Highlights of day four

A summary of yesterday’s events that didn’t get posted overnight due to internet trouble.

• The election debate will be held from 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday, an hour earlier and half an hour shorter than normal. The reason on both counts is to avoid a conflict with the final of MasterChef on Channel Ten. David Speers of SkyNews will moderate, and the leaders will face a panel consisting of Malcolm Farr from the Daily Telegraph, Chris Uhlmann of ABC News 24 and Laura Tingle of the Australian Financial Review.

• Christian Kerr in The Australian reports the Liberal campaign headquarters that will belatedly commence operation today is believed to be at 90 Collins Street, Melbourne, but “sources said the location was even being hidden from campaign workers who are expected to begin work there today”.

• Julia Gillard spent yesterday in the western Sydney and hinterland seats of Macquarie and Greenway. Matthew Franklin and Sarah Elks of The Australian note this is of a piece with an apparent campaign strategy to favour set-piece photo opportunities over less easily manageable appearance in public places. Tony Abbott on the other hand remained in Melbourne – less than a target-rich environment as far as marginal seats are concerned – which included a public appearance in marginal Labor Deakin. David Crowe of the Australian Financial Review made the following observation yesterday:

In a pre-emptive strike against Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Coalition has begun a below-the-radar campaign in regional Queensland to woo voters in key areas that could decide the federal election … Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey launched the effort late last week – a move that focused on local media and local campaigns rather than participation in the blanket national media coverage of the election, when it was called on Saturday. The strategy ensured the Coalittion had senior figures campaigning in cities such as Townsville and the highly marginal seat of Herbert before Ms Gillard headed to the area yesterday (Monday) morning. Beginning last Wednesday, Mr Hockey travleled from Gladstone to Mackay, Townsville, Innisfail and Cairns over five days to campaign for Coalition candidates”.

For all your campaign movement needs (not just the leaders), note Crikey’s excellent Election Tracker feature.

• Adrian Schonfelder, Labor’s candidate for the Melbourne hinterland seat of Flinders (held for the Liberals by Greg Hunt), has apologised for suggesting Tony Abbott’s conservative social positions were “influencing people to take their own lives”.

• Simon Canning of The Australian notes Labor is “expected to keep its hands clean in the election marketing war by allowing the union movement to carry the can and send out ads attacking Liberal leader Tony Abbott and the threat of a Coalition government”. The Australian Workers Union’s Addams Family ad is cited as a case in point.

• Tony Koch and Sean Parnell of The Australian consider the impact of the government’s restitution of programs to engage indigenous people with the electoral process, which had been cut by the Rudd government. The main marginal seats with high indigenous populations are Leichhardt in far north Queensland and the Darwin-based seat of Solomon.

• The Liberal National Party has come up with an odd arrangement whereby its newly preselected candidate for Kevin Rudd’s seat of Griffith, Rebecca Docherty – herself a substitute for dumped former Liberal Democratic Party figure John Humphreys – will make way for an unspecified “high-profile” candidate should Rudd have a late change of heart about remaining in politics.

• Discussing Newspoll and Galaxy results in the Financial Review, Andrew Catsaras calculates the “market share of swinging voters” – 17 per cent of the total – at 29 per cent for Labor, 35 per cent for the Coalition and 31 per cent for the Greens. I presume he’s done this by comparing the totals to some measure of the parties’ bedrock levels of support. If we’re lucky he might enlighten us in comments.

• The Daily Telegraph has published details of a poll on climate change conducted for lobbyist firm Parker and Partners by “online polling company Pureprofile”, showing 82 per cent of respondents favouring “strong or moderate action immediately”.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,113 comments on “Highlights of day four”

Comments Page 1 of 23
1 2 … 23

  1. [Oh and why Labor functionary use something other than the two party preferred vote to justify the raw power grab, and why Labor functionaries have the ordasity to turn on a man that delivered them government.]
    fred, this train has left the station old son.

  3. [Discussing Newspoll and Galaxy results in the Financial Review, Andrew Catsaras calculates the “market share of swinging voters” – 17 per cent of the total – at 29 per cent for Labor, 35 per cent for the Coalition and 31 per cent for the Greens. I presume he’s done this by comparing the totals to some measure of the parties’ bedrock levels of support. If we’re lucky he might enlighten us in comments.]

    Yes. Very interesting.

  4. re the abc good site thanks cuppa

    i get the feeling from just general chatter out there most people have worked out the abc
    I would think even the governement.

  5. I mean really what bloody seat are they going to win in Victoria other than maybe Corangamite and what issues/networks in queensland are they going to connect with by staffing the campaign with Victorians.

  6. [Liberal Democratic Party]

    Arent they the Japanese Tories???

    Why oh why do they have useless MPs like Somlyay and Slipper!

    When Brough and Docherty would do a better job in Canberra.

  8. has the LNP released a photo of Docherty yet? Yesterday there was no photo of her, and ABC reporters ringing the Liberal HQ to find out about her said the staff didn’t know who she was.

  10. I think describing the western suburbs of Sydney as “hinterland” is somewhat pejorative. Hinter to what? Bondi Beach? Everywhere is hinter to somewhere. I could just as easily say that Bondi is in the hinterlands of Blacktown.

  12. This section 464 stuff-up…
    [(1) This section applies if the protected action ballot agent for a protected action ballot is the Australian Electoral Commission.

    (2) The Commonwealth is liable for the costs incurred by the Australian Electoral Commission in relation to the protected action ballot, whether or not the ballot is completed.]
    …looks like another result of a combination of laziness and policy inaction over the last 24+months

    Sounds like the workchoices “dead, buried, cremated” (death analogy appear to be the only one that exceed the sex/virginity analogy in Abbott’s baroque imagery) was decided sometime last week (!). The $1.2bn cuts decided who knows when – since the presser was delayed 10 minutes because of printer issues, could have been that morning for all we know.

    Simply not enough time or policy process to check rudimentary causations/consequences of one action on another…a recipe for disaster for anyone, but surely fatal for the credibility of an organisation proffering itself as the alternate government of the land

  14. Psephos @ 10,

    You’d probably be more correct too – Blacktown would be far closer to the geographic centre of Sydney than Bondi.

  15. Reporter fails to get Gillard to stumble and provide ‘gotcha moment’:

    [Campaigning in western Sydney, the prime minister was treated to an explanation of the finer points of car engines by two apprentices.

    But it proved no easy task as just metres away, a television reporter shooting a piece to camera loudly proclaimed that Ms Gillard’s campaign had not got into first gear yet.

    Voters had not had a chance to “get under the bonnet” and see what really drove the prime minister, the reporter lamented.

    The TV reporter repeated his lines over and over in order to get the best take.

    The prime minister didn’t bat an eyelid.]

  16. [re the abc good site thanks cuppa

    i get the feeling from just general chatter out there most people have worked out the abc
    I would think even the governement.]

    Not surprising that more and more people are seeing it because it’s in-your-face and unmistakable.

    Here’s an example. BigBob wrote:

    http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/20/highlights-of-day-three/comment-page-26/#comment-528171

    [… I spent over ten hours driving yesterday through multiple states and ABC stations.

    Every bulletin/news slot lead with “The Federal Oppostion says….”.

    That’s at least 20 times I heard that.]

    Of course some people still deny bias exists. For example, PollBludger commenter, Ltep, who implies that those who do see it are not “sane”.

    Lol

    http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/07/20/highlights-of-day-three/comment-page-27/#comment-528241

  17. Psephos,

    People in Western Sydney never say they live in Western Sydney either. The Hills are different. People say they live in the Hills.

    Western Sydney is just pretty much anyone further west (or south-west or north-west) that where you live.

  18. Glen, she’s like a good catch… if wasn’t a happily married man i might just make sure I stop to chat as i go about my business in griffith.

  19. Coalition stuff-up of the day: Abbott’s press release on school rebates referred to the Coalition’s “nearly $X billion in recurrent savings”. I know exactly how this happened because I’ve done it myself. Can’t remember the number, type X meaning to come back later and fix it, forget to fix it.

  22. Yes MM whilst not knowing her personally she seems to be an all round good sort.

    Shame these types of people are not given safe or fairly safe seats to run in.

    Plus she’s female and the Tories dont have enough of those types down Canberra way.

  23. psephos, we writing reports if i add an x i also then highlight it so it sticks out like the proverbial dogs during subsequent reviews and edits.

  24. Before getting too apoplectic, it would be worth checking the record from 2007 to see how often ABC news bulletins began with “Kevin Rudd says”. Just a thought.

  25. [I could just as easily say that Bondi is in the hinterlands of Blacktown]

    mmmmm…I dont think that would meet a definition of “hinterland”. I dont get a prejorative sense of hinterland in its application to Western Sydney; it simply is the hinterland…heaven knows there would be plenty better terms of insult available!

    [1.The land immediately next to, and inland from, a coast.
    2.The rural territory surrounding an urban area, especially a port.
    3.A remote or undeveloped area, a backwater.
    4.(figuratively) Anything vague or ill-defined, especially one that is ill understood.]
    http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hinterland

  26. I agree Glen. both sides enjoy wasting safe seats on the party faithful/full time employees rather than candidates that might reflect the broader community. It’s part of the reason why our politics is so bland.

  27. [Mr Abbott says a Coalition government would increase the rebate to $500 out of $1,000 spending for primary school children and up to $1,000 in $2,000 of spending for high school students.]

    Hilarious — a renaming of what Gillard announced, with just a different focus. Parents won’t be any better off.

  28. [Before getting too apoplectic, it would be worth checking the record from 2007 to see how often ABC news bulletins began with “Kevin Rudd says”. Just a thought.]

    Google doesn’t index the text of individual radio news bulletins, of which there are at least 24 per day.

  29. Some ‘evidence’ for the ABC-bashing website from a shadow Cuppa in ABC comments

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/21/2959546.htm

    [The ALP says the Libs have a problem with work choices. What does our ‘un-biased’ national broadcaster do? They turn it into a story. They run with it, no matter what the facts are.]

    Keep up the good fight Cuppa. Maybe one day ABC journalists will be able to rise up and remove the shackles from their former puppet-master Albrechtson.

  31. Glen: Why are your side of politics even bothering to run a candidate in Griffith?
    Rudd will increase his majority very handsomely, I predict. 🙂

  32. [Before getting too apoplectic, it would be worth checking the record from 2007 to see how often ABC news bulletins began with “Kevin Rudd says”. Just a thought.]

    ShowsOn already did this some time ago and, predictably, it showed that the proportion of ‘Opposition says’ is largely the same now as it was in 2007 and before.

  34. I have just received (in the mail) a “Community News” update from The Federal Member for Robertson, Belinda Neal. This publication boasts six color photos of the aforesaid Ms Neal, as well as congratulations to a smiling photo of “Julia Gillard: Australia’s First Woman Prime Minister”.

    I wonder what the endorsed ALP Candidate, Deborah O’Neill thinks of this? Personally I think it’s bizarre (and perhaps a few other words I’d prefer not to use).

  35. Glen Milne is at “The Drum” on their ABC

    Just posted this (or WTTE)

    “Glen .. good stuff Walkely Award on its way

    Suggest you take a Multivitamin, a viagra and a snort of vodka and have a good lie down”

    I doubt it will be published…:-)

  36. [Coalition stuff-up of the day: Abbott’s press release on school rebates referred to the Coalition’s “nearly $X billion in recurrent savings”. I know exactly how this happened because I’ve done it myself. Can’t remember the number, type X meaning to come back later and fix it, forget to fix it.]

    Or maybe they started using Roman numerals.

  37. [Glen: Why are your side of politics even bothering to run a candidate in Griffith?
    Rudd will increase his majority very handsomely, I predict.]

    Senate votes?

  38. [Plus she’s female and the Tories dont have enough of those types down Canberra way.]

    I can only recall Abbott campaigning with a woman once so far – when he was in Sydney on the first day with one of their candidates there. Since then it’s been all men. And they’ve all be shouty, angry men: Hockey, Robb, Pyne.

    Someone said the other day he should have his wife with him to soften his image, and broaden his appeal. I reckon the same thing about women members of his team. What about Julie Bishop?

  39. Middle class welfare rebates offer for private schools from Abbot

    Nothing shows more an eg of idealology equity differenense between Labor and Libs than this Trouble is it wins votes and wedges Labor

  42. [Glen Milne is at “The Drum” on their ABC]

    Glen Milne writing for their ABC now.

    The plot thickens.

    Who next I wonder. Piers Akerman? He has after all got a regular gig on The Insiders, and he was on QandA this week.

    How about … Andrew Bolt? He’s also a regular on The Insiders, like Milne and Akerman.

    Or perhaps Shanahan? He comments regularly on Lateline and Nightlife with Tony Delroy.

    I don’t know why they don’t just hand over the bloody organisation to Rupert Murdoch and let him pay to run it.

  43. [In what sense is Ms Docherty not a party hack?]

    In the sense that she’s physically attractive. So couldn’t be an “evil” hack.

  44. She hasnt spent her life as a staffer down in Canberra or been a member of a political party for 10-15 years before getting the job.

    I’m not saying we shouldnt have any Hacks they serve a place but we should try and get others into the game as it were.

  45. This campaign so far resembles the 2007 one: Labor taking a very prudent approach – very modest spending committments so far.
    The Coalition – throwing money around in all directions.
    Psephos: there’s already an accounting f***up in Abbott’s much vaunted education tax policy? 😉

  46. Before getting too apoplectic, it would be worth checking the record from 2007 to see how often ABC news bulletins began with “Kevin Rudd says”. Just a thought.

    Tired old hackery again.

    Old Labor hands just LURVE the masochistic delights of being beaten around the head by the media. The harder and tougher it is the more they get a kick out of it. It makes them feel tough. It’s why they win government so infrequently. They enjoy the pain of Opposition.

    If there were a few more “Joe Hockey” types on Labor’s side, cheerily optimistic and arrogant to a “t”, despite spouting arrant nonsense, Labor would do better.

  47. [Glen Milne writing for their ABC now.

    The plot thickens.]

    Yes, and his article can be found posted right next to one by Marieke Hardy. What’s your point?

  48. Middle man and Glen

    Those are valid comments on both sides re: preselections. The only people who see nothing wrong with party machine hacks who have never had ‘real” jobs getting safe seats are other party machine hacks.

  49. [Those are valid comments on both sides re: preselections. The only people who see nothing wrong with party machine hacks who have never had ‘real” jobs getting safe seats are other party machine hacks.]

    Hear Hear!

    BTW I am now going on the record hoping the Nationals beat Wilson Tuckey in Durack.
    I dislike the Nats but dislike Wilson Tuckey more.

  50. TSOP

    [Glen Milne writing for their ABC now.

    The plot thickens.

    Yes, and his article can be found posted right next to one by Marieke Hardy. What’s your point?]

    Marieke doesn’t have a horizontal Walkely Award?

Comments are closed.

Comments Page 1 of 23
1 2 … 23