Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

@hingehead,

I think I might watch tonight, too.

Do you have a feeling that the two most critical items on Labor's current agenda are coming to a head?

1 Reply

@msolga,

Something's brewing, but suspect it's on the LNP side of things.

Abbott still desperate for election
-loses Senate control July 1
-will look like dill when sky doesn't fall in post carbon tax - (no no no tag is gaining traction)

Libs think in no more than two years they will walk into govt, so:
-some backbenchers think they need shadow portfolios before then if they want cabinet seat
-some fear Abbott has gone too far, peaked too early and backlash coming (three way tensions between TA, JH and MT provide additional tensions)
-New Ltd partisan line is becoming more obvious all the time to more people (maybe Rupert actually wants ALP in - thus makes his LNP support so blatant that it turns voters off them)

1 Reply

@hingehead,

Yes, something is definitely going on in the conservative ranks.
Have you been following all the stories about leaked email, whether Abbott saw it or not before it was posted, etc, the revived tensions between Abbott & Malcolm Turnbull, Joe Hockey declaring he's been hung out to dry ...? etc, etc, etc ....
The latest I read was that Nick Minchin was advising Abbott that he needed some real, solid policies, that he couldn't just rely on negative anti-Labor campaigns to win government ....

So I don't think the Libs under Abbott are exactly "united". Wink

If the dream of an early election doesn't materialize before too long, how long can they maintain this facade of unity under Abbott?

Quote:

-loses Senate control July 1

You know, I'd forgotten all about soon-to-be-lost Lib senate majority!
I have gotten so bogged down in the on-going shenanigans, I plain forgot!
A very different ball game!

And, apart from what you've said about tensions within the Lib ranks, let's not forget that not all of them are cynical opportunists. There might well be quite a few souls out there on the backbench with a conscience ... a few ideals, even. There must be quite a bit of discomfort on their part about Abbott's totally unprincipled grab for power. His performance reflects on them (& their future reelection prospects) , too.

As for Labor .. I think that the Cate Blanchett publicity might actually start to work for them. I suspect, if the conservatives continue to attack her, other "prominent citizens" might stand up for the carbon policy, too.
Dick Smith, just this afternoon declared that he was "too gutless" to do the same as her, because:

Quote:

Entrepreneur Dick Smith says he was too "gutless" to feature in an advertising campaign supporting a carbon tax because he was afraid he would be criticised by Rupert Murdoch's newspapers.

Mr Smith said he was asked to appear in the television ads alongside Oscar winning actor Cate Blanchett, but declined.

"I didn't appear on it because I knew that I would be a front page of lies in the Rupert Murdoch press here," he said in Sydney today.

"So there was no way I would destroy my name that way. I was gutless, I didn't stand up for the truth." ....

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/i-was-gutless-over-climate-ads-dick-smith-20110530-1fbwk.html

Interesting, hey?

But Labor is going to have to sort out its asylum seekers policy.
It's an appalling dog's dinner & it is not going to work for them.
And (according to the article I posted above) both the Greens & the LNP intend to vote against it.

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@msolga,

Quote:

Former Liberal leader calls for more urgency in the climate debate
The Australian
May 30, 2011 1:28PM

Former Liberal leader John Hewson backs the "say yes" campaign urging support for a carbon tax. Picture: Kym Smith Source: The Australian

FORMER Liberal leader John Hewson has taken a swipe at Tony Abbott, describing him as a "master of the negative" and backing a price on carbon as the best way to tackle climate change.

Dr Hewson lent his name to an advertising blitz in national newspapers today to build support for a carbon price, saying he was an Australian before he was a member of the Liberal Party.

“There is a sense of urgency which is not appreciated in the political debate in Australia. You can't play 24-hour a day politics with an issue of such medium to long-term significance,” he said.

“Tony is the master of the negative. He's found a niche in the political debate. Unfortunately, the debate so far it has just been concentrated on the 24-hour media cycle. And he's winning it. Can't blame him for that.”

Dr Hewson said he agreed with former prime minister Kevin Rudd when he described climate change as the pressing moral imperative of the age. But he chided Mr Rudd for lacking the courage to go to a double dissolution election on his emissions trading scheme.

“My own view if Rudd had had the balls and gone to a double dissolution election in February last year, he would have won. And he would still be prime minister,” he said.

Dr Hewson is one of 140 Australian leaders and community groups who have backed a carbon price in newspaper advertisements today as part of the “say yes” campaign funded by union and conservationist groups.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/former-liberal-leader-calls-for-more-urgency-in-the-climate-debate/story-e6frg6xf-1226065655499

1 Reply

@msolga,

Former Liberal leaders are more effective critics of Abbott than Labor.

Dammit.

1 Reply

@msolga,

Dick Smith is being disingenuous - saying that he knew that Murdoch papers would go for him. Well done.

The asylum seekers policy approach is interesting. Politically (in Australian race 2 the bottom terms) it's a potential master stroke. Not sure the Greens will vote against 4 times as many refugees being accepted. Seems like it will definitely cut down the numbers risking the trip (asylum seekers are desparate, not stupid). Sydney's west will love it (well at least they won't go into a tizz because it won't be in the papers every day).

Just wish the anti-intellectual moron electorate understood the ratio of jet setting illegal immigrants absolutely dwarfed the paltry numbers of boat arrivals. What a waste of mindless paranoia.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

Have you ever pondered the preponderance of JH's in liberal party leadership?

Jon Hewson
John Howard
next...
Joe Hockey?

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@hingehead,

Quote:

Just wish the anti-intellectual moron electorate understood the ratio of jet setting illegal immigrants absolutely dwarfed the paltry numbers of boat arrivals. What a waste of mindless paranoia.

Exactly.

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@msolga,

http://images.theage.com.au/2011/05/31/2396951/tandberg2-620x0.jpg

1 Reply

@hingehead,

http://images.theage.com.au/2011/05/31/2396690/ipad-art-wide-cartoon-600x400.jpg

1 Reply

@msolga,

Tandberg can draw faces!

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@msolga,

Cath Wilcox always spakes truth

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Saying "no" to everything.
Fill in the gap on the next "issue" on Abbott's agenda. What'll it be, do you think? :
Say no to ...........

Tandberg at it again. :

http://images.smh.com.au/2011/06/01/2399608/Tandberg---signs-600x400.jpg

1 Reply

@msolga,

Stop the stopping!

1 Reply

@hingehead,

Well yeah, you & I might think that's a great idea, hinge ...
but how do we persuade The Mad Monk? Wink

Actually, I think it will be the fellow Lib/Nationals who do that.
There is only so far he can take them as Mr Negative.

1 Reply

@msolga,

I think he's backed himself into a corner - the first time he says 'Oh, that's Ok, we support (or at least don't oppose) it' the media will say he's bowing to pressure from advisers, media and polls, thus appearing weak. A bit like the 'real Julia' stuff mid election last year. But the longer he keeps it up the more a ridiculous hand puppet he looks.

1 Reply

@hingehead,

Yes, you might well be right there, hinge.
But at the same time, I think sprouting short, repetitive, simplistic & negative slogans is probably his best bet in getting his "message" across.
Because he is absolutely hopeless at debating the details of policy in any sort of coherent or persuasive manner. And ends up looking pretty hopeless.
Remember his disastrous interviews with Kerrie O'Brien last year?
Way out of his depth.

1 Reply

@msolga,

Agreed. That 'three syllables-pause' thing he does drives me nuts. Sadly it seems much of the electorate can only cope with three syllables before needing a rest and are incapable of pursuing or maintaining concentration on any sort of indepth analysis of anything.

1 Reply

@hingehead,

Of course, the media (especially News Ltd & Rupert) have some serious answering to do about why why he's getting away with it with the electorate.
If, say, Bob Brown, the independents or Julia came out with such mindless three syllable sound grabs would they be taken at all seriously or given any sort of credibility by the media?
I don't think so.
He's been given a very easy ride by the Oz media.
Should have been seriously challenged long before now.
Where are the details to back up the statements he makes?
I find it pretty weird that the challenges to his leadership & credibility are now coming from past & present politicians from his own side.
Come to think of it, it's a long time since I'd heard JH declare what a great leader & future PM he'd be.

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@hingehead,

It's ironic that an openly atheistic PM can't possibly even be seen to be against (let alone attempt to dismantle) the chaplaincy thing. Can you imagine?

0 Replies

Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

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