The coming Oz election thread ...

Foreign Affairs, while frequently a factor, rarely play a key role in deciding elections. Folks by and large vote for their own interests. The People of Australia conducted a referendum on Howard's and Labor's domestic performance above all else, and demonstrated, convincingly, that the Howard Government is seen to be performing its domestic duties quite well enough, thank you, to merit further confidence and support.

timberlandko wrote:

The lesson quite simply is that The People DO want more of the same.

Oppopsite to timber, I belive that Howard just played this "election game" better, e.g. when getting the support of the traditionally Labour (Tasmanian) forest worker unions ...

Walter Hinteler wrote:

timberlandko wrote:

The lesson quite simply is that The People DO want more of the same.

Oppopsite to timber, I belive that Howard just played this "election game" better, e.g. when getting the support of the traditionally Labour (Tasmanian) forest worker unions ...

Walter

In my opinion Labor offered the timber unions a far better deal in Tasmania than Howard did. The problem was, the policy was released in the dying days of the election. There was insufficient time for proper consultation & explanation. The unions went for the Howard "quick fix" & I believe they'll come to regret it. The forests are finite, their jobs are finite. It's a situation that they'll come to regret, I think. Howard is NOT the natural ally of unions, as has been demonstrated again & again ... Labor blew it. They could have done this far better, with better timing & more sensitivity to the unionists' concerns.

There aren't THAT many timber workers!

I don't really get why that was such a turning point!!!!

Often I think that we all - both sides - draw silly conclusions from the inevitable tiredness that governments suffer from, and the natural desire of the electorate to punish the bastards, eventually, for all their discontents...which, if nothing else does, fuels government change in our bi-party systems.

The ritual driving out of the scapegoat.....the death of the "king" which nourishes the crops...

dlowan wrote:

There aren't THAT many timber workers!

I don't really get why that was such a turning point!!!!

Never underestimate the power of timber :wink:

dlowan,

It was the photo opportunity. Imagine the effect of a hall full of stock brokers cheering for Latham.

msolga wrote:

Walter Hinteler wrote:

timberlandko wrote:

The lesson quite simply is that The People DO want more of the same.

Oppopsite to timber, I belive that Howard just played this "election game" better, e.g. when getting the support of the traditionally Labour (Tasmanian) forest worker unions ...

Walter

In my opinion Labor offered the timber unions a far better deal in Tasmania than Howard did. The problem was, the policy was released in the dying days of the election. There was insufficient time for proper consultation & explanation. The unions went for the Howard "quick fix" & I believe they'll come to regret it. The forests are finite, their jobs are finite. It's a situation that they'll come to regret, I think. Howard is NOT the natural ally of unions, as has been demonstrated again & again ... Labor blew it. They could have done this far better, with better timing & more sensitivity to the unionists' concerns.

There aren't THAT many timber workers!

I don't really get why that was such a turning point!!!!

Oh, I am under no illusion that any partisan group can maintain a truly long-term lock on popular sentiment in a true democracy; people's perceptions and priorities change with time. The lesson to be drawn is that in their plan and course of action, The Opposition misread the perceptions and priorities of The Electorate. The Opposition failed to make its case, irrespective of any validity that may or may not have rested in that case. The Opposition did it wrong.

If anything, Labor misread the electorate's desire for safety & security. That is, more of the same. What on earth else they could have presented to the electorate in the way of policy, I really don't know ... I think their policies were pretty much right ... What was lacking was the time to educate the electorate properly on their policies. The last couple of weeks was virtually a policy a day, a new funding proposition daily, from each side ... Some things caught peoples' attention, but much was lost. Labor simply squashed too much into too short a time, while Howard was known, familiar & predictable. Safe.

I'm getting pissed !!!

gozmo wrote:

I'm getting pissed !!!

There's the major problem confronting today's socio-political Left; one does not fight well when one allows one's emotions to drive one's strategy and tactics.