The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

No, they appear to have vanished, too.

Nicholson's view of Latham's revelations:

Having been a wee bit flippant about Mark's glasses & loss of weight, etc, I feel that I should come clean about my attitude towards him in the last election campaign. He's getting so much flack at the moment that I feel the need to say something, at least:

I 100% agreed with his line on government funding of private schools. Private schools are businesses for god's sake! Why should the most privileged schools with the most luxurious facilities & services continue to receive such generous government support when everyone knows that many government schools are struggling to provide even the basics? The argument that "everyone pays tax" (so therefore ALL schools should receive substantial financial funding) just didn't wash with me & still doesn't. It was a huge relief to see a Labor leader FINALLY show some concern about the "great unwashed" & the raw deal they were receiving from a cynical federal government. And governments before them, of both persuasions. I feel much the same about the federal government's lack of financial support of public hospitals upon which most ordinary people depend.

Latham's position on Australia's involvement in Iraq I half agreed with. It was SO refreshing to have a political leader talk straight about our government's reckless agreement to this misguided US government venture! So many Australians didn't believe we should be there either. Remember the demonstrations? But, get out "by Christmas"? No, having gotten involved in Iraq, I believe we should have provided the resources to repair some of the damage that we contributed to there. As for "threatening the US alliance", well, just observe how well the US government supported the stranded citizens of New Orleans & you have to wonder how strong the response would be to an "external" problem at the other side of the world. I have some sympathy with Latham's position on the US, even though no other Oz politician would dare to express such a view.

There are other issues I half agree with Mark Latham on. The Tasmanian forests, for example. Often I applauded his willingness to air the problem & only partially agreed with his solution. But at least he had the nerve to air touchy problems! The ones ordinary people were concerned about. That was extremely refreshing in Oz politics. If only the ALP had had the guts to admit some of those problems even existed & had worked on solutions that would suit ordinary Australians!

So today I hear John Howard crow that the ALP "knew" what he was like when he was made leader. Well, hey, who knew that Australia would become a target for terrorists as a result of Howard's actions? Does that make him a great leader? And I heard Vaile (sp?) yesterday carry on about Labor's need to clarify it's position on the US Alliance, post Latham. Would it be such a dreadful thing for ANY party to say that we have our OWN interests, which at times might be totally at odds with the current US government? It disgust me to hear the likes of Howard & Vaile talk as if they have done the right thing by the ordinary people of this country. They haven't. They've abandoned them. At least Latham CARED, flawed as he was. They don't.

msolga this is a case of lauging last. The Latham spray will keep the Libs going for a few weeks but people will find something else to focus on. There's two years before the next election. That's plenty of time for the IR legislation, the Telstra "sale" and other plans that have yet to be unveiled to blossom and drop their poisonous fruit on us. We will suffer but we will be rid of them.

Whoa! I just saw the Denton interview. Digesting.




Oddest affect. Some great points. Interesting about the press stuff, and turning the tables on journos re their lives, sometimes.....got a biiiig clap.


Where do you think he is at emotionally? The stuff where Denton was trying to probe that......I understand his avoidance, but what WILL he do? He has been a labor apparatchik for so long.....

I thought it was pretty rivetting stuff. And was wondering about the emotional stuff, myself: in the sense that he seemed to be in total denial of one of the great loves of his life - the ALP. How could he ever have written all those thoughts about his vision for Australia, participated so whole-heartedly in the party through most of his adult life, then become leader & not feel a huge sense of loss? It would be like losing a huge part of himself. Talking to Denton, he was still passionate ... about Australia heading down the "wrong" track, going the way of the US. I'm wondering what he'll do with all that passion?
It just seemed that in the meantime, in response to what to him must have felt a huge betrayal by the ALP, the only way to cope & survive was to cut himself off completely. It might work for now, but down the track? Hmmmm .... But right now the focus is survival, I guess. I just have this sense of sadness about it all. He's a very intelligent man who communicates his ideas very well to ordinary people. He ain't no robot politician. What a waste.

<sigh> Yeah, I know ... I try to accept this (no choice!) but every now & then it just drives me nuts!!!

G'day, gf. Nice to see you again. Where've you been?

Uh oh!

Defamation threat to Latham
By David Humphries
September 20, 2005/SMH

Retaliation against Mark Latham's attack on Labor has escalated after the party's NSW secretary, Mark Arbib, told lawyers to examine the case for suing the former Opposition leader for defamation.... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/defamation-threat-to-latham/2005/09/19/1126982000743.html?oneclick=true

YES!!!! :

Technical problems msolga, I am having problems logging in, staying logged in, getting bounced when I try to post....so I have been making drive-by comments

Have you contacted the site, GF? Via the "contact us" on the bottom of the screen?

I don't think that's going to be good for ANYBODY.


Dammit.


Yes, Msolga - denial. But he was quite emotional when Denton asked him - did you see the flush? I be worried about him when it hits, and the kiddies aren't gonna be a lot of help, nor should they be.

Thank you Deb I shall do that. I didn't realise it was there. But then I don't read the manual and I never ask for directions........

Not good, gf! I hope this sorts itself out soon. We miss you!
Actually I've had a variety of glitchy A2K moments, too. (Though when I comment on them people don't seem to believe me. ) I have seen the "critical error" message a few times too many, had disappearing "search" topic lists & experienced incredible slowness .... So it goes.

I missed the flush. :wink: But no amount of love for his children will compensate for the loss of political purpose in his life. My two bobs worth, anyway ....

Today Latham was on Jon Faine's program (774 - Melbourne ABC radio) for an extended interview. More of the same - some very candid responses from him in response to sticky questions. Interestingly, Jon Faine reported receiving many Latham-supportive text messages during the interview. "Onya Mark!" & all that. But then, that's Melbourne! You know what we're like! :wink: Who knows what the rest of the country thinks?

No, I agree.


But then, threats of defamation action have many purposes. One of which is to make a person shut up! So, maybe nothing more will come of this ....

Hmmmm. I was gonna ask what folk thought would be the effect on Labor's chances at the next election, but I suspect that may sum it up.

Still, one can imagine the fun the Libs will have dredging it all up...