Opposition Leader, he nearly got hit by a truck, observed that he wasn’t getting as much sex as he would have liked because he was so busy, got accused of lacking a basic privacy filter between his brain and his mouth, did a triathlon, rode his bike from Sydney to Melbourne, got accused of focusing on physical pursuits over policy, got lost quad biking in the desert, and finally, has now managed to pull the Coalition ahead in the opinion polls for the first time since early 2007.
There is an election due some time this year, but I would be surprised if the Government didn’t scrape back in. Australians generally don’t dump governments after only one term, and it is still riding pretty high on Australia’s far better-than-expected economic performance. The economy never went into technical recession, and the Government is now forecasting a return to budgetary surplus within three years. It’s boosting that by imposing a 40% tax on what it considers ‘excessive’ mining industry profits. It’s been a bold move – at least one mining CEO described the Prime Minister and Treasurer as communists – and mining is Australia’s big industry. We dig stuff out of the ground, the Chinese buy it, and while those two things keep happening we’re not going to have any serious economic or financial problems, nor are our governments going to need to make really tough choices.
Which is just as well. I honestly can’t criticise the government too much policy-wise, but I have to admit that the Prime Minister annoys me. I’m convinced now that he’s a weathervane who only talks in slogans and clichés and runs from any sign of contention. He combines that with what appears to be a technocratic urge to try and fix problems by taking things over and running them, exemplified in a hare-brained scheme to censor the internet and a proposed nationalisation of the state-run hospital systems. And while I’ll be the first to admit that public hospitals have issues, I don’t see why giving them over to the Federal Government is necessary or even helpful. I’d like to think that the 89 Members of the State Legislative Assembly my fellow Queenslanders and I have gone to the trouble of electing and paying are actually going to have some function.
Anyways, the Federal Government plans to use some of the revenue it will generate from the Resource Rent Tax (as it’s called) to fatten up the superannuation accounts of low- and middle-income workers, build more infrastructure and increase Federal funding to education, all of which are worthy goals in my view. Still, we’ve had far more talk than action by this government on education reform in my view.
Finally, the infamous open mic incident that caught up Gordon Brown during the recent U.K. election campaign reminds me of a little bit of Australian political history from the late 1980s. Someone managed to pick up on and record a car phone conversation between two senior members of the Liberal Party, Victorian Opposition Leader (and later Premier Jeff Kennett), and former and future Federal Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock. The subject of the conversation was the then-leader of their party, John Howard.
KENNETT:
He got on the phone and said are you happy with the result, and I said “No I’m not”, and he said “Why?” and I said “Without your front pages and total disunity I’d have had ten percent swing. I would have got myself another four and you’ve f****** it up for me and he went off his brain.
PEACOCK:
Oh did he?
KENNETT:
And he went off his brain trying to (inaudible)
PEACOCK:
He went off his brain?
KENNETT:
And I said…
PEACOCK:
And HE went off his brain?
KENNETT:
He said to me, “I didn’t like the way you kept me out of the campaign”. I said, “Wouldn’t have you in it, and I didn’t have any federal people in it.”
PEACOCK:
Well you didn’t have me. Didn’t have anyone.
KENNETT:
And I said to him, “Tomorrow, I’m going to bucket the whole lot of you”.
PEACOCK:
No! Don’t do that Jeffrey.
KENNETT:
Hold your flow. I said, “Tomorrow John” and he said, “I know where your sympathies lie”, and I said, “I couldn’t give a f***. I have no sympathies any more. You’re all a pack of shits and tomorrow I’m going berserk”. Well he went off his brain and in the end I said to him, I said, “Howard. You’re a c**t. You haven’t got my support, you never will have and I’m not going to rubbish you or the party tomorrow but I feel a lot better having told you you’re a c**t.”
PEACOCK:
Oh shit!
KENNETT:
And the poor little fellow didn’t know whether he was Arthur or Martha.
PEACOCK:
Oh shit!
KENNETT:
(laughing) I just thought I should let you know.
PEACOCK:
Well, tomorrow you are humble. You do feel better. And I am getting out of that car. I’ve told you. I told Margaret, I said “Tomorrow I’m just gonna get out of that f****** car and say this is not Howard’s day, it’s not my day, it’s not Carla’s day, it’s not anyone’s day, not Richie’s day. This is a day for Jeffrey Kennett”. And I was thinking that I’d go in even earlier, and even if only a third of the bastards were there I was gonna go and grab the mic and say this is unprecedented. This in the midst of the most horrific difficulties and I faced ‘em when I was the leader in by-elections, we haven’t had ‘em for some years. We had a great win yesterday, and the only person who is deserving. Not just earnt it, but deserving of support is Jeffrey Kennett and if you don’t give him everything then you’re letting down the Liberal Party.
KENNETT:
Well, all I can say. I thought I should let you know where I ended up with your little mate…
PEACOCK:
Well, f*** him. I’m not worried. I just.. I almost bloody cried. I was terribly worried. I was terribly worried. My f****** anger yesterday as Margaret knows. First thing I came in last night I said “Oh, f****** c**t! I said the whole f****** thing could upset tomorrow” I was really… And she was saying “What’s Jeffrey done?” and I was saying “It’s not what Jeffrey’s done. It’s what everyone’s f***** done to Jeffrey”.
KENNETT:
Well. I think we came out of it alright and certainly…
PEACOCK:
Alright? The news reports. Have you seen them on the television?
KENNETT:
No
PEACOCK:
They’re saying “Labor down 7%”. [Premier] Cain is claiming on a two party preferred vote – and don’t you let that c**t get away with that – it’s only 2%. They’re saying the Joh campaign has stopped in it’s tracks. In one part of the three state electorates it’s something like 2 to 3% down on the last vote and the Liberal Party will walk in.
KENNETT:
Well. We won on primaries in every lower house seat. And even in the National Party seats. So it’s a fantastic…
PEACOCK:
Well, exactly. That’s what I interpreted from it. Mate I didn’t have the details, I was just going to talk you. And don’t you (inaudible) me. You can all go and get stuffed. This is Jeff Kennett’s day.
KENNETT:
Well. It’s been a good result. But anyway. Howard won’t know whether he’s Arthur or Martha.
PEACOCK:
I know. But you feel better?
KENNETT:
Oh yes.
From here, with audio (needless to say, language warning).
ETA: Now thatI'm on the subject, I'm also annoyed by the way the Prime Minister calls radio and interviewers 'mate' in such a way that it looks like he's had to remind himself to do it. And I can't stand his ties, either.
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Túrin Turambar
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Julia Gillard is now the Prime Minister of Australia.
This has to be one of the most shocking 24 hours I remember. More later.
This has to be one of the most shocking 24 hours I remember. More later.
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Impenitent
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I obviously picked a bad week for no internet and no TV!
It has been the most weird couple of months in Labor politics, with this past 24 hours (as Lord M says) being the most shocking. Rudd's performance over so many recent matters has been controversial, to say the least that it was inevitable that there had been some speciulation of a spill before the election. But somehow, the way this was done...bloodless indeed. It's hard to reconcile Rudds' stellar popularity at the time of his election, and the fact he's been so thoroughly pushed by his own party.
We're now waiting to see if there are any Cabinet reshuffles likely, and placing bets on whether this is an opportune moment to retire certain unpopular election promises or policies.
It has been the most weird couple of months in Labor politics, with this past 24 hours (as Lord M says) being the most shocking. Rudd's performance over so many recent matters has been controversial, to say the least that it was inevitable that there had been some speciulation of a spill before the election. But somehow, the way this was done...bloodless indeed. It's hard to reconcile Rudds' stellar popularity at the time of his election, and the fact he's been so thoroughly pushed by his own party.
We're now waiting to see if there are any Cabinet reshuffles likely, and placing bets on whether this is an opportune moment to retire certain unpopular election promises or policies.
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Primula Baggins
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Somehow? It never is. :| (As witness U.S. events today as well.)samaranth wrote: We're now waiting to see if there are any Cabinet reshuffles likely, and placing bets on whether this is an opportune moment to retire certain unpopular election promises or policies.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Túrin Turambar
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In addition to being Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Gillard is also Australia’s first unmarried Prime Minister. She describes herself as ‘non-religious’, and she took the affirmation rather than the oath when she was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister after the election. She comes from a very left-wing background, having been an active member of a socialist organisation, although she has moved away from that in recent years. At any rate, her first speech, where she promised that her government would reward ‘those who work the hardest, not those who complain the loudest’ seemed more like a direct appeal to the so-called ‘Howard’s battlers’ in the suburbs than to any sort of progressive inner-Melbourne constituency. She was born in Wales, making her Australia’s first foreign-born Prime Minister since Billy Hughes resigned in 1923.
In short, she makes a contrast with Kevin Rudd in almost every way. He is a Queenslander, she a Victorian; he has a fairly cultivated accent, her a noticable working-class one (although he came from an equally humble background, growing up on a small farm north of Brisbane); he is from the right faction of the party, she from the left (albeit the ‘soft left’, not the Combined Unions Socialist Left or ‘hard left’); he was a churchgoing family-man, she an atheist or agnostic in a de facto relationship without children; he a diplomat and public servant with little factional support in the party, she a former union lawyer. Still, what the ALP needs right now is a contrast to Rudd – a young government backed by a strong economy should have been in a far stronger situation than his was. At any rate, the mining industry has accepted a truce and pulled their ads attacking the Government. But there’s no saying what will happen next.
In short, she makes a contrast with Kevin Rudd in almost every way. He is a Queenslander, she a Victorian; he has a fairly cultivated accent, her a noticable working-class one (although he came from an equally humble background, growing up on a small farm north of Brisbane); he is from the right faction of the party, she from the left (albeit the ‘soft left’, not the Combined Unions Socialist Left or ‘hard left’); he was a churchgoing family-man, she an atheist or agnostic in a de facto relationship without children; he a diplomat and public servant with little factional support in the party, she a former union lawyer. Still, what the ALP needs right now is a contrast to Rudd – a young government backed by a strong economy should have been in a far stronger situation than his was. At any rate, the mining industry has accepted a truce and pulled their ads attacking the Government. But there’s no saying what will happen next.
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Túrin Turambar
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Well here we go.
The Prime Minister has sought and been granted an election for the 21st of August. It'll be Australia's first winter election campaign in over twenty years. I've been out of the loop a lot of late, a situation that's unlikely to change any time soon, so I don't have much to add. The Government is a favourite to be returned, though.
The Prime Minister has sought and been granted an election for the 21st of August. It'll be Australia's first winter election campaign in over twenty years. I've been out of the loop a lot of late, a situation that's unlikely to change any time soon, so I don't have much to add. The Government is a favourite to be returned, though.
The situation with the election is deemed so interesting that a debate between Gillard and Abbott has been bumped on Sunday night so that it doesn't clash with Master Chef. Reality TV wins out, apparently.
To be honest, to date it has all been fairly non-remarkable. Gillard called the election predictably speedily, following what seemed to be the shortest political honeymoon period ever. Abbot acccuses, Gillard snipes back. They bicker and grumble. Even the advertising seems to be slightly lacklustre. It's the comedy/satire programs which promise to be the most memorable.
I'll probably watch the debate, and will recap on the policy platforms then...once I pin down what they are and what the differences between the various parties.
To be honest, to date it has all been fairly non-remarkable. Gillard called the election predictably speedily, following what seemed to be the shortest political honeymoon period ever. Abbot acccuses, Gillard snipes back. They bicker and grumble. Even the advertising seems to be slightly lacklustre. It's the comedy/satire programs which promise to be the most memorable.
I'll probably watch the debate, and will recap on the policy platforms then...once I pin down what they are and what the differences between the various parties.
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Túrin Turambar
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Dropping by to give an update seeing as I’ll be on the road tomorrow and won’t be settled again until it’s all over.
The campaign hasn’t exactly been thrilling. The first week went more or less as everyone expected, but it seems now that the government might be in a little bit of trouble. From Peter Brent, in The Australian:
The Pollytics Blog on Crikey records the current moving average of the phone polls as trending to 50.9-49.1 to the Labor Government in Two-Party Preferred (TPP) vote. Under their calculations, this would deliver a hung Parliament with a Labor plurality – 75-72-3 in the House of Representatives.
The trend is against the Government, but I think that the most likely result is that it’ll be narrowly returned. This both the previous Coalition and Labor Governments were thumped on their first bid for re-election (1998 and 1984 respectively) but scraped back into office. I suspect that this election will turn out similarly. It’s worth noting that a first-term Federal Government has not been defeated in Australia since 1931, and it seems odd that it would happen in the face of a relatively strong economy. Still, the 1983 and 1998 results could be coincidences – the Government may be genuinely vulnerable.
I still haven’t decided who I’m voting for – I have until Monday to make up my mind.
In other news, the Prime Minister’s ‘glamour’ shot on the cover of Women’s Weekly:
The campaign hasn’t exactly been thrilling. The first week went more or less as everyone expected, but it seems now that the government might be in a little bit of trouble. From Peter Brent, in The Australian:
A whack in the polls?
Mumble Blog | August 02, 2010
This isn’t just a temporary poll slump after a bad week. The Gillard government is in big, big trouble.
It is headed for a defeat, and probably a big one.
Is this a huge call three weeks out from election day? Under normal circumstances it would be. You would expect a government, particularly a young one, to soak up the undecideds and waverers as election day approached. Governments usually make ground in election campaigns.
But these are not normal circumstances.
Readers of this blog must be tired of me going on about incumbency, so rather than do it again here are previous elaborations. Before Julia Gillard replaced Kevin Rudd, there was this, then when she did, this and when the election was called, this.
This priceless asset of being the safer option has drifted to - of all politicians in this country - Tony Abbott. Opinion polls over the next few weeks are likely to follow.
Last week’s leaks would not have been as potent if Julia Gillard had been a settled prime minister with authority.
The whole premise of Labor’s re-election strategy - that her popularity would steamroll them to victory - was wrong-headed.
And repeated blundering into immigration/boatpeople issue has legitimised the opposition’s hot topic and ensured the Coalition doesn’t suffer a leafy “small l” Liberal backlash.
Can the government win from here? Gillard’s declaration this morning that showing us more of her personality is the answer indicates they won’t.
But maybe a ferocious scare campaign can save them.
Everyone tut-tuts about negative campaigns, but there ain’t no other kind of successful one. Peter Costello and Paul Keating were past masters.
So far we’ve had a few half-hearted recitations about Abbott being “a risk”.
The one senior minister who can string a policy defence together, Lindsay Tanner, is missing in action (and retiring anyway).
But if Labor is to win it needs to ramp up the temperature on economics, with industrial relations an emblematic adjunct.
Gillard needs to take a breath and celebrate Kevin Rudd’s economic record. Her predecessor’s aversion to talk of debt and deficits allowed the Coalition to make hay, but she needs to reclaim it.
Talk and talk about economics, the global downturn and the opposition’s various statements.
If an elector wants to talk about boatpeople or the weather, change the topic to economics. Health and education are fine, but Labor’s strong points will take care of themselves.
And the prime minister needs to unlearn the apparatchik’s dreadful “keep it simple” mantra. There’s nothing wrong with using big words when discussing policy; voters are reassured when government members sound like they know what they’re talking about.
Cultivate some incumbency Julia, do it quickly and go negative.
And for God’s sake leave immigration and asylum seekers alone.
The Pollytics Blog on Crikey records the current moving average of the phone polls as trending to 50.9-49.1 to the Labor Government in Two-Party Preferred (TPP) vote. Under their calculations, this would deliver a hung Parliament with a Labor plurality – 75-72-3 in the House of Representatives.
The trend is against the Government, but I think that the most likely result is that it’ll be narrowly returned. This both the previous Coalition and Labor Governments were thumped on their first bid for re-election (1998 and 1984 respectively) but scraped back into office. I suspect that this election will turn out similarly. It’s worth noting that a first-term Federal Government has not been defeated in Australia since 1931, and it seems odd that it would happen in the face of a relatively strong economy. Still, the 1983 and 1998 results could be coincidences – the Government may be genuinely vulnerable.
I still haven’t decided who I’m voting for – I have until Monday to make up my mind.
In other news, the Prime Minister’s ‘glamour’ shot on the cover of Women’s Weekly:
I’m watching the election coverage, and it’s not making comfortable viewing. On the ABC’s coverage Stephen Smith (Foreign Minister in the Rudd/Gillard governments) is sounding severely downbeat, to the point of being downtrodden.
There has been a strong swing against Labor in most seats. At this point in time Labor is still ahead on primary votes..just, but there are still a fair number of booths to be counted, voting has only just finished in WA, and there doesn’t seem to be any perceptible pattern to the way the vote is going. In some locations it’s going away from Labor, in some it’s towards them. To be honest, WA is not likely to be a great comfort to Labor, given recent events with the mining tax.
Whatever is happening, this is a real nail-biter of a night.
It has been a very strained and strange campaign. Since Kevin Rudd began his meteoric fall from grace, the actions of Julia Gillard (and the power brokers), the antics of Tony Abbot, the tone and direction of the campaigns themselves (intensely negative on the Liberal side, desperately trying to be positive on the Labor side but giving the impression of being ostriches – if you don’t talk about the past it doesn’t exist).
Rudd has retained his seat, Gillard has experienced a large swing towards her, others (such as Maxine McKew who toppled John Howard (the Prime Minister) at the last election) have lost their seats. Inexplicably (to me) Peter Garrett has kept his seat. If anyone was going to tumble I would have thought it would be him. We really are seeing a seat-by-seat, vote-by-vote struggle to capture the all-important seats in the House of Reps.
No clear outcome yet, but it’s not looking good for Labor. And there is a very high probability of a hung Parliament.
To match L_M's glamour shot (which is still high profile in the magazine racks at every supermarket checkout) I offer the following image which pretty much sums up the campaign:
There has been a strong swing against Labor in most seats. At this point in time Labor is still ahead on primary votes..just, but there are still a fair number of booths to be counted, voting has only just finished in WA, and there doesn’t seem to be any perceptible pattern to the way the vote is going. In some locations it’s going away from Labor, in some it’s towards them. To be honest, WA is not likely to be a great comfort to Labor, given recent events with the mining tax.
Whatever is happening, this is a real nail-biter of a night.
It has been a very strained and strange campaign. Since Kevin Rudd began his meteoric fall from grace, the actions of Julia Gillard (and the power brokers), the antics of Tony Abbot, the tone and direction of the campaigns themselves (intensely negative on the Liberal side, desperately trying to be positive on the Labor side but giving the impression of being ostriches – if you don’t talk about the past it doesn’t exist).
Rudd has retained his seat, Gillard has experienced a large swing towards her, others (such as Maxine McKew who toppled John Howard (the Prime Minister) at the last election) have lost their seats. Inexplicably (to me) Peter Garrett has kept his seat. If anyone was going to tumble I would have thought it would be him. We really are seeing a seat-by-seat, vote-by-vote struggle to capture the all-important seats in the House of Reps.
No clear outcome yet, but it’s not looking good for Labor. And there is a very high probability of a hung Parliament.
To match L_M's glamour shot (which is still high profile in the magazine racks at every supermarket checkout) I offer the following image which pretty much sums up the campaign:
Tony Abbott is something of a fitness fanatic, and his trademark is a pair of red speedos. He's been very keen to push the notion that he has the stamina to be PM. As opposed to Julia Gillard who appears to have gone for style.
Whether or not either of these succeeds over substance is yet to be seen. As at late last night the outcome was still too close to call, and we are facing the prospect of a hung parliament, the first since 1940. None of the pundits appeared to know what to make of this, there was a lot of commentary about The Unknown. Meanwhile, Gillard remains as caretaker PM, Abbott behaves as if he's won by a landslide, and counting of postal and absentee votes continues.
Interesting times!
Whether or not either of these succeeds over substance is yet to be seen. As at late last night the outcome was still too close to call, and we are facing the prospect of a hung parliament, the first since 1940. None of the pundits appeared to know what to make of this, there was a lot of commentary about The Unknown. Meanwhile, Gillard remains as caretaker PM, Abbott behaves as if he's won by a landslide, and counting of postal and absentee votes continues.
Interesting times!
Good question, Ax. The Greens definitely hold the balance of power in the upper house (in the Senate) with nine seats from July 2011, although for this election they were also fielding candidates in the lower house (the House of Representatives). That is where it’s particularly interesting - at the moment it’s predicted that Labor and the Coalition (Liberal/National) will each hold 73 seats (currently they’re 72 each as at 7:30 tonight), so they are each undoubtedly wildly courting the favour of the three Independents and one Green.
At least one of those Independents is as crazy as a cut snake, the others tend Conservative but are willing to work with ‘whoever can provide a stable Government’. Gillard is saying ‘business as usual’, Abbott is saying ‘the people have said they don’t want Labor’. True, there has been a massive swing against Labor, but they haven’t exactly said they want Liberal more. No-one seems to be able to agree on who scored the most votes, and, of course, it depends on how you cut them (primary vs preferential, number of seats, etc).
The People have Spoken. Essentially they said ‘Meh’.
What has been staggering about this election is the high number of donkey votes – 600,000+. Given how close a call this is, it’s so frustrating that votes were wasted in this way. To my mind it’s a futile form of protest...if you don’t like how the country is being governed you exercise your democratic right to change it by voting properly. But that’s just me, I guess. *sigh*
On the plus side, we now have our youngest MHR – Wyatt Roy, aged 20 from Queensland. This was, btw, the first time Wyatt Roy had also voted.
And, long overdue, the first indigenous member of the House of Reps – Ken Wyatt.
Also on the the plus side, we can now stop with the constant ‘Moving Forward’ (aka (and with apologies) ‘mofo’) slogan from Labor, and the Coalition Real Action Plan (you can probably work out the acronym for that yourself).
I should note that if Labor does end up forming a government they will face a hostile Senate – from July 2011 the Coalition hold more seats there, and there is that Greens element to consider.
At least one of those Independents is as crazy as a cut snake, the others tend Conservative but are willing to work with ‘whoever can provide a stable Government’. Gillard is saying ‘business as usual’, Abbott is saying ‘the people have said they don’t want Labor’. True, there has been a massive swing against Labor, but they haven’t exactly said they want Liberal more. No-one seems to be able to agree on who scored the most votes, and, of course, it depends on how you cut them (primary vs preferential, number of seats, etc).
The People have Spoken. Essentially they said ‘Meh’.
What has been staggering about this election is the high number of donkey votes – 600,000+. Given how close a call this is, it’s so frustrating that votes were wasted in this way. To my mind it’s a futile form of protest...if you don’t like how the country is being governed you exercise your democratic right to change it by voting properly. But that’s just me, I guess. *sigh*
On the plus side, we now have our youngest MHR – Wyatt Roy, aged 20 from Queensland. This was, btw, the first time Wyatt Roy had also voted.
And, long overdue, the first indigenous member of the House of Reps – Ken Wyatt.
Also on the the plus side, we can now stop with the constant ‘Moving Forward’ (aka (and with apologies) ‘mofo’) slogan from Labor, and the Coalition Real Action Plan (you can probably work out the acronym for that yourself).
I should note that if Labor does end up forming a government they will face a hostile Senate – from July 2011 the Coalition hold more seats there, and there is that Greens element to consider.
Where are the marketing people for these parties?-
Impenitent
- Throw me a rope.
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