Gillard breaks her promise, Wilkie withdraws support for gov

[Gozu]

ANDREW Willkie will today scrap his agreement with Julia Gillard to back the government after she walked away from a signed agreement on poker reform.

But the Government will not fall as a result of his decision because the Prime Minister secured a two vote buffer in the hung Parliament when Liberal Peter Slipper defected late last year to claim the job as Speaker.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/andrew-wi ... 6250137822

[mighty_tiger_79]

doesnt hurt the govt in the immediate future but will have consequences at the next election

[Jimmy_041]

Serves him right

Plus, I'm not sure he'll be around at the next election

[southee]

Yep ... He put his trust in her and looked what happens .

The country puts our trust in her and we are just waiting for more lies and broken promises to follow .

Carbon tax anyone ????

She's a disgrace !!!

[overloaded]

Cue redandblack

[Sojourner]

Gillard may have a one seat buffer, but Peter Slipper is openly Right Wing Conservative in the way he votes, his vote may guarantee supply, but every other issue is on its merits. Not a bad result for democracy IMO.

Rumour is about that Wilkie is planning to join forces with Nick X and go for the No Pokies Platform for the Tasmanian Senate spot in the Federal Government. If its true it will be interesting to see how he goes.

[dedja]

Slipper doesnt get to vote ... but the previous speaker does, hence the added advantage to Labor.

The pokie backflip was always going to happen once the Slipper deal was done.

I hope the $1 bet option gets up but will the coalition or Labor have the balls to do it? ... Of course not.

[Sojourner]

Slipper gets to vote in the event of a tie!

[dedja]

True, but in practice the likelihood of that happening is not high ....

Julia, Julia, Julia ... now she's trying to blame Tony Abbott for the backflip

[stan]

When can we have another election?

[Jimmy_041]

True, but in practice the likelihood of that happening is not high ....

Julia, Julia, Julia ... now she's trying to blame Tony Abbott for the backflip

Just like its his fault about the boat people - she really does make him look good

[Bully]

and this is different to any other PM....breaking promises ?

[southee]

When can we have another election?

Watch this space.....sooner than you think.

[dedja]

When can we have another election?

Had your chance last time ... if people faarked up when they voted then that's their fault and have to wait another couple of years.

[Gingernuts]

I don't want another election because at this point I don't want to vote for anyone (as was the case at the last election).

I find it very frustrating because I value my vote and refuse to put in a 'donkey' when so many people around don't even get a say in who governs them.

[Psyber]

As much as I'm not a big fan of Tony Abbott, I wouldn't hesitate at the first chance that comes.
Maybe Stephen Smith as ALP leader may make be stop and think about it, but I don't think they like even a hint of openness and honesty in their leaders.

[Sojourner]

Think the ALP are quite clearly in a bind here, various polls overwhelmingly suggest the people of Australia want Kevin Rudd to be the leader of the ALP. The leaders of the Factions don't want him and they cant seem to get any traction for Bill Shorten to be the leader over Gillard. The only way that it appears at this stage that the ALP will bounce upwards in the polls is for Kevin Rudd to be the leader and a clean slate of policy.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Think the ALP are quite clearly in a bind here, various polls overwhelmingly suggest the people of Australia want Kevin Rudd to be the leader of the ALP. The leaders of the Factions don't want him and they cant seem to get any traction for Bill Shorten to be the leader over Gillard. The only way that it appears at this stage that the ALP will bounce upwards in the polls is for Kevin Rudd to be the leader and a clean slate of policy.

If it comes down to a choice between Gillard/Rudd or Abbott, I will be voting Liberal for the first time in my life. Unless the Australia Party is up and running in the NT.

[Q.]

Big parties awash with pokies cash

The annual deluge of political donations data has been public since Wednesday morning and in media terms it proved to be a one-day wonder.

The $14 million spent by the tobacco industry fighting plain packaging legislation was the biggest single number that stood out, but the pokies industry could yet trump that number when the 2011-12 figures are finally released on February 1 next year. Pokies industry donations for 2010-11 got a brief mention in yesterday’s coverage and they certainly make for interesting reading when totalled up. Try this for size:

Labor pokies money

ACT ALP
Canberra Labor Club: $613,511

Federal ALP
AHA: 101,600
Clubs NSW: $27,500
Australian Casinos Association: $2266

NSW ALP
Sutherland District Trade Union Club (“Tradies”): $100,000
Clubs NSW: $79,850
AHA: $79,850

Victorian ALP
AHA: $150,000
Crown Casino: $25,000

WA ALP
Burswood Casino: $22,000

Total for ALP: $1.2 million

Liberal and National Party pokies donations

Federal Liberals
AHA: $105,000
Woolworths: $16,500
Clubs NSW: $15,000

NSW Liberals
AHA: $330,000
Clubs NSW: $207,000
The Warringah Club: $50,000
Star City Casino: $40,000
Harbour Beach Hotel: $11,000

NSW Nationals
AHA: $125,705
Clubs NSW: 50,000
Star City Casino: $64,300

Victorian Liberals
AHA: $70,000

Victorian Nationals
AHA: $50,000

WA Liberals
Burswood: $25,000

SA Liberals
AHA: $20,000

Total for Liberal and National parties: $1.18 million

How amazing that the industry managed to give almost exactly the same figure to the two major parties, both of which appear to be committed to Australians remaining the world’s biggest gamblers.