The Australian reports no change in Labor’s Newspoll lead from last fortnight: 58-42. Kevin Rudd is steady on 67 per cent as preferred prime minister, while Malcolm Turnbull’s is up one to 19 per cent. More to follow. Otherwise:
• Essential Research has Labor’s lead down from 61-39 to 60-40. Bonus questions on financial stimulus payments and how they will be spent; who will benefit from the national broadband network (everybody, it seems); and some no-brainers on the banks.
• Antony Green offers a thorough overview of results from the Western Australian election courtesy of the WA Parliamentary Library, which has assembled a page compiling all manner of helpful electoral paraphernalia. Antony calculates the two-party result as 51.9-48.1 to the Liberals.
• Ben Raue at the Tally Room has posted the nominees for Greens Senate preselection in New South Wales, where state MP Lee Rhiannon is presumably the front-runner, and Victoria, where previous candidates Richard di Natale and David Risstrom stand out in a crowded field. A productive comments thread ensues.
• Also from Ben Raue, Christian Democratic Party MLC Gordon Moyes says he “may accept an invitation from Family First” after falling out with Fred Nile.
[Adam do you think changing leaders from Gorton to McMahon sealed the election for Labor in 1972?]
They were stuffed either way.
ruawake
Make sure you tell all the shop-keepers that you are spending Kev’s bonus in case Bishop goes there later. Have a great holiday.
Yes, McMahon was worse, surprisingly bad. I remember when he replaced Gorton, Labor people said, “What a pity, the amateur is gone, now the Libs have the old pro in charge,” but he turned out to be hopeless. I remember my father, who knew people in the state Liberal Party, saying that the view in the party was that McMahon was blindsided by Nixon’s trip to China and lost his nerve after that. He certainly didn’t know how to handle Whitlam once he’d lost the anti-China card.
AiC @ 1549 – My memory of the 1969 campaign is a little rusty, so I’m happy to take your word for it. The quote would seem equally apposite for Gorton or McMahon.
While we are thinking of quotes, the recent travails of the Opposition here brought to my mind the comment Churchill once made that “an empty taxi drew up in front of the House of Commons, and Mr Attlee got out.”
AiC @ 1553 – The comment you recall being made by Labor people seems singularly reminiscent of a similar one last year, quoted with much pleasure on this site, from a Fraulein Albrechtsen.
New thread.