Federal Election

[Thiele]

I have heard it will be called for 28th of August http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/coalition ... 5885695618

[Brucetiki]

Well Beryl, I mean Irene Roberts, I mean Julia Gillard has called the Federal Election for 21 August.

In the past term, we've seen the Labor government steer us through some incredibly tough economic times (many caused by the dark days of Howard the Coward era), avoiding a recession. We also saw the formal apology by Kevin Rudd to the stolen generation. However, the past couple of months have seen their popularity drop - mainly caused by the insulation scheme scandal and the super tax (IMO, billionaires crying poor and overtaxed just doesn't wash with me). This saw a recent change in leader from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard, who appeased the mining sector by compromising on the mining tax before calling the election.

On the other hand, the coalition has been a rabble. They've changed leaders like underwear - first it was the inept Brendan Nelson, then there was the out of touch Malcolm Turnbull, and now we have Howard puppet Tony Abbott (who is also out of touch with the community). They have stumbled and bumbled their way through opposition, and giving them control of the country will only spell disaster for Australia.

Opinion polls currently show Labor with a 52-48 lead. Now, as we learnt from the state election, that means diddly squat as it's about who wins the majority of seats, not the majority of votes.

Now lets have a look at South Australia:

Heading into 2007, on the back of a massive swing to Labor, the seats of Adelaide, Hindmarsh, Kingston, Makin, and Wakefield all went from marginal to relatively safe. We even saw the normally safe Liberal seat of Sturt become marginal with a margin of 0.9%.

To be honest, I don't see anything changing in South Australia. Sturt's probably the only seat where the winner may not be determined on election night, and as weak a candidate Christopher Pyne is, he should still hold on.

Overall, I think Labor will win, and it will be a 52-48 margin.

Finally, for those who haven't done so, don't forget to enrol to vote - rolls close 8pm Monday night (another Howard attempt to silence the young)

[Gozu]

Well said but doesn't Pyne only hold Sturt by 0.9%? I think there is a real possiblity that Labor could pick up that seat.

[dedja]

Well said but doesn't Pyne only hold Sturt by 0.9%? I think there is a real possiblity that Labor could pick up that seat.

[Media Park]

I live in Pt Lincoln (So Rowan Ramsey's Grey), and regardless of the candidate, it'll be the Lib that holds the seat.

What is the issue everyone seems to have with Pyne?

[southee]

I live in Pt Lincoln (So Rowan Ramsey's Grey), and regardless of the candidate, it'll be the Lib that holds the seat.

What is the issue everyone seems to have with Pyne?

Yeah I dont get it....he's a good man

[dedja]

I can't either ...

[Dog_ger]

Gillard is a joke.

[Media Park]

I know this thread isn't about C. Pyne, but the above didn't really answer my question.

He seems to cop more grief (on safooty.net, in the 'tiser, hate group on facebook) than any other pollie, bar the top dogs, and I don't understand why.

[redandblack]

Gillard is a joke.

I'm sure you're proud of that in-depth statement, Dog_ger, but it just lacks that little bit of detail, or fact or reasoned argument that might back it up.

Still, it's much better than your usual political comment, so that's encouraging

[dedja]

I know this thread isn't about C. Pyne, but the above didn't really answer my question.

He seems to cop more grief (on safooty.net, in the 'tiser, hate group on facebook) than any other pollie, bar the top dogs, and I don't understand why.

OK, let's call a lifeline ... R&B or Jimmy_041?

[redandblack]

I know this thread isn't about C. Pyne, but the above didn't really answer my question.

He seems to cop more grief (on safooty.net, in the 'tiser, hate group on facebook) than any other pollie, bar the top dogs, and I don't understand why.

OK, let's call a lifeline ... R&B or Jimmy_041?

Leave me out of it, dedja.

Mrs R & B and I have a toy poodle.

It isn't named Christopher.

I'm making no further comment

[dedja]

LOL

[Brucetiki]

Abbott's already made his first blunder

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5892663535

He's promised to keep interest rates lower than Labor. Howard made the same promise in 2004 and failed to keep it, so what makes Abbott think he can do so?

[gossipgirl]

Abbott's already made his first blunder

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5892663535

He's promised to keep interest rates lower than Labor. Howard made the same promise in 2004 and failed to keep it, so what makes Abbott think he can do so?

and most importantly he is going to Stop The Boats, so no more P&O Cruises

[Psyber]

Abbott's already made his first blunder
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-d ... 5892663535
He's promised to keep interest rates lower than Labor. Howard made the same promise in 2004 and failed to keep it, so what makes Abbott think he can do so?

and most importantly he is going to Stop The Boats, so no more P&O Cruises

On the other hand there is this I received by email from Malcolm Turnbull's office:

- We will improve health by introducing better local mental health services, and by saving the private health insurance rebate.
- We will stop the waste in school building projects by giving control of the remaining BER funds to local school communities.
- The Coalition has committed to fund the completion of the suicide prevention measures at The Gap that the Rudd/Gillard Government has ignored despite repeated requests for support from Woollahra Council and leading mental health experts.
- The Coalition will also ensure that Defence Force retirement benefits, including the widows’ pension, will be indexed in the same way as the aged pension ensuring our ex-servicemen and their families are given the security they deserve.

http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media ... -services/

I was surprised to learn the Defence Force benefits were not already indexed.

PS: I approve stopping P&O cruises - they seem to be just travelling parties for drunken and drugged bogan's these days.

[wycbloods]

The poodle and Abbott announcing yesterday the liberals plans to expand the education tax refund to include school fees.

I say anyone who is sending their kids to a private school with higher tuition fees shouldn't be getting tax payers money to subsidise that when there are plenty of public schools their kids can attend. That is where the extra money the libs are prepared to spend here should be going.

[wycbloods]

http://slackbastard.anarchobase.com/?p=18487

The AWU's take on the libs.

[Squawk]

The poodle and Abbott announcing yesterday the liberals plans to expand the education tax refund to include school fees.

I say anyone who is sending their kids to a private school with higher tuition fees shouldn't be getting tax payers money to subsidise that when there are plenty of public schools their kids can attend. That is where the extra money the libs are prepared to spend here should be going.

To be fair WYCB, private school parents can also claim Labor's school uniform rebate. The key is, what is eligible? I assume this is another means test activity. This was published in the Coalition media announcement.

LABOR’S REBATE
Can claim 50% rebate for up to $780 per primary school child (= $390)
Can claim 50% rebate for up to $1558 per secondary school child (= $779)
Total for family with one primary school student and one secondary school student: $1169

THE COALITION REBATE
Can claim 50% rebate for up to $1000 per primary school child (= $500)
Can claim 50% rebate for up to $2000 per secondary school child
(= $1000)
Total for family with one primary school student and one secondary school student: $1500

Labor’s Eligible Expenses

Laptops
Home computers and associated costs
Home internet connection
Printers
Education software
School text books
School stationary
Uniforms

Coalition’s Eligible Expenses

Laptops
Home computers and associated costs
Home internet connection
Printers
Education software
School text books
School stationery
Uniforms
Government and non-government school fees
Special education costs for children with disabilities, like dyslexia
Camps and excursions
Extra-curricular school activities, such as music, sports, dance and drama lessons
Tutoring costs
Musical instruments
Sporting fees & equipment
School photos

[Brucetiki]

Tonight there was a 'dear resident' letter in the mailbox. So I opened it assuming it was the local real estate agent offering free valuations.

To my surprise it was the first piece of electoral advertising for the Liberal candidate for Wakefield (David Strauss). While (unlike the Liberal candidates for Adelaide and Hindmarsh), he isn't one of those who just finds any seat to contest, by sending his campaign via junk mail shows a) he's doesn't want to connect with the local community by not even addressing his campaign to individuals and b) his message won't even reach houses with a humble 'no junk mail' sign.

Also why wait until the election to start campaigning? If he was serious about wanting this seat, then he should have been campaigning well before the election. In comparison, in 2007, then Labor candidate (now Wakefield MP) Nick Champion was campaigning for 12 months before the 2007 election (whereas then sitting Liberal member David Fawcett also did nothing bar a quick letter the week before the election).