Federal Election

[Psyber]

Costello would stand head and shoulders above the rabble on both sides of the divide at the moment ... pity he couldn't stomach a fight with Howard to become Liberal leader and then let it go when he had the chance after the last election.
No-one would have dreamt that the coalition would be in the mix this year and Costello would be odds-on to become the next PM IMHO.
This is from someone who dresses to the left.

I used to enjoy entertaining the idea of Abbott and Costello running the country as a wry comment on our political system.
Before I reached the point - developed gradually during the Keating regime - where I felt the need to take a side, I favoured the "Don't vote it only encourages them!" philosophy.

[ca]

Christopher Pyne stoops to a new low

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5899495997

Why is this a new low? This is just politics isn't it that happens on both sides?

Rick is a smart guy he would have known this was going to come up. It was an error of judgement and we have all made them and if you run for parliament you have to expect it will be brought up. Any kind of smear campaigne is surely something that is false, this isn't.

For the record I hope Ricks wins the seat but this is just the start.

[fish]

The latest election odds reflect the coalitions revival in the last week or so...

LABOR PARTY $1.54 out from $1.23 ten days ago.
COALITION $2.40 in from $4.00 ten days ago.

[Q.]

If you like political satire:

Tell it like it is: the fair-dinkum election

[Gozu]

I'm one of those who has wondered why Labor aren't running hard enough on their economic record. It's mind-numbing. I know the biased media don't like to populate crazy ideas like that as their train of thought always seems to be "the Libs are great economic managers and Labor can't handle money" but I came across this post on a blog and thought if condensed could/should blow the Libs out of the water.

"The bigger question here, though, is Australians’ unerring capacity to whinge about the economy. We have the lowest unemployment rate in the developed world, a rate which would have been much higher had it not been for the well-time stimulus.

We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the developed world. If that’s too wonky, Labor should just say that the global capital markets are cueing up to lend us money, because we’re a high earner. Even so, the government doesn’t need much of at at it all.

More than 90 per cent of our hock to the rest of the world is from our banks tapping wholesale markets to fund mortgages and consumer loans. This is the great unexplored fact. The debt problem in Australia is not public debt, but private debt. Consumers are up to the eyeballs and keep asking the government to bail them out from their own poor decision-making. Sooner or later, some truth-teller is going to have to confront that one.

Our interest rates are higher than everyone else’s because their economies, in relative terms, are stuffed. In any case, our rates are still lower than when Howard was in charge and are really only back to long-term average levels."

[wycbloods]

If you like political satire:

Tell it like it is: the fair-dinkum election

A good read that one Q man.

[Gozu]

Here is another one:

"The ALP has made the mistake all through the past eight months of fighting on the Opposition’s ground – getting into debating points about the efficiency of spending on the BER and the delivery of the BATTS program.

They needed to say, plainly, that it was their spending that stopped unemployment shooting up from 5 per cent to 8.5 per cent, as Treasury forecast at the height of the crisis.

That’s about 150,000 people now in work who would not have been otherwise, but for Labor’s handling of the crisis. Take into consideration the families of those working people and you are talking about half a million people saved from real hardship.

Then you add in the avoidance of the knock-on effects to small businesses of the hit to spending from a sharp increase in unemployment. The ALP’s policies spared millions of Australians real pain.

This has been achieved while still leaving Australia as the most fiscally sound economy of any developed country.

As well, Labor is building reserves, through the mining tax, to invest in infrastructure, creating more jobs and lifting our capacity to deal with further shocks.

This SHOULD have been the message all along. They have two and a half weeks to sink that in. Pray it isn’t too late."

[Interceptor]

Here is another one:
"The ALP has made the mistake all through the past eight months of fighting on the Opposition’s ground – getting into debating points about the efficiency of spending on the BER and the delivery of the BATTS program.

Oh yeah because correctly implementing large spending programs and spending taxpayers' money efficiently doesn't matter and should be ignored in favour of stimulus propaganda. Just create a diversion to distract from the other screw ups

Yeah bypass any debate on accountability, just get the good 'ole ALP back in power, they know what's best

[redandblack]

Stimulus propaganda?

I could have sworn we've performed better than any country in the world through the GEC.

Interest rates on hold, low unemployment, good growth, etc, etc.

Give me some more propaganda, please.

[redandblack]

"When Julia says no she doesn't necessarily mean no?".

Oh dear. Tony's "The things that batter" moment?

[smac]

Not many would argue the measures assisted our econonmy RaB, however it's a little disingenuous to deny the programs themselves were stuffed up badly and the economy handed to the Rudd Govt was in a pretty good shape to withstand the GFC.

To do so (as Gillard & ALP are currently) is most certainly a reason to call it propoganda.

[Leaping Lindner]

"When Julia says no she doesn't necessarily mean no?".

Oh dear. Tony's "The things that batter" moment?

But didn't you hear him? He's got three daughters and a wife, he knows all about women
Not quite as good as his opposition to the cervical cancer vaccine when Health Minister (WTF??? ) , but still a pretty good Abbottism.

[redandblack]

Not many would argue the measures assisted our econonmy RaB, however it's a little disingenuous to deny the programs themselves were stuffed up badly and the economy handed to the Rudd Govt was in a pretty good shape to withstand the GFC.

To do so (as Gillard & ALP are currently) is most certainly a reason to call it propoganda.

mate, I'm not sure where I've denied the programs were stuffed up badly, or that the economy was in good shape

As for propaganda, to say that the programs were as disastrous as the Liberal Party says is also propaganda, if yoú want to be consistent. I think the insulation program was badly handled, but I'm yet to be convinced the schools program was the same, on the evidence so far.

As I said, though, I don't think I'm being disingenuous about something I've never said.

[Brucetiki]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5900788345

Though the Libs are denying it, their true colours are being more and more exposed.

[Psyber]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/libs-in-bed-with-tobacco-industry-to-attack-labor/story-fn5rizbk-1225900788345
Though the Libs are denying it, their true colours are being more and more exposed.

Tony Abbott has said the Liberals would not oppose "plain packaging" if Labor won, and that he would look at doing it if he did.
This sounds like more of the lying left insisting in their ads that he will bring back WorkChoices despite his public promise not to.
Scare tactics to supplement their empty policies.

An example of an empty policy - the "Superclinics".
All that will happen is that some GPs will give up providing after hours services in their own clinics to do it in the "Superclinics" because the government will pay them more to work in those.
That will be done to make it look like they are useful as anything but propaganda - there will be no net increase in services.
Similarly few doctors will employ the promised nurses because they will not be compensated for the time needed to supervise the nurses.
And who will take up the "bomb" bonus - anyone who drives a car that qualifies is unlikely to have the money to bridge the gap to buy a vehicle of the approved type - so there will be few applicants.

[Brucetiki]

Want proof the Greens are a pack of hypocrites, check this out

http://greens.org.au/policies/care-for- ... -addiction

1. The Australian Greens do not support the legalisation of currently illegal drugs.

24. introduce the regulated use of cannabis for specified medical purposes, such as intractable pain.

[Q.]

Want proof the Greens are a pack of hypocrites, check this out

http://greens.org.au/policies/care-for- ... -addiction

1. The Australian Greens do not support the legalisation of currently illegal drugs.

24. introduce the regulated use of cannabis for specified medical purposes, such as intractable pain.

Using it for medicinal purposes doesn't make it legal.

Morphine is used for medicinal purposes too, but I'm pretty sure I'd be in big trouble if i was caught selling it.

[Leaping Lindner]

Today Abbott is promising $3.1 billion of funding towards hospital beds but when HE was health minister he took away $1 billion funding allocated for these same beds. I'm confused.

OH I GET IT!!!!

Surely it's a non-core promise And if he can't deliver it it will be because of......The State government, The previous Federal Government, Unions, Primary school teachers, Inner City residents, boat people, (INSERT EXCUSE HERE)

[southee]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5901427442

Rudd saying Abbott not up for top job...

...bit like someone else Kev???

Very obvious Labour getting desparate and will do anything to swing their declining popularity in QLD, NSW and key seats in WA.

[Media Park]

You saw the 7pm Project too???

It seems to me that Kev has been told to support Jules, or leave.