In the meantime:
• The Australian reports the dunce of the Senate, Steve Fielding, is contemplating adding constitutional vandal to the extensive list of black marks against his name. Fielding polled all of 2.7 per cent of the vote in Victoria on Saturday, yet remains a serious prospect to retain his Senate seat thanks to a disastrous electoral system that Labor has been determined not to reform.
• Today’s Sydney Morning Herald editorial offers some fascinating speculation about Tony Abbott’s tactics in the past few days. The paper’s national editor, Mark Davis, detects a high-stakes game with the objective of final victory at a fresh election. It is evident he will be backed to the hilt in this endeavour by The Australian, which has jacked up the hysteria today by (among other things) running a lead news story that describes former Office of National Assessments intelligence analyst Andrew Wilkie as a “radical”.
• On Wednesday, the News Limited tabloids published a Galaxy poll of 600 voters in the rural independents’ electorates of Kennedy, New England and Lyne, which predictably showed a 52 per cent supporting a Coalition government against 36 per cent for Labor. Respondents were evenly split as to whether they wanted a fresh election. Some national polling at the moment would be uncommonly interesting.
• There has been talk of a legal challenge, or at least the possibility of one, against the election of Coalition candidates Russell Matheson in Macarthur and Natasha Griggs in Solomon, on the basis that their position as councillors runs foul of the archaic constitutional requirement that candidates not enjoy “office for profit under the Crown”. Constitutional expert George Williams has been quoted saying such a challenge would have a “one-in-four chance of winning”. Labor successfully engineered a re-match in Lindsay in similar circumstances after the 1996 election, only to have the voters respond to their sore-loser act by delivering a further 5 per cent swing to the successful Liberal candidate, Jackie Kelly.
UPDATE: Here is a link to the Brisbane late counting thread, which has dropped off the front page. I’ll come up with a more enduring solution to this issue later today.
yes i seem to remember that, may be its time for one more state
but prefer it in the south lol
Correct me if I am wrong, but I read on earlier thread somewhere that Hawker is Tony Windsor’s cousin.
[then it is quite possible that, sub-consciously at least, he doesn’t want to become Prime Minister. He would rather be the eternal opposition leader, popping jabs at the govt. Is it possible that, in his heart of hearts, Tone knows he’s just not up to the job, and is busy, sub-conciously at least, trying to wreck his chances of ever becoming PM?]
Ihad that very thought at the time of his meltdown on the 7.30 report when he confessed he did not tell the gospel truth. he could not believe how well he was doing in the polls and rudd was still leader. subconciously he blundered to try to impact his chances of becoming PM. agree the same approach is happneing now although this has the wiff of Rupert not getting his way as forecast in the lunch earlier in the year with Abbott. Abbott was to be his puppet and it almost worked but now the country has moved further to the left. Shanahan doesn’t like the way the Independents are moving the politics and was the adverserial nature to continue so cry’s for another election. also it will help ad sales.
I think if another election is held then Labor would romp home.
People have vented their spleens and the Coalition are showing themselves to be a divided rabble.
And, to put not too fine a point on it, Abbott isn’t exactly looking Prime Ministerial …
Allan Moyes
[By the way, does anyone know of a support group for people like me who have sworn off the MSM and ABC news particularly, yet, like a drug dependency, I just have to keep going back to them. It’s easier giving up chocolate!]
It’s not easy to give up the ABC, especially if, like me, you’ve got a habit that goes back decades. However it can be done, and the bias and imbalance is all the impetus that’s required. Fair news and quality commentary can still be got from Crikey and other blogs. Community radio broadcasters provide a real alternative to the MSM-ABC front, for example 3cr.org.au in Melbourne. If you can take your radio with an American accent (but still stimulating content), I can recommend the following:
http://freethoughtradio.com/
http://headonradionetwork.com/
Victoria it was CourierMail radio on their ABC so it must be right.
Pokies look to be well and truly on the agenda.
Bring it on!
[Mr Wilkie, who will meet Senator Xenophon in Hobart today, said the rise of the independents provided an unprecedented opportunity to energise the public debate about poker machines and bring about genuine national reform.
He said there were nearly 100,000 problem gamblers in Australia and poker machines cost the community about $5 billion a year.
“This could lead to, hopefully it will, the most significant reform nationally on poker machines. And heavens, we need it,” Mr Wilkie said.]
[Glenn Milne. Who would have thought he could make sense.]
Milne now has a different employer. He always runs with the rabbits and hunts with the hounds.
Allan Moyes let Wikipedia be your friend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_New_State_Movement
A sure antidote for Old Timers Disease.
My say
Good morning – you don’t mean you’d like to see Tasmania split in two do you. 🙂
Thanks Albert
chinda63
On ABC radio this morning, some callers suggested that they either voted Greens or Libs, but if another election were called, they would give their vote back to Labor.
Although, at this point in the game, I am not sure how the electorate would go.
Based on the media’s performance to date, I can’t see Labor getting any positive message through with another election campaign.
[By the way, does anyone know of a support group for people like me who have sworn off the MSM and ABC news particularly, yet, like a drug dependency, I just have to keep going back to them. It’s easier giving up chocolate!]
re the abc i unsubscribed to every program eg life matters etc.
wrote and told them why i rang them told the abc here rang the mercury.
then you do it because you said so.
i have not watched the news or obrien for about 6 weeks i spend that time here
I don’t know about anyone else, but I see what Fielding is threatening to do as almost akin to what Malcolm Fraser did in 1975, leading up to the dismissal of the Whitlam Government by then-GG John Kerr.
I also seem to recall that Kerr became something of a hated figure in the eyes of mos Australian afterwards for what he did. I wonder if that’s what would happen to Fielding (and I can imagine Fielding is quite disliked already by a lot of Aussies out there).
How very ingenuous of you, Political Animal!
If the Greens dropped Climate Change action, they’d disappear as the majors (even Abbott’s sceptics) mainstream alternative energy, Green farming, carbon sinks and greater environmental protection, esp of endangered species.
Kennedy (Ind) Electorate’s Green Power Corridor From Mt Isa to the sea is marching through North Q as a “pilot project”; soon to be followed by others if the ALP, Greens & Indies form some sort of Minority government.
Wind turbines are popping up all over the place (mostly Nat or Lib electorates) as farmers & others see the power they generate as another income stream. On farms “carbon sink + the long-term de-salinating & anti-erosion effects of revegetation” enhance “other income stream” potential. International registration as “organic”, “rainforest alliance”, “low carbon footprint” producers is such a powerful incentive that I don’t think I bought a cup of coffee anywhere in 6 UK weeks that wasn’t at least one of those + “ethical” (meaning “guaranteed to be ethically grown & processed in the developing world by people paid decent wages, with none going to drug & warlords etc”).
Note that the UK has just elected its first Green party MP; so all their “green” & carbon-reduction Carbon-footprint etc + “ethical” coffee & water labelled this water (only coffee & water available in nationally funded museums, galleries etc) initiatives have been introduced by the major parties!
So the Greens’ differentiation from the majors will be their stance on carbon reduction and/or emission reduction schemes; cleaning up the planetary life-sustaining gas-layer, its oceans & other water systems.
Do you really think they’re going to give up that? Or that anyone seriously thinks they will?
Allan good morning.
Well no but the northers would love it they are alwasy saying the capital should be up there.
but when you think about it we where to be halved, we would still be the same size as Holland.
Fielding should be incarcerated under the anti-terror laws…..25 years……gone and soon forgotten
[157
Diogenes
Pokies look to be well and truly on the agenda.
Bring it on!
Mr Wilkie, who will meet Senator Xenophon in Hobart today, said the rise of the independents provided an unprecedented opportunity to energise the public debate about poker machines and bring about genuine national reform.
He said there were nearly 100,000 problem gamblers in Australia and poker machines cost the community about $5 billion a year.
“This could lead to, hopefully it will, the most significant reform nationally on poker machines. And heavens, we need it,” Mr Wilkie said.]
Excellent idea. Pokies and casinos….shut them down!
As my comments and predictions prior to the election will testify, we are somewhat insulated here in SA from what is happening in the rest of the country. To us here there were no baseball bats, so I foolishly assumed that everyone else in the country felt the same way.
I am the first to admit I was wRONg then and could very well still be wRONg about it, but there did seem to be a spleen-venting element of the vote on Saturday and, if history is anything to go by, then things will swing back Labor’s way.
Proof of that, surely, is the comparison between the results in the Penrith by-election and the results from Saturday in the seats around Penrith. Spleens previously vented; swing contained. Compare to Queensland, where the poor performance and unpopularity of the State Government definitely had its part to play in the result.
Tasmania and SA have already vented their spleens at their respective State Governments and the Victorian Government seems to be travelling well, hence no spleen-venting required.
It’s all a bit coincidental for my liking. And yes, I understand that correlation is not causation etc. 😉
Verona Burgess in the AFR suggests the Parliamentary Library might be able to provide a small amount of assistance on costings to the independents but generally advises against Treasury costings being released to the independents and against briefings with Henry et al.
I would love to apply several Old Testament treatments to Fielding but my atheist morals would prevent me from considering them.
briefly
[Excellent idea. Pokies and casinos….shut them down!]
That’s a bit extreme. Serious reduction in numbers and regulation is the way to go.
OzFrog @ 164
I doubt Fielding would ever be asked to present the prize at the Melbourne Cup 🙂 I imagine he doesn’t drink though (or being strict FF, doesn’t do anything that hints at enjoyment – I sort of imagine him wearing a hair shirt and trying not to think “impure” thoughts) so would not be the embarrassment that Kerr was at that event.
chinda63
you make some valid points. For an election to be favourable to Labor in future, it would be best for it to then take place quite some time after the NSW State Election which is due in March next year.
I would not be confident going to an election right now if I were Labor.
BK
Have your friends at Sly News said anything insightful today?
You know you’ve made it when: you’re here.
[164
OzFrog
I don’t know about anyone else, but I see what Fielding is threatening to do as almost akin to what Malcolm Fraser did in 1975, leading up to the dismissal of the Whitlam Government by then-GG John Kerr.
I also seem to recall that Kerr became something of a hated figure in the eyes of mos Australian afterwards for what he did. I wonder if that’s what would happen to Fielding (and I can imagine Fielding is quite disliked already by a lot of Aussies out there).]
The pathway is already lit up. Abbott’s first statement after the election was to declare the Government had lost its legitimacy. He is now trying to cook up the idea that there is a criminal conspiracy in the Treasury. And he is really not trying very hard to do a deal with the Independents. Fielding is their pawn. He is already in the pockets of the climate-change deniers and has nothing to lose by playing along with the Liberals – he has already lost his seat.
The Independents and the Greens have to man up here and declare that stable Government can be assured and they have to make it clear they do not want a new election. The Liberals have to be painted for what they are – professional sore losers who will corrupt the political process to get their own way.
Why not? they already voted down one ETS Bill! Oh, they would talk CC but they won’t walk CC.
I heard Andrew Fraser the Queensland Treasurer has finally started explaining what the privatisation is all about. Pity the lazy Queensland Ministers haven’t been out there for the past year doing it. They have allowed a warped and twisted LNP view to undermine them with hardly a whimper.
[176 Musrum
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:15 am | Permalink
You know you’ve made it when: you’re here.
177 briefly]
can some one explain how
[169 chinda63
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:11 am | Permalink
As my comments and predictions prior to the election will testify, we are somewhat insulated here in SA from what is happening in the rest of the country. To us here there were no baseball bats]
yes on the ground here at the booths its was mostly labor smiles all around for Julia.
except some ignorant males who could not stand woman
This election is bad for my health- i want it over. Taken up smoking, eating crap, not sleeping!! FFS- I am contemplating on going to egg fieldings office!!!
[steve
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:17 am | Permalink
I heard Andrew Fraser the Queensland Treasurer has finally started explaining what the privatisation is all about. Pity the lazy Queensland Ministers haven’t been out there for the past year doing it. They have allowed a warped
]
perhaps this is a growing time for all labor
[if history is anything to go by, then things will swing back Labor’s way.]
Chinda, one argument would be that the historical precedent is 1975, when Rupert and the Libs carped so much that the people stopped resisting in the end and gave it to the Libs. This is what they are hoping for, and a real possibility if they are able to bully themselves to another election now.
my say@180
How what?
[Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:22 am | Permalink
This election is bad for my health- i want it over. Taken up smoking, eating crap, not sleeping!! FFS- I am contemplating on going to egg fieldings office!!!]
Now this is williams area he should be telling what legally if anything fielding could
do
then its only 8. 24 is wa may be still sleeping
Fielding should be called on his bluff. Is he really going to hold a majority (50.5%) of the Australian people hostage to his own naked self-interest in forcing a DD?
What if the Greens decided to do the same to Abbott? Hmm? What would the papers say?
In any case: 9 months is the perfect period of time for Gillard and the indies to thrash out a legislative agenda, consult widely, send to committees, amend etc – all in preparation for passing the lot en masse next July.
I think Fieldings stabnce makes it clear who the indies should support – if they actualy want a functioning parliament. Thanks Steve!
[The Independents and the Greens have to man up here and declare that stable Government can be assured and they have to make it clear they do not want a new election.]
I agree. There has been three years of pretending to be above the fray and copping all the shit that the Libs have dished out. Annoying as he can be at times, I think Emerson might be one to be let off his leash and make the case.
Yes Morris and Hawker negotiating team requested by independents. Was on the media two nights ago.
[Musrum
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:23 am | Permalink
my say@180
176 Musrum
Posted Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:15 am | Permalink
You know you’ve made it when: you’re here.
177 briefly ]
what fielding could do that is legal to stop labor be in gov, in the above comments.
can some one explain how
How what?
I thought it was Sinodonis not Morris?
[Chinda, one argument would be that the historical precedent is 1975, when Rupert and the Libs carped so much that the people stopped resisting in the end and gave it to the Libs. This is what they are hoping for, and a real possibility if they are able to bully themselves to another election now.]
Except it is 2010, not 1975. A lot of political water has passed under the bridge since then and history has looked upon Whitlam a lot more favourably than either Fraser or Kerr.
Can’t see history repeating in that sense ever again.
Does anyone expect that the Australian public will soon get fed up with the 3 indies – especially Katter – and there will soon be a backlash against them, not the 2 major parties?.
They’re everywhere in the media (for obvious reasons of course), but the Aussie public could soon tire of them and what is viewed as them “holding the country hostage”.
I’d be curious to see a poll that shows whether or not Australians want a new election or to see if this thing works out. Mmmm?
[ @sspencer_63 No, I said the tide of public opinion ON OUR SHOW is turning… much viewer criticism of the independents not much support. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to sspencer_63]
Virginia Trioli clarifying her comments this morning.
I dont know if its been mentioned yet but Windsor said today that it would be a couple of weeks before he makes a decision, or something along those lines.
my say@190
Block supply in the senate along with the Opposition. Are there any outgoing conservative senators who would potentially cross the floor on this?
[BK
Have your friends at Sly News said anything insightful today?]
victoria
I have given Sly News a wide berth again today. I actually watched a bit of ABC24.
Unfortunately that certifiable idiot Fielding has done some damage though.
my say. The Government cannot operate without money (appropriations) being approved by the Parliament. If the Senate blocks appropriations from being raised the Government cannot operate. In this way if the Coalition and Fielding announced they will block supply unless there is a Coalition Government, the independents hands may be forced.
This isn’t going to happen. It’s all fantasy.
[I thought it was Sinodonis not Morris?]
The 3 asked for Morris, but he actually admitted that he was a moron who knew nothing about process (probably not in so many words) and suggested Sinodinis. So Morris probably has his toe in the door, but anything substantive will some from Sinodinis.
Incidentally, if there was a House of Representatives only election would the territory senators also face election again? I’d presume so.