Campaign countdown: The mouse that (almost) roared

Phil says:

09:25am | 14/07/10

Richard. I tend to agree with part of your article. As I have said on these pages, M/s Gillards Atheism will cost her votes. How many I do not know, I put the percentage at around 2-3 percent net to the Lib/Nats/Others in a discussion recently with the pastor of the chruch I attend.

Yes I call myself a christian. I attend church, and my kids a christian school. That is my choice. I respect Gillard’s choice also, along with that of others, be they Muslim, Catholic, Agnostic, Jewish or whatever.

She will pick up votes because of her Atheism, she will also loose them also.  Each week millions attend houses of worship, be they Churches, Mosques etc. In the past our pastor never told people who to vote for, but prayed for wisdom for our leaders, and we have one member of parliment who regularly attends our church. Mr Rudd said he was a Christian, and whilst I dont agree with many his policies, he looked like he mostly acted as one. I have been told he was a freemason, but more than one former PM was also, as are many judges, former US presidents etc.

This election with such a remarkable difference between the two leaders faiths, voting habits in this election may change.

I do however think that M/s Gillard will alienate some Christian Voters, and their numbers alone could vote her out of office. Many however will not vote soley on this issue.

Personally i think that M/s Gillard has a better chance than Mr Rudd, but disagree with the way he was ousted. Even Labor voters disagreed, mind you the few labor voters I know have been incredibly silent since his demise.

Jon says:

10:45am | 14/07/10

Phil, I am an Atheist and I voted last election to get Howard out, not to get Rudd in. I do prefer M/s Gillards Atheism and I am glad they got rid of Rudd. The fact that she is an Atheist for me is good, but Labor is not a Secular party, it current mantra is to promote cultural relativism at expense secular ideals.

Both sides of the political foolishness have been contaminated with the religious virus. Rudd surrounded himself with the religious and it’s seems the number of the infected is growing amongst our politicians. The religious need not fear, even though the numbers of the non-religious is growing faster in society they are still in control.

Christian Real says:

08:42pm | 14/07/10

Phil,
It is a free and democratic Country and Julia Gillard is entitled to be an atheist if she wants to be, and it seems that the Liberal party teaches their supporters to hate, and discriminate against people and races(the Asylum seekers) that look or appear different, or who has different beliefs and opinions that don’t geld with the Liberal party diatribe.

John A Neve says:

09:14am | 14/07/10

DD Ball,

The so called (by you), “Heiner Affair” is long gone. There have been a number of enquiries into the matter and all have come up blank.
I suggest that if you have some fresh information? You present it to the police or CMC, but I doubt you know any thing other than what you read in the papers.

What is it with you people DD, you continually harp on the past, did you express your concern at the time, write you local member, write the Justice Department, in fact do any thing?
No, I did not think so.

DD Ball says:

04:36pm | 14/07/10

John, you are wrong. The girl was given compensation recently. So your central assertion that nothing happened is not true, and the fact is you do not know what you are writing about.

Christian Real says:

08:13pm | 14/07/10

It was a National Party Government in at the time that the alleged Heiner Affair happened.
And it seems like it was Barnaby Joyce’s own party that disallowed him to bring up the Heiner Affair in Parliament, wonder why?
I agree with John Neve, the Heiner affair has run it’s race, and only the Liberals supporters are trying to flogg a (dead horse) as the saying goes.
As a person of Aboriginal origin myself, I disapprove of the Liberal riff raff using our people to launch attacks on another political party with..
I feel this girl has suffered enough over the years, and she does not need to be used as a political football by racist liberals like some of you appear to be.

Christian Real says:

08:26pm | 14/07/10

DD Ball
You might not like Rudd,well that is your opinion that you are entitled to, while I admit I don’t like Abbott, but I may have thought about voting for Turnbull.
The only outrage I can see, is the way you and other Liberals use this Aboriginal girl’s plight,as an excuse to attack and ridicule Rudd over.
I am sick of you white fellas using our people for your own political gains, she is not a political football to be tossed around by the Liberals or their supporters, and she deserves respect, not the disrespect that you and others are piling on her by using her to canvas your political views and opinions.
Funny that when Barnaby Joyce brought this Heiner Affair up in the parliament it was quicky squashed by his own party.

MarK says:

11:10pm | 14/07/10

Grow up Christian and don’t play the race card.

it has nothing to do with race. What a low cowardly act to bring race into the discussion. Read up on the Heiner and you will see what it is about. You ar merely going for the cheap shot.

I am appalled and take serious and deep offense at your accusations.

The moderators should have been all over that comment.

Disgusting and repulsive slime.

acker says:

10:08am | 14/07/10

@Super D…..Corporate Australia has been doing that for ages, considering politics are often 20 years behind best business practices this was hardly a surprising move….I heard some politicians still do not use computers

watty says:

10:51am | 14/07/10

That explains why Rudd and AWU’s Paul Howes are attending the same conference in America this week.

Which one is the fox?

Richard says:

11:50am | 14/07/10

Dude, Tony Abbott opposed and still opposes Work Choices. The Fair Work Australia Act (Labor’s legislation) accomplishes all that the previous government was trying to acheive with Work Choices anyway. You don’t need to live in fear, but you should ask yourself as a working man, which party’s policies support industry, support business and supports the economy, and which party’s policies support high taxes, bungled spending and union thuggery?

Davo says:

03:55pm | 14/07/10

Must be tell fibs again.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/abbott-targeted-on-work-choices-20100215-o2vl.html

“Mr Abbott has already signalled the Coalition would restore individual agreements known as Australian Workplace Agreements. Under Work Choices, the safety net which underpinned these agreements was stripped back to five basic terms and conditions.”

Richard says:

05:38pm | 14/07/10

Ok Davo, I stand corrected…

But what’s so bad about being empowered to negotiate directly with your boss to get the best possible deal for yourself with regard to your own specific individual circumstances anyway?

Richard says:

08:03pm | 14/07/10

Btw Davo, check out Joe Hockey on Lateline lasthttp://www.abc.net.au/lateline/  night saying: “we learned from the last election, we learned what the electorate wants so we’re not going to resurrect Work Choices. Work Choices is dead.”

Hrm, sounds like a pretty rock solid rejection the basis behind your fearmongering…

Daryl says:

11:24am | 16/07/10

Workchoices is dead and the LNP has stated that. It’s not an issue except that the ALP keep bringing it up because it worked so well for them in the last election. And unions are concerned about their power not about workers rights! Also, just a thought but the unemployment rate is higher now than it was when Labor came to power. And Catholic = Pedophile is a bit like Rudd = Economic Conservative!

John A Neve says:

02:22pm | 14/07/10

Darryl,
Your post proves my point, you all want to live in the past. Conservative is one thing stagnation is yet another. How does it feel to stand still Darryl?

Jason CR says:

03:21pm | 14/07/10

John,
        let me guess, you’ve been sucked in with the ‘Moving Forward’ rubbish sprouted by Labor.
Not a bad slogan when you look at the disasters of the past 3 years.  I can name them all, but then again I don’t want to live in the past!!!!!

Let’s move forward to where we were 3 years ago.

John A Neve says:

07:05pm | 14/07/10

Jason CR,

Based on your post, the past in the best place for you. There is nothing constructive in you post is there?

Come on Jason, let’s see if you can offer some thing new to this debate?

Darryl Price says:

08:12pm | 14/07/10

John it feels almost as good as it does to be correct yet again. When challenged on your claptrap you continue to fail to counter with a decent argument and never ever address the issue. You are a humbug.

John A Neve says:

08:01am | 15/07/10

Darryl,

I fail to see what you “good” about?  All you have done is regurgitate a 22 year old story. The girl (now 35 years old), has recieved an ex gratia payment and the police say there is no evidence to warrant charges.

So just what do you feel “good” about Darryl?

Daz says:

10:26pm | 14/07/10

Incorrect buddy, they’re not worried about the desal plant at Agnes as there are already plans in place to bring water down from the Fitzroy into Awoonga.  Nice try mate.

The Badger says:

12:11pm | 14/07/10

Sorry Rod, I can’t bear the thought of the past 3 years under Howard. Only in your mind did Howard do nothing wrong. Matter of fact, Howard did nothing at all.
If Howard had won, we would be even more backward and Xenophobic then we are now.

.I’m afraid I could never bring myself to vote for a Liberal government. It’s either the greens or Labor.

CynicalGoat WA says:

05:40pm | 14/07/10

Plenty of punters out here still wish that the Coalition was in power Badger.  When one of your beloved left wingers racks up 33 years in their seat and 11 years as Prime Minister then give us a call. Until then your ridiculous statement that ...“Matter of fact, Howard did nothing at all”, rates up there with some of the monotonous dribble that spews forth from T.Chong and persephone on this site.

elhombre says:

06:50pm | 14/07/10

Badger, with an ignorant attitude like that you should have your vote taken off you. Look at the damage you and the other Kev 07 retards like you have done to this country !

BobM says:

10:13pm | 14/07/10

Persephone has morphed into Holly. You only have to read her drivel below….

Northern Steve says:

03:31pm | 17/07/10

History of the Liberal Party under Howard (of which Abbott was a minister) was that major policy decisions were taken to the people at the polls.  Quite different to the Labor Party.  Was the miniing tax an election policy?  No.  Did they perservere with the EST?  No.  Offshore processing of asylum seekers?  Definitely not.  If Abbott says that he won’t change IR laws in this term, I believe him.

Richard says:

01:56pm | 14/07/10

So by your rationale S.L the massive $40billion deficit delivered by Labor is proof that you’re not being taxed enough? My word you are sucker for punishment!

And I don’t know where this conservative media you talk about is… SBS is like the media arm of the greens party, channel 10 is the media arm of the ALP it seems, channel 9 are traditionally Labor-leaning. I guess you must be talking about Kochie on sunrise channel 7, notwithstanding the secret ski resort rendezvous that Kevin Rudd and Kerry Stokes are apparently fond of…

Finally I don’t see how you are able to confuse betrayal with “bottle”; Gillard’s treachery with the former treasurer’s loyalty. Do you really think it would have helped the Liberal party if Costello had deposed Howard and gone into the 2007 election as a new PM with blood on his hands? I don’t, and if the polls are correct (which show no improvement in Labor’s 2PP position from before Rudd was treasonously toppled) the astonishing snafu of the past month will not help Labor in next election either.

Ben81 says:

02:06pm | 14/07/10

“Sure they have kicked some own goals”
Understatement of the decade.

“but would the old government have handled it any better?”
Yes, because there’s not a chance in hell that they would have shovelled money around so carelessly that half of it was wasted.

“They spruik about a surplus under Mr Costello but he didn’t spend on infrastucture.”
Lie, and most infrastructure spending is up to the states and their GST revenue anyway.

“All a surplus meant to me was I was getting taxed too much!”
So now that the surplus is long gone, are you not being taxed enough?  What if we didn’t have anything stashed for a rainy day?

S.L says:

02:25pm | 14/07/10

And which branch of the Liberal party do you belong to Richard?
Conservative media? Try Andrew Bolt, Piers Ackerman, Alan Jones, shall I keep going?
As I asked would the previous government have handled the GFC any better? They were fortunate to have been in power through some good years in the world economy but business cash flow was cut dramatically when GST was introduced and what did the Libs sell to cut the previous deficit? Income earning assets that won’t earn for us anymore. Very clever? Did any fool buy Telstra shares?

Robert says:

05:13pm | 14/07/10

So Richard, I suppose the fact that RAbbott (or a ghost writer) actually put those statements to paper indicates that they are the Gospel truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Godot.  Methinks you may have just shot off your big toe!

elhombre says:

06:55pm | 14/07/10

Hey Robert, care to address the content of the post? You can’t of course, which is why all you have is your infantile name calling. The hypocrisy of a labour voter accusing a coalition minister of being a liar is absolutely sickening. Take a look at your two heroes Rudd and Gillard first, fool

Shane From Melbourne says:

08:25pm | 14/07/10

Ok, Joe Hockey says he is committed to a budget surplus. What programs is he going cut or what taxes is he going to impose? I notice the Liberals don’t have the balls to outline the strict measures they are going to take after winning the election to get rid of the deficit….

Diamantina Dick says:

10:39pm | 14/07/10

Richard, congratulations on a well constructed post. I’d only add that Costello went to the election with stimulatory fiscal settings because “there are storm clouds on the horizon”. This was met with “all this irresponsible spending has got to stop”, “The inflation genie is out of the bottle” etc. As we now know when the storm broke the result was panic and a desperate attempt to avoid the blame.
Oh and Shane, it should not be hard to find savings, really.

Jason CR says:

11:31pm | 14/07/10

And who did Labor run in the most recent Higgins by-election Christian?

tim says:

09:49am | 15/07/10

and the cost/benefit analysis on the NBN. Labour is hiding that too. They are the masters of spin. They are also a disgrace to our nation.