Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

No further comment on Rudd's "education revolution" for the minute. Rolling Eyes

For the minute, anyway! I know I won't be able to stop myself later! :wink::

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/12/08/cartoon081207dyson_gallery__559x400.jpg

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I'm not really that surprised at Rudds treatment of Peter Garret. He is afterall the new kid and needs to learn the ropes.

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dadpad wrote:

msolga wrote:
Must be very close, then!

Last I looked there were a few other such close calls.

Now I'm wondering about the senate count. (Been very busy the last few days & haven't kept up.)

According to the artical above McEwan is the only seat in doubt. The article gives results for the 7 or 8 other seats that were in doubt.

Senate counting does not start until after the house of reps is finished I understand.

You are probably right about that. A bit out of the loop right now ...

But there have been so many confident predictions, it's difficult to know where some of the predicting folk are getting their information from.

Interesting that JH didn't formally declare the loss of his seat!

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Quote:

Sometime, someone in Team Rudd will test the bounds of the Code of Kevin Conduct ... how will the Prime Minister act then? Will it be with calm, possibly fatal authority? Or will his will be tempered by self interest and self defence? We shouldn't have to ask. The next part of the job is to hand such matters of judgment to an independent body. Then we would truly have reform, and the beginnings of a new confidence in parliamentary probity

I rather agree...it's all words until it becomes action. He does seem rather credible in his conviction at the moment.

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vikorr wrote:

Quote:
Sometime, someone in Team Rudd will test the bounds of the Code of Kevin Conduct ... how will the Prime Minister act then? Will it be with calm, possibly fatal authority? Or will his will be tempered by self interest and self defence? We shouldn't have to ask. The next part of the job is to hand such matters of judgment to an independent body. Then we would truly have reform, and the beginnings of a new confidence in parliamentary probity

I rather agree...it's all words until it becomes action. He does seem rather credible in his conviction at the moment.

Yes, agreed.

But I reacall JH intoduced a "code" of sorts & look what happened to that! Shocked

The next step would be a truly brave one!

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dadpad wrote:

I see the seat of McEwan is still in doubt.

There is a recount going on.

Fran Bailey leading by 22 votes according to The Age this morning.

Crikey!

Was that close or what?:

7-vote margin delivers McEwan to Labor
Posted 1 hour 51 minutes ago

The Victorian seat of McEwen has been won by the ALP with a wafer-thin margin of seven votes.

Labor's Rob Mitchell has taken the electorate from former federal Liberal MP Fran Bailey, in the closest result this election. ...<cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/08/2113481.htm

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I wonder if thats it or do they do 17 recounts.

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I have a hunch that might have been a recount, dadpad ... given the lateness of the result.

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msolga wrote:

I have a hunch that might have been a recount, dadpad ... given the lateness of the result.

Oh yes. I knew it was a recount but i wondered if the rules preclude any more recounts. Never mind it's all academic anyhow. (I guess it isnt for Rob and Frannie)

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"... Steve Kennedy from the Electoral Commission says the votes have already been counted twice, and will be checked a third time.

He says candidates can request a recount, but it's unlikely the result would change. ..."

Ah, in the second half of the link I posted, dadpad. (Hadn't read it right though ..)

Sounds like you know both candidates. Friends?

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Used to be my electorate.

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Ah, I see.

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Byelections galore

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/12/07/0812OP_wideweb__470x260,2.jpg

Illustration: Judy Green

Tony Wright
December 8, 2007/the AGE

The Coalition could pay a high price for making voters in four electorates go back to the ballot box in the next few months.

THE Liberal and National parties haven't yet gone through all the pain that comes with rebirthing after a lost election ?- not by a long shot.

The Brendan Nelson-Warren Truss Coalition is diving into a toxic stew.

Some time in the first half of next year ?- and very likely as early as February ?- the two parties will have to watch at least four of their prized, high-profile electorates ?- two of them in Victoria ?- submitted again to the judgement of the voters.

A lot of those voters are likely to be in a savage mood at being forced back to the ballot box so soon after the federal election.

Peter Costello, Alexander Downer and the Nationals' Peter McGauran are all now weighing up precisely when they will jump ship.

Philip Ruddock has already done his weighing up. At 64, he has been in Parliament since 1973, a year longer than the now departed John Howard. There is for him no point in hanging about on the back bench, a reminder of an era bygone. Liberal Party hopefuls are already circling for the chance at being chosen as a candidate when, inevitably, a byelection can be arranged for the former attorney-general's Sydney seat of Berowra.

Retirement may await Ruddock, but Costello, Downer and McGauran are growing impatient to get on with their lives.

Each knows he has no time to lose if he is to quit Parliament to seek a worthwhile, lucrative career outside politics. ...<cont.>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/tony-wright/2007/12/07/1196813015582.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

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Meanwhile, in Bali ...:

Crean tells China, India to make tough emission cuts
ABC news online

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200712/r209067_800498.jpg

The December 3-14 meeting in Bali is tasked with setting down a blueprint to slash greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires. (AFP: Jewel Samad)

Trade Minister Simon Crean says developing countries like China and India must set tough binding emissions targets before Australia agrees to a new Kyoto agreement beyond 2012.

Last week the Australian delegation indicated it supported a 25 to 40 per cent cut in emissions for developed countries beyond 2012.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was not the Government's position.

Mr Crean, who is in Bali for trade talks today, says developing countries must agree to binding targets before Australia commits.

"Australia's task is at the appropriate time to commit to targets but it's also to try and secure binding commitments from developing countries," he said.

"We all know the environmental imperative of facing up to the challenge of climate change."

Mr Crean said Australia was not going to sign up to any binding commitments on battling climate change until they had the results of a report commissioned by Mr Rudd's climate change economic specialist, expected next year.

The European Union, developing countries led by China, and environmental activists are urging the rich world to commit to reducing their polluting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40 percent by 2020.

But Mr Crean said that promises by rich countries alone to cut carbon dioxide emissions would not solve global warming. ..<cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/08/2113484.htm

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Uhoh?:

Secret pledge keeps us at war
Tom Hyland
December 9, 2007/Sunday AGE

AUSTRALIAN troops will remain in Afghanistan until at least 2010 ?- doubling the original two-year commitment ?- in a decision that has not been formally announced or debated.

Instead, the news has been revealed by the Dutch Government, which has decided to extend its Afghan deployment until August 2010, in part because it says the Australians will also extend their stay.

When the Howard government sent reconstruction troops to Afghanistan in August last year, it said they were going for two years.

The Dutch announcement reveals Australia's deployment has blown out to at least four years, as defence chiefs warn that defeating the Taliban and securing Afghanistan could take at least a decade.

The Sunday Age has been unable to find out who made the decision or when it was made, whether it was before or after the federal election. The office of the former defence minister Brendan Nelson referred inquiries to the new Labor Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon.

A spokeswoman for Mr Fitzgibbon told The Sunday Age that "no formal decisions" had been made about extending the commitment.

She added: "Labor has indicated for some time that we would consider further reasonable requests for military assistance in Afghanistan."

Although not announced by either the outgoing Howard government, or the incoming Rudd Government, the extension of the Australian commitment was revealed to the Dutch parliament on November 30. ...,cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/our-secret-war-pledge/2007/12/08/1196813083736.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

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hingehead wrote:

Wow, Wog Boy. That was the last hurrah of the 'Akropolis Now' crew wasn't it? Somewhen in the 1990s they had a stage show that morphed into a sitcom, basically taking the mickey out of themselves (young aussies of greek descent) and Australia at the same time.

They co-opted the word 'wog' to get power over it - like the 'N' word and numerous gay epithets likewise adopted by the oppressed. Even more off topic, Melbourne is the second only to Athens for number of greeks in a city.

Huh, thats all interesting, thanks! I saw the movie without knowing anything about these people - director, actors etc I mean - or much about the context. But it was all very entertaining anyhow, and all pretty easy to understand; it's "Wogs" there but it could be any number of minority/urban/whatever subcultures anywhere.

It all had a distinctly 80s feeling to me, but perhaps that was because of the context (unemployment, miserly rightwing government, this kind of urban jobless "up yours" defiance) - thats like how the 80s were in Holland.

It was all very lighthearted and fun, but I liked the elements of political satire in it as well.

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msolga wrote:

Just curious, nimh.

What else is showing?

It's already over again, I'm afraid.. and I didnt see any others anymore. Had wanted to see La Espagnola (name?) still..

The only one I recognised that has also just been playing regularly in the movies here (though I didnt see it) was Jyndabine (or, I mean, you'll recognize what the title's supposed to be..)

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nimh wrote:

msolga wrote:
Just curious, nimh.

What else is showing?

It's already over again, I'm afraid.. and I didnt see any others anymore. Had wanted to see La Espagnola (name?) still..

The only one I recognised that has also just been playing regularly in the movies here (though I didnt see it) was Jyndabine (or, I mean, you'll recognize what the title's supposed to be..)

Ah, Jindabyne! That's made by just about my favourite Oz director, Ray Lawrence. (Actually he's only made about 3 films (ever?) that I can name, but each one was an absolute ripper! Laughing

)

NYT review of Jindabyne: 'Murky Emotions Floating to the Surface' - if you're interested. About 1/2 way down the page:

http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=60234&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=100

If ever Lantana comes your way, see it if you can. Just about my favourite Oz film, ever!

I really liked La Espagnola. A more cheerful & upbeat migration to Oz story (a constant theme, for obvious reasons) than Romulus, My Father, the last I saw. Which was wonderful, moving, utterly convincing, but which rather made me want to slash my wrists! Very melancholy. Sad

Anyway, nimh, why am I raving on about these films you'll have no opportunity to see? Confused

Beats me!

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From the ABC this time. The original report was in the Sunday AGE this morning. Both are very respectable media organisations.

This (39 page) report to the Netherlands government says a decision has already been made (by Australia & the US) on extending their troop commitments in Afghanistan by another 2 years. And that the Netherlands will follow suit.

Has the Netherlands government got it's wires totally crossed? If so, why didn't either the Libs or Labor say so today?

If the Netherlands government's wires weren't crossed, which party agreed to this commitment? One or both of them? If so, why weren't we informed before the election? Surely this is a serious consideration for the electorate?

How come neither government has anything to say to clarify this issue today?

This feels uncomfortably like the period straight after the last election. Troop increases to Iraq in no time, though we were assured otherwise.

I'm seriously hoping that Labor is not implicated in this. That would be such a let down! But, if they weren't implicated, they'd tell us, yes? Yes? Confused

Sigh.:

'No decision made' on Afghan deployment
Posted 5 hours 10 minutes ago

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200704/r136387_462487.jpg

Australian forces may stay in Afghanistan until 2010, although the Government says no decision has been made. (Reuters: Australian Defence Force)

The Federal Government says no formal decision has been made on the future of Australia's troops in Afghanistan.

Fairfax newspapers are quoting officials from the Dutch Government, who say they have extended the deployment of their troops until 2010 partly because Australia has made the same commitment.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says no such decision has been made.

She says Labor recognises the importance of the work being done in Afghanistan and the Government will consider further reasonable requests for more assistance.

The Sunday Age says it does not know whether the reported decision to keep troops in Afghanistan was made before or after the federal election.

The article says a 39-page report by the Dutch Government, revealed to the Dutch Parliament on November 30, commits the Netherlands to staying in Afghanistan until December 2010.

The report said Australia and the United States had agreed to continue their troop commitments in Oruzgan province beyond August next year.

It linked the length of the Netherlands commitment to that of Australia, The Sunday Age says.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/09/2113610.htm

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Well, I guess our new government will clarify this tomorrow?

They absolutely should do that!

We have the right to know what the real situation is. And how decisions were made & by whom (if they were made).

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Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

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