Greens hit back at 'out-of-touch' Pell
By Sarah Collerton
Updated Sun Aug 8, 2010 9:22pm AEST
Cardinal Pell labelled the Greens "anti-Christian" and "sweet-camouflaged poison". (AAP: Paul Miller)
The Greens have retaliated after Sydney's Catholic Archbishop Cardinal George Pell launched a scathing attack on their party.
In an opinion piece in the Sunday Telegraph, Cardinal Pell labelled the Greens "anti-Christian" and "sweet-camouflaged poison".
Cardinal Pell also claimed the Greens policies are expensive and will not help poor people.
But Greens leader Bob Brown says Cardinal Pell is just dog whistling.
"The Australian Greens' policies for a more compassionate society and more sharing society, more dignified society are the most in line with Christian beliefs," he said.
"The problem for Archbishop Pell is that he's out of touch with mainstream Australia and many, many Catholics.
"I suspect he's blowing a dog whistle for a Abbott-Abetz government in future, and that's a much harsher government than the compassionate policies the Greens are putting forward."
Greens Senate candidate Lin Hatfield Dodds, who was national director of UnitingCare, says her party's policies are very much aligned with Christian values.
Ms Hatfield Dodds says Cardinal Pell is simply barracking for his "old mate" Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
"It's no secret that Cardinal Pell and Tony Abbott are fairly good mates," she said.
"I think it's good that political leaders have friends from across the religious spectrum.
"I guess where it gets a bit dangerous is where we see political endorsements or disendorsements come from religious or church leaders. For me, that is starting to cross a bit of a line."
She says Cardinal Pell's attack is "very disappointing".
"I've witnessed the Greens' powerful advocacy for the poor and disadvantaged," she said.
"I've seen the Greens stand up for the environment, I've seen the Greens stand for a voice for everybody and they are all core things to the Christian faith."
Earlier this week the Greens dismissed claims by the Australian Christian Lobby that they are anti-religion./quote]
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/08/2976836.htm
Brown the Green wants to run the Gruen ad !!!
ABC own the copyright. Said no.
)
Senator Brown was then asked if the Greens would approach the ad agency and ask if they could use it.
"A little birdie tells me that might have already happened," he said.
Surge for Labor, Coalition vote falls
MICHELLE GRATTAN AND TIM COLEBATCH
August 14, 2010/the AGE
LABOR has surged to a strong 53-47 per cent two-party lead a week from the election, with a new poll also showing a sharp fall in Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's approval.
As Prime Minister Julia Gillard had a much better fourth week, Labor's two-party vote in the Age/Nielsen poll rose 4 percentage points. Its primary vote was also up 4 points to 40 per cent - about the level it needs to be confident of hanging on.
The Coalition has lost 3 points in a week from its primary vote - on 41 per cent, it is only slightly ahead of Labor.
Ms Gillard widened her advantage as preferred prime minister. She leads 52 per cent, up 3 points, to Mr Abbott's 38 per cent, down 3 points.
There are signs of improvement for Labor in the key states of Queensland and New South Wales, where it is most worried about losing seats.
On these figures, Labor would be returned with its majority little changed. The poll found almost six in 10 voters expect Labor to win, up from a week ago.
After two bad weeks, Labor's campaigning has levelled out in recent days, with Ms Gillard making big promises on education and a railway line in Sydney aimed at vulnerable seats. Mr Abbott, meanwhile, struggled on the broadband issue, admitting he was not a ''tech head''.
The Opposition Leader's approval is down 5 points to 45 per cent, while his disapproval is also up 5 points to 48 per cent. Ms Gillard's approval was up 2 points to 54 per cent; her disapproval fell 2 to 36 per cent.
While Labor will be heartened by the national results, it is still concerned by its polling in marginal seats. In Queensland, the Nielsen poll still has Labor trailing, and the government is worried about a clutch of close electorates.
The poll shows no overall swing since the 2007 election. Taken between Tuesday and Thursday nights, among 1346 voters, it finds Labor improving in Victoria, marginally ahead in NSW, level in South Australia and trailing in Western Australia. The Greens vote is down 1 point to 12 per cent.
''This is a good poll for Labor, but there are reasons for caution,'' said Nielsen pollster John Stirton. First, Green voters' preferences are flowing more strongly to Labor than at the last election. When the two-party vote is calculated using 2007 preference flows, the result is closer - 52-48 per cent.
Second, 14 per cent of Labor voters said only that they were ''leaning'' to Labor, almost double the Coalition's ''soft'' vote (8 per cent), Mr Stirton said. And third, he warned, ''the election result will still be decided by regional differences''.
The gender gap has narrowed significantly, with 54 per cent of women supporting Labor compared with 52 per cent of men. But as preferred PM, Ms Gillard is much more popular among women.
Ms Gillard has her formal launch in Brisbane on Monday. The detail is still being worked on, but she is expected to keep any new offerings modest. Mr Abbott has made a quick dash to Western Australia for a day's campaigning... Cont>
Labor takes lead one week from polls
Updated 1 hour 19 minutes ago
Labor has stormed ahead in the latest national opinion poll, reclaiming its election-winning lead a week from polling day. .. cont>
GetUp! wins case for online voter registration
Updated Fri Aug 13, 2010 4:44pm AEST
Australians will now be able to enrol to vote online after the Federal Court ruled in favour of political activist group GetUp!'s case against the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
GetUp! had taken the AEC to the court, challenging electoral laws that prevented voters from enrolling online.
It is the group's second court win in as many weeks.
Last week the High Court ruled Howard government changes that closed the electoral rolls on the day writs were issued were unconstitutional.
GetUp! national director Simon Sheikh says today's decision is historic.
"With 1.4 million Australians not on the electoral roll earlier this year, we need to do every single thing we can to get bureaucracy and red tape out of the way," he said. ...<cont>
:ALP fights back in key marginals
Dennis Shanahan, Political Editor
From: The Australian
August 14, 2010 12:00AM
Source: The Australian
LABOR is facing the loss of a clutch of seats in the pivotal states of Queensland and NSW.
But the Gillard government is positioned to hold power by winning back Coalition seats in Victoria.
With only a week to go until the election, Labor appears to be holding on to a narrow lead as it prepares for a last frenetic few days of campaigning, starting with Julia Gillard's official campaign launch in Brisbane on Monday.
The latest Newspoll survey, conducted exclusively for The Weekend Australian, reveals that Queensland remains Labor's weak spot, with swings in marginal electorates since the 2007 election putting up to seven seats at risk on a statewide basis.
A smaller swing in NSW puts up to five seats at risk, including John Howard's former seat of Bennelong, won in 2007 by Labor newcomer Maxine McKew.
But in Victoria, the Prime Minister's home state and Labor bastion, a strong swing towards the Labor government since the 2007 election puts up to three Coalition seats at risk.
The loss of seven seats in Queensland and five in NSW, coupled with expected losses of up to two Labor-held seats in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, would mean Labor would lose power and depend on independents' support to form government.
But possible gains in Victoria would mean Labor could govern in its own right by the narrowest of margins. ...<cont>
) disagrees with the findings .... Gillard wary of voter volatility in key states
Updated 26 minutes ago
Julia Gillard: "I understand in some parts of the country there's disappointment with state Labor governments". (AAP: Alan Porritt)
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says voter backlash against state Labor governments is creeping into national polling.
A Galaxy Poll, published in today's News Limited papers, has the Opposition leading on a two-party preferred basis with 51.4 per cent to 48.6 per cent and on its way to securing the 17 seats it needs to win the election.
But ABC election analyst Antony Green has questioned the interpretation of the Galaxy figures, saying someone has made an "absolute howler".
The poll shows Labor is heading for defeat in Queensland where it could lose 10 seats, while in New South Wales it may lose four seats to the Coalition.
Ms Gillard has urged voters to go to polling day with the national election in mind.
"As we look around the country, there are clearly some regional and state-based factors in play," she told Channel Nine.
"I understand in some parts of the country there's disappointment with state Labor governments.
"Of course people can form their views about their state governments, have their say in their state elections. The national election ... is about who has the best policies and plans for the nation's future and particularly the economic plan to manage a $1.3 trillion economy.
"It's just a question really of people looking at what this election is about and making sure when they vote next Saturday, they're voting on the issues in the national election."
But Ms Gillard admits many voters still hold doubts.
"I think there is still volatility out there, there's still people making up their minds," she said.
"Certainly in this last week of the campaign I'll be saying to Australians around the country, through our campaign launch tomorrow and beyond, that voting for me is voting for a strong economy.
"I'm keenly aware that as we go into the final week that if today's polls are right, then Mr Abbott could end up prime minister. ...<cont>
:
