The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

I mean, are they looking for a bit if class warfare? Check this out. Very ugly!:

Tougher dole for 'shirkers'
Patricia Karvelas
April 29, 2005/the Australian

LONG-TERM jobless people who the Howard Government believes are "shirkers" will be forced to spend more time working for the dole and face immediate loss of welfare payments for failing to show up for job interviews.

Under the tough new measures to be unveiled in next month's budget, Job Network agents will be given the power to identify and punish up to 25,000 unemployed people the Government believes are deliberately avoiding work.

The private agencies, contracted by the Government to help people find work, will be able to force dole-bludgers to complete double the hours - up to 25 hours a week - in work-for-the-dole programs for 10 months of the year.

At the moment, jobless people only have to work for the dole for six months at a maximum of 15 hours a week. ... <cont.>

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15120351%255E601,00.html

I'm not going anywhere, PM declares
By Jason Koutsoukis
Political Correspondent
April 30, 2005/the Age

....Prime Minister John Howard has said he is confident he can beat Opposition Leader Kim Beazley.

Revealing for the first time his plans for a fifth term in government, Mr Howard told journalists in Athens: "I'm not about to find another job."...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Im-not-going-anywhere-PM/2005/04/30/1114635757605.html?oneclick=true

<deep, deep sigh>

The Latham experience & his forthcoming book! To tell the truth, I found Spooner's cartoon a lot more intriguing than the article. Spot on, Spooner!

Bringing Latham to book
By Shaun Carney
April 30, 2005/the AGE

The Labor Party has yet to recover from the fallout of Mark Latham's leadership. His writing plans won't help.



http://www.theage.com.au/news/Shaun-Carney/Bringing-Latham-to-book/2005/04/29/1114635744604.html

Says John Howard from Kirribilli House!

Are you starting to get the feeling that these two don't like each other?

Howard digs in, Costello blows up
By Kerry-Anne Walsh
May 1, 2005/the SMH

A damaging rift between the Prime Minister and Treasurer has cracked open with John Howard's "provocative" and "arrogant" declaration that he was determined to stay leader indefinitely and beat Labor at the 2007 election.

Peter Costello's supporters said last night the Treasurer, who has long agitated for a leadership succession plan, was "amazed" at Mr Howard's remarks to reporters on the last day of an international trip.

Even though the Prime Minister back-pedalled yesterday and said his statements had been misinterpreted, those inside the Costello camp warned that the comments were damaging to the relationship and party unity.

They said the remarks signalled Mr Howard was "losing his touch" and being gripped by "hubris". .... <cont.>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Howard-digs-in-Costello-blows-up/2005/05/01/1114635798074.html

Given the prime minister's past record on telling the truth, I'd say that if he says he could stay on, then it probably means that he intends to go!

One can but hope this is the beginning of the divisions in the ranks beginning to bring the Libs down. They just CAN'T let go graciously, can they, these leaders!?

No, dammit, they can't, Deb! They start to believe they're indispensable & terribly, terribly important. I suspect JH thinks he MUST stay at the helm for the the good of humankind! Who else could do what he has done, hmmm?

Khaki Johnny is deluded. Good. He is now starting to believe those that have sucked up to him over the past few years and is under the impression that he has actually won elections rather than the Opposition losing them in spectacular fashion. He can't see the Coalition in government without the Great Helmsman. Now if only Labor can stop itself imploding so it can take advantage. Some policies would be good.

It is generally policies which cause the implosion.

I suppose timing is of the essence, far enough out for the policies to be understood by the electorate, close enough to polling day to hinder the other mob from pulling them to pieces.

I'll second that!
Some policies (different to the Libs) would be absolutely splendid!

Pssst, Peter .... It was a non-core promise!

(I hope the cartoonists get tired of this story soon!)

No wonder I have depression

yep... it's fun watching this from afar. But very worrying.

Pretty devastating up close, too, benconservato!