The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

Surely it's time to legislate against such blatant misuse of tax payers' money for political purposes? (which-ever party is involved). And why not legislate for fixed election dates while we're at it? Why should the party in power (government) have such advantages over other parties during election campaigns?:

Howard's $2 billion ad splurge
Jason Koutsoukis
September 2, 2007/the AGE

PRIME Minister John Howard has spent nearly $2 billion on government advertising and information campaigns since coming to power 11 years ago.

A Sunday Age investigation has found that just weeks from calling an election, the Government has 18 advertising campaigns on the air, with a $23 million climate change campaign to air after this week's APEC conference.

The Sunday Age investigation has also shown that since the last election in 2004, Mr Howard has spent a record $850 million of taxpayers' money on government advertising. The Government disputes this figure. "It's probably closer to $400 million," said Peter Phelps, chief of staff to Special Minister of State Gary Nairn.

Spending this year is expected to peak at $200 million before Mr Howard calls the election. After that, the Government will be prevented from airing any communication campaigns because they could influence the election.

The record spending comes despite Mr Howard being elected on a pledge to cut it back.... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/howards-2bn-splurge/2007/09/01/1188067438538.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Pardon? The prime minister of Australia has promised to stand by George Bush in Iraq. Most of the rest of us didn't want to be involved in the first place! JH does not speak for us!:

We will stand by US in Iraq: Howard
September 2, 2007 - 1:43PM/SMH

Prime Minister John Howard has promised to stand by the United States in terms of Australia's presence in Iraq on the eve of an American reassessment of the recent military surge in the troubled nation.

US President George W Bush will return home early next week from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-Operation forum in Sydney to hear a report from General David Petraeus, the US commander in Baghdad.

Mr Howard said Australia should stand by its ally in difficult times.

"It's very difficult times for the US," Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney.

"One of the things that influenced my thinking is the belief that in the difficult time for your major ally, you should deliver as much international support and display as much international solidarity with your most important ally as is most appropriate.

"That's another reason why I don't believe in the reduction of our present forces (in Iraq)."

AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/we-will-stand-by-us-in-iraq-howard/2007/09/02/1188671778649.html

Newcastle, Sunday 2nd September 2007. Greenpeace activists enter the world's biggest coal port at Newcastle and paint the message "Australia Pushing Export Coal" on the side of a coal ship.The message was part of a peaceful protest to expose the Howard Government's real APEC agenda: to protect Australia's coal export industry by undermining the Kyoto Protocol.(c)Greenpeace/Morris.

http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/news-and-events/news/Climate-change/howard-s-real-apec

From the Sunday AGE:

Always feel embarrassed on Peter Garrett's behalf when another of these cartoons appear. He should have joined the Greens & avoided the conflict & mortification. Why does the ALP recruit these "high profile" candidates (with strong, clear positions on particular issues) then completely neutralize them? I can't think of a more articulate & inspiring advocate for workers rights than Greg Combet. But where is he in the IR debate? Where is he, full stop? And just say Maxine, against all the odds, managed to succeed in Bennalong. How would they use her talents? Would they use them at all?

You're not thinking this could be for real, hinge? Beazles suddenly looking like a goer? :wink:

msolga - stop trying to depress me further! Labor cannot have any feet left to shoot themselves in.

I know you think I 'pick' on them all the time, but they just seem to go from one disastrous leader to another. And, as you say, they go to the trouble of setting up high profile people and then figuratively castrating them.

Don't be surprised come election day if they don't do a Hewson.



As Tina said 'What's lurve got to do with it?'

It was the betrayal that was wrong - that she could remain leader of one party while having it off with a senior member of another - and don't forget the liaison had been going on for some years before they were sprung. Of course she's not the first high profile person to have an affair and of course the media made mincemeat out of her because she was a female. And, of course, Meg's deal was a political sell out but I'll bet Cheryl's affair caused more angst among the party faithful.

But what do I know? I can't stand the Libs and I can't forgive Labor for their knee-jerk policies and clay-footed candidates. (Howard says 'black' we will say 'white)(Environment is a big issue. Let's recruit Peter Garrett. We wont let him do anything, but it will look good.)(We'll castigate Howard for his Industrial Relations policies, but the wife's business was doing pretty well thanks to them [until it all hit the fan].) etc etc etc...

In a democracy people get the government they deserve. An old saying, and probably the reason I get so shitty about our various politicians. Surely we MUST deserve better than this!

Oh, for a good old fashioned benevolent dictator!

(And if he's no good, someone else will shoot him and then they'll have a go. Great system that! )

Actually right now the ALP says 'very dark grey'.

Huge poll lead for Labor
Posted Tue Sep 4, 2007 6:00am AEST

A new opinion poll has Federal Labor cruising to an election victory, with the gap between the two major parties again widening significantly.

Conducted after revelations about Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's visit to a New York strip club four years ago, today's Newspoll in The Australian newspaper has Labor's primary vote jumping five points to 51 per cent. The Coalition trails on 37 per cent, down two points.

On the two-party standings Labor polled at 59 per cent, up four points, while the Coalition was on 41 per cent, down four points.

Mr Rudd also received a boost in his personal satisfaction rating.

Forty-eight per cent of those surveyed thought Mr Rudd would make a better prime minister, while 37 per cent favoured Prime Minister John Howard.


January election out

The Government's bad poll figures have again raised speculation that an election could be delayed until December, but this morning Mr Howard would only say that the election would be held "well before Christmas".

"We're not going to have an election in January," he said.

"The last constitutional date is January 19 - we're certainly not having an election in January, that would be ridiculous.

"It will be held well before Christmas. Now beyond that I'm not going to speculate about the date and the Labor Party is just playing games calling on me to call the election."

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has played down the poll on ABC TV's Lateline last night.

"When the election comes, my guess is that the public will take the view that we, not the Government but the Government and the public working together for Australia, has achieved an enormous amount over the last 11-and-a-half years and they're not sure they want to risk giving any of that up," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2023551.htm

Kinda mirky, very dark grey.

But check those poll results! Looks like the voting public is happy with pretty much the same old policies, but with new look leader?

But, hey, what real choice do they have?

But let's get down to matters of real substance!: What crazy (Oz inspired) outfits are they going to make those unfortunate APEC folk wear? I hear the money's on akubras. (sp?) Ha, can't wait for the official snaps!

Sydney & APEC:

Tasmania & the 2 parties. <sigh>:

Latest election date prediction: October 27th. According to Michael Brissendon (7:30 Report). Because: the possibility of yet another interest rate rise in November & because December is really looking like too late.

Anyone else watch the IR debate between Joe Hockey & Julia Gillard on the 7:30 Report?
How can an issue of such vital importance to so many ordinary Australians seem so boring & so technical?

Spot on. From this morning's letters to the editor of my morning paper.:

A balanced budget - $2 billion on advertising, 2 million below the poverty line.

Hi Olgs

Thanks for posting these tidbits and toonies. I've sort of stopped watching the news during the week so I appreciate your filtering.

re Julia and Joe and 'the debate'. I guess the lack of passion (outside the union movement) is because we've moved into a new economic space - 'everyone' has super so 'everyone' is a shareholder. What's right or just doesn't seem to come into the equation any more. The only principle is 'how will it effect the economy.

A hundred years in the future historians will look back and say this was a transitionary phase from nation states to global corporatism.