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”.
Jut noticed the Macquarie bank ad’s catchline ‘forward thinking, forward moving’
[Jut noticed the Macquarie bank ad’s catchline ‘forward thinking, forward moving’]
Well, they almost got it right :wink:.
Otherwise known as an MP…
Who gives a shit? He’s allowed to go to NY. He is a former PM and diplomat, he still has gravitas in the international arena. I know it’s hard for a Lib supporter to understand – as the international community tend to not care about Lib PMs when they are out of power. However Rudd has built a lot of bridges between Australia and the rest of the world. If he takes a diplomatic posting at the UN in the future, best of luck to him. He is certainly qualified for it.
Take this envy crap elsewhere please.
Am curious about something: Why has Abbott been banging on about a carbon tax?
Does he think the electorate won’t like it? DOes he think it’ll be able to be bastardised (like the mining tax) into another GBNT?
I just don’t get it. Especially in the light of the above where 80+% of people eant moderate to strong action on climate change.
BH @ 1019
[The best thing about a channel like A-pac is that you get to see the whole interview and can then make up your own mind without the journos opinion getting in the way.]
Agreed – if I had to rely for information on just the commercial TV Channels, or even, Dawkins forbid, our debased ABC, I’d probably gouge my own eyes out with a spoon while watching ‘A Current Affair.’
A-Pac, and the other SkyNews interactive channels allow viewers to see virtually all of the candidate moments in their entirety, as the segments remain on constant rotations throughout the day, but the downside of this is that it makes the talking head segments with the alleged pundits that much more annoying because you’ve seen the real images and heard the comments on which they base their biased and often nonsensical opinions.
Still, SkyNews is run by News Ltd, so I suppose I should be thankful for even these small mercies.
[I take offence to being called a racist, my sister in law just so happens to be Japanese.]
You really are priceless! A masterful cartoonist couldn’t draw a better caricature.
I am not partisan at all, but I am very disappointed to sense that the wheels really seem to be falling off the LNP wagon so early in the campaign. I would rather see a robust contest. Joe Hockey on the 7.30 Report tried hard to make the most of the woeful position he was placed in by his leader’s unimaginably bad stumbling around on IR in recent days, but he looked utterly disspirited and defeated. His heart was not in the effort, and that is the impression from the LNP as a whole with the exception of Christopher Pyne and Scott Morrison who both continue to fight valiantly. Tony Abbott seems to sense that it’s over and is slightly manically trying anything from bounding around a schoolyard to going on Red Faces.
[I take offence to being called a racist, my sister in law just so happens to be Japanese.]
“I am not homophobic. Some of my best friends are gay.”
[ However Rudd has built a lot of bridges between Australia and the rest of the world. If he takes a diplomatic posting at the UN in the future, best of luck to him. He is certainly qualified for it.
Take this envy crap elsewhere please.]
No Envy, I think the punters of Griffith should get a fair deal for their electorate.
It’s become clear to me Rudd’s setting himself up for a U.N appointment after the election, which is pretty piss poor form in my view. If you are going to go you should bail out BEFORE the election, not after.
[His heart was not in the effort,]
Alias, I’ve watched Joe since Abbott’s ascension and he has looked dispirited since then. I must admit to having a soft spot for Joe — I liked him when he and Kevin were on Sunrise together — he seemed a very human pollie.
But since Abbott became leader, he has looked sad and/or mean almost all the time.
I am guessing he hates Abbott and was very disappointed that he got the leadership. And I think he really doesn’t like the current ‘party line’ on much of anything.
[I am not partisan at all, but I am very disappointed to sense that the wheels really seem to be falling off the LNP wagon so early in the campaign. I would rather see a robust contest. Joe Hockey on the 7.30 Report tried hard to make the most of the woeful position he was placed in by his leader’s unimaginably bad stumbling around on IR in recent days, but he looked utterly disspirited and defeated. His heart was not in the effort, and that is the impression from the LNP as a whole with the exception of Christopher Pyne and Scott Morrison who both continue to fight valiantly. Tony Abbott seems to sense that it’s over and is slightly manically trying anything from bounding around a schoolyard to going on Red Faces.]
There is still over a month to go. No matter whom you support, it is still way too early for the cheers or tears.
While the Abbott campaign has come completely off the rails, they still have time to get back on track. I think we get too far ahead of ourselves when we are already declaring victory on day 5…
[It’s become clear to me Rudd’s setting himself up for a U.N appointment after the election, which is pretty piss poor form in my view.]
This is your opinion only Truthy — if you have actual evidence, please enlighten us.
1058
Last time I checked people don`t get to chose their sister-in-law so it is his brother (or sister in one of those equal marriage jurisdictions that the Government refuses to make us one of) so is the person with the non-racist credentials.
Abbott Pep Talk at Campaign HQ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNKvr7re_NQ
[I just don’t get it. Especially in the light of the above where 80+% of people eant moderate to strong action on climate change.]
They may say they want action when asked in polling, but what they want is for someone else to pay for the action and not themselves. If you ask them how much they are willing to pay extra in order to combat climate change you’ll probably find it’s a relatively small amount.
[But back then Bob Hawke was PM, and the show was for the time relevant and popular.]
And Hawke had a persona that allowed him to self deprecate. Abbott is too intense, and too wooden in his public appearances for a mocking environment, which is why he came across as looking terribly uncomfortable. Whether it was a wasted opportunity or not will be determined tomorrow on the happy clapping breakfast shows.
Yeah how dare Rudd put making the world a better place up high on his to do list. He should just take the route of quitting midterm to get some high paid seat on some corporate board so he can serve himself.
Mind you, this assumes there is even an appointment to be made. For all we know, he could just be keeping in touch with his contacts. Maybe he is going to be FM after the election…
storms in teacups aren’t going to tip Griffith to the LNP. Nice try though.
[This is your opinion only Truthy — if you have actual evidence, please enlighten us.]
Sure…. 3 Days into an election campaign…. wheres Rudd… in his seat campaigning?
No, he’s off on the other side of the world having chit chats and tea with Ban Ki-moon for no particular reason at all.
How many other MP’s are flying off to the U.N in the first week of campaigning to have tea at the U.N?
Put the pieces together, it’s pretty obvious whats going on here.
Deal with it TTH, parliamentarians resign to take other jobs all the time. Just in this term a handful of Liberal and National politicians did so. Not even your personal hero John Howard would guarantee he’d stay on for a full term if he lost the election. As it turned out he didn’t have to worry about it because the electorate did the job for him.
Bob Brown leading preferred PM poll 🙂
http://7pmproject.com.au/home.htm
[While the Abbott campaign has come completely off the rails, they still have time to get back on track. I think we get too far ahead of ourselves when we are already declaring victory on day 5…]
While I agree in principle TSOP, I also think he is rapidly losing his press support. If you have no credible policies, and are relying almost solely on media support, once you lose that it is going to be fatal — whether a day in or a month in.
The next few days will be very telling. Whether the lib camp can learn any lessons from the Gillard ‘method’ is another question. She has been almost regally above all the crap. Showing her class, even when confronted with inane questions.
Tony has not so far. That is the inherent problem when you are a swaggering, chest beating, in your face politician. No class at all.
And his biggest problem is that he yells at the audience instead of speaking to it. In parliament, that works, muscle means something there — in speeches, it leaves nowhere to go and the electorate does not like being yelled at.
[Bob Brown leading preferred PM poll
http://7pmproject.com.au/home.htm%5D
Wow, a poll the young Libs haven’t spammed. And Abbott’s coming 3rd, barely squeaking out “None of the above” 🙂
1072
Get voting then. He must come 4th.
[Put the pieces together, it’s pretty obvious whats going on here.]
Nice try Truthy. Not evidence. Your interpretation.
[Deal with it TTH, parliamentarians resign to take other jobs all the time. Just in this term a handful of Liberal and National politicians did so. Not even your personal hero John Howard would guarantee he’d stay on for a full term if he lost the election. As it turned out he didn’t have to worry about it because the electorate did the job for him.]
Couldn’t even get a position with the ICC.
jenauthor 1071
Yes, I should’ve added that Abbott needs to act quick to get back on his feet, because if he struggles like this for another week or so, it would be difficult to say how he could win from there and nobody likes backing a loser…
I was mainly making my statement to avert complacency.
[Get voting then. He must come 4th.]
Good point. I shall vote for “None of the above” just to try and drop Abbott to last place. 😆
[Put the pieces together, it’s pretty obvious whats going on here.]
Maybe you would prefer to post those theories here instead:
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/
Very much agree on the complacency, TSOP.
I reckon their internal polling is telling them they are heading for a loss, if not a disaster. I think perhaps Abbott is seeing his ambition crumbling around him.
Just like Costello, he’ll never be PM. Thus the desperation in his attitude.
It has also made all the kingmakers around him desperate as well. They made a bad decision and they know it. Minchin has disappeared into the aether — not supporting his ‘anointed ‘.Many of the ‘others’ are conspicuous in their absence. Only a few of the young guns who still have a career are braving it.
Robb looks like he is hanging on for dear life. As is Hockey.
[And his biggest problem is that he yells at the audience instead of speaking to it. ]
Yes, this is a particular annoyance of mine. But to be fair to Abbott, all Liberals seem to do it. Hockey shouted yesterday, Pyne was almost screaming at the end of his little cameo. Even Costello ended up shouting at his audience, and he’s not up for re-election!
The only conclusion that can be arrived at is they are now paying the price for lazy self indulgence this term. They’ve done none of the hard policy work, and seem to be relying on a compliant media, and some kind of nostalgia for the Howard years to get them over the line. It is treating voters with contempt. And don’t get me started on the fact that the Libs have been caught on the hop with the campaign. When did they think the election would be called: 2011? 2012? It’s unbelievable.
TTH @ 1059
[It’s become clear to me Rudd’s setting himself up for a U.N appointment after the election, which is pretty piss poor form in my view. If you are going to go you should bail out BEFORE the election, not after.]
This is entirely supposition on your part, based on gossip and inference. Kevin Rudd may be many things, but I do not believe that he is dishonourable enough to stand for re-election, given the circumstances of the past 4 weeks, then stand down after he is returned as the Member for Griffith.
His recent trip to the US is completely consistent and explicable for him as he has been a frequent participant in the Australian American Leadership Dialogue since 1993 and he had been invited to chair the dialogue session on international security. As a former PM and Shadow Foreign Minister, as well as a former diplomat, I see nothing unusual in Mr Rudd meeting with senior diplomatic figures in the US while he was there, in fact it would be odd if he did not, and should not be considered as having any ulterior motive, as you suggest.
He will return after the election to the front bench and I believe to the Cabinet, as the Foreign Minister, and your calumnies will be forgotten, along with most of your other wayward predictions and pronouncements
Well i been saying for over 12 mths , workchoices would just keep giviing , and giving , give
its gotta be karma
Whats more , labor has not even run workchoises adds yet….but they will come , and come But first Unions W/C adds will do soften up bits
[Robb looks like he is hanging on for dear life. As is Hockey.]
Julie Bishop has probably already had her private meeting with Joe 🙂
Amusingly I hear a lot of Liberal candidates locally are doing what they did in 2007 and run their campaign on the candidate, whilst hiding the leader. Even Briggs is apparently desperate to not be too closely associated with Abbott. They must really be hurting here (I’d hate to see how badly they’re smarting in Victoria!)
[He will return after the election to the front bench and I believe to the Cabinet, as the Foreign Minister, and your calumnies will be forgotten, along with most of your other wayward predictions and pronouncements]
Agree Big Ship.
Julia cannot announce her cabinet reshuffle now. I suspect that on the night Julia ascended, after his speech saying he’d recontest, a lot of discussion went on and they decided ‘how’ it would be after the election. The fact that Rudd did not contest afterall, suggests he was given a satisfactory alternative.
After all — his greatest talents lie in that area (diplomacy/foreign affairs).
Wakefield
yes some fine tuning needed , but politcally cannt bring that up now* and confuse message in this campiagn , that Abbott is pro W/C
* like expired stat contracts can be mutual extend as an agree
Now I know why Rudd got rolled… Working 9 to 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PE_vr0t3FA
[(I’d hate to see how badly they’re smarting in Victoria!)]
I know it’s wishful thinking, but I’d really love to see Labor win Indi. Mirabella copped a 7% 2PP swing against her in 2007. If there’s a swing on in Vic as a result of a Gillard wave, I’d love to see her seat be one of those to fall. 😀
Well, with the cricket going disastrously, I’m off to bed in the hope that I will wake up to better news on that front!
It’s been great talking to you all. It is nice to know I am not the only tragic on the planet!
1087
That has been posted several times since the spill.
“And don’t get me started on the fact that the Libs have been caught on the hop with the campaign. When did they think the election would be called: 2011? 2012? ”
Liberals were NOT caught on hop about year of electon , but who they were to face (and then as consequense a 2nd problam of how quick)
[I’d love to see her seat be one of those to fall.]
Yes I find Mirabella an offensive person! (I actually think Belinda Neal might have been right about her)
g’night
[Well, with the cricket going disastrously, I’m off to bed in the hope that I will wake up to better news on that front!]
Don’t worry, no matter how much we screw up, the Pakistanis are always guaranteed to surpass us in the choking arena…
Just remember last summer’s Sydney test 😀
Ron@1091
They were only caught on the hop with the change of Leader – but eeven then does it REALLY take more than 4 weeks to change material to replace Rudd with Gillard.
[Yes I find Mirabella an offensive person!]
The problem I have with her is that she is a wolf in sheeps clothing. She’s not too old, she has the Melbourne accent, is ethnic. She seems, stereotypically like the a small-l member of the Liberal party. Then you find out she is a hardcore ultraconservative nutter.
There is a reason why Abbott is in Vic!
As many have said, local member don’t want to be associated with him when campaigning.
It doesn’t matter in Victoria since here are practically no seats up for grabs. He’s just managed where there’s the least harm. 🙂
[When did they think the election would be called: 2011? 2012? It’s unbelievable.]
I think they started buying Bolt’s garbage that Gillard was going to have to wait until later in the year.
Hoisted by their own petard!
Oh Dear:
[They were only caught on the hop with the change of Leader – but eeven then does it REALLY take more than 4 weeks to change material to replace Rudd with Gillard.]
If they were smart they’d anticipated a Rudd DD election in the first half of this year way back when they blocked the CPRS. Then they’d well and truly be on the ball now that the actual election has rolled around.
Instead we’ve seen candidates not pre-selected, their campaign HQ not opened, problems with printers and the like when it comes to making presser material available to journos, no actual policy announcements to kick the campaign off with. It’s a shambles.
[Abbott now has candidate who compared BER with a holocaust.]
All those poor jews getting better education infrastructure…
Abbott did the right thing. I’d be a hypocrite to push it any further.
Btw, which candidate was it?