Debt versus jobs: battle lines drawn for next election

delperro says:

10:03am | 02/06/09

Nice article, and a great summary of where we are in the current political debate.

I’d just like to offer a few points by way of historical precedent, debt has worked to nail ALP government’s before, think the debt truck. 

As for the jobs argument, the way they are running it at the moment is a bit like pissing into a strong breeze. If the economy gets worse, jobs won’t be saved, and people will continue to blame the government.

I wonder if we can put down the recent hit the government has taken in the polls toward this discourse.

It is interesting to also note that Turnbull has abandoned the whole “jobs, jobs, jobs” mantra of a few weeks ago.

Maybe the reason the government are pushing for an early election is that the have seen their argument is taking water.

Steve Atkins says:

10:32am | 02/06/09

Peter I would argue that Labor ,far from being able to use job creation as an underlying strength , has a serious Achilles Heel on that front. Specifically their rigid adherence to an ETS,  (hereafter known as an Employment Trashing Scheme).
The Nationals are taking a hard line on the issue in support of those in the non metropolitan /smaller communities which depend on mining and farming where the scheme will hit hardest.  While this has little traction and is (as usual), held up as an illustration of how backward the Nationals are in the capital cities , their position is at least representative of those most affected.  Peter I note the deafening silence from the Unions representing the Miners on the subject of an ETS. Hardly representing the interests of their members it would seem.  More like those of the ALP Govt.. No green-lite airy dressing up the predicament of a 55 year old miner or cattleman to be easily retrained to knit energy efficient renewable socks while overseeing a solar powered wind turbine’s operation will alter that fact. 
Jobs will be the logical casualty if Labor’s ETS policy is passed.  To bring debt under control less spending will need to be undertaken. How this will do anything other than decrease jobs is a mystery. To suggest that Labor’s strength is on the jobs front is based on a pretty dodgy premise.

Tim says:

10:39am | 02/06/09

I’m guessing an early election is not on the table then, yeh?

I mean, why would Rudd go to an early election until he had his photo of ‘the worker in the hard hat’ building his ‘school hall’??

Shannon says:

11:31am | 02/06/09

Fascinating look at the underlying battle of ideas that happens every day around us. I agree that defining the ‘frame’ of the debate is just as important as getting the message right.

Very similar to the ideas George Lakoff puts forward in his book ‘Don’t think of an elephant’.

As far as the article goes, it would be useful to link back to the actual Essential Research results - I assume they are publicly available somewhere?

Paul says:

01:48pm | 02/06/09

I think that there will be a DD election before Copenhagen.

Consider the state elections next year: SA, Tas & Vic

Bob says:

03:31pm | 02/06/09

There is no doubt that the next election will be the most viscious election ever held in this country.  The liberals are already engaged in a “Fear” campaign that can only become more and more extreme as their desperation level increases. The difference between “Fear” and “Terror” is degree, a statement which only instills mild fear in one person may well instil terror in another. In other words, a “Fear Campaign” is a strategy to intellegently stage-manage terror in order to secure a political outcome.

Any organisation which uses Fear or Terror as a political tool should be declared a Terrorist Organisation, we do not allow Hamas or Hizbullah to field candidates for election because of that radical element within the group that is prepared to utilise the power of Fear to achieve their goals.