Former leaders dog Gillard's campaign
Updated 3 hours 8 minutes ago
Ms Gillard was confronted by Mr Latham while campaigning in Brisbane. (AAP: Andrew Meares)
Prime Minister Julia Gillard's election campaign has again been sidetracked by former Labor leaders Kevin Rudd and Mark Latham.
This afternoon Ms Gillard briefly stopped in at Brisbane's Ekka show where she was confronted by Mr Latham, who had been following her for much of the day.
The former Labor leader is compiling a segment on the election campaign for Channel Nine and asked her why Labor had complained to the network about his presence.
Ms Gillard said she did not know anything about the complaint.... <cont>
VIDEO: Julia Gillard, meet Mark Latham
Source: ABC News
Published: Saturday, August 7, 2010 7:09 AEST
Expires: Friday, November 5, 2010 7:09 AEST
Watch former Labor party leader Mark Latham meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard at an election campaign event at the Brisbane Showground.
Nine apologises to PM over Latham act
August 8, 2010 - 8:50AM
Yesterday, Nine apologised to Prime Minister Julia Gillard over her treatment by Mr Latham, who is on assignment for its flagship current affairs program taping a ''diary'' story about media coverage of the campaign.
Nine Network CEO David Gyngell said in a statement issued yesterday that he had personally apologised to Ms Gillard for the approach by Mr Latham while she was campaigning in Brisbane.
Mr Gyngell said the approach lacked proper respect.
After seeing the vision of Mr Latham's questioning of the prime minister while representing the 60 Minutes program, the network boss said he believed the conduct of the interview was inappropriate.
"I'm all for freedom of speech and robust scrutiny of our public figures, but my strong view of today's exchange is that it crossed the line," he said in a statement.
"The prime minister of Australia, whomever that might be and whatever their political stripe, deserves to be treated with a due level of respect.
"I think that was missing today."
"I've decided not to buy the Telegraph* anymore, instead I'm just going imagine what Rupert Murdoch wants me to think"
* (substitute Herald Sun, Tizer, Courier Mail, NT News, Mercury depending on your state)
Brings all those terrible memories right back! :Abbott calls for end to Labor's 'gutless spin'
[/quote]Within the first week, a debt reduction taskforce, chaired by Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb, would be launched, Mr Abbott said.
"Not since 1975 has there been such a time in Australian politics. Our task is nothing less than to save Australia from the worst government in its history," he said.
Aside from his already announced toughening of boat people laws, he also announced he would on "day one" of an Abbott government:
* Lift the "mining tax threat";
* Lift the "carbon tax threat";
* Start negotiations with the president of Nauru to re-open the refugee processing centre there;
* Act to stop marine parks;
* Suspend payments for the "schools halls" programme to the states and redirect the money to school communities.
He also said he would, in his first week of governing:
* Announce his Cabinet and National Security Committee;
* Establish a debt reduction taskforce.
In the first month of his government he said he would:
* Release an economic statement;
* Release the Murray-Darling Basin Plan for consultation;
* Re-introduce Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) for boat people;
* Implement new arrangements to reimburse householders for insulation batts safety inspections;
* Publish the modelling associated with the Henry Tax Review.
In the first three months of his government, he would:
* Prepare an Emissions Reduction Fund;
* Enact small business reforms;
* Finalise recruitment arrangements for a green army of environmental workers;
* Establish a National Violent Gangs Squad;
* Meet with COAG to secure agreement on hospital boards and beds;
* Visit Afghanistan.
Earlier this week former Coalition treasurer Peter Costello said he believed an incoming government should implement a further round of personal tax cuts.
However Mr Abbott said today that Mr Costello had a $20 billion surplus and that tax reform was much harder with a $40 billion deficit
But Mr Abbott said if elected his government would within a year "outline its plans and its timetable for further reform."
)
... there was at least one instance of Entsch suggesting that he had a better use for infrastructure (for a cultural precinct) funding that had recently been announced by the ALP, only to have Abbott announce that funding would go to Townsville (in Herbert, currently held by the Libs) rather than Cairns.
I live in Queensland, but I don't consider myself in the Queenslander mind set.
I don't see people up in arms about Kevin Rudd's deposement. Surprise sure, but their hearts aren't full of revenge.
) media has given us quite the opposite impression.
I predict that ALP will win Leichhardt, but only on green preferences.
Herbert is tougher because the green candidate is not directing his preferences anywhere.
What will be interesting is Kennedy - maybe enough people have moved there who realise Bob Katter is a complete knob.
Speaking of Bob Nearly laughed my scrotum off when I saw his ad on TV:
What will be interesting is Kennedy - ALP candidate is Jim Turnour's second cousin, but not really a chance, but the Lib/Nat candidate could beat Bob in primary vote, but then Labor prefs would get Bob in, likewise if labour beat Bob on primary the lib prefs would still get him in. ...
Did anyone see Bronwyn Bishop doing impersonations of Julia?
:Labor edges ahead in poll race
Updated 41 minutes ago
The Federal Government is ahead of the Opposition in the latest opinion poll, but both parties are trying to claim underdog status.
The Newspoll, published in The Australian today, shows the ALP has edged ahead of the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis with 52 per cent of the vote.
The Coalition's two-party vote has slipped two points to 48 per cent. The same opinion poll this time last week had the two parties on a 50-50 split.
Julia Gillard has slipped one point in the preferred prime minister stakes but still leads Opposition Leader Tony Abbott 49 per cent to 34 per cent.
The number of people satisfied with the way Mr Abbott is doing his job dropped by three points to 41 per cent.
Labor's primary vote is up one point to 38 per cent while the Coalition has slumped two points to 42 per cent.
The Greens' share of the primary vote edged up one point to 13 per cent.
Mr Abbott has told Channel Nine the electorate is volatile and the Coalition are the underdogs.
"I've said all along that winning the election was going to be like climbing Mount Everest," he said.
"The polls will go up and down, but what won't change is the fact that we've got an absolutely incompetent Government right now."
Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen has told NewsRadio the election will go down to the wire.
"We are the underdogs, but what is clear also to us is ... people will be focusing more and more on Tony Abbott's lack of economic judgement, his lack of an economic plan," he said.
