Election 2010: It’s on! Gillard calls poll for August 21

Macca says:

02:37pm | 16/07/10

Agree on both accounts. The Economy may become an issue, but less so than last election.
Depending on the impact of the ACTU campaign, industrial relations may raise its head again, but will probably not be a vote swinger

Macca says:

02:43pm | 16/07/10

@Penbo&Punchteamsters;, can we see a word bubble of these comments on Monday?

LL says:

03:01pm | 16/07/10

At least Tony can say he is a fiscal conservative and mean it. Labor = spend, spend and spin.

Macca says:

03:36pm | 16/07/10

@LL, that may be the case, but can you honestly see the Libs winning this election? To sum up, Howard and Rudd won the middle ground with their Battlers and Working Families. Abbott doesn’t have this kind of support currently

Jane says:

03:59pm | 16/07/10

Of course the catch -cry ( or screetch- cry ala Gillard as it is ) is ‘the purse strings will be tight’, apart from the fact there’s no money left, it’s more populist ‘Economic Conservative’ deceit from Labor yet again.

YAWN

I think the pretence of ‘being frugal with money’ boat has sailed with Labor..along with the billions wasted unecessarily already. Also proves they are reduced to desperately recycling/copying the ‘winning’ stategy from ‘07….minus the one factor that actually won it for them - Kev !!! Oops

Disgruntled Viewer says:

04:07pm | 16/07/10

Begrudgingly agree that immigration (boat people) will be an election issue because it’s a nice cover for the real issues that no-one wants to deal with (roads, infrastructure, public education, public health).

Politicising refugees to pitch yourself at the lowest common denominator shows how sick our society is.

@LL

If it wasn’t for Labor spending we would have had a massive recession. With private debt about the same size as our economy everything would have tanked because it was only debt that was inflating our economy and making us look good.

What would you prefer?
1) an economy that ticked along on the back of government spending; or
2) an economy that tanked and brought the house of cards down only to spend years trying to get back to normal because very little business was left after we hit 20%+ unemployment

???????

Macca says:

04:58pm | 16/07/10

@Disgruntled Viewer, I don’t believe that the government stimulus saves us from the recession. A lot of companies stuck with their employees rather than cutting and running and the Chinese demand for our resources kept hundreds of thousands of people in work both in and servicing the mining industry. The stimulus may have helped, but to glorify the government and say it was all their work is just false. Furthermore, had the Howard Government not left the books in such a good state, it is unlikely the Australian economy would be in its current Fortuitous state

Brad Coward says:

06:03pm | 16/07/10

Move forward with Julia “Sparkles” Gillard…if dancing towards disaster truly appeals !

Jason CR says:

10:04pm | 16/07/10

@Disgruntled Viewer - if Labor saved us from a recession and high unemployment who was behind it?
I’m led to believe from all Labor voters that Rudd was a one man band and to blame for everything.  Well if thats the case, then how can your party claim responsibility for anything that went well??
Can’t have it both ways guys….

Really says:

10:37pm | 16/07/10

Peter,

If by immigration you are referring to the asylum seeker issue I really fail to see how you can declare labor the winner.
If Abbott has ‘peaked’ on this issue, Gillard can only go down from now on.

Let’s see,
1- she has basically recycled Howard’s concept of a regional offshore processing center but does not want to accept it.
2- She then proceeded to totally mess it up by announcing East Timor as the location for the centre without consulting the East Timorese government.
3- She has practically killed the Nauru option despite their president announcing willingness to comply with the requirement of being a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention. Or is she going to change her mind on this too?

Since an East Timor processing centre is almost certain not to happen given all the signals we have been getting from East Timor, the question now is ‘What really is Gillard’s solution to this issue? Will there be a solution at all or is the “we are in talks with East Timor” her way to neutralize the issue despite knowing nothing will come out of it?

It’s pretty hard to see where Julia is going with this issue. She is lucky the Timorese government has not to given her a straight and quick NO for an answer which allows her to make us believe all is ok until after the elections.

Honestly I cannot understand how people can be so gullible.

Troy says:

02:17pm | 17/07/10

@Really says: The only way East Timor will be option is if the Labor Government throws the kichen sink at them, and that will mean Billions of our tax dollars going to East Timor to justify Gillards stand on Nauru. I actually dont want Gillard to pursue her “Nauru Mark 11” or have the media hold her to this totally incompetent “Dreamland” policy, because if she digs her heals in and the media force her do go down that path, the cost to Australian tax payers would be enormous. All to justify Gillards own misguided idea of how to handle boat people without agreeing Howard was right all along.

Scot says:

11:37am | 19/07/10

I am not voting for a caretaker Labor Prime Minister that stabbed in the back the PM that we voted for. The Gang of Four and the faceless men of Labor NSW, Vic and SA. What guarantee do we have that these men will not do the same thing again when they if they do not like any Labor PM. Just like they have done in NSW over 15 years and destroyed NSW into a third world state.

Scot says:

01:29pm | 19/07/10

I am not voting for a caretaker Labor Prime Minister that stabbed in the back the PM that we voted for. The Gang of Four and the faceless men of Labor NSW, Vic and SA. What guarantee do we have that these men will not do the same thing again if they do not like any Labor PM. Just like they have done in NSW over 15 years and destroyed NSW into a third world state. The Nth Coast is a disaster area after 15 years of NSW Labor and Federal Labor have no long term plans for the Nth Coast.

Scot says:

02:12pm | 19/07/10

Be careful who you vote for: “The Greens today confirmed they will receive Labor’s Senate preferences ahead of all other parties across all states and territories.
In return, Greens branches will direct preferences to the Labor Party in an unspecified number of lower house seats at the August 21 election, including in some key marginals.
As well as shoring up Labor’s hold on a number of marginal seats, the deal paves the way for the Greens to hold the balance of power in the Senate in their own right from July 1, 2011.”

K says:

02:21pm | 16/07/10

Taxing Australians won’t change the climate.
If Labor believe this fairytale,
They won’t get my vote.

Labor have sunk Australia in more debt faster than you can say UNKevin

What’s left to discuss?

Disgruntled Viewer says:

04:13pm | 16/07/10

@kfnmfnvfnvnekng

Ever heard the saying that “a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step”?

Maybe if Australia begins to tax carbon and provides a disincentive for carbon use our consumption of carbon will decline (especially since alternatives will seem more attractive).

Then if other nations notice our example they might follow suit.

Moreover, whilst using different resources we may become world leaders and develop an export industry out of the technology that may not rely on digging things out of the ground to sell at whatever prevailing rate there is at the time.

Goodness, we may actually have an economy again! We could be innovators instead of imitators (riding the sheep’s back, riding the tech boom, riding the dump truck)

But nah, let’s just sit back, do nothing, hope someone else will fix it and wait for someone else to get the jump on us.

Mum's the word says:

04:40pm | 16/07/10

Disgruntled Viewer:  ever heard of battlers saying “yes, please tax us more”?  I want it to be on Climate Change so I can vote no to a new tax…  Haven’t you heard the grumbles about the increases in all our utilities bills?  And Labor wants to increase those bills yet more by adding another tax?  Mate, go back to your fairyland… it ain’t going to happen.

Troy says:

02:35pm | 17/07/10

Disgruntled Viewer says: Its that your answer to the so called Global Warming scam? If a tax on air is the only answer you have then you have no answers at all. You talk of “Maybe this” or Maybe That will happen” but you have no Facts. Does anyone really believe that a tax will stop people using carbon? What alternatives are there for them to stop using carbon emitting products? Wind Power is next to useless, Solar is very unrealiable, Nuclear is the only answer but thats been torpedoed, so what do you suggest? Just as I thought, NOTHING. Your answer is, just add another tax so the leftys can all say Australia is doing something, the Government love it because they can spend money on useless projects like “Pink Batts”, Greens Loans Scheme”, ‘Free Hot Water Units” for everyone, yet nothing really gets done. The bankers love it because they have a new product to trade, undevolped countries love because they get a bucket load of free cash all on the Australian tax payers. Then when the world finally comes to the concluson that the Earth has been cooling for the last 10 years and the whole thing is a scam, we will still be stuck with a carbon tax. There are many things we can do to protect the environment without paying more money to the Government, who already horribly mismanage the taxes we pay now.

Anniebello says:

02:41pm | 16/07/10

No painting required, Gillard WAS a key contributor to the myriad of failures under Rudd. She was a member of the ‘gang of four’ around that famous kitchen table. BER was her baby. She told Rudd to pull the ETS. How much more evidence do we need. She is up to her neck in it.
Since stabbing Rudd (with the help of the NSW union heavies) her ‘tick the boxes’ quick fixes have got to be the worst patch-up job ever. The mining deal was ‘done’ with the three international big boys without consultation with the Australian companies. It will ‘milk’ WA in terms of constitutionally state revenue as the minerals affected are mined almost exclusively in WA. The health plan rips more money out of the states (again WA in particular) than they are giving us - along with an additional layer of red tape. Thank goodness the only Liberal state premier held out. Pity the others were forced to toe the party line. The East Timor refugee plan is a no-brainer - the Australian taxpayer has already paid for and built one in Nauru which they are happy to reopen whereas East Timor has said no.
If we are expected to take Gillard as an antheist, then the same consideration should be given to Abbott for being Catholic. Religion shouldn’t be a part of politics in Australia and so far, I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest that Abbott (or the Liberals) policies lean in the Church’s direction.
At least the Liberals have past history of getting Australia out of debt, all the Labor governments have is the ability to get us in the red. It’s a pity there is no real alternative. The Greens can’t see the big picture and their preferences go to Labor. My money is on my fellow voters seeing through the spin. I’m not holding my breath, but fingers crossed for a Liberal victory.

Marilyn Shepherd says:

02:51pm | 17/07/10

List the failures.  Come on I dare you.  Grocery choices and fuel watch get bandied around but they were frigging websites and nothing else.

Insulation?  As the writer of the report said “it insulated 1.1 million homes and to call it a failure is furphy”.

BER?  Beautiful buildings are being built in every school and the so-called whistle blower relied on by Newsltd. was a shonky liar who wanted to rip the scheme off himself and had nothing to do with anything anyway.

Defence Housing?  Lovely new homes for defence personnel.

Social housing?  growing weekly all over the country.

Stimulus packages saved all those businesses who would have otherwise laid off staff - except the mining industry of course who went into recession, closed mines and sacked 15% of their staff.

Some of you fools ought to read more.

The reason 300,000 didn’t get laid off is the stimulus, nothing to do with mining which only started to pick up again in April this year.

Beagle says:

02:42pm | 16/07/10

It might be about policy. Do you think the conservatives will have any before the polling date?

Macca says:

03:30pm | 16/07/10

@Beagle, I think you can easily find 12 policies on the first page of the following website;
http://www.liberal.org.au/

You can have a look if you want, but you may want to remove the blinkers if you wish to gain anything from the exercise.

Beagle says:

05:24pm | 16/07/10

Only if you take off the blindfold first

LibLoser says:

07:19pm | 16/07/10

@ Macca

lol… I’m not sure who is wearing the blinkers here mate. I just took a look at the link you provided and couldn’t help but get a laugh. Once again a bunch of airy fairy promises with absolutely no substance! Still I’m not sure why I was surprised.

It might be helpful, if the Libs wnat to be taken seriously, to explain HOW they intend to do all the things they claim they’ll do, and how they intend to pay for them. Until then, I guess you’re expecting us to take their “contract” as an act of faith… sorry but I ain’t that gullible.

BTW, how much does a young Liberal get paid to clog up these blogs with your little talking points?

Paul says:

10:21pm | 16/07/10

@ Beagle

Since when does an opposition release detailed policies before an election !?! Is this your first election on the electoral role?

Jason says:

10:26pm | 16/07/10

@Beagle,

who needs policies if you implement them like Gillard and her incompetent front bench.

Anthony of WA says:

10:54pm | 16/07/10

Beagle, they will leave it late, hopefully they learnt their lesson last election, when No policy Labour just said “Yes Me too” to all the Liberal policies

Reg says:

01:38pm | 17/07/10

Luke4 how can you possibly contend there is little difference between the Labor government and the Liberals when Labor has propped up business to advantage both the companies and the people in the greatest collapse since 1929?

The saviour may have been Liberal frugality but it was still aimless. Labor looks to the needs of both sections of the population unlike the Liberals who are convinced they are there solely for the good of business.

For proof, look to the immediately obvious origin of the great Howard collapse.  Work-Choices, the same one the mad-monk is concealing under his robes.

Troy says:

02:40pm | 17/07/10

@Anthony of WA says: Spot on. Abbott has learnt not to give the Me-Too Labor Government to much info as they have a habit of copying everything before the election, and just like Garrett Said; We Will Just Change It After We Get IN.

Reg says:

08:51pm | 17/07/10

Hey Troy, your explanation for Abbott’s reticence could equally describe paralytic intransigence. How do you know you are correct if he is hunkered down scared of his own shadow? 

Perhaps he is being distracted by some cryptic vow of silence.

Spin Baby, Spin says:

04:30pm | 16/07/10

Rudd’s failures?  Are you referring to Minister Garrett and Minister Gillard’s failures?

S says:

04:29pm | 16/07/10

Speaking of Queensland, if Gillard goes now, she looks like she is doing another Anna Bligh “trust me” job with the BER Report not yet in.  After being screwed by Bligh’s last “trust me” campaign, I am very wary of voting for Gillard before I see the BER Report Card…  Expect to see a campaign along these lines in Brisbane to tip a few seats back to the coalition…

LibLoser says:

07:29pm | 16/07/10

Dilldo,

Not sure what planet your on there mate, but your name suits you well.
The Rudd government navigated the GFC with great success… sure there was a few stumbles along the way, but when they had to act as quickly as they did, that was inevitable. Given the state of our economy today, I don’t see how you can make such a statement. Despite the extra debt, we still have one of the lowest debt levels of any developed countries, AND we didn’t suffer too badly from the GFC… pretty competent if you ask me.

Tails says:

09:11am | 17/07/10

What would our debt look like, comparatively, if we didn’t have all that money in the bank before the GFC?
Where would we rate if the ALP Government had spent all the savings and borrowed more if we’d started from the position they left the country in last time they ran the country into the ground?
Labor governments are like stepdads. The swagger in pretending to be your real dad, buy you craploads of presents (on your mum’s credit card) and when all the money runs out they get abusive and start knifing people.

Richard says:

11:19am | 17/07/10

The fact that the recession never affected Australia was DESPITE Labor’s drunken sailor bungling, not because of it !

Face it, when your major trading partner keeps growing at a 12% clip per year, and your major export products maintain their record all-time high price levels, it doesn’t require too much skill on behalf of the government to ‘avoid’ a recession that wasn’t likely to impact us anyway.

In reality-town, as opposed to in spin-city, it was the our mining industry that insulated us against the effects of the GFC. Labor apologists refuse to understand basic economics101. How does a country get rich? By producing things and exporting them!~(think 19th century Britain, 20th century America and 21st century China) How does a country grow poor? By going into debt and spending it all on ‘things’! So please explain how racking up all lot of debt on frivilous stimulus programs ‘saved us from the recession’.

And don’t say that it was necessary to save jobs: a flexible workforce must be capable of being retrained to work in a different more productive sector after they are made redundant in an inefficient stuggling sector. That is how imbalances caused by malinvestments made during the credit boom get smoothed out.

Troy says:

02:53pm | 17/07/10

LibLoser says: Are you Delusional. Do you really give credit to KRudd for Australia getting through the GFC? The only reason we where let relatively untouched is because of our Mining Industry and because Howard left the books is such a magnificent position.  All KRudd did is blow our surplus to oblivion, any moron with an unlimited cheque book could have done the same thing.

Steve Putnam says:

06:31pm | 17/07/10

@Richard a few facts: Public sector and private consumer spending caused a 3.1% growth in GDP which was un-matched in any developed country for financial year 2008-09. The comparable figure for mining was 0.2%. These are Australian bureau of statistics figures unlike your baseless assertions about drunken sailor spending.
The fact that there was money in the coffers was due to the Rudd govt’s refusal to bribe the electorate with lavish spending promises. In all Howard’s promises were costed at three times those of Rudd’s.
There’s little point in trying to stimulate an economy when buisnesses are closing and workers are being laid off. The govt acted promptly and as a result we have an unemployment rate of 5% and this has been at little cost as our level of public sector debt is below 20% of GDP. To put this figure into context, in countries such as Britain, France, the US and Japan this figure starts at 80% and climbs to over 100%.

Anniebello says:

10:11pm | 17/07/10

Steve said ‘The fact that there was money in the coffers was due to the Rudd govt’s refusal to bribe the electorate with lavish spending promises.’
Of course its not a bribe…you have to actually receive something for it to be called a bribe, Politicians call these things ‘election promises’. A Labor politician calls them ‘policy’

MarK says:

03:02pm | 16/07/10

Yes because the worm has been shown to be so accurate and the “wormsters” so representative of the population at large.

Do you really need others to confirm your own political bias for you?

shabangabang says:

04:10pm | 16/07/10

No. Nor do I repeatedly need to substitute fact with opinion. Why do constantly believe that because you oppose it the majority must? What might sound good in your head is not necessarily the reality of the situation.
Nor do I miss the point. Abbott is a lousy communicator. Do a word cloud for any interview he gives and you will see ah ooh and I dominate. It doesn’t matter what policies the neo-CON’s may have (do they?), he cannot convey them accurately enough. He needs to realise that you cannot govern by bullet point and sound grab.
So, as I said, bring on the debate so we can all see how lousy Abbott is communicating with the public

Mark says:

05:07pm | 16/07/10

Yes Rhodes Scholars are lousy communicators.

“Nor do I repeatedly need to substitute fact with opinion.” orly? I think Abbott communicates quite well. Can he get his message out. Yep. Can Labor. Nope. Fact or opinion? What was Rudd and Gillard was the failure? Ability to deliver a message. Look at the whole border protection issue they have created through their own inability to communicate a viewpoint (apart from the total lack of conviction and courage on it).

“Why do constantly believe that because you oppose it the majority must? What might sound good in your head is not necessarily the reality of the situation.” look in a mirror. I actually think I am in the majority going on latest polls. You do like to project though don’t you. Keep making stuff up I got time.

“Nor do I miss the point. Abbott is a lousy communicator” Answered above.

“He needs to realise that you cannot govern by bullet point and sound grab.” You should have given that advice to Rudd…...and to Jools.

Thanks again for your OPINION on Abbott and his debating and communicating skills.

Evan Findlay says:

01:17pm | 17/07/10

Mark,
In his final year at Oxford University Abbott was called back and had to dictate his final papers to a typist such was the illegibility of his handwriting. Hardly enshrines him as a great communicator. And what’s worse the poor typist would have to sit and listen to the endless barrage of “Umms”, “Arghs” and pauses mid sentence. Your are having a lend of yourself or you are of simple mindedness if you think Tony Abbott is a good communicator.

Tony H says:

04:35pm | 17/07/10

Aha the last one on channel 9 had the worm going down before Abbott even spoke. Note to channel 9, how about you don’t recruit most of your audience from Macquarie Uni student union meetings next time.

Angry God says:

04:43pm | 17/07/10

Evan, nice smear. Any proof and remember Wiki has lies abounding and is not a reliable reference.

If you think that this is valid then you have no problems with the publishing of the communist diatribe by Mizzz Gillard whenshe was at university and a leading in the Socialist Forum.
Read it and see what see stood for in the Nineties. http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/gillards_plan_for_power/

Evan Findlay says:

06:51pm | 17/07/10

Angry God,
If you knew me at all then you would realise that my comments are based on fact.
My source is the book “Latham and Abbott”, written by Michael Duffy. Reference to chapter four, pages 53 to 57 dealing with Abbott’s time at Oxford University.
And believe me, if it’s written by Andrew Bolt then it’s not worth reading! The man is a right wing fruitcake.

Angry God says:

09:58am | 18/07/10

Evan, the info is Julia’s own document. contained as a scanned/photograph on the page of his blog. Her words not Andrews, unedited for your perusal.

As for your opinion of Andrew Bolt, I do not respect people who use labels such as Right Wing Fruit-cake (such a change for that former Labor Staffer) to to try and make a point. I do not know you Evan, and given your contributions that I have read on this and other blogs, I feel richer for this non-occurance.

Evan Findlay says:

03:23pm | 18/07/10

Angry God,
You clearly demonstrate the close mindedness of the conservative voter. Stuck in your antiquated ways and non receptive to new ideals or open thinking, much like the leader of the Liberal party who you so openly support.

Spin Baby, Spin says:

04:22pm | 16/07/10

I agree with who will win.  We certainly didn’t win last time around and in fact lost a hell of a lot of taxpayer money down the drain.  Question is, will we do the same again this time round?

TrueOz says:

05:27pm | 16/07/10

I emailed my local NLP candidate more than a week ago to ask about her position on the proposed filter. Silence has followed. I will contact EVERYONE standing for office on my electorate to determine their view. He or she who is most vehemently opposed will probably get my vote. I doubt that either Labour of the LNP can be trusted not to interfere with this important tool of liberty and freedom.

BobM says:

03:02pm | 17/07/10

@TrueOz - here is a link to the Coalitions internet filter policy.

http://www.liberal.org.au/Issues/Infrastructure/Internet-Filtering.aspx

Fed says:

02:43pm | 16/07/10

Yep, and what a change he will make frin Krudd & Gillard

1941 vintage Bowman swinging voter says:

02:50pm | 16/07/10

You could be right octupus. I think the Timorese are hanging out for the pot of gold from the Oz Govt.

Macca says:

03:04pm | 16/07/10

Paul! I need your assitance. can you do my League tips for this weekend?

Paul the Octopus says:

04:24pm | 16/07/10

Macca, No can do. Penbo has taken me hostage so he can make a squid down at the Dapto dogs this weekend.

HH says:

02:59pm | 16/07/10

Abbott has a climate policy - how does this make him a denier?
I don’t want any climate alarmists destroying Australia’s competitiveness and creating huge costs in living.
Australians are taxed enough already

Malcolm Turnbull is working harder for GOLDMAN SACHS with his climate change push than any Australian. He owes Goldman (google it) and I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

Dixon Voter says:

02:33pm | 17/07/10

Well Dutton will lose Dixon, that’s a given! Don’t s**t on your constituents they won’t thank you for it.

Margaret Gray says:

03:16pm | 16/07/10

“...The economy, health, and education. On these issues Labor will win…”

If the competition is “Who Wastes The Most Money” then yes, the Labor Party are sure to win.

CynicalGoat WA says:

04:05pm | 16/07/10

Economy…..urinated away the surplus and plunged us into more deficit than was needed….half of which has contributed to building company owners purchasing islands in the Caribbean. Yeah that’s a win for the ALP.
Health. A national health agreement that resembles nothing like what Rudd was bugling at the start…..oh and those darn confounded West Australians havent signed up to the Labor love-in either…Very national. Another obvious win for the ALP.
Education…..a third of the computers that were promised have been delivered, all those childcare centres that were going to be built at school sites to remove the drop off mysteriously disappeared on a Friday afternoon (but it was after all only 200+ of them), and the BER looks like it is now nearing on $6bill plus wasted on overcharges and rorting. Another sure winner for the ALP.
Jeez with that conga line of success, I’m buggered why the Coalition even bothers putting up any candidates.

Sheeple says:

04:15pm | 16/07/10

I am happy for Abbott to be the opposition leader for another 4 years - he will at least hold Gillard to account, unlike Turnbull.  Although I do think the Government has to account for the waste this term.  That could kill them if they really have been incompetent and tipped buckets of money down the drain when we are all suffering from bills increasing left, right and centre.  The problem is the BER numbers have all been hidden and the Report due in August so we can’t tell whether we have value for money yet and I am worrying we are getting another Anna Bligh “trust me” con job.  I would have liked to wait for that Report to come in to see whether there was anything we need to really worry about or not.  In any case, if she does con us this time round, you can bet Labor will get decimated next time round for their dishonesty.

Ryan says:

05:11pm | 16/07/10

@TheRealDave : what an insult to Maggie Thatcher, who was a conservative and not a communist like our Joools who refuses to answer any questions.. obviously us comrades don’t deserve any answers.

Jason says:

11:21pm | 16/07/10

Winner-  Julia Gillard just with Bob Brown controlling the senate…. haha…Might grab myself a choc top and popcorn, put the feet up and then watch as the comedy begins.

Much prefer to be in opposition forever than beg to the Greens for their preferences and sneak in.

Anniebello says:

11:05am | 18/07/10

The work choices issue is dead, buried and cremated. How many times does this have to be said?  of course, everything Julia says is the gospel truth so she only has to say it once - except for ‘moving forward’ which she must be repeating in the hope that there’s still someone dumb enough to believe it.

Rob r Charteris says:

06:54pm | 18/07/10

Anniebello says:11:05am; It’s very amusing how Abbott did that, He buried it then cremated it. what did he do??? dig it back up so Abetz could quickly tweak it then cremated it before he reburied it??? lol It ain’t dead the only way for it to stay dead is vote against Abbott

RRo says:

07:25pm | 16/07/10

We don’t need more dwellings we need lower IMMIGRATION.
We don’t need more roads, we need lower IMMIGRATION
We don’t need more hospitals, we need lower IMMIGRATION
The immigration discussion Australia should be having is about lower LEGAL IMMIGRATION - 13,000 illegal immigrants are not creating our population related problems (including housing, policing, health care)

Richard says:

03:56pm | 16/07/10

Oh and I forgot my prediction: A comfortable coalition win on the back of huge landslides in WA, QLD & NSW, while the ALP manages to pick Pyne’s SA seat and a few other marginals in SA & VIC. And finally, the Greens to pick up Tanner’s old seat

Sasha says:

04:00pm | 16/07/10

Judging by your spelling, I think point number 3 should be your point number 1.

Nicole says:

04:23pm | 16/07/10

Theres absoolootly nuffin rong wif my spilling sasha. Now run along and brush up on your manners pet.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

02:15pm | 17/07/10

Not so sure about that Seano.  Can’t you hear the sound of the NSW baseball bats being polished?  Labor will lose NSW resoundingly because the NSW punters have switched off from the incumbent state government there due to their many scandals and incompetent and corrupt government.  That alone could well assure the Liberals of a win at the Federal level:  that and the aggrieved Queenslanders over the treatment of Rudd.  On another issue:  speaking personally, I don’t want our country run by union factions EVER and I can’t see Labor changing their ideology any time soon.  That fact alone is enough for me to vote Liberal.

Seano says:

01:03am | 18/07/10

Punters know the difference between state and federal. The also know the difference between sensible comment and anti-union rhetoric.

There are several seats held by the Liberals that have a high chance of going the other way. For every one seat Labor win the Liberals have to win two.

As much as your fear mongering about unions may resonate with conservatives, the atrocity that was workchoices will ring louder for workers and they’re the votes you need to win. Those workers wont forget that Abbott’s can’t be trusted.

Like I said $1.28 to $3.25 in a two horse race is as close to a dead cert as you can get.

Jacob M says:

10:28am | 18/07/10

Julie Coker-Godson Don’t sell us short in N.S.W . We are not stupid and understand the difference between State and Federal. Perhaps in the State your in they are a little slow and your basing your opinion on that.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

01:36pm | 18/07/10

@JacobM:  1)  No need to be nasty and 2)  Um, I actually live in NSW and have done for many years.  I stand by the comments I made and the reasons I made them.  I am not selling NSW voters short either.  I still believe that Labor will lose big time in NSW and even the professional political commentators of various publications are expressing a similar view. I have re-read my post and there is nothing fearmongering about it Seano so please keep your posts to the point and not the person. (smile).

CynicalGoat WA says:

07:18pm | 16/07/10

“Firstly they’re not bad enough not to get a second term”....WTF!?!? Not bad enough. Struth your bar must be set pretty bloody low.

interloper says:

01:25pm | 18/07/10

No, CynicalGoat, they’re not that bad. The monumental stuff-ups have been on relatively small beer issues. Putting partisan arguments aside, they haven’t done terrible things to the economy, the healthcare system or the education system. They’re not the Whitlam government (and even he was reelected, remember).

BobM says:

04:32pm | 16/07/10

Abbott is a Rhodes scholar and Julia is a lying lawyer - you’re the simpleton, Debbie.

Debbie says:

05:07pm | 16/07/10

All politicians lie Bob - Abbott even admits to it. Being a Rhodes scholar doesn’t impress me. Being a union Lawyer doesn’t impress me either. Neither of them have any interest in whats best for all Australians. But I guess you need two eyes to see things from all directions.

Philip Crowley says:

06:46pm | 16/07/10

I don’t think Debbie knows what a Rhodes Scholar is BobM.

AdamG says:

02:03pm | 17/07/10

If you say to someone “you lie” and they say yes, is that a lie? So Tony was truthful….

Troy says:

03:16pm | 17/07/10

Debbie, I understand where you are coming from but the reality is Abbott does connect with people very well. I in fact like the man, and envy his fitness. I like his honesty even if it gets him in troble, and I also like the fact he is not some multi millonair elitest that just wants to be PM for the power. Abbott has commited his life to serving the public even though he is a Rhodes Scholar and probabaly could have made allot of money if he didnt get into politics. He has a morgage like most Australians, he has 3 Daughters that he has work hard to put them though private school and he has values simalar to my own. Regardless of that his approval ratings are almost double what Turnbulls where when he was Liberal leader. Gillard may be a lawyer, but she worked for the most leftwing law firm in country. I know where my vote will be going.

Shane From Melbourne says:

11:09pm | 16/07/10

“Trust, competence, honesty, integrity, honour and above all.. loyalty.”
Where the hell are going to find that in Australian political party? Let me know if you do, cos I’d like to witness a genuine miracle…..

julie coker-godson says:

02:32pm | 17/07/10

I believe Tony is a volunteer surf lifeguard - that might be a bit difficult.  People make too much of the swimsuit issue - it just happens to be the uniform of the lifeguards but no-one seems to emphasise that fact. I think it would be a shame if he had to give up his lifeguard activities just so he could get elected:  volunteer surf lifeguards actually save lives - think about that for a moment.

Swing Voter says:

02:42pm | 17/07/10

He’ll need to be away from it for more than 6 weeks, I admire his determination to stay fit, but Prime Ministers don’t have time to hit the gym for as many hours as he does and run a country. Say what you want about Rudd but he worked ridiculously stupid hours and burnt out all his staff many times.

Philip Crowley says:

06:43pm | 16/07/10

I agree. I come into contact with a range of people and they are split pretty evenly between Gillard and Abbott. It is going to be a lot closer than many think.

Cry Freedom says:

08:26pm | 16/07/10

Or maybe Conroy paid the media to look “favorably” on Labors campaigns by paying them $220m…

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/166670,govt-offers-220m-in-tv-rebates.aspx

...or could be he was just feeling generous.

Maybe Mr Abbott should grease some media palms as well, except he would probably have to grease a LOT of palms to cover how much of a *insert derogatory comment here* that he is.

Cry Freedom

Troy says:

12:55pm | 17/07/10

I with you mate, hardly anyone I have been speaking to will vote Gillard, although I have some people craping on about the Greens.

Gregg says:

01:24pm | 17/07/10

Somehow RRo, I believe you’re going to be very sorely disappointed even if I agree with some of what you say.
Have you got enough happiness in store to tide you over?
You’ll at least be happy to know that the T Team is planning on reviewing the Fibre Optic BB approach.
That could save some money to pay for a lot of other things you mention but they’ll not get up and just for your sake, DIAC have already made some significant changes to immigration regulations that’ll likely have a huge impact on the international students to PR visa super highway and at the same time there will be a significant impact on the education sector and its contribution to the economy.
But foreget zero nett immigration and lower water and electricity charges for the latter will only be possible if you pay more for something else.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

02:38pm | 17/07/10

Hi Eric,  Don’t forget NSW and I’ve had my bat ready for some months now!  Roll on the Coalition.

BobM says:

06:45pm | 17/07/10

I watched Hugh Riminton drooling all over Julia Gillard on Channel 10 news tonight - enough to make you spew - “Oh Julia, are we going to hear more of ‘moving Australia forward’ in the lead up to the election?”  “Oh yes, Hugh, you know me Hugh, never one for looking backwards (at all my blunders) Hugh, we’ve got to move Australia forward.” Sick making stuff.

Andrew says:

01:50pm | 17/07/10

You are joking aren’t you? If stimulus spending saved us from recession why didn’t it work in the US and UK. One word, “surplus”. The previous 11 years of economic responsibility (zero govt debt) ensured Australia was not negatively affected.

As for “hasn’t done too badly in office”. WHAT!!!!!??????

Then how come they assassinated Rudd?

Labor has been the most incompetent govt in Australian history and you think, they haven’t done too badly?? On what scale is that? The Whitlam Failure Scale (one being just mildly incompetent and 10 being criminally negligent)???

Against the Man says:

09:00am | 17/07/10

Haven’t you figured it out? When you vote Labor, you are voting for a government who will do their best for rich foreigners and not give a stuff about Australians. Your kids not going to be able to afford much in the future let alone owning a house. Gillard like Rudd will let this country down. The question is whether Australians are willing to get screwed over again and again and again…..............

Labor’s slogan for 2010 and beyond:
‘We aim to be the new Greece, financial/economic chaos is our speciality!’

Jason CR says:

12:51pm | 17/07/10

Rick,

I thought Kevin Rudd didn’t listen to anyone and ran his own race.  It seems like anything that went well was Gillard and the rest, yet every mistake was made by Rudd acting alone.

Just who did what for the past 3 years??

You must think the voters are as silly as you.

Andrew says:

01:30pm | 17/07/10

If they have such a great record why did they knife their leader and install his incompetent bungling deputy in a desperate measure to avoid an electoral massacre.

You are living in La La land.

Labor Ruined NSW says:

08:58am | 17/07/10

I would prefer the Mad Monk over the altenative (is she Cath or Kim?)

Julie says:

09:13am | 17/07/10

You’ve got to be kidding, are you trying to say Julia would sound better talking to heads of state? When she was in the states last year the school children couldn’t understand her and asked if she spoke English in Australia. What a look it will be for the Australian PM to introduce her hairdressser boyriend to world leaders as well. lol

MickG says:

09:14am | 17/07/10

Given Julia’s recent effort in dealing with the East Timorese, I can’t see Abbott being any worse.

Anthony of WA says:

09:59am | 17/07/10

Faul hes a lot smarter than you will ever be unless you were also selected as a Rhodes scholar. plus whether you get it verbal or in writing labour backflip on it or stuff it up

cant play god says:

11:25am | 17/07/10

are you serious? Do you honestly want Joolia to represent Australia on the international stage?
I despair for you if that’s how you see it.
Turnbull agreed with Rudd whilst Joolia dumped the ETS to get the big seat. Costello retired from politics.

Ben81 says:

12:42pm | 17/07/10

I doubt foreign heads of state care much about the childish “mad monk” moniker, and didn’t Labor just get rid of someone who had a habit of talking in circles and who seemed to go out of his way to make sure people didn’t understand what he’s really talking about, now replaced with someone who showed promise but is becoming the same as her predecessor?

Skin says:

03:29pm | 17/07/10

I’ve noticed Tony’s speaking has improved recently. He doesn’t seem to um and ah as much as he used to, but he now pauses mid-sentence for a bit too long.
I also haven’t heard his staccato laugh for a while, it was very amusing but it did detract from what he was saying.

Tony H says:

04:25pm | 17/07/10

The only 2 ministers Labor had that I would even rate as “employable”, Tanner and Faulkner, have resigned since the Rudd execution. Labor now how nothing but talentless clowns on their front bench.

Anniebello says:

02:20pm | 18/07/10

The NBN is all well and good but add that filter and you get less than what we have now. Not to mention the fact that it takes money away from the other important issues you list. We already have a 24hr health phone service and while smart houses might be a good thing, not a priority for many people struggling to make ends meet right now. 
As for immigration, might I suggest you read ‘While Europe Slept’ by Bruce Bawer and see what is on the cards for Australia if we continue moving forward with Julia.
I do agree with you on the last one. Having your union mates remove an elected PM and then not coming clean with the details is a crime.

BobM says:

06:56pm | 17/07/10

Yes, they’re already worried that their Golden Girl may not deliver…..

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/early-poll-called-to-stop-labor-slide/story-fn59niix-1225893244469

Swing Voter says:

09:04am | 18/07/10

A voter and he could be a nobel peace prize winner for all I care. He needs to do a hell of a lot more to win me over and yes I swing vote, voted Howard, Howard, Rudd and now we’ll see. But the elitist comments I hear on this blog makes it understandable why the average Australian doesn’t trust politicians. Vote for me I’m a Rhodes Scholar and have an Oxford Blue. I must be better than all of you

Against the Man says:

10:44pm | 17/07/10

Moving forward could also be a meaningless slogan by a meaningless PM.

Evan Findlay says:

05:39pm | 17/07/10

BobM,
Is that a rock solid, ironclad guarantee that the Libs will end the spin and incompetence?
Tony now states that the Fair Work policy is better than the coalitions and he will keep it. But is this a core or non core promise? Will the electorate get this in writing so that we can be assured that it’s not one of his lies?

BobM says:

07:02pm | 17/07/10

Actually Evan Findlay, Abbott did not say that at all. He pledged to keep Fair Work policy for the next 3 years if the Coalition is elected, and said it would be tweaked where necessary by an independent body. Abbott has said many times that Workchoices is dead and buried, but you continue to cling to it like a desperate lover, because it’s all you have as ammunition against him. As Julia says (ad nauseum), “move forward”.

Christian Real says:

06:44am | 18/07/10

Evan Findlay
I don’t know if you could call anything that Tony Abbott says or does, a rock solid, iron clad guantee, especially when he said during an interview with Kerry O’Brien, on ABC’s 7.30 Report, ” Don’t believe everything I say”

Evan Findlay says:

05:53pm | 18/07/10

Bob M,
You only keep things if they are better or is Tony just trying to buy votes in an election because his alternative is less popular. The fact that he doesn’t stand on principle, as he has stated on many occasions his belief in Workchoices, that it has now become his version of Rudd’s ETS. He no longer believes in it because he knows it’s a vote loser. He’s prepared to forgo his principles and stick with the status quo of the governments IR policy. The man lacks conviction!

Press says:

05:08pm | 20/07/10

$150 billion eh? Big number. Time to see if we can get a bit of perspective on it.

Let’s start with another big number: $40 billion deficit for this fiscal year.

And one more: we have currently a GDP of $1.2 trillion. Really big number and rising.

So how do we look such whopping numbers in the eye? Well, proportion helps.

Lets start with the $40 billion deficit.
It’s less than 3 per cent of GDP. 

Humm. Not so gigantic after all. No great drama historically. No great drama against other comparable countries either.

OK, but what about debt?
$150 billion is a bloody big number.

Well, sure it is. If it was right. But in fact its wrong. 
Net debt will peak at $91 billion, in 2011-12.

Ahh, but that is still a big number, right?
Yep, but against a GDP of $1.2 trillion and growing, its just 6.1 percent of GDP (which’ll have grown to about $1.5 trillion by then).

So, over recent decades here, net federal debt is really nothing much out of the ordinary, in truth. And against other countries right now, 6.1% of GDP is a really sound achievement.

But its still seriously big money, right? Won’t it take generations to pay off?
Well, again, no it wont. We’ve paid out debt around this proportion before.

With outlays (on unemployment eg) far less than might have been, and receipts (tax take) growing in recovery, we’re looking at repaying net federal debt in full by fiscal 2018-19. Hardly the stuff of generations.

No tricks here, just the effect of long term growth in the economy. That and the difference between going into shock over “big” numbers vs simple honest proportion - a workmanlike tool. 

Pespective. Grand thing, to look really big numbers right in the eye.

Where’ja geddit?
Budget papers online
Financial press reports online
etc
No secret “insider” sources here!