Election
Hear their capes flap in the wind. Admire the spandex stretched over their taut bodies. Breathe and lose yourself to their pheromone feast. Suits won’t woo Western Sydney. As the election nears, our pudgy political class is turning into superheroes.
They used to be lawyers, doctors, businessmen, academics, mindful of their every word, shoving paragraphs into sentences, knowing that they would be judged by the soundness of their logic. But now that they’re talking to simple voters, they do away with making sense, and focus on larger and bolder claims.
Their side is responsible for all the good that has come to this country, while the other slashes jobs, racks up debt, drowns refugees. Forget the power the people have vested in them: to make laws, manage budgets, oversee the civil service. Super politicians can do so much more: conjure growth out of thin air, create jobs by the tens of thousands, breathe passion into our children’s teachers.
Julia Gillard will return to Canberra at the weekend convinced her week in Sydney’s west was a roaring success. And so she should. The PM’s ventures are now measured by the absence of disaster rather than the appearance of achievement.
The greatest criticism of her visit was that it was a stage-managed stunt. But the mere fact it didn’t descend into the shambolic epithet of her declining leadership was a significant accomplishment.
And, to that end, it served the intended purpose.
The PM may not have won the west, but this adventure was not only about the election in September - or the real needs of western Sydney’s 1.6 million residents. It was all about the next two weeks. It was all about Kevin Rudd. And it was about shoring up support in caucus.
Continue reading "The West wasn’t won but at least there was no disaster" »
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Zack says:
Knemon did you adjust those figures for the Labor carbon tax lie? Check and mate! Read more »
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maria says:
“Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. At last something positive and not negative, you are making some progress…..OPEN YOUR EYES and keep them open. “The Swiss example should… Read more »
It’s the biggest game in town, as some politicians in private like to say. But who wins the federal election is of far less practical consequence than most Australians believe.
Forests of column inches and hours of television will be devoted to who will emerge triumphant in the federal election slated for September, but it will affect few people’s lives apart from the politicians whose salaries and perks ebb or flow dramatically.
A game might be the appropriate analogy, after all.
Continue reading "It doesn’t actually matter who wins the election" »
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tez says:
And I always thought he was the cream of their crop, can’t trust a bloody soul. Read more »
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the moor says:
Adam, a change of government will have a social impact. Abbott has already made it quite clear that a Liberal government will take away government support from those who are unlikely to vote Liberal and give it back to those who are likely to be swinging voters. i.e. John Howard’s… Read more »
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has done the right and brave thing in telling the country when the election will be. Right because it focuses the year on policy and takes the focus off process.
Brave because it cedes her prime ministerial prerogative to keep Tony Abbott guessing.
Continue reading "Here’s hoping that policies will get a fair airing" »
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Abbott on the way to the Knackery says:
Too bad Abbott was scratched and is on a float to the knackery Read more »
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abs says:
In your dreams john u are Read more »
Despite her denial, Julia Gillard has indeed called on the world’s longest election campaign by nominating September 14 as polling day.
The Prime Minister today was daring Tony Abbott - and to a lesser extent Kevin Rudd—to put up issues of substance or fall behind in the political debate.
And in yet another of the demonstrations of strength she has come to feel necessary, she has made clear she does not intend to be cowed into an early poll. Even if the May Budget is badly received or public opinion surveys don’t lift the way Labor wants, she will go to the voters on her terms, and on her timing.
Continue reading "This is the start of the world’s longest election campaign" »
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gnome says:
TimB- the opposition leaders were respectively Kakrovski and Debnam. Of course you voted Labor. It was a damned sight easier choice than the one between Gillard and Abbott. Read more »
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John says:
Record wealth, record employment, record long term investment, low inflation and low interest rates. Best PM Ever ! Read more »
There’s no better case for Australia’s compulsory voting system than the current wave of voter suppression laws sweeping the United States.
In the late 1800s, after African Americans were given the vote, Southern states made it a requirement that voters pass a literacy test and pay a fee to vote. It took the Supreme Court until 1966 to rule these methods of voter suppression unconstitutional.
This year, in this election, Americans in 32 of 50 states will be required to present identification in order to vote. They will be required to show photo ID in 17 states, including the crucial swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Hampshire.
Continue reading "It’s hard enough to get an American to vote once" »
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marley says:
Oh geez Rose - having lived most of my life in Canada, which has as many issues with remote areas as Australia does (Canada being a fair bit bigger), I don’t recall there ever being an issue with people in Nunavut or the Yukon or Labrador not being able to… Read more »
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marley says:
@Rose - I have no idea what your point is. The US has minimum wage laws. They are set state by state, so they’re higher in the prosperous western states than in the struggling eastern states, and that’s a reflection of the value of the labour and the state of… Read more »
The rapidly expanding cheer squad for an early election doesn’t include Julia Gillard and might not even have Tony Abbott within its noisy ranks.
A poll before August 4 next year most likely would resolve nothing and only lead to a succession of elections, each compounding the problems they were hoped to resolve.
It’s a sign of frustration that a general election is seen as the answer to difficulties. For some it has been a demand since the inconclusive 2010 national ballot.
Continue reading "No easy path to Abbott’s carbon tax referendum" »
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Bob says:
Ro: Because in 2010, only 15% of the population voted for a party with a pro-Carbon tax policy. All that matters is what was said before the last election and before the last election, the parties that 85% voted for said “No carbon tax” - You can talk about what… Read more »
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Achmed says:
Ron your silence is deafening and proof that Abbotts direct acion plan cannot be defended as a better plan Read more »
Fear can be a powerful motivator but it eventually wanes, unless you can find a new bogeyman.
Take Australia’s retail sector, where it is fast becoming clear that we have a case of too many shops and not enough customers.
Despite our solid growth, there’s been a structural shift in behaviour away from debt-fuelled demand towards frugalism. The change has exposed a lot of small and medium businesses and if RBA Governor Glenn Stevens is right, the old days will not be back.
Continue reading "The Opposition wants you to be afraid. Be very afraid." »
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Rubyred says:
Yes, but she has lied before! “There will be no carbon tax under a Government I lead”. Why should anyone believe her now? Read more »
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Redmond says:
The best weapon the Labor party has, is Barry O’Farrell. Look at how he has broken every promise to win power, and blaming the ‘previous Government’ for his own failures. (Read ‘blaming us for not voting him in earlier). We’re all bad girls and boys. Show the stinking pollies, we… Read more »
Barack Obama was always going to have a tough presidency. He set the bar so high for himself during the arduous two year lead-up to his election that he was always at risk of sailing right under it when it came time to start enacting the “Change we can believe in”.
Indeed, back in 2008 there were times when it seemed his strategists took their cues from Napoleon Dynamite’s Pedro, as he essentially promised the electorate: “vote for me and all your wildest dreams will come true”.
In the nearly three years since he took office, he has made some important steps – passing a (slightly watered-down) health care package, most notably – but so many of his promises have gone unfulfilled and, although it pains me deeply to say it, his presidency thus far has been a bit of a wet firecracker.
Continue reading "Can Obama win the election? Yes, he can. Maybe." »
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Felix Culper says:
You are manifestly wrong on both counts Davo - the Australian economy is the envy of the world, Swan was rightly recognised as the world’s best treasurer, employment is rising in the US and,Obamacare will turn the disfunctional US health system around. You must be from Wagga Wagga. Read more »
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Felix Culper says:
Yes, agreed on the Republicans, and doubly so if the Mad Monk, Mr Rabbit gets in, 10 more years of the dark ages a la Honest Johnny! Read more »
Few people are more loathing of Tony Abbott than my amicable husband, Max.
An Australia under Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull? Maybe. But Tony Abbott? He’d rather have his eyeballs waxed.
So it came as a shock this week to hear him suggest it was time for an election.
Continue reading "An early election might bring us some peace" »
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Paul says:
So many words wasted. Just send him to his room without any supper and tell him he’ll stay there until he stops. Read more »
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brett says:
In a country that is over 200 years old it is amazing how the media has made the political frenzy of a minority government. Italy has minority governments for years and it’s been around for thousands of years. If the ‘majority’ of australian electors wanted the coalition to be in… Read more »
The hung parliament experiment has failed. Prime Minister Julia Gillard must call an election immediately.
Ms Gillard famously told us before the election that “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead”. The Prime Minister has been accused of lying. In my view we have never seen Gillard actually lead this government.
Today all of the Prime Minister’s policies are owned and operated by the cross benchers while those who actually voted for Gillard have been forgotten.
Continue reading "This puppet Prime Minister must call an election" »
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Adam says:
This is an excellent article, and one beautifully written. Read more »
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Peter says:
Gillard come to power with no policy other than Rudd was not up to the job. Having taken over Rudds policies she is even less up to the job but has succeeded in her wish to be PM. Australians deserve better than that. Read more »
The basic thrust of the strategy for Labor to escape the March 26 NSW election with a respectable loss is to put the focus on the Opposition and away from the Government.
Well, that’s coming along nicely, isn’t it?
On the day that MLC Tony Catanzariti revealed he would be the 22nd Labor MP to quit at the coming poll, and news reports rehashed charges against a senior public servant and minister’s husband for allegedly buying an illegal drug, it remained an academic exercise.
Continue reading "O’Farrell presents a small target, Keneally flounders" »
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Daniel says:
I think the Piers Akerman crowd have moved in here? Read more »
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Graham The Great says:
Hey Krissy girl, use the only thing you got left, get your gear off for all labor election posters! Face it sweetheart its the only chance that might even hold your own seat. You gone girl, gone, gone, gone! Next state election should be one where you just don’t tun… Read more »
Summer’s not over yet but those of us lucky enough to have secured a decent break over Christmas/New Year are mostly filing back into work this week or next.
Joy!
So too our politicians where at the national level, a snap poll theoretically can be called at any time.
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Louise says:
persephone, you certainly reinforce what a “fake, false & forged” show pony Rudd is. Funny, I thought you were a Rudd supporter. It’s good to see genuine Labor voters are waking up to this neo-liberal tool in Peter Garrett stage gear. Read more »
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D'oh says:
@ persephone Funny how you casually dismiss the lists I produced and then go after E’s somewhat less comprehensive list. It was a long list (achieved in a record time of 2 years mind you) and I would expect a long response. Bring on the 5 pages I say, Rudd’s… Read more »
For those who might have been pondering the issue, I can today tell you that Health and Ageing Minister Nicola Roxon has great breasts.
This is not my personal rating. I have taken the advice of an expert. Two Fridays ago mother-of-one Roxon gave a speech and then took questions from an audience in Canberra. A woman rose to compliment Roxon on the number of ministerial tasks she was managing. Slightly embarrassed by the praise she replied, “I have broad shoulders.”
“Yes,’’ continued the voice in the audience, “you do have broad shoulders. And great breasts.”
Continue reading "Women help give Labor breast chance of victory" »
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papabear says:
Today you can get a side of a beef and a skillfill plastic surgeon can turn it in to a “wanking” material. I would preffer our politicians to be selected according to their brain capacity rather then their external attributes. If I , as a computer novice can ferret out… Read more »
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Trevor says:
There is still a sizeable proportion of the feminist lobby that believes women are superior and that men who are afraid of them suppress their rise to the top. Thank god for the likes of Gillard, Roxon and Plibersek who utterly dispel the notion that women in politics bring anything… Read more »
To put it kindly, Nathan Rees’ Premiership has been a rocky ride.
His own inexperience has been exacerbated by a decaying Labor Government, no shortage of scandals and a selfish bunch of incompetent Ministers who were focused on personal gain rather than the public good.
To make matters worse, he is about to fall victim to the very same process of which he was once a beneficiary.
Continue reading "Rees should do the decent thing and call the Governor" »
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Timmeh says:
To answer you question Charlie the Nats have 18 MPs in NSW Parliament… ...including 7 of the 8 seats on the north coast. Check your facts next time. Read more »
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Shamim says:
I started drinking and smoking at the age of 19, in 1968 when I started flying. My instructor to introduce me, ” Meet Shamim, he smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish. But I quit both in 1992; when someone pointed out that I was a slave of… Read more »
With lots of talk about Kevin Rudd wanting to have an election before the next budget what are the options?
Most attention is given to a double dissolution – that is an election for both the House of Representatives & all Senators allowed because a piece of legislation has failed to pass both houses of Parliament twice with a gap of three months between rejections.
But he could choose to have a House of Representatives election only and leave the Senate until later. This he can do anytime before the May budget provided he can convince the Governor-General.
Continue reading "So when will you call the next election Kevin?" »
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guenstig uebernachten says:
Discipline Need,panel bad neck on as trial ball mind writer describe object hard first station question cost sexual art degree pay find put sound action apparently last tool drive value cold administration no phone circumstance environmental close fashion arrive balance what express search exercise knowledge can thanks worker version beautiful… Read more »
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Sanna says:
You’ve done your dash, Bronnie. Make sure the door doesn’t hit your bum on the way out when your party clears you out before the next election. Read more »
Whilst becoming a journalist holds as much interest to me as being a Liberal MP does for Laura Tingle, I find a great deal of attraction in using my inaugural contribution to thepunch.com.au to make some predictions for the next 12 months in Australian politics.
The golden rule for an MP is not to become a political commentator, and long term predictions in politics are a dangerous business.
This high risk indulgence is completely irresistible to our competitive friends in the Canberra Press Gallery. Often they will be based around election timing, leadership and of course who will win the next election.
Continue reading "Libs will win, Rudd will quit, and Gillard will lead" »
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Edos says:
Wow, cant believe he acctually picked it. The odds must have been 100 to 1. Well done Pete. Politics in Australia is joke anyway. The only role for a PM in this country is to piss in the wind which is why you’ll never see me vote till i see… Read more »
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John says:
Hey Mr Dutton! if you are so confident the Liberals will win the next election so easily, why have you deserted Dickson and tried to get another seat? Have a crisis of confidence, Sonny? Read more »
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