As you’re all no doubt aware, the Prime Minister has just held a press conference announcing the election will be held on November 24. Didn’t hear the whole thing, but after all the justified outrage about the government’s changes to electoral laws, I am surprised to learn that the legal formalities will be conducted on a timetable that will leave the rolls open until October 22.
UPDATE: Those who have had time to think about this point out that the writs will be issued on Wednesday, so the deadline for new enrolments is 8pm that evening. The October 22 date invoked by the Prime Minister is the closing date for amendment to existing enrolments.
UPDATE 2: An AEC press release announces: “If you’re not on the electoral roll and you’re entitled to enrol, you must fill in an enrolment form immediately and return it to an AEC office by 8pm, Wednesday 17 October. If you’re already on the roll but still need to update your address details, to ensure your vote you must complete an enrolment form and return it to an AEC office by 8pm Tuesday 23 October”.
Edward StJohn, for a short while you were actually posting comments that were relevant and containing logical, sensible points that added some substance to the general theme of the thread.
This absolute inane garbage that you are spruking throughout this thread demeans you as a, I thought, a reasonably perceptive and intelligent person.
It also is demeaning to the cause that you are attempting, extremely poorly, to support. If the general supporting arguments of your fellow travellers is put forward at the same juvenile level that you are subjecting us to, which on available evidence, they are, then god help your cause, because you people surely aren’t.
I can see this initial upbeat dirging into the slow drag. Many days to go, as Howard wants. So, I will expect weary hearts. And in the last week or so? I will be joyful!
Edward
I would add no capital gains tax on the primary home to that list as well.
And any subsidies to public transport as the higher income suburbs usually have access to public transport whilst many lower income suburbs don’t (on this point I am being provocative).
ShowsOn and others, sorry my mistake; I see there are only two seats in each. I suppose it is just that ACT is very close to the cutoff for 3 seats. Anyway, thanks for explaining that there is a quota system to make it impartial. Sorry AEC!
Though I don’t see that it follows that another seat there would be likely to be a Liberal seat. If Labor has a strong vote there it coudl pick up all three.
OMG – Antonio, I thought you were joking at #625 when you said
Now I see that the Tele has a story which starts
I really am starting to question her judgement – first Michael O’Connor, then Craig Emerson, and now a hair products salesman with a love child…
661 LTEP – summed up the difference well I thought.
696 Adam – Yes I agree 70% union officials is not right. It should be 60% union officials and 87% hack factor (unions + staffers) instead.
700 – BO – 15% of the workforce are in unions as compared to a 60% representation (according to Adam’s stats). Yes there are good and competent union officials but one side being made up of them substantially or in a majority? V.few if any of these people have actually worked in the industry they claim to represent
I agree to both parties are unrepresentative – only Labor more so. Explain what the condition of hack envy is?
702 Scorpio – So I can improve what posts were good?
For the long term observers, I think I have said my bit on this topic, unions/ALP/nepotism so I dont intend to respond to any more posts about this topic if thats OK?
BBP 703- CGT on family home I agree. totally unjustified. If I have a $40 million mansion in Peppermint Grove I pay no CGT. Not fair at all and encourages unproductive use of resources.
668 Edward StJohn Says: October 14th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
I’m sorry… did someone mention Dick Honan?
# 707 Edward StJohn Says: October 15th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Its interesting that you bring up ‘productivity’. Tell me, what is the long-term trend in productivity under the howard government?
ShowsOn at 692
Who’s “they�
‘they’ are the weary ALP cynics, having painted themselves as that, suddenly invigorated! Delightful!
[Blackburnpseph is absolutely correct. Nepotism is a disease afflicting both parties only Labor more so.]
And in WA there is Sir Charles and Richard Court.
Richard of course inherited his Father’s Nedland Seat when Sir Charles retired, and subsequently also became Premier.
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If Howard gets his way out of this then he will go down as the greatest Australian politician ever.
Menzies doesn’t count, he had no effective opposition because it had split in half.
Blindoptimist, I can only speak from my own experience but I wouldn’t entirely blame the public. When I was at university (in the 80s) I was not impressed by either Young Labor or Young Liberal. They were not interested in student issues and were far from representative of their peers. Their main aim seemed to be launching their own political careers, preferably after as little contact with the normal workforce as possible. Yet in my state these were precisely the people who went on to make up the office holders of both sides.
Years later I became a member of one of the major parties for some years and I found the experience quite disillusioning. The sole purpose of rank and file members seemed to be fundraising and manning election booths. There was minimal intent on the part of party leaders to meaningfully engage with the members. I suspect that even by then they were more interested in what focus groups told them. Preselections were tightly controlled by the executives for anything that resembled a marginal seat. I was interested in economic policy and once tried to attend some meetings of a policy committee. I couldn’t even find out where they met, let alone be allowed to attend!
Thanks James J. Treading water. Watch them spin the rise of Rudd’s disapproval rating.
Thanks James (#708) – Newspoll says 56 to 44 unchanged, with ‘better PM’ showing Rudd 48 Howard 39 (both up one).
The Galaxy marginal seat poll in QLD is up:
“Rudd in trouble at home”
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22585516-952,00.html
The Liberals have to drive up Rudd’s negatives, +36 is just massive. Slowly trending down but nowhere near enough. The negative air war will be interesting.
I’m not sure how much to make of this. It is a poll of 800 voters across 4 seats:
“The poll, of 800 residents in the marginal, Liberal-held seats of Bonner (0.5 per cent), Herbert (6.2), Longman (6.7) and Moreton (2.8), found Labor on track to pick up just two of these seats”
Of course, if Howard does win this, demonstrating his greatness as a politician, maybe he should reconsider handing over teh leadership. After all, how could you ask him to stand down when he has pulled off the miracle? Surely he shouldn’t be held to handover the lodge to Costello as a core promise.
Re: Newspoll:
Despite millions of dollars in taxpayers money spent on Liberal party Govt ads, the polls have’nt moved or narrowed, Jeanette and John I know a good removalist.
706
Edward StJohn Says:
{702 Scorpio – So I can improve what posts were good?}
After that effort, none. I’m cured pal. It probably won’t bother you at all but I shall make it a point of skipping every post of yours from now on and every post responding to your rants.
I give every poster the courtesy of reading their posts and getting an idea of their points of view, but am quite happy to make an exception in your case.
Nothing up on the Courier Mail web site yet. Probably saving it for the printed version.
Just saw the Liberal Ad – it’s a direct Rip off of the 96 Keating “Leadership Ad”
I think we are going to see a reverse 96 Campaign 🙂
From the Galaxy Qld article:
Come on, a couple more details than that little tease please.
Apparently the Galaxy poll is directing Family First preferences to the Coalition. I’m not sure under what premise they can do this.
There being two new threads open, I’m closing this one.