Election 2010 open thread
No, I haven’t reactivated the blog. I’ve simply put this post up for any comment people want to make during the election campaign. I’ll kick it off with this issue:
The Greens preference deal that Bob “had nothing to do with!”
The deal means that the Greens will direct preferences to the ALP in about 50 marginal Lower House seats, which should help Labor maintain the normal 80% flow they get from Greens votes anyway. In return, the ALP will give the Greens preferences in the Senate almost guaranteeing that the Greens will hold the balance of power in the upper house. Thankfully, it also guarantees that we have seen the last of Senator Steve ‘nutjob’ Fielding.
BUT, what the hell is going on with Greens leader Bob Brown? Is he in denial or is he just two-faced? With apologies to Rox, who I know is a Greens girl and who I believe is related to Bob, I watched Bob Brown on Lateline last night denying he was involved with the deal and, instead, urging voters to make up their own mind about preferences.
Brown seemed to be having ‘a bob each way’ by distancing himself from the deal that his (apparently) faceless party members had done with Labor. But his denials lacked all credibility in my opinion. Perhaps Bob thinks that by taking the Sargeant Schultz line, “I know nooooothing”, he can then claim complete neutrality in the event that Abbott wins the election and the Greens hold the balance of power.
His stance was certainly a sanctimonious grab for the moral high ground and smacked of hypocrisy in my opinion. Why doesn’t Bob just come out and say that he did the deal because (a) it was a political necessity to ensure the Greens maximised their Senate representation and (b) the Greens would rather see a Labor win than a Liberal one?
Anyway, what do you think? You can also raise any other election issue that you care to.
PS: I loved this bit from the news report:
Family First Senator Steve Fielding also hit out at the deal yesterday, saying it would hand power to “Bob Brown and his gang of hippy friends”.
Who are these hippies? I wanna know.
Promoting 'Beautiful Bright'.
Click 
I have no idea what’s going on with Cousin Bob. I’ve checked the web and nobody seems to have an explanation of the preferences deal. It’s weird.
The hippies are all grown up now and paying their taxes. What would Fielding know? His time is nearly up.
I’d suggest he has fully sanctioned it but just doesn’t want to say so. It’s not good politics and no one (except the Libs & nutso Fielding) would criticise him for doing what is clearly a very sensible & astute deal. Maybe he doesn’t want to upset Tony but what gets me is this:
If somehow Abbott gets up, Brown cannot then claim to have a mandate on the ETS scheme because he has distanced himself from the one put up by Labor. Abbott could call him on that.
The hippies out this way don’t pay taxes. They don’t work!
He’s the Greens leader who has a different view on the Greens policies. It’s an interesting one.
I miss Kev….
Yes JB, I was astonished that last night on Lateline he tried to suggest that gay marriage was an election issue.
Two things:
1) Whatever you think about it, gay marriage is certainly nowhere near the top of the heap of this nation’s priorities. I think there’s a way to go before it is.
2) Um, isn’t that sort-of putting your own personal beliefs and position ahead of other more important issues? It’s almost a conflict of interest matter.
Btw, have you Adelaide supporters come down out of the clouds yet? The Collingwood ones over here haven’t.
1) Bob want’s to make it an election issue, but the mainstream parties won’t touch it, so it won’t be.
2) Take your point here, but Abbott has been guilty of this as well. But saying that, he has held his tongue so far. I wonder how long it will last.
3) I think the Adelaide supporters have come down a bit and haven’t got too carried away. It’s still going to be hard to get into the 8 from here as we really need to win 4 or 5 out of the next 6, which include Collingwood, Brisbane and St Kilda. The focus is really on trying to thrash Port, who took such delight at our start to the season. A lot of Crows supproters think it is payback time.
Got this today from the Greens’ campaign team:
So the decision has been made at branch level. I’m OK with that. And gay marriage is something I take notice of, but it isn’t way up there.
Don’t you love the way they had to move the debate away from Masterchef? Nobody will watch it at 6.30. They should put it on another night – I’m sure we can still find something else to watch.
The newspaper reports say it’s about 50 mainly marginal seats so it looks more like a centrally arranged thing. Also, if it were only done @ local branch level, how does that explain the reciprocal national Senate deal?
I think there’s a footy game on at that time.
Well the debate was boring as. This is the boringest election campaign ever. You just get the feeling that everything they say is so carefully weighed up that they never really say what they mean.
Where’s the passion!!!!
The reason it was boring was because Abbott didn’t have much he could attack Gillard on so he went for general swipes. The generality that “Liberals stopped the boats, Labor started them, so only the Liberals can stop them” being the classic case in point.
On the economic front Abbott couldn’t make any headway because, let’s face it, the Government’s stimulus package protected Australia from recession whereas the Liberals opposed that package all the way. Abbott’s lame arse reference to the cost of a loaf of bread bit him on the bum when he had to acknowledge that no government could reduce the cost of groceries. Gillard also scored there by pointing out that under Abbott’s plan to increase company taxes (as opposed to her plan to reduce them) Coles & Woolies would obviously be increasing their prices.
Abbott lost because he came underprepared and ran out of ammo. Gillard didn’t have to do anything except brush him aside, which she did.
You obviously listened more than I did. I got so bored that I only turned on the sound when the worm went suddenly up or down.
I thought Julia was terrible. She didn’t really answer questions – in fact neither of them did. They just re-spouted slogans.
I won’t be surprised if the LNP wins the election. And if they do it will be on my birthday.
I think there was more to it than that, Rox.
Look at it like a title fight.
Gillard holds the crown of government and Abbott is the challenger trying to take it from her. If he doesn’t go on the attack and doesn’t land any punches why should Gillard put herself at risk of getting knocked out by taking the fight to him?
A scoreless draw (or a one all draw) is a win to Gillard. She keeps the title.
I think Abbott made it boring by trying to be more polite than he normally he is, thereby reducing his impact. He didn’t get in and go for it, he just shadow-boxed in the corner so you can’t expect Gillard to do any more.
Just as long as they don’t have any more.
Well they’re never riveting TV. I don’t know what people expected other than what they got.
Another case of “damned if they do, damned if they don’t”.
The debates are not really ‘debates’, they’re more like an opportunity for the leaders to articulate their platform. They’re like policy speeches. So, by their very nature they are going to be bland and uneventful. The real debates take place in other forums and there was a classic one last night on Q & A involving Penny Wong, Richo Richardson, Malcom Turnbull & the Greens Christine Milne.
Bugger, I missed it, was returning from Melbourne.
They all came out looking pretty good, Baldrick, except I thought Milne was exhibiting a lot of the ‘Green arrogance’ that has unfortunately crept into their campaigning since they realised they’d most llikely have the balance of power in the Senate after this election.
Has anyone ever seen Penny Wong laugh? I reckon she laughs as much as Christine. I watched it for 3 minutes while she was making excuses for not passing the ETS (yeah, I know) and turned it off. Would have liked to hear Malcolm though. I like him.
Yay for the BOP! At least it will neutralise revolting Eric Abetz.
Rox, I have been critical of Penny Wong for her bland & bureaucratic style and I agree that she hardly ever smiles, let alone laugh.
But give me a break about the ETS, please. How did she “not pass” the ETS? It was the Libs (under Abott) AND the Greens who voted against it – 3 times.
I think the Greens have a credibility gap.
I think you’re right. I’m just sick of hearing them talk about who was to blame.
Negativity has always been a hallmark of Australian politics. No wonder they say nothing.
All this shit being talked about Julia, her boyfriend, her ears, what she might or might not have supported previously, is driving me back to her.
I’m moving backwards. Oh for Whitlam or a Keating to liven things up.
Sorry – I meant sh*t.
Shit is okay, Rox. Just make sure you use the * when you say f*ck.
Although “feck’ is ok, innit?
“FECK” “FACK” & “FLICK” are just fine. (that’s “flick” not f…..)
Getting back to Rox’s comment about the smearing of J Gillard, how on earth did this article about T Abbott escape wider media scrutiny today?:
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2965933.htm
To me this looks like an almost open & shut case of Abbott rorting $6,500 in travel expenses, yet it’s come out in the shadow of Oakes’ rather curious “leak’ story and, consequently, Abbott has got off scot free.
Well, so far he has.
Read it and tell me I’m wrong. This looks like Abbott is a cheat and a fraud.
They’ll wriggle out of it. Look at the comments.
The only reason it has escaped major media scrutiny is because the government has not gone on the attack over it yet. It’s quite likely that Labor are running the facts by experts & authorities to make sure they’re correct before they go for Abbott’s throat. If it’s shown that Abbott was not on any other official duties during those trips he’ll be crucified and lose the election big time.
Did anyone see the Liberal Party election launch? How was that “Stand up for Australia” song? Sounded like ‘True Blue’.
God no. I did hear it was “emetic”
http://images.theage.com.au/2010/08/08/1759729/latham-420×0.jpg
Geezus Latham’s a pig. How did he ever become leader of the ALP? What were they thinking? I reckon Gillard handled his intrusion very well.
Ha! I had to look that word up, Rox.
Emetic: Something that causes emesis, that makes you want to vomit.
Yes, that sums up Abbott’s speech today.
I’m sure I saw a boat person today. Lock your doors, hide your wives and children.
He will “repay the debt” by “stopping the spending”. That should do wonders. I think I will repay my debts too by stopping spending on things like, you know, food & stuff.
not only stopping the spending but stopping the sending. Unbelievable, Tampa all over again. One thing you can be sure of in Australia, play the xenophobia card, pulls em in every time.
And Nauru, what a lovely place to send people. One of the world’s smallest and most stuffed and uninhabitable countries. No wonder the Nauru President (of 10,000 people) welcomes the idea of re-opening the centre – they don’t have any income.
Apparently Rooty Hill (how could you bear to live there?) was stacked last night with Liberals.
Did anyone bother to watch?
I had to change my name – bloody Crikey.
You can still call me Rox…
Sorry Rox, we’ve been out all day. Yes, I watched it and no wonder it was only on Pay TV (Fox’s Sky News) because the whole thing was a sham and a set up.
Abbott refused to go on stage with Gillard and so what we got was two one-hour separate sessions with Gillard going first and copping some really nasty questions from some really nasty (almost sneering) people. No way that they were ‘undecided’ voters, I’m only surprised they weren’t throwing rotten tomatoes.
Then we got an hour of Abbott answering soft ‘Dorothy Dixers’ from the clearly pro-Liberal questioners – one of whom was an ex Big Brother contestant (Joel) who is a Young Liberal member and the son of a former Liberal MP.
Fair dinkum, Abbott got it deliberately easy and was not asked one question on the economy.
The organisers denied it was a ‘stacked audience’ but:
1. It wasn’t so much a ‘stacked audience’ but a stacked group of selected questioners – that’s how they set it up.
2. What would you expect from a forum arranged by the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, a News Ltd paper?
Anyway, the good news is Sky has a pretty small viewing audience (under 50,000 I believe) and Abbott has to face Q&A this Monday.
Cheers.
Thought you might be interested in this comment from the Poll Bludger
Absolutely agree, Rox. Unfortunately she’s going to get re-elected. She has a 9% margin and, even then, she’s pouring heaps of money into advertising by newspaper, mail & TV.
I have just received yet another full glossy Sophie brochure with the explanation:
“This material has been produced by Sophie Mirabella using her printing & communications entitlement”.
But it’s hard to believe her campaign is not subsidised elsewhere (like, er, the Tobacco companies maybe?)
I find it all insidious and I suspect my stomach bug and cramping etc is due to feeling sick of this woman.
And yes, she will be re-elected and perhaps with an even bigger margin.
Times like this I feel like shifting to a marginal electorate.
But no, I will resume my customary position outside my adopted polling booth on Saturday handing out how to vote cards watching the smug smiles of the tories as they stroll in.
Then watching the ABC and getting my 8 cents a day’s worth marvelling at Antony Green’s commentary and hopefully revelling in the deepening furrows on the Libs. I can dream can’t I?
Can i suggest that as well as investing in biofuels, they tap hoses into the arses of Tory pollies, siphon and convert the hot air and horseshit, priceless and inexhaustible.
Who are you working for on polling day Baldy? I would be for the Greens, but I have a “milestone” birthday that day and have to attend a “surprise” birthday party.
Geezus, I’d rather be doing the HTVs.
Family First Rox, sorry that isn’t even funny.
Actually the ALP. Mnd you up here in these parts it is fairly relaxed and we wax a bit with the Greens in handing out cards, especially when the need to commune with nature beckons. 8am – 6pm stints necessitate it.
I do draw the line at handing out anything associated with Tories. Tantamount to dancing with the devil.
So you’re turning 18 on Saturday, Rox? Good – you’ll be able to vote (and drink).
At Bright, Baldrick? At the Senior Cits? I reckon it might be busy there this time seeing as though there are no polling booths on the mountains. Then again, with this weather who would be going skiing anyway? – they can’t even get up there.
Punkah Raymond, too toffy at Bright. Been doing it there for the last 30 odd years, how many elections is that? Had my odd stint at Harrietville.
The only election I missed in that time was my wedding day where I was torn from my duty and got totally distracted and had to race to my “home” booth in Melbourne in my wedding suit at 5.55pm having just about forgotten to vote.
Being a west suburban, the wedding clobber did entertain the local luminaries at my old primary school. What was more memorable was that was the day Kennett was elected, I thought it was God’s cruel joke. What a wedding present that was.
Porepunkah? Big booth for Family First, I predict. Seeing as though their man is out that way.
I’m just hoping Sophie will be disqualified tomorrow after Zuvele discovered she was misusing parliamentary allowances to bad mouth Zuvele in a local rag ad. It’s about the only way Zuvele can win I’m afraid.
My election prediction is Labor to scrape home. Abbott has lost his mojo this week and looks tired – he has even admitted he’s going without sleep!
I’ve turned 18 too many times already.
Yep, the Greens, ALP and antiWorkChoices people last time were all pretty jovial The Socialist Alliance person was a transvestite who lived over the road and came over in his/her slippers. It was very funny.
My heart nearly stopped when I say Family First.