That lucid analysis I promised two posts ago will still have to wait another day. In the meantime, I have added a new “photo finish” thread below for Dickson, where Labor’s lead is an uncomfortable 389 votes, to those already existing for Swan, Solomon, McEwen, Macarthur, La Trobe, Herbert, Bowman and the Victorian Senate. It would also be remiss of me not to note the very sad passing of Matt Price, taken far too young at 46.
Marky,
We have what is basically a mixed economy and I like it that way, not because it’s good for me, but because it’s good for Australia. I’ve lived in America and I wouldn’t like to see Australia become like that and I’ve visited a few Socialist Utopias and I wouldn’t like to see us be like that either. Australia is never going to elect a Socialist PM so we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Pyne was totally in denial tonight. Reckons it was only “New Leadership” / time for a change factor.
Long may that emu-headed pose rule the Liberals. They’ll be in the wilderness for years if so! Bahahah!
Turnbull was at least smelling the roses.
#1193 –
“His legacy is wall-to wall labour governments”
What is it with these Lefties who can’t even spell the name of their party correctly? You see it everywhere.
Patrick Bateman,
As I said before, I think the Howard government’s middle-class welfare was a disgrace (I speak as a Labor-voting economic conservative, here). All it seemed to do was churn money – taking it from people and then giving it back to them 3 months later. If Howard was a true economic conservative, he would have cut the tax rates more – both on income and corporate tax rates…
1198
Patrick Bateman Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:07 am
What really annoyed me at the time of Howard’s $34 billion tax cut bribes was that Rudd obviously had to & was going to match them , so howard just wasted $34 billion , at least 50% of which could have gone to ‘water’ , solar , hospitals , education & infrastructure ??
[ Pyne was totally in denial tonight. Reckons it was only “New Leadership” / time for a change factor. ]
Pyne is only pushing hard on the ‘new leadership’ aspect as that’s the only thing going for him. He’s younger than the others. Otherwise he’s got nothing.
1203
Steven Kaye – must be the Teachers Unions fault or the State Labor Education Ministers of yester year lol
The Australian Labor can reasonably be called a labour party.
Not anymore they’ve moved to the right because of the popularity of many of Howard’s policy positions, just ask our new PM Kevin Rudd.
[Pyne is only pushing hard on the ‘new leadership’ aspect as that’s the only thing going for him. He’s younger than the others. Otherwise he’s got nothing.]
I hope he gets the deputy leadership, then loses he seat in 2010.
[Not anymore they’ve moved to the right because of the popularity of many of Howard’s policy positions, just ask our new PM Kevin Rudd.]
Right and left will be meaningless terms in describing what Rudd does.
Swing Lowe: agree re middle class welfare….what happens when the economic cycle turns …it will cause budget deficits …& possibly leading to higher inflation/ interest rates ?
Stagflation came about because of oil shock of 1973, and massive wage cost inflation in Australia as a result. The world changed its ideological thinking in such areas due to a massive push by the Milton Freidmanns and other right wing ideologues to change economic thinking from interventionist economic thinking to individualist market based economics.
The interventionist were swept from the univerisities or brainwashed with your rhetoric and we governments such as Thatcher and Reagon who brought its true othoxody into place.
This supply side nonsense, pure nonsense that it is just bunkum. If you wish to go with it, then how do you expect to come out of a recesssion then, cut wages. Back to the 1930’S Depression.
Selling government enterprises was the answer as well, that would have done nothing. Yep sell them when they provide governments with revenue and a healthy return. Government infrastructure actually provides jobs, security, necessary abilty to innovate and research, one only has to look at Japan and Singapore in this regard.
Telstra sums it up, profit before a better broadband service.
[ What is it with these Lefties who can’t even spell the name of their party correctly? You see it everywhere. ]
Yes, spelling standards have really dropped over the last eleven and a half years.
#
1209
Glen Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Not anymore they’ve moved to the right because of the popularity of many of Howard’s policy positions, just ask our new PM Kevin Rudd.
You mean Howard’s policy positions on work choices , hospitals , climate change & education ?
SK – My apologies petal, Labor is spelt Labour in the UK. I hope you’re not too offended.
Anyway – you were saying – JWH’s legacy? (dum dum dum drumming fingers waiting for a response……
Marky,
Did you hear the news? The Cold War is over.
It was also Pyne’s pro-Costello line ie Tip may have won, since the electorate just LOVED all the coalition policies (eg Workchoices, Climate inaction, Iraq war) – and Smirker would have neutralised New Leadership, which the only thing Rudd had going for him.
It was a truly dimwitted effort, which even left Coonan a bit lost for words on LL.
Head wedged too firmly up ring. So, again – I do hope the Libs give him the nod. Thats sort of po-faced denial will turn 6 years into 9 real easy.
Oz. Thorpedo.
SMH. Still talking leadership, opposition. Dear me.
Wait! Domestic tragedy. Nolan paintings.
The Age. Beazley and Carr. Potential ambassadors, Washington etc. Climate Change cost per rural regional as against. Dolphin deaths, Gippsland Lakes. Puzzle.
Fin. Rio Tinto/ BHP Billiton. Rudd, challenge to Senate re IR policy. Ken Henry, cracks a mention.
Pyne is delusional He did not push for Howard out because the polling aid Costello was even more unpopular….like some of the bloggers here , they still have not accepted they lost and its their policys (not just Howard) that were the cause
[What really annoyed me at the time of Howard’s $34 billion tax cut bribes was that Rudd obviously had to & was going to match them , so howard just wasted $34 billion , at least 50% of which could have gone to ‘water’ , solar , hospitals , education & infrastructure ??]
To be fair, those cuts are not as big in reality as the big ’34 billion’ suggests. Firstly I dont think they kick in for a year, and secondly they are spread over 4 years or so. They were really just the annual budget cuts announced in advance.
That said, there is a fair slice of the pie left to go on those things you mention.
And SK – I suspect those six liberal voting teachers weren’t enough to swing it for Howard? Perhaps you should have held more bbqs….
Dario , it is STILL $34 billion in total that should have been spent in water’ , solar , hospitals , education & infrastructure ??]
Swing Lowe,
Socialism is not dead mate, it is just lying in torpor waiting for the economy to collapse. Once the lie of perpetual growth can no longer be told (Climate Change and Peak Oil are going to end it before Marx’s revolutions ever do) people will re-sign the Social Contract, wave bye-bye to Liberalism and rejoin their local community. Once we need each other again, we will see what is happening in Venezuela happen here one day; 21st century socialism and grassroots democracy. Though we have to survive long enough first; oil wars, drastic climate change and huge social upheaval. 21st century socialism or fascism; line up.
Interesting times indeed
Paul K for your information i was never a fan of Russia or Chinese models of your so called socialism they were communist.
I like France and Sweden and although Chavez to me must make changes to his idea of dictator rule i think he is making tracks to creating a better society by providing free healthcare and education because in the long run it will benefit the economy by educating people.
Cuba is in terrible mess but the American trade blockade has not helped it one bit. Nevertheless i am not a fan of dicatorships and believe Cuba needs to reform itself here.
1224
Earthrise Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Socialism is not dead mate,
with that logic , you must be a ‘closet’ Liberal
What a joke of a PM we have…
All for the MP’s to report back on the findings at the schools they visit to Mr.Rudd. HELLO, Why didn’t this take place before the election? Just goes to show Labor didn’t have a plan in the first place!
Why didn’t they do this during the election or before?????
[Dario , it is STILL $34 billion in total that should have been spent in water’ , solar , hospitals , education & infrastructure ?]
To an extent I agree, but IMO bracket creep still should be given back each year
[What a joke of a PM we have…]
Don’t cry Glen
1227 Butter ball
Last time i checked, Howard’s first declaration wasn’t that incoming MPs should go to two schools and report back to him on their findings…hmmm is this the sort of incompetence we’ll see for the next 3-6 years what a joke.
Glen Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:26 am
What a joke of a PM we have…
Well 2 days ago he sent your hero into retirement and OUR Maxine beat him in his own seat
Paul K what does the cold war have to do with economic thinking? Don;t mean to be rude but you have lost it a bit.
[ I like France and Sweden ]
Actually if you are saying we should be more like Sweden or France that’s probably not such a big deal but I don’t really consider them as being Socialist economies.
Glen Says:
“What a joke of a PM we have…
All for the MP’s to report back on the findings at the schools they visit to Mr.Rudd. HELLO, Why didn’t this take place before the election? Just goes to show Labor didn’t have a plan in the first place!
Why didn’t they do this during the election or before?????”
Wow Glen, you sound like you know exactly what needs to be done! I assume you’ll be throwing your hat in as leader of the Liberal party – I’ll certainly for vote for you in 2060. You go girl!!!
Bishop’s the pick – Julia, not Bronwyn
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bishops-the-pick–julia-not-bronwyn/2007/11/26/1196036812293.html
WFT is wrong with Jurno’s and typos i mean for gods sake how hard is it to find out how to spell JULIE Bishop!
The SMH is just a joke.
[Last time i checked, Howard’s first declaration wasn’t that incoming MPs should go to two schools and report back to him on their findings…hmmm is this the sort of incompetence we’ll see for the next 3-6 years what a joke.]
No, Howard’s first action was to sack about 7 departmental secretaries, which is why his government went from bungle to bungle between 1996 – 1997.
Correction ,
Rudd actually sent not one Liberal hero but both hero’s into retirement
Butterball— a brand of turkey !!
Glen although you are a raving lunatic at times , I must agree.
#
1236
Glen Says:
November 27th, 2007 at 12:31 am
Bishop’s the pick – Julia, not Bronwyn
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bishops-the-pick–julia-not-bronwyn/2007/11/26/1196036812293.html
WFT is wrong with Jurno’s and typos i mean for gods sake how hard is it to find out how to spell JULIE Bishop!
The SMH is just a joke.
Guess because your ‘Julie’ is now politically irrelevant
There is more, esp. Claire Martin. Interesting.
Read all about it! Get your news, somewhere.
Delroy is doing post mortem, election, as issue of the day.
Must say I was delighted by the palpable relief and hope expressed by talkback callers, as I have heard earlier today.
Night all.
Night, Sane Lib. Enjoy your reading.
Ron Brown Says: “Correction , Rudd actually sent not one Liberal hero but both hero’s into retirement”
Ron, look it at this way, we got TWO elections for the price of ONE!
[ Last time i checked, Howard’s first declaration wasn’t that incoming MPs should go to two schools and report back to him on their findings… ]
Glen,
It’s not a serious investigation. Just a symbolic thing to say to people we want to listen. Unlike Howard who didn’t consult with anyone who wasn’t earning less than six figures.
“WFT is wrong with Jurno’s and typos” don’t you mean Journos – without an apostrophe as well?
Yes Paul so they can see how the State ALP Governments have let them down, yeah that will do nicely. But why these incompetent soon to be MPs haven’t done this before being elected is beyond me??
Didn’t JWH send his MP’s out to check out two Exclusive Brethren home and report back?
yeah, Glen, I guess instead of schools Rudd could have sent them to Nauru to check out the humane Pacific solution, or to Iraq to check on how wonderfully well Johnny and Georgies crusade has gone.
George,
what you are correctly saying is Rudd has knocked out 2 alleged Liberal hero’s & saved us from Costello losing the 2010 election
Yes Kev, let’s let Rudd bring in all the asylum seekers and let’s surrender to al-qaeda in Iraq just when things are getting better yeah what a lovely way to start your Prime Ministership lol!